The gas wank

[gurdymonkey]

Every time I pull up to a gas pump these days, I want to cry - or put my fist through the LED display on top of the pump, neither of which is productive. When I bought 'Tite Blanche (back in 2000, it cost me about $13 bucks to fill up the 15 gallon tank. It cost four times that this week - and prices continue to rise.

I pay my rent and bills without a second income in the household, 'cause it's just me. I look at my budget every single doggone week and make decisions on what I can and can't afford to do.  Or go to. Or eat. It's called being a grown-up.

I don't expect the West Kingdom to weep for me, much less miss me if I decide not to attend an event because it's not in my budget. I don't really care if the Kingdom perceives me as "not SCA enough" based on how many events I make to. Someone actually posted that - "not SCA enough" - in a huff this morning.  Despite the way it seems sometimes, the Kingdom is not  a hive mind, it's made up of  as many opinions as it has people. Some people will miss me, some people won't notice my absence, some people will roll their eyes when I show up in Japanese dress, or mutter imprecations about the f******* hurdy gurdy, some people will respect me for having my priorities straight, some people will thank me for playing for the dancers.

It is what it is, boys and girls. Times are tough all over. 

Comments

[joycebre.livejournal.com]

what you said. Gas prices are taking a terrible toll on my budget (accompanied as they are by my new, longer, terrible commute).
I don't expect people to notice if I'm not there. I may sometimes notice if other people aren't there, but I assume they had their reasons. And sometimes I won't notice, depending on how busy I am.
And if I wanted a specific event, that was close to me, and geared to my specific interest, I'd run it myself. But I'm not that picky.

[tgrcats-tail.livejournal.com]

Last time I filled up I calculated: My current (at that time) expense was 6 miles to the dollar. Thats right, each dollar of gas takes me all of 6 miles... well with the increase since then it is probably closer to 5 miles a buck now. Thankfully I can take public transport to work most days, but still, I have to think hard about all expenses, any 'extra' trips, and it SUCKS.

[danabren.livejournal.com]

Someone actually posted that - "not SCA enough" - in a huff this morning.

Jigga-WHAT?

Good lord, the stupid burns my eyeballs.

[acanthusleaf.livejournal.com]

The idiot who posted this was complaining about how *he* felt that others thought him not SCA enough when he pissed and moaned about how events were far away and boo hoo. He was damn near trolling and I have quit reading that thread because it has gone the way of most threads on active lists. Some people expect the world to hand them a nice life on a silver platter. I agree with gurdy - times are tough and this sucks, and you can only do what you can do.

[danabren.livejournal.com]

Yanno, I was a Greater Kingdom Officer, attending about 4-5 events a year due to a husband awaiting spine replacement surgery, not being a licensed driver, and living in the armpit of the East. Did that make ME "not SCAdian enough"? I kept my officers in line, created a bunch of new stuff, activity and office predecent, created office regalia, and got a commendation to the BOD. Did I mention how I only got to attend about 4-5 events a year?

Explain to me where this person gets to whine??

[carbonphoenix.livejournal.com]

I wanted to bitch slap them through the internet. The dialogue is making me laugh. I have my priorities mostly straight. I can't really afford events so I don't go to them often. I have become very particular about where and how often I can go places.

[reynardine.livejournal.com]

"not SCA enough"?? *shakes head* SCA is a hobby. Real life, like food, rent and yes, gasoline, comes first.

"not SCA enough"???

[karisu-sama.livejournal.com]

SCA is a hobby. Real life, like food, rent and yes, gasoline, comes first.

Yeah, like: no DUH. XD

Dude who whined "not SCA enough!" needs to get a (real) life and move out of his parent's basement. XD

Re: "not SCA enough"???

[kareina.livejournal.com]

lol

If he were living in his parent's basement, he would be able to afford to attend more events, and so would be "SCA enough". ;-)

[sasha-khan.livejournal.com]

'Not SCA enough' - what is that?

Do you not wear enough poly/cotton?
Don't mistake SCA customs for

historical

ones?
Aren't enough of a throne barnacle?
Don't view

X

activity as the be-all, end-all of the SCA?

GWW

[sasha-khan.livejournal.com]

Is a definite. There are some interesting mercantile/educationa;/social plans firming up that will be VERY interesting. Heh heh heh.

Re: GWW

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

"Cheerful Monkeys" will be back, if I have anything to say about it. Liked the site and definitely enjoyed meeting folks from CAID.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

As best I can interpret,

Wanker: Waaa, I live beyond East Jabib.

Evil Kingdom Hive Mind: We never see you at events.

Wanker: Waaa, I can't. You know, like, I live beyond East Jabib.

Evil Kingdom Hive Mind: You don't participate. (EKHM subtext: We will never, ever give you a shiny, you loser.)

Wanker: You're so MEAN. I TOLD YOU I live beyond East Jabib!!!!

Evil Kingdom Hive Mind: Shut up, already. (EKHM subtext: You are not SCA enough.)


Sometimes I think I'm simply not Western enough. ;-D Which is not, IMHO, a Bad Thing.

[joycebre.livejournal.com]

dang - I don't think like that. Maybe I wasn't properly assimilated. Maybe I'm not SCA enough.

[xrian.livejournal.com]

This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but considering the long, long bill of environmental consequences we've been accruing, in my humble opinion it would have been better if we'd been paying $4 a gallon for gas ten years ago. Granted, this would have meant making troublesome and expensive changes in the ways we do things, but we will have to do that now, anyway.

We can make things somewhat better by choosing our own priorities carefully, and by going out of our way to be thoughtful and generous to those who are having greater difficulties than we are.

The Europeans have been paying much higher gas prices than we have for years now. Guess what? Their societies have chosen to provide abundant and reliable public transportation and cars that get high gas mileage. Ours hasn't.