Thursday, June 10, 2010

I am my father's son: Gas down to $2.979/gal

Originally written on October 23, 2008

I filled my car yesterday at the Costco in Lehi for $2.979 per gallon. This is the lowest it has been since March of this year (hopefully it will continue to go lower). The highest I paid was $4.109 in July. I think it is disturbing that I am actually excited to be paying less than $3.00. I figured that it takes about two gallons of gas for me to make the round-trip to work and back home. So instead of costing me $8 per day, I'm down to about $6 per day for gas.

Some of you might be wondering how I can possibly remember that this is the lowest since March, and that July was where it seemed to have peaked before it started coming down again. Well, I got it from Dad, actually. I don't mean that I called Dad on the phone and asked him about the statistics on gas prices. I inherited Dad's habit of recording the date, mileage, price per gallon, number of gallons, and location every time I fill up the car. It has actually been quite useful.

Do any of you do that? I imagine that it will be even more useful in 11 years so I can see how much driving Buzz does. But I think instead of charging him a certain amount per mile like Dad did, maybe I'll let him earn miles.

16 year-old Buzz: Dad, can I use the car to go to the mall in Provo?
Rob: Let's see, that's about 66 miles if you drive straight there and straight back. Are you making any other stops?
Buzz: Yeah, I need to get Mike and drop him off afterwards.
Rob: So that will be another 2 miles each way, so 70 total.
Buzz: Keep it at 66, he can walk the 2 miles and meet me at the exit.
Rob: Alright, 66 it is. You have 24 in your bank. Did you clean the garage?
Buzz: Yep
Rob: Did you feed the chickens?
Buzz: Yep
Rob: Collect the eggs?
Buzz: Yep
Rob: Even from Big Bertha?
Buzz: Yep
Rob: Okay, put some fresh straw in the cow shed and spread some manure on the garden and that will get you up to 87 miles in your bank.
Buzz: Awesome! Thanks, Dad, you're the best!
Rob: Take Rocky with you and I'll add on another 20.
Buzz: Sweet!

Another thing I got from Dad is reading in the bathroom. And it seems that this has already passed on even one generation farther. The other day Buzz was playing in the living room and had to go. Now remember that Buzz is five and when he has to go, he has to go right now. And for some reason he will only use the upstairs bathroom for, um..., the kind that takes longer. This is the situation Buzz was in at the time in this story. So he runs upstairs, but upon reaching the bathroom he finds that there is no reading material in there. So he makes a mad dash back downstairs. "I need a book!" he gasps. Then Lois and I are saying, "Hurry! Hurry!" He locates a "Calvin and Hobbes" book, seizes it, and runs back upstairs and all is well.

So what weird things do you guys do that you learned from your Dad?

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