Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Living on the Edge

It has long been a running joke between Joe and myself that I am indifferent to the dangers of having low gas levels in the car. When I drive he is constantly checking the fuel gage and making comments about gas stations. He has been known to break out in a cold sweat on Interstate 55.

When the refuel light comes on and I see his tension rising I always say, and I mean always, "I'm good for 20 miles".

And then I looked it up in the vehicle manual and found out I had an extra gallon adding another 30+ miles I could now say, "I'm good for 50 miles", but I do not want to give him a coronary.

On my way home the other day the refuel light came on and I felt that touch of annoyance rush over me. I hate to fill up with the gas prices being where they are now! Who would have thought that finding gas under $3.80 would be cause for celebration? While in Memphis over the week-end I gassed up at $3.31 and loved the feeling of not feeding over $50 into the proverbial black hole. The prices in Louisville are much higher than in Tennessee. A lot higher. So I fired up the computer and found the lowest gas prices in the metro area, which was $3.51 at the station located at Bashford Manor Mall.

I'll be damned! I was heading over to my brothers for dinner and the Mall was fairly close by! I could save big money by heading over there! And by big money, I mean approximately $3!!!!

And with my new found discovery that the reserve was around 50 miles, I was confidant that I could make it.

After my visit I flipped the trip and began to pay attention to the mileage thinking that I had not actually looked and the gage was **gasp** under the E.

4.9 miles to the Mall and I felt a rush of what must have been relief as I pulled up to a gas pump.

But only momentarily.

I turned my purse upside down and poured out all the contents on the passenger seat. Horrors and double horrors I had no wallet!! I could see it plain as day sitting next to the computer as I had ordered something on line for my mothers birthday before leaving.

Now I was in a cold sweat.

I had two one dollar bills on me. In the ash tray was another $1.25 and checking under the seat and in the trunk I found another 75 cents.

Enough for a little over one gallon. Needless to say, the needle did not move very much and kept its secure little home under the bigger than life E.

50 milesdid not seem like much of a life line on the drive home.

This story ends well, as I made it and the trip says it was only a 26 mile gamble from my bro's house, a little gas added, to the comfort of my drive way. A huge sigh of relief escaped from my clamped lips, my hands relaxed from their death grip on the steering wheel and the paralyzing fear of running out of gas on the I-65 Spaghetti Junction Bridge becoming a faint memory I sashayed triumphantly into the house.

I guess Joe wins this one, but don't tell him.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I won't tell.  This time.  LOL.  

Anonymous said...

LOL. I push my car to the limits too. I have never figured out exactly how far I can go before the car sputters but I think its somewhere between "Oh I have enough" to "Oh, please dont die here!".  I would not have to admit this if it hadnt been for the number of times that it has happened to me!

Have a good day!

Anonymous said...

OMG Mary I was lmao while reading this entry. My husband goes crazy at this one thing that I do. Right now I have about 1/8 of a tank because of the gas prices. We had a system where we always charged the gas (kept a spare credit card in the cars for an emergency). Now that prices have doubled when the bill comes we are hit much harder to pay it. He says this is the one quirk that he will never "get" about me. I have  to admit one night several years ago I did run out of gas. At that time I had no cell phone and it was a scary experience. I had to wait until someone safe looking happened by and gave me a ride home and then get a gas can and go back! Since then I have been better about this.  I think I will fill my tank on the way to the grocery store today. LOL

Anonymous said...

My God Mary, you do test your limits don't you.  My palms were sweating.  Glad you made it, esp. through spaghetti juction. THAT would be a nightmare with the helicopters reporting a breakdown from above.  Anne

Anonymous said...

Tomorrow are you driving back over to Bashford Manor Mall to get that cheaper gas?  Actually I was shocked today to see it go down to 3.59 in Jeffersonville.  At my Mom's last week in Breckinridge County it was 3.58, so it's probably down to 3.30 there now.  I do the exact same thing with my gas.  I know how far I can drive when it's on the E, and although I do TRY to make sure I stop to gas up before it hits that E I do very frequently play that "It'll make it X more miles!" game.  Many times I've driven from work on Linn Station Road to the Thornton's on Court Ave. in Jeff with it on that E.
Lori

Anonymous said...

I drive around on empty so much that when the light goes off I think something is wrong with the car!
Once Tom and I were coming home from a Dead concert in Atlanta when we discovered that I though  he was saving money for the trip home and he thought I was saving money for the trip home so neither one of us did. We got halfway home, stopped and were rooting around looking for change under the seat. The attendant asked how the show was and gave us 5 bucks. A van full of Deadheads drove up and gave us 10 dollars in small bills.
We got our miracle that day....
Caitlin just  piped up "mom there is no gas in the car"
Don't know how we will get to work and school tomorrow....
Love
Marti

Anonymous said...

I would of been terrified being out of gas and with a highway looming. (Hugs)Indigo'

Anonymous said...

Cute entry!!

Donna