Gas @ 1.39

On the way to my school, I drive on a less than desirable street Grand Blvd., south from I-70. I lock my doors immediately when I know I'll be driving any distance on it, and luckily I'm only on it for 2 and a half miles.

However, it also has the cheapest freakin' gas in the bi-state area around St. Louis. Prices are consistently 10 cents cheaper than anywhere else in St. Louis, and they're often 25 to 30 cents cheaper than what I can get on the Illinois side. However, often I do not believe the risk premium of stepping out of my car to pump the cheaper gas is worth the dollar savings I'd make in filling my little tank up.

That is, until yesterday. If you're like me, and you've been watching gas prices fall for the past month and a half, you have to wonder when it's all going to end, and we'll reach the end of the valley. I have to believe that time is coming soon. I've noticed the price decreases at least slowing down a little bit (instead of 20 cents a week, they might be 10 cents now). The price yesterday at the BP I filled up at stood at $1.39, so I had to do it. I don't know when they will ever be that low again, and since it stands at a cheaper price than it was even 10 years ago, I think the historical significance of that choice far outweighs any potential risk on my life I incurred by stopping to get gas there.

Prices might keep falling, and if so I'll keep reveling in that, but seriously, it is getting a lot easier to get around town.

P.S. Don't worry, not only does the BP have the cheapest gas, it's also the most well-lit gas station along the dangerous part of the road. So, either I'll be safer, or the bad guys will have an easier time trying to snuff me out because they'll be able to aim better.

Post-Election Living

I'm pretty sure everyone is excited that Barack Obama is going to be our next president. Before you express objection to that, the reason I said it was that now we do not have to watch 24/7 political coverage telling us why this candidate or that is better on this topic or that anymore.

Instead, we get to enjoy the fall, which I feel that God has sort of postponed for us this year, so that we could fully enjoy it after the election ;). The colors around here are just starting to peak, and the weather is starting to turn. I heard on the radio this morning our low tonight is 35. WHOO HOO! 30'S!


So kick back with some cider and a loved one, and enjoy the indoor living you'll get to do for the next 4 or 5 months. Try to get outdoors to see the colors and enjoy a couple of activities, but rest up :). I know I'll be enjoying all the family time and otherwise taking part in things I really enjoy doing.

Cruise!

Well I'm back from my cruise with Staci and my parents. We had a great time, even if the weather did not cooperate. We were able to stop in Cozumel and ride a scooter around the island, allowing us to visit desolate beaches, margarita stands without any electricity, and a hidden tequila factory for some creamy tequila! (That should be good for winter-time hot cocoa or something).

We also visited Jamaica and hiked Dunn River Falls! That was pretty awesome, and had a great time doing it.

As for our time on the boat, we ate a TON, enjoying it immensely. I probably had sushi about 4 times, which was pretty good. As a family we collected 4 different ships on a stick, from 4 trivia contests (note we were 4 for 4, we thought about taking our previous trophies to our next trivia events, but didn't feel like scaring the competition that much). After that we decided that 4 was enough since we couldn't lose and felt bad for everyone else that was stick-less.




The water was pretty choppy, and the wind was crazy. The sun that we actually received was only shone upon us on Friday afternoon, and we soaked it up like crazy while we could.

It's sad to be back, but we can look forward to having plenty of fun vacations in the future! :). Come by and we can show you our souvenir cup collection sometime....

Sunday School

Since when did going to Sunday School become an endorsement of the Republican party only? I love going to church, and I really enjoy the people I've come into contact with through my Sunday School, but man do they over-politicize this political season. I am definitely in the pro-life camp, but it's as if that stance is the only one that matters in the coming election, and is the only one that has the ethics of God in mind.

I even have fellow Christians telling me that the 'socialistic' ways of Obama wanting to give money from the rich to the poor is ungodly.

I think we pick too few social issues to determine our candidate, and are willfully choosing to remain ignorant by trying to label one candidate or another as more in line with our beliefs, basically forcing square pegs into round holes.

I am no longer calling myself a republican nor a democrat. I am definitely a Christian, but loving all of God's children I can vote for whomever will do the best for them as a whole.