Got gas?

We survived the week. Elvis stayed with Boy Wonder Wednesday morning and did just fine. They drove to my school and picked up Alli at the half day mark. Thursday, Alli had planned for BW to keep Elvis all day. Elvis had other plans. Just after the mid-day mark, BW began texting and calling. Elvis was screaming and refusing all food and drink. I sent Alli home to them in my van after she promised to come back and get me after school. I think Elvis and BW had both had enough of each other at that point.

After school on Thursday I had what is locally known as "Burger King Night." The owner of our local BK franchises lets schools take turns collecting receipts on assigned nights at an assigned store. A percentage of the total on the collected receipts is donated to the school. This was the night for my classroom. I left school and went straight to BK where I spent 4 hours, leaving at 8:00 PM. Talk about a long day. It wasn't too bad. I'd recruited Beth and her BFF to help collect receipts. Some parents/kids from my classroom helped, too. Another friend came to eat and brought her sons who were quickly forced to collect receipts. The friend then stayed to visit, making the night go much quicker! I always sign up for this fund-raiser. It's not always fun but I usually get $100 to $150 for my 4 hours work. Not bad money!

Friday I had to stay after school for a special ed meeting for one of my students. The meeting ended at 4:00 and as we were walking away from the table, the student's father said, "I hope no one needs gas for the weekend." I replied that my low gas light had come on as I pulled into the parking lot that morning and asked what he was talking about. Evidently ALL gas stations in the town where I teach were OUT of gas. Not just out of cheap gas - out of all gas. Sure enough, as I began my journey home, I noticed empty gas station parking lots and the signs had been stripped of all numbers in the price section. I passed one Texaco that must have had gas. I can only assume that because cars were lined up on the highway trying get into the lot. My best quick-count as I drove by indicated that 41 cars were in/trying to get in to that station. I kept on driving. As I got closer to home I found a few more stations that appeared to have gas. I pulled into a couple of them only to discover they had the super-premium but no other grades. I've been told to only use the 87 grade. I kept driving. I finally came to a station with no lines and they had gas. I filled my tank ($68.50!) for $4.09 a gallon. I don't quite know what's going on with this gas shortage but it kind of spooks me. I'm just glad I'm home with a full tank that should last me at least a week before I have to start hunting it down again.