Last night we treated the kids to McDonald’s for dinner, because we just couldn’t summon up the energy to cook. I remember when we used to judge people who exposed their toddlers to McDonald’s. Ah, the golden days of child-free haughtiness.
Anyway, eating McDonald’s hamburgers reminds me of TheRarGuy, because I always open mine up and throw away the pickle before I bite into it. TheRarGuy loves their pickles so much that he considers this rejection to be tantamount to a criminal act. One time, when he was a kid, his mom found some way to get a whole jar full of real McDonald’s pickles. He speaks of that time as the golden age of his childhood.
Back in university, he would gladly take the pickles off my hands for the price of a lecture on the horrors of wasted tastiness. These days they just have to go in the garbage. I hope this post hasn’t given him any nightmares.
TurtleHead 
You are like my long-lost sister.
I too have an aversion to the crunchy ruination of my perfectly good hamburger by the unwanted intrusion of pickles, and also pick them off.
Lately I’ve been trying to eat them, but I usually take one bite and then remove the pickle when I find I still don’t like them. Not that I don’t like pickles in other contexts, just not on my hamburger thankyouverymuch.
I am curently on a boycot of McDonald’s, though. Sometime in 1994 I had a Big Mac that made my stomach turn, and vowed never to eat their food again. And I haven’t. Although I have peed in their washrooms.
Lately, I’ve been preferring the Dairy Queen hamburgers. Of course, only if there’s no Arby’s available.
I admire your resolve. I have sworn off of McDonald’s many a time in the past but I never stick to it. Their widespread availability and the fact that my kids like chicken nuggets mean I’ll probably never get away. I resign myself to the fact that I’m in bed with the big red clown for a long, long time. Pickles excepted, of course.
Well I have to say, that brings back great memories! It’s true, I am a sucker for McDonald’s pickles, but also most other pickles too. Currently there are 2 jars of dills in the fridge (sliced and non) as well as some great garlicky pickled okra.
These days I have to get by on Quizno’s pickles though…I haven’t eaten at a McDonald’s in 21 months! I decided to quit most fast food almost 2 years ago, a decision that was firmly solidified about a month later, after renting SuperSize Me. Since that time I’ve had about 4 fast food hamburgers and maybe 3 orders of fries. Oh, and much to others’ horror I’m sure, only a handful of Taco Bell menu items.
But the memory of the pickles will always be imprinted on my brain!