Salty Jack in the Bus

Buses.

You either ride the bus or you don't. There is really no in between. Take me for instance - I am an avid bus rider. I am on a bus for about 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours each day. You don't get much more avid than that. Now, you might being asking yourself - "why on earth do you spend that much time on a bus?"

A valid and excellent question. Well, you see, I work somewhere that is about an hour away (1 1/2 by bus) and there are many reasons why I ride said bus (in no particular order). Reason 1 - It is actually much cheaper to do so. Spending 90 dollars a month on a bus pass is totally worth it compared to $200+ on gas and wear and tear on a car. Reason 2 - This way we don't have to buy another car. My wife can have the car, and I take the bus. Reason 3 - I really don't mind driving in the winter that much, but winter here in IF with all the wind drifting snow is a different beast. I don't have to drive in crappy weather. Reason 4 - Since I have to catch the bus at 5:10am, I am pretty tired. I don't have to drive. I can usually get a good 40 minutes nap each way. Reason 5 - Buses are pretty cool and fun to ride. Reason 6 - There is a bus stop right outside our apartment. You can't really beat curbside pickup. I am sure there are many more.

There are some downsides to riding the bus. Downside 1 - I do have to leave earlier than if I drove. Downside 2 - Sometimes you have to sit next to someone with less than adequate hygiene-ness. Downside 3 - No seat belts. Maybe its just me, but I feel a bit safer strapped in. Downside 4 - You can't leave early or late without taking a different bus and you are a slave to when the buses leave.

Overall, the bus is great and I enjoy it. Currently we have no constant bus driver and its kind of annoying that they have to learn the route each time. The bus this morning was noisy when the heat was on, and the driver was really slow. Its like playing Russian roulette with the buses and drivers. Its interesting to note that the older buses are actually more comfortable than the newer ones. The new ones have little t.v. screens, but they are never used since everyone sleeps.


Jack in the Box restaurant.

Moving to IF I was saddened when I could not locate one of my favorite fast food places, Carl's Jr. There is on the other hand a Jack in the Box near by. My wife and I decided to give it a try...see if it could be our new Carl's. Carl - you have nothing to worry about.

Jack in the Box does have some good qualities. Things like seen on the commercials here: they serve breakfast all the time and they have a good selection from burgers to rice bowls. That is about all that is good.

What good is either of those good qualities when the food is gross? A great big selection of many different kinds of crappy food. Breakfast served all day...well, its gross breakfast - so, maybe they should limit it to 6am to 7am. Truthfully I have not tried a rice bowl, but I don't need to. The burgers are sub-par and their secret sauce is probably ketchup and mustard mixed together (and yet they somehow made that gross too). You don't need to try it, and I give it the hairy back of my hand with a thumbs down.


SALT (The motion picture).

Salt, starring Angelina Jolie and Wolverine's brother is very worth your time and money in any regard. Go see it in the theater. Redbox it. Order it through Netflix. Buy it when it comes out on DVD. Pick and choose any combination of the aforementioned and you will not be disappointed. If you have enjoyed movies such as the Bourne Identity trilogy, The Fugitive, Mission Impossible, Casino Royal, and or U.S. Marshals ... you will enjoy Salt.

There are lots of well done action scenes and a pretty intriguing plot. Although the plot is predictable at times, it still does a fairly good job at keeping you interested and is not drawn out like some action movies. I really enjoyed this movie and would love to add it to my movie collection. Angelina Jolie does such a great job with this movie and the rest of the cast does as well. Thumbs way way up!

... and that my friends is How Lou Sees It.