Gas prices are holding steady at $3.80 or so at my bellwether intersection (see yesterday's blog, "Prayer Power"). Then again, the prime July 4 weekend driving time is still more than a week away.
I'm hoping Rocky Twyman's prayers will still hold sway for a long time to come.
Despite my hopes, I would advise filling up the tank before next Wednesday, July 2. (I know, O ye of little faith and all that.)
A year ago we were paying $2.84 a gallon.
Sigh. Wish we had better alternatives in the United States. I would ride a Vespa scooter or even a bicycle to work when the weather is OK if there were separate lanes. But it's far too dangerous out there on the main roads with all the crazy car, SUV, and pickup drivers distracted by cell phones, screaming babies and spilled coffee.
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Christmas is six months from today. Just thought you'd want to know that.
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In my "idle" time, here are some of my activities:
Listening to: "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay; "Don't Do Anything," by Sam Phillips; "Chase the Light" by Jimmy Eat World, and "Zappa Plays Zappa" by Dweezil Zappa. Have pre-ordered the new Beck CD, "Modern Guilt," due out July 8.
Reading: "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller; "The Shack" by William P. Young; "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson; the Pew Forum's new "Religious Landscape Survey" (you can click here), and the National Geographic article on Stonehenge.
Watching: Michael Clayton; Across the Universe; Springsteen in Dublin, and Alvin and the Chipmunks. (Really liked George Clooney in Michael Clayton, a good suspense thriller). Also catching up on old episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm with Larry David (not thrilled with some of the lax HBO standards but the show is hilarious nonetheless.)
Listening/Reading: Stocked up on audio books on disc for an upcoming trip by car, including "The Face" by Dean Koontz; "Beach House" by James Patterson, and "Cross Bones" by Kathy Reichs.
Online reading: Blogs by three compadres, Rebekah Scott, Paddy O'Gara, and John Rockwood, as well as a missionary in Scotland, David Schmidgall, whom I met last year and who writes a great blog.
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Toledo, Ohio
June 25, 2008