I get so frustrated sometimes

But not very often. In fact, almost never. But sometimes...

I've decided never to go to Speedway for gas again. This is the fourth time their pumps couldn't read my card.

Since my gas gauge stopped working last weekend, I was a little nervous about how much gas was in the tank. I was pretty sure I could make it home with out stopping, but the farther I went, the more certain I was that it wasn't worth the risk. Besides that, gas is 6 cents cheaper down there. So the only gas station in a neighborhood I really felt like stopping at was the Speedway. I put my card in the slot and yanked it out...
**CARD NOT READ**
PLEASE WAIT
So I waited. And waited. And took out my gas cap. And waited. And waited. Finally after, like, 30 seconds, I could try again. No dice. So I waited. And waited.

The thing is, I was getting angry. Violently angry. I don't get violent. And I don't get violently angry. But I felt like kicking the pump repeatedly. And I felt that way the last time it happened. I don't understand. It was cold out, and I had been standing staring at the pump for well over a minute, but I don't know why I was that angry.

So then I decided rather than risking the delay again, I'd pump my gas and then go inside to pay. No problem. So I pulled the nozzle and picked my gas type, put the nozzle in the tank and nothing happened. The pump said it was waiting for attendant authorization. So I looked at the window. There was a silhoutted head and a voice came over the loudspeaker. PUMP ONE, MWA MWAHMWAH PAY MAMWAH. I said, "what?" This time I made out what he said. He wanted me to prepay. Fuck. I'm sick of this shit. I angrily slammed the nozzle back in its slot, put the gas cap back on and sped out of there.

I've never prepaid before, except with card at the pump. I didn't know if I was supposed to guess how much I'd need, or if they'd give me change back, or what. I was sick of standing arouind, sick of that store, cold, and wanted to get the hell out of there.

When I got back to Grafton, "my" gas station took my card after three tries. :-( But it didn't make me wait between tries. And then the grocery store machine didn't want to take it either. I guess I need a new card. But those Speedways never have taken it.

me

I was going through my old photos and thought you might get a kick out of some of these.

( see 'em )

my car

This is the only known pictureof my first car:



1959 Edsel Ranger, two-door hardtop. I have no idea how many miles were on it. I got it in 1985, and it seemed to have been driven daily. The frame was rusted out in places. The engine didn't run too well. The beige and brown interior was in decent shape. The entire lower half of the body was Bondo. A beautiful swimming pool blue.

The engine was a 200-something V8 with a two-speed automatic transmission. It was big enough to seat six people without anyone touching each other. The car sat high on the frame so there was only a low transmission hump. I liked to slide over and drive from the passenger seat.

The original owner's manual came with it. The car had five factory options - AM radio (ran on tubes), outside driver's side rear-view mirror, sun visors, chrome wheel covers, and I can't remember the other.

Before I got rid of it I removed the grille, which is in my basement. I drove it out of town to a friend of my mom's who was going to take it to the junkyard for me. The car had no grill, no plates, no registration and no headlights or taillights. I have no idea how I didn't get busted big for that. Just before I got to his house one of the back wheels fell off. *CLUNK*SCRAPE* I had forgotten to tighten the lug nuts after changing the tire. I was standing next to it and a farmer came down the road in his tractor and handed me the nuts. Looked like they came off one by one, just before the wheel came loose.

I wish I knew what yard he took it to. I'd like to see it. It was a fun car when it ran.