We made an emergency trip to Denver early this morning. Bowen has been spiking a fever and his parents both had critical days at work. We made hasty plans (happy to do it) and rolled to Denver shortly after sunrise. Sick as he was, he was very cooperative for us, did a little sleeping and eating for these two out-of-practice elders pinch hitting for the parents he loves.
Upon returning to the Springs, I was nearly out of gas, but the fates scheduled me for an encounter at Western Convenience gas station. When I pulled in there was a giant truck taking on diesel and I didn’t notice that he had my pump nozzle also emptying into his rig. I thought this might be a delay so I asked him if he had twin 50 gal. tanks. “Nope, he says, these are twin 120 gallon tanks and all my other credit cards are maxed out.” At the rate the pump was working, by the time he emptied $800 worth of gas into those tanks and argued on how he’d pay for it, I’d have grown a full beard.
So, I pulled forward only to be blocked by a vacant car whose owner later arrived with a broomstick and a dandelion digger. He’d locked his keys in the car. I couldn’t back up – blocked there, too. Had to wait for his drama to unfold with the assistance of two other folks who abandoned their pumps to supervise the break in. When finally he was in and the broom returned, I pulled up and was nearly hit by a G.I. whizzing in to cut me off. I waited while he gassed up his SUV for $60+. Finally, I got my $20 worth of regular and crawled home even happier than usual to be driving a Prius. The next one might be ALL electric!