Some may search for diamonds while others hunt for gold. Gary Garrison's life quest today seeks frozen treasures in plastic molds.
Since his retirement, the 68-year-old from Harrison has been driven to discover the formula for the "perfect ice cube." Yeah, I know how odd it sounds. His friends say he's just got waaay too much time on his hands.
But he's the first to say thus far his research has proven darn near frustrating.
Undeterred by repeated near successes, the mild-mannered, graying kitchen adventurer remains as determined as Michelangelo was to sculpt his magnificent David. You might say his passion is more in the mold of a Picasso cubist.
Gary's idea of perfection sounds simple enough. Create two-inch squares (or similarly sized balls) of frozen water that emerge from molds sparkling as clear as any crystal.
"A perfect ice cube or ball can't have any of those foggy blemishes like normal ice cubes we make in our freezers today," he said. "No, no. They have to be frozen pieces of art that are sights to behold and admire as they float in a beverage of your choice."
Scoff if you must, valued readers, but Garrison, a former information technology executive, said his burning desire to create perfect ice cubes also has become somewhat of a rage far beyond his kitchen. A simple Google check proves that's true.
In fact, I discovered an aficionado can pay as much as $800 for a high-tech perfect ice cube mold from Williams-Sonoma. So far, his investment has run less than $100 for plastic molds ordered from the Internet. As one who prefers mundane golf and fishing as my diversion, I rely solely on the handy dispenser of grossly imperfect cubes from the machine in my freezer.
Gary and his remarkably patient and understanding wife, Lela, have pretty much run out of freezer space since he decided a while back that his idea of chilling out in retirement was to acquire the right molds and launch this adventure toward frozen perfection.
The idea came after he became intrigued with a two-inch ice cube tray he'd borrowed from a friend. The fascination with making his own soon followed.
Over the weeks, he's found the best results for achieving crystal-clarity come when water is frozen slowly in the molds within his stainless steel studio. It's much the same principal as a perfectly clear icicle needing time to freeze hard.
Calling Gary's efforts a business is a long stretch; I'd say it's more appropriate to say it's become his obsession, akin to searching for the Fountain of Youth.
"OK, I'll admit I've become a bit driven to perfect the perfect ice cube," he said. "But just think what this could do to benefit mankind when it comes to making our beverages more beautiful."
He said some friends have plastic shopping bags of his attempts stored in their freezers today. He's been more than generous about sharing. In fact, he dropped one by for us the other day. Now we, too, are in search of additional freezer space.
As of mid-March, and after weeks of trying every idea imaginable to fashion a flawless cube, Gary said he finally did produce a square and one ball that met his standards. "Look, expressing this kind of creative passion isn't simple, you know," he said, smiling. "Like rocket science, it takes thought and endurance."
He's certainly demonstrated both traits for weeks now. First he tried boiling the water before freezing it, thinking that might eliminate the bubbles and imperfections. When that failed, he went to double-boiling. Nope, still not the proper formula. Then he tried boiling distilled water. Nope.
Finally, he's come full circle back to plain ol' city tap water poured into a solid mold then oh so slowly freezing it for as much as 48 hours. (Dumb me, I still can't figure out how to freeze anything slowly. If it's frozen, it's frozen, right?)
I had to admit I was impressed after seeing even the early failed results of his calling. Those initial cubes that had required two days to produce weren't perfect in clarity, but they were pretty close. Besides, just one of those suckers pretty much filled a short glass and floated nicely in my beverage.
Lela has taken her husband's new obsession in stride, although he says he sometimes believes she thinks he lost it.
"It makes him happy and it doesn't really bother me that he's determined to create the perfect ice cube," she said. "He just walks back and forth doing his thing."
So, valued readers, know that while some prefer to golf, hike, fish or hunt in their retirement years, we all can rest just a little easier knowing that one day, with Gary Garrison toiling over water in his kitchen late into many nights, we may be enjoying a perfect, oversized "G.G. Cube" with our evening toddies.
Being a friendly sort, I feel certain he'll give you a bag if you ask in reverent tones.
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Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.
Editorial on 03/26/2017