Je Suis Desolé

I am desolate. One of the few bits of French I remember from my one semester in college. If this news hits you the same way it hit me, you might want to grab a tissue before reading on. The Burger King in my town closed and I never got to say good-bye. For years, the shopping area of my town--I always refer to it as "downtown," making air quotes--boasted a Wendy's, a McDonald's, a Burger King and a KFC, in order as you drove down the street. Years ago the McDonald's closed, although I never understood why--it always seemed to be busy. I started driving through fast food places when I seemed to spend 90% of my time in the car, ferrying kids to and from school, sports, scouts, and friends. Add in my own errands and appointments and it was often the only way to keep going without a lot of time planning and packing meals and snacks on top of what was needed for school. I just didn't have time. As with everything else, I developed a favorite and it was Burger King. When I reached the point in my life that fast food stops were no longer necessary, I considered a Whopper a treat that I would allow myself occasionally. The day my husband and I were finally (FINALLY!) able to get haircuts, we were scheduled one after the other in the late morning. I suggested that we celebrate this long-awaited event by getting lunch at Burger King. As we approached, I was horrified to see that the entire property was surrounded by a chain link fence. The sign said CLOSED. I was terribly disappointed, but assumed that renovations were in the works. Well they were, but not the kind I was thinking of. Online we read that the owner was going to demolish the building and put up a Taco Bell. Taco Bell? I'm sure there are many who like it, for one thing it's still in business. But it's way, way down on my list of places to grab a quick meal. Way down. Sure enough, a week later the building was a pile of rubble. Of course, there are a few other Burger Kings still open, but they're not convenient. And the next nearest one is rather sloppy in their sandwich construction and the availability of items. I don't understood why BK didn't flourish but McDonald's did. I'm sad. So sad. Desolate even.