Silver Lining.

So we're having this really weird Gas Shortage/Localized Panic going on around here. 

I first got the word from Greg on Thursday night when he met me at football practice and said, "All the gas stations on my way home from work are out of gas. Shell has some. You should go now and fill up your tank."

The Shell station in tiny Nolensville only had premium by the time I got there.  I was third in a short line and paid $4.29 a gallon for premium, which is probably normal, except I don't normally buy premium. The next day, Greg got gouged at a gas station whose credit card reader was "broken" and who had lost all their pencils or something so they couldn't write receipts for how much you paid.   It's a good thing I listen to Greg because I live in a bubble and had no idea there was a shortage in the works. I was at a quarter tank and if I had waited I would have hit this:

On Friday, I went to the grocery store and the line at the Kroger gas station was 2 hours long. The line looped around the parking lot and then out into the road. Notice the poor guy broken down in the line. If you see a traffic jam, you know it's because some gas station just got a tanker full of gas. Everyone I know, except the friend who's turning in her lease car this week and has a tank to burn, is staying home and conserving the gas they have.

Since I'm sitting on 3/4 of a tank of gas, it's not so bad for me and the best part about this whole thing:  The pickup line at school has been super short! I have always wondered how many of those people were in my position and HAD to pick up their kids and how many were doing it for other (possibly good, probably not) reasons.  Now I know. I'm on to all those folks clogging up the line just because they've got to get to piano lessons or something.  You folks stay at home and enjoy the bus like God meant you to. You don't know what you've got till it's gone is all I'm saying. The line is 1/3 the usual size and no one is sitting in their car at the front of the line with their a/c running 2 hours before school lets out. They must be saving their car idling time for the line at the gas station. All this means I get in and out and back home in record time. Is it wrong to hope the gas shortage could continue just a little longer?

Comments

[Alisa]

Shh..don't tell us CA you're having a gas shortage. I haven't seen prices this low since forever.
Does Karate count as a good reason to sit in the pick up line even when you live close enough for your kids to walk? He could walk, but then he'd be so tired for karate. Plus, I'd pretty much be shoving his little body out the door as soon as they walked in, all hot, tired, and hungry.
I think your real issue is that they took away your bus. You sound a little bitter. IMHO. You can go to therapy for that, I'm fairly sure.

[Alisa]

Where are you stranger? I miss your humor. Come back to us....