Gas Horror Stories

As I mentioned before, I drove to Nashville to see the Tennessee Titans play on Friday. Overnight Thursday night, gas had jumped from $2.19/gal to $2.35/gal. I filled up before I left, muttering and cursing all the while for not doing so the night before.

Now, my little Taurus holds about 13 gallons or so, and gets a decent 23mpg on the interstate - when I don't run my AC. But since I was still recovering from the Cold from Hell (®), I was ordered advised by my wife to use it. Normally, I like to roll both front seat windows down and leave the vent on - that's enough to keep me cool, even in the hottest weather. But I did what every American husband did, followed her wishes.

So after driving about Nashville to downtown and to Michael's house, I had to fill up again on Saturday. Now by this time, gas (in Nashville, mind, but it was similar here) was up to $2.45/gal. Another dime, in one day. I made it to Cookeville, which is about 1/3 of the way back, but it was still the second time in two days I'd had to fill up. Thankfully my cold was better and I was able to keep the AC off and roll the windows down.

Finally, I had to fill up again yesterday (Monday) due to driving all over East Tennessee at the lake, helping out my wife, running errands for work, driving the kids to where they needed to go.... so at the highest gas prices on record, I've filled up my tank three times in the past four days. Thank goodness I did find gas for the cheap, cheap, cheap price of $2.39/gal at the Shell station on Asheville Highway.

What's next? I'm down to 3/4 tank since then. Next fill-up, probably Thursday or Friday if I'm lucky.

Here's my big question - where, O where, is my flying car??? We were promised flying cars, and I want my flying car! Not that it would save me any money or gas, necessarily, but after I install my flux capacitor I'm going back in time to 1980 and buy stock in Microsoft. To pay for my next tank of gas...