Thursday, April 24, 2008

A real bargain @ only $3.51 per gallon

Well, I figured I needed to put gas in the car again. I was down to 1/2 tank and figured I had better fill up while I could still afford it. IT TOOK $40.00 TO FILL IT 1/2 WAY!!!!
This time it was $.08 per gallon more. Woo Hoo!! (Note the sense of sarcasm) I went to the BP station and used my debit card. If you use the debit card at the station @ MLK and Armenia, you don't have to pay the extra $.03 per gallon like you do at most stations with a credit card.
As I went to the gym today, I thought I saw $3.91 per gallon at the Sunoco station and I tried to take a picture with my cell phone. It wasn't clear enough to save so I think that one of the LED lights on the sign is stuck on, making the cost appear to be $3.91 per gallon. I think that it is $3.51 per gallon because the Hess station across the street was $3.53 per gallon.


Yes, Pam, I can blog more in one week than you!!! Nanny nanny boo boo!!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Aunt Carrie and Uncle Charlie are together again.

My Aunt Carrie died this afternoon at 2:30pm to be exact. She would have been 83 years old on May 31st. Aunt Carrie has been a special lady in my life.

My mother was born on December 23, 1942 and my Aunt Carrie named her. Donna Maria.

My Aunt Carrie
wasn't even 5' tall but she acted like she was 10' tall. She was a very strong willed woman but she taught me a lot about how to care for my family.

Each summer from 1975 - 1981, we would go to Florida to stay at her home. I remember waking up early a lot of mornings and watch her cook breakfast for my Uncle Charlie so he could go to work. He had to be at work around 7 am so she was up really early to make him eggs, sausage, gravy and biscuits. I don't remember homemade biscuits, they were canned but I do remember getting to eat the leftovers that she would leave on the stove. At supper time, I can always remember her cutting up my Uncle Charlie's meat. I decided to ask her one day why he couldn't do that himself. She said, "He works all day and he is the head of the house, remember that Missy when you get married that it is important to make your husband happy. This makes him happy." She always taught me to treat the man of the house with respect, even when you feel like he doesn't deserve it. Even though, I haven't married yet, I always treated my daddy with the utmost respect. Yes, daddy and I had verbal differences but when it came down to it, I never did disrespect him.

I remember the coffee pot always on. She was always ready to share a cup of coffee and she didn't waste a drop. If it got cold, she would pour the coffee right back through the coffee pot and sometimes it was so strong that only she could drink it.

Her door was always open for anyone who entered.

I remember the late nights, playing Canasta after we (Yvonne, her, my mom and I) would take turns bouncing Grace on our knees to get her to go to sleep because of colic. You would always have to be Aunt Carrie's Canasta partner because if you sat to her right, you would feed her the right card so she could win the game or if you sat to her left, then she would freeze the pot or lay down a card that couldn't be used by anyone. She liked to win at card games.

She helped raise my mother, me, my brothers, my daughter, her son's daughter and son. She adopted two girls and she raised them from infants. Between the 2 of them, they had 11 children. And 3 of those 11 children have 5 children of their own (between them). Every one knew her as nanny. She was either a mother figure or nanny to everyone.

She taught me how to make gravy. I still can't do it as well as she could. But now everytime I try to make gravy, I will think of her.

She taught me to keep my door open and be ready to feed someone when they visit. No matter who they are or what time they show up.

She also taught me that all my freckles were angel kisses. And to think that when the kids teased me at school for having freckles.

I also remember the most important thing she taught me. Take your children to church. Don't send them. How are they going to learn to go to church when they get older. Aunt Carrie didn't go to church but she always made sure that Uncle Charlie had his suit and tie ready and his shirt was ironed. Aunt Carrie and I never talked much about spiritual things because we never got the chance once I got saved and she got sick. She did tell me she was saved and that she was going to heaven when she died. My pastor used to visit my Uncle Charlie after he had his stroke, before he went into a nursing home and he would talk with my Aunt Carrie. Pastor told me that he said she told him she was saved.


She loved to watch: Perry Mason, Diagnosis Murder and Air Wolf, but mostly she loved her family.

I will miss her but I know she isn't suffering anymore.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Gasoline for Sale! Cheap at only $3.43 per gallon!

I was shocked yesterday. I work from home and had to stop at a gas station to fill the car up.

I have my reasons but I only use Sunoco, Hess or BP. I will just have to push the car myself if I have to use Citgo. I never have and hopefully never will. It is cheap gas, and not just money wise.

Anyway, I pulled up to the Hess station because the fuel light had been from Bearss and Dale Mabry until Sligh and Dale Mabry which is only about 3 miles away, however about 20 minutes in traffic. Yes, I said "Please Lord, don't let me run out of gas!" Not just once but quite a few times.

Anyway, I saw the price 3.43 per gallon . Yikes! Eek! Well, I have xx amount in my checking account and will use my debit card. Ok, the fuel light has been on for about 20-30 minutes and I have a 16 gallon gas tank and at 3.43 per gallon that is roughly $56.00. I said ok I have enough to go ahead and fill up the tank. Lets go! Well, I started to fill up the tank and it stopped. Wait a minute, it isn't full yet. After I filled up with $50.00, I remembered, Oh! the gas stations limit the fill up to $50.00 on credit/debit cards.

The shocking part is that the last time I filled up the gas tank, gas was about $3.15 per gallon. And then I thought when I bought the car 2 years ago this June, it only took $25 to fill it up and we were complaining about high prices then.

I have a new respect for all you diesel vehicle owners everywhere. If I am paying 3.43 per gallon, you must be paying 4.00 per gallon. Oh! and by the way, crude oil was $115.00 per barrel yesterday. A new record high-which seems to be growing daily. AAA (travel) says fuel should be about $3.75 per gallon soon.

What are we going to do? Spiritually - PRAY, PRAY, PRAY and PRAY SOME MORE
Physically - I already don't have to drive to work and already don't go too far from home.

Boycotting gas is an answer but too many people live too far from their jobs to be able to walk to work. Can't you see 275 to downtown Tampa full of bicycles instead of cars. That would be great if it could be done, but I don't think they make bicycles built for a family of 5 with diaper bags, book bags and mom's bag attachments. Or how about coming home from the grocery store with food for a family of 5 strapped on the bicycle. That would be a sight.

Anyway, have a good day. Don't let those gas prices keep you home! hee hee

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Nothing new going on here!

I guess, I will post something to let you know that I am alive and pretty much well. Just going through a lot health issues right now. My diabetes is now to the stage of insulin. I have started exercising more. I am really getting my moneys worth at the gym going 5 days a week instead of when I depended on Julee to go with me. I haven't lost any weight but the doctor says that once my body gets regulated to the correct blood sugar and I continue to walk 30 minutes a day my weight will start to go down. By the way, I gained back every weight watchers' pound I lost. Well, all but 2 pounds. I am not eating any bread, rice, potatoes, etc. and I gave them all away - except for the open boxes that I had. Even gave away my favorite cereal- Special K chocolaty delight (special k with little chocolate bars in them). I only eat chicken, fish, lean meats and vegetables. Occasionally, a little brown rice. I feel alot better on the insulin. I don't feel like there are so many chemicals in my body now (because of the meds). And, I am drinking my water (yuck) and would rather have diet pepsi.


I did find this on Pam's blog and participated and made some observations:



When you take this test, they give you other options. Mine were:
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Schindler’s List
Sunset Boulevard
Apocalypse Now
Platoon
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Godfather
Easy Rider

Somehow, the other ones didn’t fit me. I don’t think I am the Apocalypse Now or Platoon type person. Even though, I thought Platoon was an ok war movie. I don’t see myself as Indiana Jones or the Godfather. But could you see me on a motorcycle in Easy Rider... don’t think so. MENTAL PICTURE, YUCK! My cousin had a motorcycle and he rode me around the block when I was about 12 years old and never again!. I never even rode the one my father had.

The only movies I saw were Platoon, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Godfather. I have seen clips of the other movies.
I did see a spoof that Carol Burnett did about Sunset Boulevard. She was hilarious.

Anyway, Grace will be home soon. I can't wait.
There is the Mother Daughter tea coming up on May 17th. My mother is coming. We always have a great time.