Wednesday, October 10, 2012

trying new things: pushing the limit

Last night after an interwebz conference call with my siblings (minus Kelly), Mandy and I stayed on the line while I helped her explore Pinterest. 

It wasn't long before we got lost in my board where I pin quotes and stuff, giggling and giggling and giggling.  While there are lots of funny things, there was one more serious quote I had pinned awhile ago that really seemed to go with my month of trying new things.


I want to think again of dangerous and noble things.I want to be light and frolicsome.I want to be improbable, beautiful, and afraid of nothingas though I had wings.
~Mary Oliver

I was feeling very inspired by this, so I really went out there and took a risk today.


I got in my car after work, planning on stopping at the gas station near our house before I pulled in the garage, because I knew I would need gas about then.  I turn on the car and it dings at me and the display flashes the gas pump icon.

Yeah, yeah, I know.  I'm going to get gas at Kwik Star when I get back to town

I start the car and head for home.   I call my dad to chat while I drive.  I tell him how the gas light is on.  He says I should maybe find a gas station.  I explain that it is complicated, because there are no gas stations that sell premium on my way home (I am pretty sure the Singergap doesn't sell it, and I know Big Chain for sure doesn't.)  I would have had to go out of my way to Town Near Work in order to get premium, and I was already headed the other way.

Just out of curiosity, I check to see how many miles to empty.

5

5 miles to empty!

Me: Uh oh, Dad!  I have 5 miles to empty.  
Dad:  How far away is the gas station?  I think your car could run on regular for a little bit at least.
Me:  I don't think the nearest gas station is within 5 miles!  I am going to have to go up to Town Near Work afterall.
Dad:  You know... you can go a bit after zero.  There was this one time Sven was distracting me by not looking for a gas station like he was supposed to, and we made it.
Me: Let's pray for that.  I'm watching my mpg and trying to drive as efficiently as possible.
Dad:  You know, you might want to keep your eye on the road, too.
Me:  Yeah... I thought of that.
Dad:  These moments can be kind of tense, can't they?
Me:  Yes.
Dad:  At least you have cell phones now, so you don't have to worry as much.
Me:  Yeah.  And I have AAA.
Dad: But then you have to face that humiliation that you ran out of gas and they had to come bring you some.
Me: Yeah, and I really don't want that, since I just had that embarrassing moment where I backed into a basketball hoop.
Small talk about the basketball hoop and work while we both pretend to not be worried I'm going to run out of gas.
Me: Yay!  I can see the water tower!
Dad:  Is there gas at the water tower?
Me: No, but there's gas in Town Near Work, and the water tower is in Town Near Work
Dad: So you're close?  Well, I guess you can see pretty far since its so flat out there.
Me:  I'm in town!  I can walk to the gas station if I have to.  Now I have to decide if I should stop at the Big Chain gas station that is closer and just get regular, or try to get a little further to the gas station that has premium.
Dad: Well, as long as the premium isn't up a big hill or something.
Me:  I'm risking it... I'm going for the premium.

I made it to the premium.  And we all breathed a sigh of relief.

I'm such a risk-taker.

Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayers and sparing me the embarrassment of calling AAA to save me. 

NOTE:  This is not the first time I have run a car down to E.  It's just the first time I knew how close I was...and didn't run out.

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