Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Cheese Please


This morning, as I was trekking kids to and from standardized testing, I was struck by the desperate need to eat greasy fast food for breakfast. OK, I was just hungry and there was nothing else, but I tend towards the dramatic.

So, Jack in the Box was nearby and I pulled in, hoping I could find anything on their menu that I would not regret 2 minutes after it passed my lips. Fat chance (ha ha ha no pun intended- at least not intentionally). So I asked the very helpful middle-aged and still working drive up at a fast food place lady what the super (greasy) croissant had on it. I could stand 3 of the 6 ingredients and figured the gnawing in my stomach would be satiated by the other 3, with the exception of the American cheese, which frankly, I find to be a travesty against cheese as a whole. (No, I do not want to discuss grilled cheese sandwiches. That is an altogether different post)

So, I made one request, to trade out American cheese for cheddar. And she agreed it was possible and easy. She didn't bother to tell me it would cost and extra 25 cents, but I have no problems spending a quarter for something less than plastic on my breakfast. I said nothing to her about the quarter. Just so everyone knows, I didn't ask how it was possible for cheddar to be double the cost of American, or why she didn't bother to tell me it was extra. Nothing. I just happily pulled forward in the drive-thru.

Me: How much is my total? (brain like a sieve, I tell you)
Her: Yeah. Well, about that. I had to charge you extra for the cheddar. Because it's cheddar. I don't know how else to explain it. It's just cheddar.
Me: Umm. OK. Can I pay you? (and leave with my specially aged gourmet cheddar which was hand crafted in the heart of. . . Wisconsin?. . .or some cheese factory in Mexico?).

Maybe it doesn't sound as bizarre when you read about it. But hey, I don't know how else to explain it. It's just cheddar.

5 comments:

Cloves said...

OKay, but was it American Chedder or English chedder. I'd pay extra for the English type.

Mom said...

Plastic really does discribe American processed cheese. Give me the good old extra sharp (American) cheddar. I don't think I have ever eaten English cheddar. Is there a lot of difference? Maybe I will look for English cheddar next time I am at Costco. They stock imported cheese.

By the way, yesterday, while I was at Costco, they had extra large cans of Hershey's cocoa for under $6. Does your Costco stock the extra large cans? Do I need to lay in a supply to bring out if I ever come out again?

Mom said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Mom said...

How do you retract a comment? I don't know why this is duplicated.

Jen said...

I am laughing because Arlene is a big fan of the plastic American cheese. I believe she would eat it with or without the croissant...