Pump it Up

I may have written about this before but I am getting along in age so I will proceed as if I have not. 

Months into our relationship, that started exactly 8 years and 364 days ago, the Boy Scout and I were off to some unremembered destination. The memory of the trip is gone but one little event was seared into my memory (and also his). 

Driving down the 101 Freeway, I noticed my gas gauge is on empty. I quickly exit the freeway and there is a gas station at the end of the exit. I stop, turn the car off, wait for few seconds, grabbed my purse, retrieve my credit card, wait a few seconds, and then get out to pump the gas. It was cold, I remember that.

I get back in the car and Boy Scout is doing something on his phone. I look at him and then state clearly, "When I need gas and you are in the car, I don't ever want to pump that gas again". He looked surprised and then nodded his head with understanding and said, "Fair enough". BOUNDRY SET!

He's honored that boundary. I wasn't being fussy or high maintenance but I did most of the driving and almost always paid for my own gas. It seems fair that he could do the pumping (besides I really hate doing it).

No longer an issue. The state of Oregon does not allow it's citizens to pump their own gas. Something like the way New York used to require elevator operators, only gas station employees can pump. Silly rule that can certainly mean it takes longer but, quite honestly, I am so grateful because it has been bloody cold  and although I feel for these attendants, I am ecstatic at not having to get out of the car when it's 34 degrees out. 

So in regards to gas, Oregon has been a win/win for me and Boy Scout.

Comments

  1. Debra She Who SeeksMarch 12, 2022 at 11:28 AM

    Most gas stations here in Alberta are self-serve, but there's a couple of companies that still do offer pump service. Those are the ones I go to! I dislike pumping my own gas too and, given the high price we pay for it, I figure the gas companies can afford to pay someone minimum wage to pump it for me. I have the same philosophy about "self checkout stations" in grocery stores, etc. too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LindaMarch 12, 2022 at 3:53 PM

      Yup! Let's keep people employed when we can. Besides self serve groceries are a pain.

      Delete
  2. Shari BurkeMarch 12, 2022 at 11:40 AM

    I always loved that in the places I lived where they pump the gas. I must admit that I have never pumped my own gas. I've pumped my own water when we were hauling it though! :-)

    Happy anniversary to you and the Boy Scout!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LindaMarch 12, 2022 at 3:53 PM

      I give you lots of brownie points for the water thing. It is a personal goal to never live anywhere where I have to pump or carry water.

      Delete
  3. NewRobin13March 12, 2022 at 3:34 PM

    Oh wow, I had forgotten that we couldn't pump gas ourselves in Oregon. We used to drive through Oregon often when we lived in Port Townsend, WA and would travel back to California to see family. It's kind of like the do-it-yourself checkout registers at the local market. I always think it's better to employ people.
    Happy Anniversary to you and your love!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LindaMarch 12, 2022 at 3:54 PM

      Thank you, thank you! Never thought we'd make it but here we are.

      Delete
  4. ColetteMarch 13, 2022 at 5:27 AM

    Happy Anniversary!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Marie SmithMarch 13, 2022 at 9:35 AM

    I’ve never heard of such a law about pumping gas. Happy anniversary!

    ReplyDelete
  6. JeanieMarch 13, 2022 at 1:41 PM

    I had no idea! I think we've been pumping gas in Michigan for what seems like ever -- although I do remember being able to go in and say "fill 'er up!"

    ReplyDelete
  7. BillMarch 14, 2022 at 10:40 AM

    Glad to hear that pumping your gas is still not allowed in Oregon. I always liked it when it was cold or raining. Have a good week, Linda

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

What do you have to say about that?

Popular posts from this blog

Private Eye

Image
We pass by the house frequently since it sits on a busy thoroughfare. We know to look every time we pass and guess what will we see. Will it be the two Dalmatians, sitting on the couch that backs up to the giant panel window, waiting for their human to come home? Or will it be their human, sitting slightly to the right of middle (allowing for a better view of the giant mounted tv across the room) of the said couch. They are never there at the same time. It’s one or the other. One sleepless night, when my body was willing but my brain was not, I did a little sleuthing. It’s amazing what you can find out about a complete stranger.   His name is Gary and, from what I can tell, he’s never been married. He has worked his way up in a air duct company. He’s now the senior VP but it’s a small company and he still goes out on jobs, judging from  the reviews on Yelp. I know he has two siblings and that their father passed away in 2018. His memorial was held in a Buddhist temple and Gary sr. soun
Read more

Go!

Image
 Vai. E, se der medo, vai con medo mesmo. When one is raised in an angry family, it’s not enough to say I don’t want to be angry. You must learn how to do it differently. That’s no easy task. If judgment and self hatred became a way of life, a new way to live has to be taught. There are many ways to do it. Reading, writing, sharing, practicing all help the change. Counseling, psychoanalysis, religion, meditation, gratitude, have the ability to transform but I needed to see it in action, it needed to be more tangible, visual, accessible. I needed to understand the possibilities. There is a YouTube channel that I watch over and over again in order to absorb how to live more fully, more open and from the heart. One of the first episodes that I stumbled on is this…. The channel is Reflections of Life and through it we get to meet people who are doing life a little differently, often more soul based. People who are living life, healing wounds and finding what is truly important.  It can be
Read more

Let's Be Perfectly Clear

I would like your input on this letter I am considering sending out. Darryl, I once considered you, if not a friend, a very friendly acquaintance. Our daughters are the same age. I am sure that your daughter is as special to you as mine is to me. McKenna is 21 years old and starting out her life with some tough situations. SHE IS NOT AN OBJECT. She is a person who has her ups and downs, her struggles and triumphs. She has, in the past year, completely alone, had to make scary medical decisions for her mentally ill, addicted father. She has had to watch as the man who was an amazing father slowly turn into a shell of a man who has little to give and much to take. Whether purposefully or accidentally, you have added to her already difficult year. I wonder…would you appreciate my ex-husband leering and making inappropriate comments to your daughter over the course of a long evening? Think about that for a moment!  What were you hoping to achieve with your behavior? Whether
Read more