It’s SO frustrating--- Multi-Tiered Gas Pricing

It’s SO frustrating--- Multi-Tiered Gas Pricing

So, I was getting gas the other day, as I do every working day. You see doing deliveries uses a lot of gas. I have an app on my phone called GasBuddy, it has a data base with all the local gas stations and their prices. The prices are uploaded from users for the most part and fairly accurate. I found a gas station with a good price, the best in town for the moment, Enmark. They had the lowest price by .10. I am thinkin, “I need to go that way anyhow…”

I found my way to the station and saw that they have a cash card price and a credit price. Of course the Credit Card price is always so much more than cash. So I decided to get a cash card. The attendant said it was a CASH CARD, I could not use my debit card to buy it.

It’s SO frustrating

I get it that companies need to attract more business, but why not drop the price to all customers.

I get it that companies need to track their customers, they need to know what people are buying and when, yet I resist being pigeon holed.

What I do not understand is why offer a better price only to certain people. 

I guess It’s SO frustrating having to spend so much money on gas everyday!

Ten years ago this weekend

It had been a rough patch, those last few months. Maybe though, things were beginning to look up. I had a new job, The Runtyun’s mother seemed to have a good position. The Runtyun herself, was my pride and smile. Even the space shuttle, Columbia was completing another successful mission. Little did I know, like the shuttle, my life was going to crash and burn.

Like most people, I did not really know what the shuttle was doing up there in space, nor did I really understand the calamity my life was crashing into. The shuttle was coming down that day and I was watching T.V., idly passing time before work while waiting for my babies' mother to come home and take the dayshift while I worked away at the new job.

She was late, very late, the shuttle had gone missing and I was missing from my new job. The Runtyun was sleeping away, I could hear her soft breathing while updates were coming in. I would go over to her to try to find calm from her sweet and innocent slumber despite the inner flame burning my life away.

In a way I was a little luckier than the rest of the world, I had an idea where she was and it was not at work, while every one else could only wonder and worry about the missing shuttle. 

Yes, it was ten years ago, on the same day the shuttle Columbia developed a hole in it’s wing disintegrating at 17000 miles per hour,  though my life took  longer to crumble and burn. Yet like the Phoenix, well maybe not as dramatically, I was able to re-incarnate into a better person, a more mature parent.

My destiny became more real to me when the shuttle crashed. I could see the direction my life was taking, yet like the shuttle, I was headed down a course that seemed inevitable. Destiny, it seemed, had taken control for the moment. Like the shuttle, my life became a fiery testament to misdirection. Hot emotions and flames of stone took over for a time. Yet, after a time of tempering and rebirth, I was lucky to find myself.

Now, I am the man and father I am supposed to be.

It's So Frustrating

Charlie Brown has nothing on me with his football. The Democrats, who have been lead-on, mislead and abused, by the Republicans can only learn from my experiences. With Charley Brown, it’s the football, and with the Dems it is everything to do with compromise and moving goal posts.

My wonderful daughter though, has given me a course to guide my life by, a beacon that illuminates our path into the future. Occasionally however, I let myself get distracted from my real and very important task of being a father. Mostly, this happens when I allow myself to be distracted by my more carnal nature and desire for adult companionship. Yes, I am a guy and sometimes a woman will be silly enough to realize this and want to spend time with me. These fleeting relationships end...one way or another.

Yet, my sunshine is always there, constant in her need and inconsistency and most importantly her unfiltered outlook on life...and her smile.

The other night, I had plans to see a special lady, yet there were concerns running through my foggy brain. mostly concerning due to our rocky and sometime volatile relationship. We have been seeing each other on and off for years. She is fun and very dynamic. Invariably we have lots of fun together, though after a minute or two we drift apart which is OK. The truth is she is a little capricious in nature, a little unpredictable, if you will.

We were to go to a local place to eat and listen to some music and maybe dance some. Life and nature got in the way of the whole plan though... Let me relate.

I was cruising Facebook when I saw a post from my erstwhile date had posted she was caught at home in a snow storm though she had been in town merely an hour ago.

I told The Runtyun about the SNAFU and tried to hide my disappointment. While my head was rolling around with anger and frustration, this little one whom I have the privilege to share time with merely said, “Oh. OK.”

Perspective. 

That is what I needed and she gave that gift to me.

I had to go out and get some supper because everything was in the freezer, so supper-market bound was I. There was a dark cloud flying after me and thoughts of betrayal were in that cloud. This is my way of dealing with various frustrations in life; letting my brain play with it, then throwing the whole thing away. 

Well, I arrived at the food store and decided I wanted red meat and potato, this would reassert my animal nature and make me feel better. As I was walking down an aisle I saw something that made me smile because it would be a treat for The Runtyun, I think it was Screaming Yellow Zonkers. My first smile and I was able push that dark cloud away. My back straighten and my face lost it’s scowl.

Oh yeah, we had NY strip for supper at 5.75 per pound. Yeah baby!

I sent a sarcastic comment to my broken date and unfriended her. 

Question:

Am I being petty in unfriending her on Facebook? 

Comments please.

Toys For Tots, 2012

 

            I recieved an email from a friend yesterday asking if I was going to the T4T run here. I had been thinking about doing it, but it gets cold here in the morning and The Runtyun is not too fond of shivering. I was not sure what to do. Then Ashley asked what my plans were.

I struggled with the whole thing for a few hours, and finally called some really good people and they jumped at the chance to help out. It turns out their daughter and mine are great friends at school. Can you say sleep over?

After dropping The Runtyun off I was bound for Walmart to get something as an offering. 

Finally the morning came and it was time to get going. 25 degrees and a solid frost on the grass. I have never found a decent pair of cold weather gloves and this was the day for it too. Let’s just say the coffee mug at the Breakfast Shop, in Swannaoa  did more than warm my insides.

Ashley showed and breakfast was really great! Time went by, we went to the Harley Davidson of Asheville and looked around for a minute then went to the start point for the ride. When we got to the start site, there were only a few bikes and everything was only getting started.

After a while more bikes would show up. Ashely and I walked around a little. I am not much of a talker, but Ashley was real easy to talk with.

After a while Santa’s elves came around and every body had to get a pic, I am not immune either.

We settled on the hill, this old guy’s legs were getting tired. Ashley showed her street creds.

As the departure time came closer, I got on the hill and took this photo. At this point there were only 

about a hundred bikes.

At this point, we had more than 45 minutes for more bikes to roll in, yet the staging area was more than ⅔ full.

About this time, Santa showed up with his police escort. I wonder if this is Rudolf?

Watch out Henderson County They got Beemers on the watch!

Then of course Santa and his bride came along. I wonder if she gets jealous of those elves?

The safety lecture.

Finally we were off. I have never ridden in a rally of any sort, so I did not know what to expect. Truth is, I thought we would be walking the bikes most of the time. We got into third gear and moved along pretty well. It was well organized and fun.

While we went through the Tunnel on Tunnel Rd. Ashely turned on the recorder (Turn up the base!)

So, I guess there were almost 2000 bikes on this run. Many kids who may not have gotten gifts for Christmas will have something under their tree. I am truly happy I participated this year, Ashley and I plan on doing it again next.

Thanks again, Ashley for that email. And a GREAT BIG shout out to my friends that had The Runtyun for the weekend!

OLC

What About 9-11?

I wrote this a couple of years ago on the anniversary of 9-11. However, a lot of these questions can still be applied after the last election.

I was riding on the highway getting wet from the rain when I let my mind wonder a little. Today is the ninth anniversary of the attacks against our way of life. I have avoided looking at the pictures that are being foisted upon us by the various media outlets. Actually, I am sitting on a porch listening to the rain fall from the sky. I am spending today as I would any other Saturday.

I wonder, sometimes, what the motivation of the perpetrators of the attacks were thinking when they planned and murdered all of those people nine years ago. Did they really think their short sighted and vainglorious attacks would really bring down the United States of America? Did they think that acts of aggression would really cause our great nation to self-destruct?

I was brought up as a Christian and have some of the sensibilities that come with that upbringing, but martyrdom is a form of suicide to me. And suicide, to me, is a coward’s way out. From a warlords point of view 19 deaths that caused over 4000 is a pretty good ratio. But the consequences of all those deaths seem to me to be outweighed by them. All of the people killed after the 911 attacks---the wars that started since then, and the sullying of two great faiths…

And yet, the attacks have succeeded in a way. Since that fateful day 9 years ago, our great country has become more divided and hostile toward itself. Democrats and Republicans have turned on each other and are too busy fighting one another to govern our country during our time of most need. There are idiot/fanatics that think burning holy books is a valid way to celebrate this day. We’ve got zealots who think it is funny making caricatures of our President with bones in his nose or skinny little, toothbrush mustache.

Granted, before September 11, 2001, our elected leaders had differences of opinion and there were those that burned books to make a point and we had political caricatures of politicians. But was it as divisive and violent as we see now? I have been actively listening and forming opinions on events for a while now and the truth is, it feels more hateful and partisan than ever before.

So I ask all of my loyal readers, are we more conflict-ridden since the attacks of September 11^th 2001? Or are we simply more exposed.

NO MORE COLLEGE FOR AWHILE

I posted this one on another site. Wordpress is a good place to post, but I did not like the way my posts were rendered. I write my ideas on my own system and then import them, cut and paste really, onto the blog. Well I spent some time putting together templates in Pages (my word processor) and want to use what I have stitched together on my posts. Unfortunately Wordpress does not facilitate that ability, but Blogger does. I wanted to share some of my older posts here, however I have lost their formatting, so please deal with the plain-jane vanilla formatting. However please have a look at what I said and leave a comment!

Originally posted on, September 7, 2010

At the risk of starting out this blog in a more personal manner than I want it to go, I am going to talk a little more about myself and my goals for this blog, One Lone Castaway’s Rantings.(now Rants and Brain Echos) For the past too long, I have been going to school to figure out what it is that I want to do when I grow up. Little did I know that I was growing up and living life while I was learning to live it! I have attained my goal and now have an Associates of Business degree. I am not putting this degree down, but we all know that an Associate’s degree is really only a stepping stone for furthering one's educational aspirations.

Having said that, I am letting everyone know that I am going to put off furthering my formal education and start concentrating on using the experience and schooling I have gathered over the past many years of life. It has been a hard decision, but one that opens many doors and opportunities for me, my family and this blog. In truth, I have always longed to look into various subjects and learn more about them. There may be a seeming randomness to my Rantings, but that is how my brain works, so deal with it and enjoy the ride.

During my reintroduction to education I learned more than the subjects had to offer. I hungered to write on subjects that I was interested in and try to get my thinking organized into a logical manner. The discipline that formal education offered helped in an incalculable way to do this, however I hope it did not quell my spontaneity. If you know me, you know that is a tall order. What I have found may not be logic but an outlook that I hope will mature and develop into a significant social and political commentary. I hope to take a subject and research it, study it and then send out my point of view on it.

And so, I have justified my decision to leave the formal system of education and start on the exciting and challenging one of using the experiences making up my life and outlook. It will be a ride of expected and unexpected turns. Sometimes I  will talk about something and my feelings will expected and predictable, others, I hope, will be significant and surprising and still other times I will simply go off on a rant about some insignificant subject that piqued my interest that day. In any case, I welcome any comments, positive and negative (as long as they are constructive) to my words.

Thanks for reading this far and I hope you will enjoy the journey and my Rantings. It might be boring sometimes, but I hope we can all learn something about our world and those who live in it. And maybe we will have an “A-Ha” Moment once in a while to make everything a little more interesting.

OLC

My Last Post

In my last post, I talked about a friend I found on Facebook. I talked about about how happy I was to find him. Also, I related some feelings dredged from the depths of my brain. I also stated I wanted to start another post talking about some of the feelings and more powerful memories I was feeling because of those events. Through out the night, I was prewriting the post traveling around the paths of memories. Finally, I got to a point where I felt I could write something cohesive and maybe a little cathartic.

Then I decided to take a shower to get the shit of the day off my body.

Showers are beautiful things, they take the dirt and filth off ones body and allow a clean start. Unfortunately, they tend to cleanse the brain too. I lost the flow of thinking I had been cultivating throughout the evening.

It’s too bad I had to learn this lesson on this occasion, I think I could written something pretty good. I did try and get something down, but my words did not have the feeling I was cultivating. It was more suited for my personal journal.

In the past I have had other ideas that I have lost because I let too much time go by before putting these ideas into words. It has been a hassle sometimes and the  truth is...I should have learned this lesson long ago, so let’s hope maybe---this time.

It is interesting how the thought of an idea can float around my brain, it will grow and develop and sometimes it will blossom into a flower of beauty. However, if it is not picked a the right(write time), it will spoil and wilt to the memory of a beautiful bud.

Any thoughts? Let’s talk about ideas and how they grow and become whole or lost.