waaahhhh

Just cancelled our reservations for Charleston this weekend. Considering gas is at least $3.30 here (or was last night – who knows what it is now??) and there are rumors of shortages this weekend, AND we really shouldn’t be driving 10 hours just to have fun while this gas crisis going on – still, WAAHHHHH!!!!! Maybe we can try again in a couple of weekends. On the plus side, the motel we always get was nearly $30 less a night for the weekend of the 17th, so we’d sure save some money if we waited. But… WAAHHHH!!!!

I sat in line a couple of nights ago for gas. I have vague memories of gas lines back in the Energy Crisis 70s, but this was the first time I’d done it in person. Baker B’s car was completely out of gas (he didn’t heed my warning on Monday to fill it up – I’d been given a tip from K whose husband had heard it was going to over $3 that night) so when the Exxon had it for $2.79 (everywhere else was $2.95 at that point) I got to experience the joys of a gas line. I bet I waited 15 minutes (engine off, of course) and the station was running out fast, but I got it filled. Next day it was $3.30 there. I am very grateful for my economical, nearly-40-mpg car right now.

Oh, well. I feel like a big whiney baby for even complaining about having to cancel a trip, given what’s going on in the Gulf coast. At least I have a home to stay at. And we live in one of the biggest vacation spots around. So, why am I complaining??? We’ll doubtless have way less tourists ourselves than usual. Of course, we’ll also have way more students, since I think most of them are staying up here over the long weekend for once. My student worker tells me there are many many parties scheduled.

I’m sure you will all be delighted to have me do… another survey!! Yes, another random, meaningless, meandering survey. Why not??

Have you ever worn bell-bottoms: I sure have. Back in the Days of Yore, when I was a teenager, I often wore bellbottoms. Because they were quite stylish way back then. I had one memorable pair that were so long and so bell-bottomy that I could wear them into McDonald’s barefoot, and nobody could tell. That was lots of fun.

Have you ever written a song: Not really. I used to attempt to write poetry, especially when in high school, and my best friend Steve and I planned to corroborate on songwriting – he was going to do the music and I would do the lyrics. Never happened, though.

Can you make change for a dollar right now?: Not unless the worth of a dollar has fallen to 60 cents.

Have you ever been in the opposite sex’s public toilet: I’ve cleaned many an opposite-sex bathroom as a restaurant worker. And it was always a most unpleasant task. I have also used the facilities myself on occasion – most recently a few weeks ago when the women’s room light was burnt out in the coffeeshop. It was pitch dark so I just used the men’s room. It was one of those teeny ones where you can lock the door to keep the men out.

Do you like catsup on or beside your fries: Beside. I like to dip.

Do you like sauce on or beside your chips: Sauce? What are you talking about?? Dip? You dip dip.

Can you touch your tongue to your nose: Ewwww. No.

Have you ever been a boy/girl scout: No, because the Weird Religion I grew up in forbade us from having fun on Saturdays. So all my friends and my cousins got to be girl scouts and I got to be a weirdo.

Have you ever broken a mirror: I have a broken one in my purse right now.

Have you ever put your tongue on a frozen pole: No, because I found out what happens when you do that by putting my tongue on a frozen foods case in the grocery store as a child. One of the old-fashioned ones with exposed frost. And it stuck. And it HURT.

Do you slurp your drink after it’s gone: Not if Noise-Neurotic Baker B is around. He HATES that.

Have you ever tried to cut your own hair: I used to trim my own bangs, with varying degrees of success. One time years ago Kim and Baker B and I got drunk and I cut their hair. Well, trimmed it. Amazingly, I didn’t do a bad job.

What is your favorite cartoon of all time: I’m very partial to Space Ghost, and The Brak Show. I loved Ren and Stempy. Happy happy joy joy! I used to love South Park but it got old. Oh, Dr. Katz was a favorite, years ago. Until they quit using standup comics you’d never heard of as his patients (most notably Ray Romano before he got famous) and started using people like Joan Rivers. And it quit being hysterical. And I have to admit I’m very partial to Spongebob.

Can you pick something up with your toes: Yes I can. And occasionally I do.

How many remote controls do you have in your house: We have an insane number of remotes. There is a supposedly universal remote for the TV that turns it on and off and controls the volume and will change the dish channels if you punch the channel in, but won’t scroll through channels or bring up the guide or work on the VCR or the DVD player; a remote for the Dish that changes the channels and turns the dish on and off but won’t work on the TV or the VCR; a remote for the VCR that just works on the VCR despite having 12,815 buttons; a remote for the DVD player that just works on the DVD player; a remote for the stereo that the TV is hooked up to which you have to use to adjust the volume on anything you want to actually hear from the TV, as well as anything period you’re watching on DVD. Because the DVD doesn’t play sound through the TV. And even though our livingroom is TINY and it would be far easier to just get up and adjust the volume manually instead of using the remote, you have to use the remote because, of course, the volume knob doesn’t work.

There’s also another VCR remote identical to the first VCR remote hanging around, along with the remote for the TV that recently died that’s now sitting on top of the not-dead TV. Oh, and there’s a remote for this thing Baker B’s brother gave us that lets you watch photo slideshows on the TV. So that’s… FIVE remotes we actually use, plus three more just hanging around. Yes, I have SEVEN remotes in my livingroom. And yes, they are usually all lying in the floor waiting to get stepped on or rocked on.

Oh, look, time to go!