Running on gas fumes

I'm spending the afternoon writing up an article for the Triune. And, in order to stay in writing mode, I have to have tea from the Republic and listen to tunes and simulate my own personal coffee house atmosphere. I have the ipod on shuffle, and apparently it has a strong affinity toward the 80s decade. In the past 15 minutes, I've heard Phil Collins, the Police, Journey, and Michael Jackson.

My adventure for the day was running out of gas in the truck. Yeah, I felt pretty stupid. I'm not exactly used to using the truck for more than 1-2 days in succession. But, it's pretty much been the default vehicle for me since Steve takes the gas conserving Honda civic to class since he has to commute everyday for 2 weeks.

On my way home from the YMCA, I noticed the fuel gauge was just past the "E". I never let my Honda run below a 1/4 tank before I refuel, and this was a pretty sorry state. But, since I was only sporting my swimsuit and a towel, I didn't want to backtrack and hit the gas station. So, I made it back to the apartment and changed, and just hoped I could make it 1 mile to the gas station. Then, the truck slowed down on a 4-lane 45 m.p.h. road and the engine light and a hundred other lights on the dashboard turned on. I was able to turn on the hazard lights and coast down the road until I could turn into a small road and not jam up traffic on the busy road. Usually, Steve keeps a gas can in the back of the truck, but because I'm just super lucky, it wasn't there. I could practically see the gas station a block and a half away, but with no gas can, there wasn't anything I could do to help my situation.

So, I went into an office in the business park where I had attempted to pull in to borrow a phone because we don't own cell phones. Keep in mind, when a vehicle runs out of gas, it dramatically affects the steering capability. . . I couldn't exactly hug the curb when I parked, so cars that turned into the same side road were trying to maneuver around the truck. Thankfully, Katie & Josh were home. They saved my tail by bringing a few drops of glorious gasoline, and they followed me the rest of the way to the gas station to make sure I'd get there okay. Yes, I feel like a complete idiot, and I'll be much more cognizant next time I'm in the truck.

I guess commuting to and from the clinic bleary eyed in the morning and super exhausted in the evening doesn't put refueling on the top of my to-do list. But, it's a mistake I won't repeat anytime soon. I've been driving since I was 15, and this is the first (and hopefully last) time I ran out of gas.

So, now that I'm done with my procrastination post, I'm goign back to writing my article. Just in time because Mazzy Star is playing on the ipod. Sweet.