You remember what is was like as a child to chase Mr Whippy down the street, yelling and screaming and hoping like anything the driver would catch glimpse of you in the rear vision mirror.
And the disappointment when the van disappeared around the corner, taking the telltale jingle and the promised treat with it.
Well, that is pretty much what it was like to follow the Otago Nuggets over the past decade. It always ended in tears and no snow freeze.
Except this season the ice cream truck stopped long enough for the suffering fans to read the menu and ponder whether to go for the flake, sprinkles or have the whole thing dipped in chocolate.
For the first time in 16 long years, the Nuggets reached the playoffs and delivered their supporters a real reason to believe a title was in the offing.
The Nuggets dominated the National Basketball League for six glorious weeks, winning eight consecutive games and setting the benchmark.
There was a memorable 92-59 trouncing of the Nelson Giants. It was Nuggets' most complete team effort in at least a decade - probably longer - and the box score should be framed and hung on the wall for us to marvel at for all eternity.
The 81-74 win against the Hawkes Bay Hawks in Napier was another brilliant effort and an early indication this team had the goods. Antoine Tisby performed strongly in that fixture with a fine double of 25 points and 10 rebounds.
In the 110-93 win against the Taranaki Mountain Airs, fellow American Akeem Wright stood out like Kim Dotcom at a National Party convention.
He scored 35 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, made seven assists, five steals and three blocks in one of the most outstanding individual performances of the season.
The 95-66 win against the Sharks the next day gave us all another reason to gloat. The growing aura of invincibility was only enhanced when the Nuggets beat the Hawks 90-85 in overtime.
BJ Anthony hit a crucial three-pointer to help seal the victory, and people, ourselves included, were labelling him one of the best players in the competition.
His raw power and energy throughout court had given the Nuggets a vital edge in the early stages of the tournament. His powers waned as the season progressed, but Otago had won eight games in a row and was at the top of the standings.
The buzz was building. People were flocking to the see the team play and, for their last home game of the season, the Nuggets drew their biggest crowd (2650) at the Edgar Centre.
But here is the catch. Despite the Nuggets' success, their form was a little deceptive. The draw had been extremely kind with six of their first eight games at home.
They played the hapless Super City (Waitakere) Rangers twice in the opening weeks and caught teams like the Giants and the Sharks before they really hit their straps.
The first signs of weakness appeared during game nine - a 102-93 loss to the all-powerful Wellington Saints.
While far from a catastrophic blow, the Nuggets' listless performance suggested the team was dipping rather than continuing to rise.
A gimme against the Waikato Pistons and back-to-back wins against the Manawatu Jets meant the Nuggets were the first team to seize a spot in the playoffs.
Whether their early qualification stripped them of their edge is uncertain. But, although it was not immediately obvious, the Nuggets had peaked.
They lost a tight encounter with the Giants in Nelson, which was not totally unexpected. They had played a tough match the night before.
But what happened next was totally unexpected. The Nuggets crashed to their heaviest loss in their history, pummelled 114-67 by the Southland Sharks in Invercargill.
What went wrong? Everything. We know now, of course, coach Paul Henare was just starting to get the very best from his talented roster and the Sharks went on to win the title. The massive loss, though, was a hammer blow from which the Nuggets never really rebounded.
Humiliated, they sought redemption against the Saints at home but were routinely brushed aside, losing 97-72.
Some confidence returned to the camp when the Nuggets prevailed 145-137 in a historic quadruple overtime thriller against the Mountain Airs.
Nuggets captain Mark Dickel reigned supreme that night. The 36-year-old veteran clocked 58min 13sec for a haul of 27 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and three steals. His free throw shooting - 15 from 16 - was quite simply the difference between the two sides.
The Giants and the semifinal awaited. The Nuggets exploited their size advantage and dominated the exchanges on the inside to lead 44-38 at halftime.
But Nelson wrestled back some momentum late in the third period and outplayed Otago in the fourth quarter to win, comfortably in the end, 87-72.
The Nuggets were left distraught at their efforts during that final period. To be outscored 28-9 was a sour way to end what was, if they look in the rear-vision mirror, an excellent season overall.
The secret, now, is to build on the success and make more regular appearances in the playoffs. If the Nuggets can do that, then perhaps they can scoop a first title.
Season inreview
RECORD
Played 17, won 12, lost 5
Home: Waitakere W111-77, Nelson W92-59, Waikato W97-74, Taranaki W110-93, Southland W95-66, Hawkes Bay W90-85, Manawatu W95-93, Wellington L97-72.
Away: Hawkes Bay W81-74, Waitakere W96-81, Wellington L102-93, Waikato W97-80, Manawatu W110-102, Nelson L87-82, Southland L114-67, Taranaki W145-137.
Semifinal (Napier): Nelson L87-72
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Scoring: Akeem Wright 20.9, BJ Anthony 19.4, Antoine Tisby 17.5, Hayden Allen 12.4, Mark Dickel 8.1.
Rebounding: Tisby 9, Wright 8.4, Anthony 7.6, Dickel 5.9, Brendon Polyblank 4.1, Allen 3.6.
Assists: Dickel 7.8, Wright 2.6, Allen 1.9, Polyblank 1.6, Anthony 1.5.
Steals (total): Dickel 41, Wright 27, Allen 22, Tisby 21, Anthony 19
Blocks (total): Tisby 26, Anthony 24, Wright 12.
Appearances: Dickel (17), Wright (17), Anthony (17), Tisby (17), Riki Buckrell (17), Polyblank (16), James Ross (16), Allen (14), Luke Aston (13), Matt Trueman (11), Hayden Miller (6), Tom Ingham (3), Sam Timmins (2), Tony Fisher (2), Sheldon McGuire (2), Derek Albertson (1), Micah Lepaio (1).
'ODT' awards
MVP: Dickel
Honourable mention: Anthony
Underachiever: Polyblank
Best individual performance: Dickel scored 27 points, made 12 assists, three steals and grabbed seven rebounds in the dramatic 145-137 quadruple overtime win against the Taranaki Mountain Airs in New Plymouth.
Best team performance: The 92-59 demolition of the Nelson Giants in round three was the most complete performance in at least a decade.
Worst team performance: The Nuggets were destroyed 114-67 by the Southland Sharks in Invercargill on June 21. It was the heaviest defeat in the franchise's history.
