Gas Crisis

We are experiencing a dire gas shortage in the Charlotte area. It was reported that at least 80% of all gas stations were out of fuel. Last night, I drove around trying to find a place to fill up since I was down to 1/8 of a tank, but over the 15 that I passed, all were dead and closed up. This morning, Keith passed the gas station on the corner and the one where the "Chicken Chunk" is and called to tell me to get out there and fill up. The line was at least 20 cars deep and I anticipate if it was earlier than 8:45, and not raining and insanely windy, that there would have been a longer line. I was lucky that there wasn't a limit on the amount we could buy as Keith had been cut off at $30 worth earlier in the week. It is insane. I believe Keith called it pandemonium. Police are being called in to ward off riots as people are turned away after waiting and waiting just to be told the pump has gone dry. The shops are being staffed by security guards to keep people from doing something stupid. I can only imagine the small mom and pop convenience stores that are taking a beating by lack of business because it is through the incidentals that they bring in some sort of profit. With no need to stop at a gas station, there's no reason to pick up a bottle of Gatorade or a Snickers bar. We have been told that gas will be coming back to our area. By now, most people are near empty, so it is going to be a while before things even out again.

I called my mom last night to let her know that we wouldn't be able to come for her birthday next weekend. Keith and I were planning on driving half way after picking Hannah up from school on Friday and visiting his mother in Alabama next Sat, then my mom at her new house 4 hours south on Sunday (his mom's birthday is the 29th, my mom's is the 30th and my dad is retiring on the 30th), followed by a quick trip to the Yellow River (don't laugh, that's really the name) Game Ranch outside of Atlanta, GA on Monday, where Hannah and I would drop him off for his 2 day meeting on Tues and Wed. Well, since planning all of that, we have come into this gas shortage, compounded with a mandatory cheer practice on Monday. The last one before their first competition the following Saturday. She can't miss. What was going to be an action packed 3 day trip was suddenly a 2 day fiasco. It just didn't make sense for us to go. Now we're hoping to make it a 4 day trip for Thanksgiving. My mom is going to the new house for that weekend and Keith will have Thursday and Friday off. Hannah will have off on Wed so we can (hopefully) get an early start.

I am praying that we will have nice weather tomorrow for the Light the Night Walk. Hannah has worked so hard and waited so long for this. Plus, now she's going to be missing homecoming to head to the walk.

I am off to clean for my visit from Heather tomorrow. She's coming all that way to support Hannah with the walk as well. We need some pristine weather. You would not believe just how crummy it is out there right now. About 60 degrees with a misty rain that blows right through you. Ick!