A Queue of Gas Guzzlers

10 November 2007
I took other photos on the 10th, but I'm using this one because it beggars me. I don't understand. We are in the midst of one of the worst fuel crises in modern history (not the worst, mind you, when adjusted for inflation) and yet our nation's gluttonous population insists on driving vehicles that are notoriously poor on gas mileage. I drive a small Mitsubishi because I have no reason to drive anything larger. In this photo we see three vehicles, all of which are larger than a)mine and b)their occupancy requirements:

All three of these vehicles had one occupant (visible - if someone was ducking out of view, certainly I wouldn't have noticed); the driver. I respect others need for larger vehicles. Large families, the working class (labourers, farmers &c.) and haulers need the larger vehicle. My wife drives a hugely ineffecient gas guzzler because she needs to. She needs the space to haul product back and forth across the state (and nation at times). She needs the heavy-duty tow package because she pulls around a trailer that that is longer and taller than her Yukon. There wasn't a tow package on any of the vehicles in front of me. All of them were squeaky clean on the exterior which leads me to beleive that they don't travel off-road very often, if at all, which means they probably weren't working-class vehicles. Going back to a previous statement, all of them had one occupant so I can make the leap that they weren't for large families (although that is a leap, I have no evidence one way or another). So, I have to ask again, why? Why do we continue to line the pockets of big oil and foreign nations by driving unncecessarily large and inefficient vehicles when other choices are available?
Cheers.

~KR (10 November 2007)

Watching:
Manchester United v Blackburn (down to 10 men)
Score: 2 - 0 at 78:23
(Come on you Rovers!)

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/5.5
Focal Length: 23.2 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire, auto mode

Tags: GAS, INEFFICIENT, MPG, SUVS, MANCHESTER+UNITED, BLACKBURN+ROVERS, MITSUBISHI, CANON, PHOTOBLOG

The Flame

9 November 2007
A day at the office. A rather rare thing these days; but consequently a day at the office means a day of catch-up and preparation. No photos during the day. When I left work, I headed straight home to see Marita Beth before she took off for the Texas Renaissance Festival. Since I'd just spent a week in Miami, and was soon to go out of town again, I chose a decompress weekend. So, I went home and hugged on my wife until she had to leave. She leaves later than I would if it were my choice to make, but she doens't have the same fear of striking a deer during a nighttime drive n the backwoods of Southeast Texas that I do. I hope she never learns the fear that comes from having struck way too many deer during nighttime drives. After she was safely on the road, I went to NFG to meet with Terrill who was kindly saving me a seat. It was just beer and burger time, and we weren't there long. But, I was there without my camera. When I got home, I realized that I had left candles burning in my absence. My wife is a gardner, preferring candles to other forms of gardening which she also does with a great measure of skill. But, because of that, there is almost always a candle or two burning in the house. Normally I remember this, but a week outside the norm and you forget things. So, I came home to a candle burning. Instead of snuffing it as I would otherwise do, I took the opportunity to make my photo of the day:
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This candle is by Designs in Wax. They are, in my opinion, some of the very best candles you can buy. They last for an inordinately long time and the aroma is simply stunning. Joe and his wife handmake these candles year around, and at least once a year we try to stock up. You can get them at the Texas Renaissance Festival and Dickens on the Strand in Galveston, TX. I expect they're available elsewhere, too, but I know you can pick them up at these places.
Cheers.

~KR (9 November 2007)

Watching:
Manchester United v Blackburn
Score: 1 - 0 at 33:19
(Come on you Rovers!)

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 125
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: CANDLE, FLAME, WICK, DESIGNS+IN+WAX, MANCHESTER+UNITED, BLACKBURN, TRF, DICKENS+ON+THE+STRAND

Pump #7

8 November 2007
The week in MIA is over and I've arrived safely home. Terrill had parked at the airport so he got me back to South Arlington sparing my wife the drive and me the wait. I had originally planned to fly from MIA back to IAH for another weekend at faire, but the MIA trip wrapped up early, if not completely successfully, and we headed back to DFW. On some levels I expect Marita Beth was releaved to not have to drive back to IAH on Friday night; but I suspect she'd have rather that than me not going to TRF for the weekend. In South Arlington, I retrieved my car from Firestone and headed to get a beer with Terrill & MB at our favourite local, No Frills Grill. After that we headed home for some decompression, but made a much-needed stop at the petrol shop. Here's the sign above the pump I was using.

Brilliant, eh?
Cheers.

~KR (8 November 2007)

Watching Birmingham v Aston Villa
Current score: 1 - 2 at 93:37

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/5.5
Focal Length: 23.2 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash fired, auto mode, red-eye reduction

Tags: BIRMINGHAM, ASTON+VILLA, PETROL, NO+FRILLS+GRILL, PHOTOBLOG, CANON, MIA, DFW, IAH, TRF