I have eaten very little meat since August’s cheeseburger eating challenge, but I just might hork down a McRib sandwich this week. Not because the pressed meat patty that's made to look like it contains bones sounds particularly appealing, but because McDonald’s McRib is cropping up repeatedly in my daily life. It’s getting creepy.

It started with the billboards. I normally don’t consciously pay attention to McDonald’s marketing, but for some reason, the McRib campaign this time around really captures my attention. I thought I  filtered out the tragically stale word "awesome" when used in all forms of written and verbal communication, but for some reason, when positioned in a McRib tagline, the word leaps out at me and practically tackles me to the ground and force feeds me the faintly tangy pork (ish) patty.

Then, my new coworker, Bob Purvis, writes his blog biography and --lo and behold -- he lists the McRib as one of his interests. So I ask him about it, and it turns out, he has a somewhat complicated relationship with the rib-resembling McHoagie. It’s not that he really craves the sandwich, but friends keep showing up with bags of ‘em to suck down during football games. It’s irony slathered in onions. I get this.

Then, I discussed the McRib with Kramp and Adler on our Thursday morning "Heat Index" segment. Through this riveting banter, I learn that Adler dated the girl whose dad invented the machine that forms the patty into the fake rib shape. (Why oh why are the "ribs" only on one side of the patty?)

Finally, my possessed fingers start Googling the McRib and I learn there is a Cult of McRibbies out there. One fan-wich invented a McRib locater. Another guy went on a McRib tour, and drove from New York City to St. Louis, devouring a pork (ish) patty at every Mickey D’s along the way.

Through my fake rib research, I really got the skinny on this 26-fat-grammed sammy. The McRib was introduced in 1981 as a permanent menu item. In 1985, due to dicey sales, the sandwich was yanked from the menu but has been brought back almost annually as a special "limited time" sandwich. In 2005, McDonald’s claimed the McRib was going on a "Farewell Tour" and would never again be available for consumption. Until, of course, 2006’s "McRib Farewell Tour 2."

It’s a train wreck on a bun, but for the twisted love of gross pop culture food like Peeps and Spam, I think I am going to finally try one. But I better act quickly because they are only around until Dec. 5 and then, may never return. Riiiiight.