I'm not making excuses, just honestly asking because it seems to have been an issue with a lot of people: this didn't sound to you exactly like a man sitting in a lounge chair, telling a story with a tumbler of whiskey in his hand, gesturing with that hand some (which is pretty much precisely the scene described in the story)?
I went back and listened to some of the story again to pinpoint what the problem was. Because, really, I like it when you guys mix in some ambient sounds to help immerse us in the story. So why didn't it work here?
First off, I listened to the story in my car, which has a whole slew of its own ambient noises competing with the story. Not until I just listened to it again did I realize just how much ice sound there actually is. Honestly I didn't catch any of that my first time through, apparently only picking up on the occasional overly loud sound. So that's not really anyone's fault, just a situation where the effects were too quiet for my personal circumstances.
Also, the first "ice" sound effect that I noticed didn't sound like ice to me, but like someone slurping through a straw. So it didn't conjure images of the MC sipping whisky, I thought the narrator had taken a sip of water. So that, along with the shuffling paper and him moving away from the mic, put me in the mindset that it was just a bad recording.
Also, I think another reason I didn't get what was supposed to be portrayed is because, when I think of someone who goes home every night and drinks himself into unconsciousness, I don't picture them relaxing in an armchair with a tumbler of whisky. I see them chugging from the bottle as they lay half-on-half-off a moldy couch. So without the proper picture in mind, the SFX were just a straight miss for me.
Finally, I think Warren hit it on the head. The story itself wasn't holding me, so other things were distracting.
So, as I said, I'm glad it was on purpose and not just a bad narration. I want you guys to know I don't fault either Mr. Lee, or EP. I really appreciate the efforts you put into these stories, especially when you go above an beyond the basic reading and try to add more dimensions. This one didn't work, but don't stop. Thanks for everything. /suckingup.