Way back Wednesday- Jack in the Crack and my breadbox

My new house is in a great location. I am 15 minutes from everywhere. When you live in a relatively large town with many highways and lots of traffic that says a lot! I am getting used to my new “hood” as I call it. I have never lived in this part of my city before so it is an adjustment. I am not much of a fast food eater but lately I have been more into settling than cooking so I tend to pick up something quick. I have a McDonalds (of course. Who doesn’t?), Arby’s, Lions Choice (for you non-St. Louis folks this is the best roast beef in town, sorry Arby’s) and last but not least…Jack in the Crack. I call it this for 2 reasons:

1. I wish not to get sued when my blog is rich and famous.
2. I mostly think it tastes like something pulled out of someone’s crack.

I have never really had a bad experience with Jack in the Crack food. I just don’t particularly like anything on their menu but it is not horrible to the point that I can’t eat it. So last night I am driving home, thinking of food and what to eat. When I passed JITC and considered it (why?), I was no longer hungry. I was actually a little annoyed and I went home without getting food despite my hunger pains.

This got me to thinking, why such a strong aversion to JITC? Then.it.hit.me. When I left my ex-fiancé I moved into a studio apartment that was right next to JITC. I called this apartment my breadbox as it was size comparable. My window and the drive thru to JITC were literally 10 feet from each other at most. JITC is 24 hour here so at all hours of the night I would have drunken idiots trying to order their food at about 50 octaves higher than necessary. I remember lying on my couch (I had no bed and therefore slept on my couch) thinking I would just throw up if another person ordered jalapeno poppers at 4am. And God forbid the nights the speaker was broken or an idiot was working drive-thru and had the speaker volume up way too loud! Sometimes you could hear the drunken stupor in their voice as they ordered. One guy got out and fought the sign one night (the sign won). In the entire time I lived there I never once ate at the JITC despite the stone’s-throw-distance and I have never eaten there again since. I guess that explains my aversion. It’s not the food so much as my past trauma. Ha, who knew?

Now I am thinking about that crazy studio apartment. It was my very first time living absolutely by myself and I loved it. I was 21 years old and free as a bird! I had my 9 foot green velour couch courtesy of my friend’s parents. I had a TV and stand and maybe a small table but that was it. I stored jeans in my oven and socks in the cabinets. I had a beaded curtain that I loved. I am not sure where that thing made off to but I would love to have it for my current space;-) It was small and stuffy but it was mine. The small space actually made it nice because you can’t really be a packrat with no where to put things. I eventually moved to a bigger apartment by myself and then in with my old roomie, Sarah. Those times on my own were probably the best of my life. That got me to thinking how great it will be in a few months when I have money saved and my confidence is high and I am ready for my own place again!

Looking back, it seems a decent trade; all of those good times living on my own AND I never have to eat Jack in the Crack again! Next time I will be sure to check my surroundings before I put money down on a place. I like my food too much to make that same mistake twice.