Runnin' Around on Empty

Two quick notes first:

1) Yeah!!!! Someone (from Australia) read some of the poems that are lined on my side panel. Hooray! I was starting to wonder if that was a bad idea. And they picked a really good one by EE Cummings (read it--it's beautiful: somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond .

2) Kaitlyn's new trick--she LOVES the brightly-colored marshmallows from Lucky Charms (you know--hearts, diamonds, rainbows, clovers, and the like). The other bits--well, not so much. So here I was...picking the marshmallows out for her and putting them into a small bowl for her to snack on, hoping against hope that Fran didn't see me and get made that I'm wasting the cereal. Laughing as she carries the bowl across the house spraying marshmallows everywhere.

Fran and I square off a little when it comes to cars. She has her way of doing things and I have my way of doing things. She says I drive like an 80-year-old grandma and I would like to wear a kevlar bodysuit with crash helmet when I'm in the car with her. Here's my point of view (Fran's going to have to start a blog if she wants to represent hers):

1) Note: I drive 45,000 miles per year. Fran: 6,000. I believe this gives me credibility. Also, I believe this means that I have to drive a little more defensively than the average person, because, odds are, I'm going to come into contact with a maniac at some point and I need to be on guard. I say defensive. You say paranoid. ee-ther--eye-ther, nee-ther--neye-ther, let's call the whole thing off...

2) I believe that you shouldn't go more than 5 mph over the posted speed limit, unless you are on the highway and can see very well down the road. Then you shouldn't go over 80 (I believe you are obliged to, at some point in the life of your car, take it over 100 mph--so far, so good).

3) I believe that you should stop at all Red Lights (go figure), and, when you come to a stop sign, the car should actually stop moving at some point.

4) Here's my yellow light rule (I know, it's complicated). In general, I go through a yellow light. If I am approaching a stale green light, I slow down in anticipation of it turning yellow (which makes Fran pass out into a coma in protesting that we may miss the opportunity to "Dukes of Hazzard" it through the intersection--gotta get one of those horns...). If someone is tailgating me, I'll just go through the light. If I have a bunch of crap in the car, I'll just go through rather than slowing down and getting hit by flying debris. Other than that, I'm pretty conservative and prefer to stop rather than cutting it close. (Fran's rule: If you can see the light when it is still yellow, just go through--my fingernail marks are permanently embedded in the dashboard).

5) I think if you come in contact with a reckless or drunk driver, you should stay (far) behind them, no matter how inconvenient or annoying it is to do so. Not: "Let's pass this drunk dumbass!" This way, you maintain control of the situation. If they are behind you, you can not stop them from hitting you and you really have no control. This drives her absolutely bananas.

6) I do not care (Kramer) if your magic shortcut route is 0.17432 miles shorter than the other way!

7) Given the choice, I will take 1 minute taking a protected turn rather than have to play "frogger" trying to dart across oncoming traffic. Call me silly. Go ahead, roll the dice for yourself.

8) Then there's the gas thing. Here's my confession: I KNOW I'M WRONG ABOUT THIS!!!! But also: I LOVE BEING WRONG ABOUT THIS!!!! I wait until the gas light comes on--especially if I am just driving around town. Then I drive til I damn well feel like filling up. I hate getting gas on my hands, and I always seem to. Her dad used to really get onto her about keeping her tank full (she drove a diesel--it was more important to keep it full). Then there was this ONE TIME when I ran out of gas and she had to bring me some--I was very close to a gas station by our house. It was 5 years ago! Let it go! She thinks I should fill up when it goes below the 1/2 way mark. NO! That's all I would be doing all day long and I would smell like the Human Torch!

So, this being said, I went to do a demonstration today for a customer--40 miles away. When I left the house, the gas light came on. I was running...well, just on time...and I didn't want to stop and I didn't want to smell like gas when I got there since I was meeting the guy for the first time and I didn't want him to think I was out huffing in the parking lot, so I figured I would go to my appointment, which should take an hour or so, and then get gas on the way home at a station right by his building.

The appointment unexpectedly lasted over 8 hours! During the middle of it, the customer asked me to drive us both to lunch. Oh well, I just figured if we run out of gas, at least there's someone else to help push...We got to lunch and back safely and the appointment went well.

I left the office and went straight to the gas station. When I filled up, I put 17.2 gallons in--the tank is only supposed to hold 16.7 gallons when empty. And it cost me $41.00. Then I foolishly decided to mention it to Fran and she went ballistic on me.

So, the point is, I may be silly, but at least there is some semblance of logic behind it. Right?