'E' is for Empty.

I'm totally tired and need to go to bed, but I had to tell y'all about my wonderful morning. I had intended on getting to work extra early so I could leave at lunchtime and still get a solid 4+ hours of work in. Well of course that didn't happen. I didn't leave the house till almost 8:30. The hub and I had switched cars because he needed the SUV (he's helping my parents move some stuff this weekend). So I get in the car to go and notice the gas tank is on "E" but the warning light isn't on, so I know I'm good to go. I figured I'd fill her up when I left work to go run my errands for tomorrow's swap. Well I'm getting off at my exit and coming up over the hill toward the light and then... uh oh... oh God no... no no no.... please no.... Yeah. Outta gas.

Luckily, I was already off the interstate and had exited - so I was in about the best spot I could be in to run out of gas - OK other than a gas station. So I just kind of coasted my way down and pulled over to the right. There was plenty of room and a big shoulder, so I mean I didn't even turn my hazard lights on. If there had been a gas station right on the corner there at the exit I *maybe* could've coasted in, but there's not. You have to go up the road a good half mile - and up a hill. So as I'm pulling over I'm suddenly thinking oh gosh PLEASE tell me I have my phone. I will be fine as long as I have my phone! I did - and it was charged, thank goodness. I've been known to leave my phone behind, so it wouldn't have been totally off the wall to be without it. Phew... I called the hub to let him know. He felt SO bad. We figure the gas warning light must have burned out. Pheobe is showing her age - I've had her 10 years this month - and some of her other message lights have gone, so that's very possible. (Phoebe is the honda... not sure if I've ever had reason to mention her before.) Hubby was ready to whip around and come to my rescue, but he was already almost to work, on the other side of town. And my parents live literally like A mile from where I was stranded, so I told him I'd just have my mom pick me up.

So I call my mom. I caught her just before she was hopping in the shower. So she instead threw some clothes on and darted out the door. I give her a few mins, then I call her on her cell to tell her how to get to where I am. Even though I'm like right there, she has to go up the interstate two exits and come back down to be able to get to the access road where I am. So I'm explaining to her... "OK mom you need to go up to 317. Pass Old Peachtree and get off at 317. You can't get to this ramp from Old Peachtree so you have to go up one past." So she's repeating this back to me... "Alright I'm going to get off at 317 and pass Old Peachtree and... aw SHIT! I'm getting off at Old Peachtree! Dammit." So she gets off the phone with me to start over. She could've just hopped back on the interstate, but the ramps are way confusing and she didn't think she could go north from where she was, so she got back on going south - back to her exit, to turn around and try again.

I'm waiting... calling different people so I can talk to someone so I look "busy" and no one will bother me... waiting. OK seriously what is taking so long? I call her back. She answers, "well... I got to your exit, but then I was looking for you on the side of the road so hard that I didn't realize I was getting off at Old Peachtree again." The exit I take is confusing - it's an access road that has several exits to different streets. So she took the first actual exit, instead of mine (the 2nd one). So once again, she does a loop to try to get to me. She finally gets there. It took over 30 minutes, but she made it. I am not complaining, as she is my rescuer, but geez. My poor mom must've burned through half a tank of gas trying to get to me!

So we leave my car and head up to the nearest gas station and get one of those can thingees and fill it up. This was really challenging. There's no automatic cutoff with a plastic jug. And you can't see how full it is! I just had to do it slowly and keep checking, while trying to keep my distance so I didn't get gas all over me. I was already sweaty from sitting in my car for 30+ min with no air. It wasn't super hot yet, but I was starting to feel icky. So we get the gas and head back to my car. Keep in mind we still have to go UP two exits in order to get back to the access road. What nonsense.

We make it back to my car. We get out and I pull out the spout thingee that you attach to the jug so you can pour it in your tank. Well it has this cap on the tip of it and we could NOT get it off. Both of us tried and tried and tried. My hands were red and raw from gripping the damn thing and trying to pull off the top. Would. not. come. off.

Back in Mom's car to the gas station to have some random dude help us get the top off of the stupid spout thingee. He did struggle with it some, so we weren't completely inept. Once again... back UP two exits, down the access road to my poor car. Finally... success. Mom then followed me back to the gas station (for the 3rd time) to fill my tank up. This whole process from start to finish? 1 hour, 45 minutes.

So I strolled into work at 10:30. Smelling of gasoline and a hint of sweat. (Just a hint.) Only to leave again at noon. So I got a heck of a lot done didn't I?! I took mom out to lunch to thank her for rescuing me. We had a good laugh. My goodness what a morning... I'm thinking I'll pay closer attention to my gas tank next time. Ugh. It was an annoying hassle, but we were both dying laughing the whole time.

The rest of my day was good... just ran around getting stuff ready for the swap tomorrow. I hit Costco and the grocery. And now I'm about to hit the sack. I'm truly beat. I've got my camera all charged up and I'll be sure to take lots of pics of my swap setup. Can't wait!!!

Have a great weekend, all. And don't run out of gas.