relic

chrisglass is obsessed with car taillights. I think I’m obsessed with retro, structural signage.

I decided to take the scenic route from downtown to south county to pick Kevin up at my Dad’s. The route was along a street called Broadway which hugs the Mississippi River and winds through the economically depressed south-city before opening up into suburbia.

Traveling south, you can’t see the river from the chemical processing plants and warehouses… On the right are hundred-years old dirty storefronts and a sea of tiny, ill-maintained shack-houses.

The reality check was really good for my head since I’ve been so frustrated with business being so slow.

Who am I to sit around and bitch and complain… I had just clocked three billable hours that day.. Which, is more money than someone working a full time minimum wage job makes in a week of hard work. Granted my numbers are “before taxes” and expenses… but still.

“Oh boo fucking whooo”… the poor x-yuppie is belly aching as he drives home with his three thousand dollar laptop in a fairly new car to his house in the sleepy-safe suburbs.

I’m an ass-face.

Grateful-therapy aside, it was a nostalgia trip to travel that route. I remember venturing on this stretch of road this side of the suburbs as a child going to the chiropractor with my grandma. I assume because of the depressed state of this part of town, very little growth has occurred. Many of the same buildings are still there… Including an old Steak & Shake “mee-honk” would take me to as a reward for my patience in the waiting room.

Primarily a midwestern phenomena, Steak & Shake has gone through the requisite “brand updating” over the decades. (albeit not as nasty as seen by places like Taco Bell and White Castle). Nonetheless, the new restaurants smack of the sameness which prevails contemporary commercial architecture.

Except for this one which seems to have been forgotten or overlooked by the brand police.

Seeing the old joint along with the powerful memory triggers of steakburgers and chili smells wafting through the air damn near made me wreck the car.. I stopped to take some photos…

Who knows how much longer the place will be there.

Who knows how long I’ll deny keeping a blog.