the long goodbye.

to borrow from the altman film noir classic in title only -don't be fooled, this post has nothing to do with tijuana or private detectives.

it goes more like this:::

leaving has been a long process for me thus far.

clocking in at just over three weeks in south carolina i have lately been trying to develop lists of things i'd like to do before leaving again. the list is something that i can remember since i was

smaller. i have always felt that making a list is a great security for all occasions::: to get tasks done that need doing before something else occurs, to reassure against possible memory failings, to make desires and ideas known...

therefore, i have been compiling a list of truly stereotypical "americanisms" to do before i leave the south. in asking the boy what i thought were some tried and true american things to him (being of another nationality), he replied with that of course hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries and pizza were. naturally, these were some of the first things i wrote down on my list. realism was really my goal for the fulfillment and creation of this list. until now, i had only been capable of crossing off "apple pie," "watch college baseball game on a tv in a bar that serves bud light on tap and in bottles" and "pizza."

however, today mum strolled into the house while i was in the throes of viewing la dolce vita -yes the powerful, beautiful, and profound fellini masterpiece (ahhhhhh the costumes! sigh for the embellished flower-petal-like collared capes at the aristocrats in the countryside party and nico, period) only to plop down these on the table in front of me...

like a blast from that self-same childhood past where my obsession with lists is rooted, rush's fast food made its way back into my memory. i'm not here to suggest that you should know what rush's is or that i'm overly sentimental about a fast-food restaurant. the chain is a local to my city in south carolina restaurant and the only things i can really have anymore due to the vegetarian diet are the perfectly salted and crispy french fries and the delightfully (still) handmade chocolate milkshakes. behold. but, it used to be a favorite indulgent after-school snack on an occasional friday in mum's old van.

so, i snapped a picture of the midafternoon lunch/snack because in all honesty, how awesome are those graphics? unlike so many other brands, restaurants, and stores rush's has stuck to the same graphics they've used since probably the 1960's and personally, i'm a fan. besides who doesn't love a motto like "fabulous food...fast." essentially i'm honored that mum surprised me with rush's as a way to help me check off two more things "chocolate milkshake" and "french fries" on my most recent of lists.

enjoy!

to check out a beautiful advertisement from the '90s, direct yourself to rush's homepage here.