1344

What is so magical about 1344? Is it the fact that it was a leap year? Or, is it because it was the year Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec civilization, was founded?

No, 1344 is significant, more appropriately, $13.44 is significant because that is what it cost to fill up Pearl. Normally $13.44 would barely fill-up my 3-wheeled lawn mower -- yes 3-wheeled lawn mower, yes it should have 4 wheels, but it doesn't. Before anyone starts in, Pearl is bigger than my lawn mower, not by much, but she is bigger, and she has all 4 wheels.

I was minding my own business on an early Monday afternoon when I noticed the gas gauge uncomfortably close to the 1/4 mark - scars from my formative years, if it's near 1/4 tank, I think I'm almost out of gas. I pulled into a gas station and began filling up when a strange thing occurred -- I was at 2 gallons and the total was somewhere in the $3 range. With baited breath, I awaited the final tally --- around 8 gallons of gas for $13.44. I haven't taken a math class without a calculator since I was in the 5th grade, but my long-hand mathematicianer skills tell me that is about $.48/gallon, give or take.

As I replaced the nozzle and pressed NO for the receipt and then NO for the CAR WASH and then saw the advertisement for a Hot Dog and a 44 oz. drink only $1.99, I felt alive again. I could go get that Hot Dog and that 44 oz. drink without remorse. I enjoyed my early afternoon snack under the only tree near the gas station with a handful of day laborers. We may not have spoken the same language, but we were all basking in that same freedom of cheap gas and stale hot dogs.

Yet another Halloween

I am so glad that Halloween is over and done with. The kids always have such a hard time deciding what to be and usually can't decide until just a few days before. This year we were able to recycle parts of other costumes.