a good cube is hard to find

I make ice cubes using two trays. I stack them together in my freezer, usually on the upper shelf. When the cubes are finished freezing, I empty them into a bin. Yes, I am one of those people and their damned bins. Others prefer to loosen the ice cubes in place and pick them out one or two at a time. That’s fine.

Either way, a simple truth is observed: Sometimes the ice cubes pop out of the tray cleanly, easily, and in whole cubes. These are good cubes, and leave me feeling happy and rambunctious.

Sometimes, though, the ice cubes stick in the tray. These are bad cubes. Not only are they harder to get out, but usually they break into pieces. When I next pour myself a Fresca™ and reach into my lovely, precious bin for a few ice cubes, my eager hand encounters chips and jagged pieces. Sometimes it’s enough to spoil the whole Fresca Experience™.