text: I read the news todayOh boynnhttptinyurlcomylpzaannGlenn Bell Jr died this past weekend at the tender age of a long life of slingin tacos to be surennI had not been to Taco Bell in almost years until todayI was moved to drop by Taco Bell in a sort of tribute to Glennone of the more prominent voices during my formative yearsnnThis Taco Bell in particularstore is one of the more important spiritual touch points for paying tribute to GlennScottsdale was the home of the first Taco Bell franchise and the fact that Westaco Incs HQ is in the same lot with this store makes them the defacto if not actual heir to the legacy of Glenn BellnnI had my first Taco Bell taco in Corvallis Oregon in when I hit college with a mighty crashnnIt was the second time I had ever had Mexican foodthe first time was a week prior at a place called Taco Time in Eugene OregonnnI was thrilled to find out about pizza Italian food pizza Mexican pizza chinese take out pizzayou get the driftI was a country boy in the for me big city and I was going to find out all about lifes pleasuresstarting with tacosnnI was hooked on Taco Bell for a long time a time that coincidentally was the time when I had very little money yet still needed to eat occasionallynnTaco Bell and the others filled the role of reasonably tasty maintenance eating for a long long timeit was a truism in that no oneno one could eat worth of Taco Bell at a sitting all by themselvesnnCouldNotBe DonennIt may still be truish with the cheapo menunnBut it has never really been very goodnnThat was something I actually did not discover until a trip to LA with a girlfriend the same trip that I discovered InnOutreal Mexican food is very different than the goop that Glenn had sold me over the yearsand very much betternnBut that did not stop me from eating at Taco Bellbeggars cannot be choosersand I was a beggar for a few yearsnnToday was a nostalgia stop for me as was my last visit to a Taco Bell a few years ago as well as a tribute to GlennnnI was more interested in watching my beefy burrito being made this timethe ladies in the kitchen pulled various levers in response to the computerized instructions for my order on the monitors overheadthe different shades of unidentifiable goop that cascaded onto the flour tortillasthe quick hand movements of their ritual wrapping of the burrito I once dated a girl that worked at Taco Bellshe knew how to wrap a burritobut that is another storynnIt still is not very good foodbut everyone at this location is sweet and pleasant my order was correct I was in severe need of a retox after a miler this morning and I did manage to eat about of the burritoeven with mulitple bags of hot sauce it was not very goodnnBut that is not the fault of the sweet ladies behind the counter nor of Westaco nor of Glenn BellI think when Pepsi or YUM or whoever got their hands on Taco BellwellI am not writing this to get on a rant about corporate agendas vs qualitynnI wanted to give them an extra starjust for being who they are and where they are but I hear the spirit of Glenn Bell telling me do not do it Donaldmake them earn it nnThats all I need another voice in my headThanks Glenn