Zero, Five Or Whatever...What Do You Stop On?

I was pumping gas the other day and had left the nozzle on automatic. After it had clicked off I began my usual battle with the pump dispenser to get the dollar amount just perfect. Here are my preferred choices: 1. I like the amount to be a nice round number. When filling up the Mustang these days, that amount is $50.00. 2. I like the total to end in a zero. 3. I can handle it if it stops on a five. When gas is as high as it is, it is nearly impossible to get the pump to stop on a zero or five. It always goes past to 01 or 06 and I end up with $47.46 or $48.01. Before you know it, I've put an additional two or three bucks in the car because I can't get the blasted thing to stop. My mom thinks it's hysterical when she sees me doing this. Why don't you just let it stop wherever, she says, or better yet, pay with cash and they do the stopping for you! So, is it just me? Zero, five or whatever, what do you stop on?

How 'Bout Them Gas Prices

Two months ago I was spending over fifty bucks a pop putting petrol in the old mustang. Today, I spent roughly less than twenty-five dollars. I went to the grocery store and paid almost five bucks for a gallon of milk. I went to another grocery store and thought about paying 4.99 for a twelve pack of Diet Coke. I wanted to go through a drive thru of my favorite restaurant but they don’t seem to have the .99 cent items that I like anymore. My family member that recently enjoyed a ride in an ambulance down to Atlanta got the bill only to learn that he was charged an additional 25.00 for gas. I mailed a package via someone other than the USPS and I was charged a fuel surcharge. My sister bought her airline tickets to fly down for Christmas and was charged a fuel surcharge. I got a new load of propane for the old gas tank and there was a fuel surcharge for delivery tacked onto it. My friend got pulled over for speeding again and there was an added charge for fuel expenditures. I ordered a pizza, and, you guessed it: A 2.50 delivery fee. I don’t know about you, but with some basic figurin’ and computatin’ I was able to surmise that if gas only costs about two bucks a gallon now, instead of four, shouldn’t everything else cost half as much too? But hey! How ‘bout them gas prices!

Out Of Gas

I’m not sure how many of you out there are dealing with this situation, but it’s beginning to get on my nerves. I live in the state of Georgia, and, it seems that we have run out of gas. In a time when we are supposed to be conserving fuel Atlantans are driving all over town looking for gas. I’m not exaggerating. Atlanta is famous for its congestion, traffic jams, and miles and miles of interstates. There isn’t a subway system and the rail system hardly goes outside the 285 Perimeter. If you want to get anywhere, you drive your vehicle, and for that, you need gas. If you are lucky enough to find a station that has gasoline, you better be prepared to pay up. Georgia has the third highest price gas behind Alaska and Hawaii. I’m not sure why because I thought we were part of the lower 48. The prices we are paying are what they normally pay in California. There’s even been a rumor started around town that they were thinking about canceling the Alabama-Georgia football game. Now, as a member of the SEC, even mentioning something like this constitutes an act of unAmericanism. I know there is bad blood between these two teams, but Geesh, canceling a football game, I hope not. You know, I had tickets to go see the game and I called my friend that lives in Athens and asked if I could spend the night. We were originally going to meet at the game but he had one small problem. He said I could spend the night if I came and picked him up; he was out of gas. I think I’ll stay home and watch the game on television.

The Shortest Week

After all the planning, preparing, packing and driving I was expecting it to last longer. There are really only two ways to get to the Outer Banks or OBX for short. As the old saying goes: 'One if by land, two if by sea'. My sister and her crew comes from the north(Yankees) down from Virginia on Hwy 12 through Nags Head until she reaches Avon, NC.(I don't know if they have an Avon lady there or not.) Meanwhile, Mom is steadfast in her resolution that the only way to get there is to take the ferry. Two of them. (I'm against this) Somehow, during the two days of driving along the back roads of North Carolina relearning my multiplication tables,(I still can't remember what 11 x 11 equals) practicing my German(Nein) and wondering Why I ever liked Social Studies, (my niece's school work)she had managed to talk me into it. That's what moms do. It's day 3 of our vacation and we had finally made it to the coast. Its later than we wanted it to be because Mom had wanted to sleep in this morning. I had succumbed to Mom's subtle pressure to go ahead and make a reservation to get on the ferry. The first two time slots were completely booked so we had to settle for the 2:00 PM crossing. Ferry crossing #1 lasts over 2 hours and the last crossing is about 45 minutes. As we reach the outskirts of Avon, the time is now 6:00 PM, we're exhausted and the middle-aged fat woman is yet to put her toes in the sand. Day 4--Rain, rain and more rain. No sand yet. Days 5,6 & 7--Perfect. Sun, sand, sunburns, heartburn, upset stomaches, flounder bites, swollen ankles, feet and sisters. No towels, out of toilet paper,(again) I'm bored,(go play, go read a book, go outside). Cookouts on the beach. (that's another story) Now, we're on vacation!! Day 8--Mom tells me she wants to leave early tomorrow so we can catch the early ferry. Time to start packing. Days 9 & 10--Another 48 hours of ferries, back roads, searching for bathrooms, and reading gas price signs ($4.39 a gallon)(Holy Crap!!) should have left me wanting to get back home as quickly as possible. (Nein, I can't wait until next year!)