Fill 'er up!

Ok, time for another gas price rant. I came dangerously close to putting $50 in my Honda Civic this morning. Not some gas-guzzling SUV or minivan -- a Honda friggin' Civic!

Granted my car was on fumes when I pulled in to the gas station. I got about 370 miles out of more than 11 gallons of gas.

I think it's time for a new strategy. I've been trying to stretch out the time between fill ups as much as possible. In this case I think it's been nearly two weeks since the last time I put gas in the car. I'd have to double-check my receipts, but in that time I think the price of gas has gone up 15-20 cents. So maybe going so long between fill ups isn't the best thing to do. I'm probably better off topping the tank off every few days, or at least once a week.

Has anyone else experimented with this? I'm always looking for ways to get the most bang for my buck when it comes to gas (except for when it comes to the lawnmower -- Kris wants to abandon our gas-powered mower for a push one, but I'm not wild about that).

In related news, we walked to church Sunday morning. This was part of a promoted "Walk, Bike or Carpool to Chuch Day" event. It's about 1.5 miles round trip for us. The weather was nice and no one seemed to mind the hike too much. I think we'll do this more often.

Going, going, gone!

It's official. I hate driving my car. Every time my foot touches the accelerator I feel like I'm flushing money away!

Sky high...

...the price of gas that is. The Stewart's in Rexford was asking for $3.75 for a gallon of regular unleaded this morning. Most of the other stations I saw in my travels this morning were only a few cents cheaper. The cheapest I saw was $3.71.

A few weeks ago I made the conscious effort to start driving the speed limit. It was quite uncomfortable at first, as I was used to driving five to 10 mph over the limit at most times. But driving a little slower is starting come easier.

And it works too. Since I started slowing down, I've definitely noticed that I'm stretching the time between fill-ups. That's a good thing, because every time pass a gas station a little wave of depression washes over me.

So what are some of the things you're doing to ease the pain at the pump?

Catching up

I realize I’ve been really neglecting the blog lately. Here are some of the significant goings on…

• I recorded my demo Friday night, which I will soon send out to people in hopes of landing some voiceover work. The recording session was a great experience. I can’t wait to hear the finished product. I should get the demo in about a month. At that point I’ll make sure to find a spot for it online so you all can hear it.
• The price of gas continues to frustrate everyone. Last Thursday it took $50 to fill the minivan (it would have taken a little more, but I stopped at $50)! Subsequently, we’ve cancelled our planned summer vacation in Maine. Instead we’re going on an extended camping trip in the Adirondacks, a little closer to home.
• Nolan played another game last weekend. Once again I failed to bring the camera. He has two games this weekend. So I’ll try to get some pictures of one of them.
• I’ve been enjoying the new season (ok, “series” if you’re British) of “Doctor Who.” The first episode was fun. The second was better. But this past Saturday’s show, “School Reunion,” was a sheer delight! It was so much fun seeing old characters Sarah Jane Smith and K9 make a welcome comeback. The special effects were the best ever produced for a “Doctor Who” show—and on par with the best of sci fi TV (long gone are the days of guys in cheesy rubber monster suits and really cheap sets). And Anthony Stewart Head made a terrific villain.

As always I’m sure there’s more I’ve forgotten about that has slipped through the cracks. I’ll endeavor to do better.