O Rodeo, Rodeo, Wherefore art thou Rodeo?

In the spirit of LAP's tribute to the golden arches, I would like to pause and share some thoughts on another fine establishment. Around 1999-2000, I developed a Burger King habit. By habit, I don't mean that I began going to Burger King once a week. I mean that I began going through the Burger King drive-thru every morning on my way to work. Every single morning. On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, I ordered a plain biscuit and a large Diet Coke. On Wednesdays (hump day) and Fridays (as a TGIF treat), I ordered cini-minis and a large Diet Coke. I would not allow myself to begin eating these breakfast treats until I arrived at school (a good twenty-five minutes before I needed to be there). I would then turn on only one set of my classroom lights and sit in the semi-darkness at my desk. I would check email (I had no at-home internet access back then) and enjoy my breakfast. Looking back, I can see that this was a sad little ritual. At the time though, it was so important to me. Some mornings, it was only the promise of Burger King that got me out of bed, as in: "If you get up now and skip the shower, MEP, you can still get to Burger King."

One bonus of my Burger King habit was the friendship I forged with Jackie, the early morning assistant manager who ran the drive-thru window. Jackie had to get to Burger King at something like 4:45 every morning. She, her husband (a truck driver who was never home), and her daughter were living with his parents while they saved up for a house. We ended up exchanging Christmas and birthday gifts. We did not have too much time to talk each morning, but I always appreciated her positive attitude so early in the morning. My first year in Chicago, Jackie ended up taking a job as a teacher's aide at the high school where I worked. Who knows how our friendship might have blossomed had I stayed there another year.

I am fortunate enough to live within walking distance of a Burger King now, though I haven't befriended any of its employees . . . perhaps because I thankfully no longer need Burger King on a daily basis. In fact, I'd wager I had cini-minis less than 5 times in all of 2007 and not once so far in 2008. I do have a new Burger King obsession though (probably a once, maybe twice, a week thing): The Rodeo Cheeseburger.
Most people are unfamiliar with the Rodeo and so I actually consider this post a public service. The Rodeo Cheeseburger is about the same size as a regular cheeseburger, but it is topped with cheese, barbecue sauce, and--drumroll please--three perfect Burger King onion rings. It's got flavor and crunch (thanks to the onion ring) in a compact and inexpensive--it's a value menu item--package. Tastes so good when it hits your lips. From time to time it disappears from the BK menu, and those times are tough. But it's there now, and I want it that way. NTB.