gas can cause headaches too?

Okay, maybe not gas related to what you ate, but the gas that goes into my car is giving me headaches. Then today, AAA Arizona admitted that gas prices will not go down as fast as they went up.

So, if the gas prices went up quickly in reaction to Katrina, why will it take so long to get the prices to where they were before Katrina? I know that the refineries are just coming back online, and it will take about three weeks for the oil from other countries to arrive, but speculation was a big reason for the sharp increase, why can't we drop the prices just as fast when the immediate crisis is over? Who's making all the money (and I know it's not the local gas station owner)?

The source of my headache - prices around the state of Arizona. Most of Tucson was at or above $3 on Friday (there was one station that was $2.86 with a line out to the street) for regular unleaded. But I had enough gas to get me to Toltec, and paid $2.99. That got me all the way to Prescott Valley, avoiding a stop at I-17 and SR 69 (usually one of the most expensive stations around). Driving through Dewey and Mayer on Sunday, gas was $3.45! The saddest part was the number of closed stations around Camp Verde. Most look like they recently closed, but I don't know why. We paid $3.09 just outside Camp Verde Sunday night, which was the cheapest in the area (we had looked on the trip through, and stopped at the cheapest on the way back). I guess I got lucky that I still paid $2.99 at Toltec again on my trip back.

But as my best friend put it - we can't keep up our driving habits at those prices. While I did notice that there were quite a few fifth wheels, RV's, and trailers on the roads this weekend, I think it was more because people didn't want to cancel their trips at the last minute. So they grinned and beared the cost of the higher gas. If Katrina hit two or three weeks ago, it is possible that the number of recreational vehicles on the roads would have been significantly less.

Katrina PTSD?

I am trying not to sound like I'm over-reacting, this is all probably due to the excessive coverage of what's going on along the Gulf coast. I mean, the closest family or friends I have are in the San Antonio area. I heard that Phoenix has opened up the Veteran's Memorial Collesium for about 500 refugees, but that's over an hour drive from here, so I'm not likely to have any contact with them.

So why have I had the most terrible dreams the last two nights related to what's going on over there? I don't know, but they're the kind of dreams that I can't wake up from, but when something does wake me up I'm ever so grateful. I've donated money to the Red Cross this weekend when the firefighters were holding out the boot at a Basha's in Camp Verde (besides, they were cute). I guess it's because there's a part of me that is hoping there's something more I can do. But I live in a one bedroom apartment, so I can't offer shelter to anyone. I donated some money also to the Arizona Humane Society after I head that they had sent out a couple teams to resuce abandoned animals, but Magnum would not allow me to foster a pet that was rescued. I am not a medical professional, so I can't offer services to the living who are suffering from medical problems.

I suppose this feeling will get better over the next few days or weeks. I just would like to the dreams to stop sooner than that.

and they call us the future...

Sorry, things were a bit crazy trying to get ready to leave town for the three day weekend. On top of spending a few days with Mr. San Diego, he brought a bottle of "Blue Ice" vodka that is made from Idaho russet potatos; and it's good (too bad that I can't get it anywhere in Arizona).

Saturday night, the two of us were sitting around a fire that our friends started in their backyard. One of their coworkers also stopped by, and we (except the pregnant one) were drinking and listening to the local country station. They did a news break, and that's how I first heard about that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court passed away. I made the comment that it's a shame that Rehnquist died.

Everyone's comment: "who's Rehnquist?" (no joking). Of the five of us in our late 20's - late 30's, I was the only one that knew who he was. And we're given the responsibility to vote - when a majority of us don't know the political going-ons of our country. I first felt geeky that I knew that; but then sad that I was the only one that knew the implications of this.