You can gripe all you want, but it doesn't do any good

You can gripe all you want, but it doesn't do any good. In my 62 years of life, I have learned that all continual griping does is make the situation worse. At least, it makes the situation or problem appear worse then it actually is.

I don't remember my grandparent's griping continually. I do remember Grandpa griping when gas went up for $0.50 a gallon to $0.75. I think that's the only time I ever heard Grandpa gripe about anything.

As I said, griping only makes the situation appear worse. It also upsets the people in your life if you gripe on a continuous basis. I guess what I'm saying is pick the things you gripe about. In some situations, a complaint to management does more good then griping to someone who can't do anything about the problem.

On a Friday Afternoon

Istiqlál (Independence), 14 Mulk (Dominion), 166 BE – Friday, February 20, 2009 about 4:28 PM Pacific Time

On a Friday afternoon in February 2009, I contemplate the price of gas. I drove past a gas station today and gas cast about $2.18 a gallon. I have precisely $0.57 in change in my purse and about $1.55 in the bank. The gas gage in my car is setting close to empty. I am back driving on fumes and a prayer.

The car I am driving now is easy on gas, but I still need to put gas in the tank. I have some aluminum cans to see, but I am going to have to put gas in the tank to drive the recyclers. I am expecting a small deposit in my bank account around Monday. However, that does not help this weekend and I need about $39.00 to get some meds. I was supposed to pick the meds up today, I am going to have to call the pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist.

The money I had this week went to covering an automatic debt withdrawal from my bank account and paying another debt. Oddly enough, I am not worried, which is probably a good thing since I have an ulcer. I will begin a new job next month sometimes, but until then all of my money is coming from on-line work.

The interesting thing about the gas prices is that when my old car broke down the price of gas went down. Now that I have a running car, the price is going up again. I know it is just a coincidence, but it does give a person something to think about.

Have Car Will Travel

Istijlál (Majesty), 11 Sultán (Sovereignty), 165 BE – Thursday, January 29, 2009 about 3:40 PM Pacific Time

I have a car now and the tags, so I can go any place I want. Today I went to Walgreens to pick up a bottle of Mom's meds. It's nice to be able to call the prescription in and pick it up the same day. When I didn't have a working car, I had to plan the prescription pick up to coincide with other errands. I then got on the bus and spent the entire day going from one end of Las Vegas to the other. Never mind the 1/2 or 3/4 mile walk from the bus stop to my house.

Now I can go anywhere in Vegas, anytime I want as long as I have gas in the car. I noticed today that gas prices are going up again. It's interesting because as soon as my old car stopped running, gas prices began to go down. I have a working car and gas prices are going up again, an interesting coincidence.

I don't know if I'm going anywhere this weekend. Friday or Saturday, I may go to the recyclers and sell some cans. I collect aluminum cans and sell them for gas money. It doesn't bring in a lot of money, but it's enough for maybe a gallon or two of gas. Sometimes a couple of gallons is all that's necessary until the next paycheck or PayPal deposit.

I bought gas today

Istiqlál (Independence), 10 Asma (Names), 165 B.E. – Friday, August 29, 2008 about 7:08 PM Pacific Time

I bought gas today and it brought back memories of my grandfather. I stopped at a self-service station and put gas in my car. I do remember Grandpa putting gas in his own car every once in a while. Usually he did that at gas stations where he knew the attendants and the owners. They would wave at him and say, "Hi, Pete." However, most of the time he would let the attendant fill the tank and check the fluids.

I can fill my own tank with gas, something I never thought I would do when I was growing up. Back then women just did not do that because putting gas in a car was a man's job. When I was growing up, jobs and other things were divided by gender. Women just did not do some things.

Of course, gas was cheaper then and there were more full service stations. Actually, I do not think there were any self-service stations then. I do not remember any in Blackwell, Oklahoma, or any of the surrounding small towns. What I do remember, is my grandfather griping when gas prices raised for $0.50 a gallon to $0.75 or maybe it was from $0.25 to $0.50. Anyway, he griped for at least a week.

Today I am grateful that I paid only $3.57 per gallon for gas. That was one of today's entries in my gratitude journal. Most of my meds cost $4.00 a bottle and that is less then the price of gas today. Most of my mother's meds cost $3.00 a bottle, which is less then the price of gas, but she has health insurance.

Thankful Thursday, June 26, 2007

Istijlál (Majesty), 3 Rahmat (Mercy), 165 BE – Thursday, June 26, 2008 about 5:27 PM PDT

1. Today I am thankful that the hole my mother's leg is healing
2. Today I am thankful that I paid only $4.19 cents for gas when I bought last bought it
3. Today I am thankful that we went out for country fried steak yesterday
4. Today I am thankful that there is a slight wind blowing through the stone pine tree
5. Today I am thankful that my Internet connection holds long enough to make a blog entry
6. Today I am thankful that I go back to work next week
7. Today I am thankful that we have chocolate ice cream in the freezer
8. Today I am thankful that I am a member of writing.com
9. Today I am thankful that we still have and entire case of bottled water
10. Today I am thankful we have enough coffee and filters in the house to make several fresh carafes of coffee

There is my thankful Thursday list for the last Thursday in June 2008. I have decided that instead of griping about the price of gas, which does not good. I will be thankful that I didn't pay more for it. Maybe I need to take this approach with other things in my life as well. Sometimes we can't see what we have to be grateful for until we start listing the items.

My Grandfather and the Price of Gas

‘Idál (Justice), 2 Rahmat (Mercy), 165 BE – Wednesday, June 25, 2008 about 6:23 PM PDT

My grandfather would be out raged at the price of gas. I can remember Grandpa griping when the price raised from $0.50 per gallon to $0.75 per gallon. I bought gas last night and the price was $4.19 per gallon. My Toyota Camry had about a quarter of a tank of gas, I bought $30.00 and it didn't fill the tank. The gage now reads three-quarter's full, if the tank had been empty it would read about half full. I can remember when I could put $20.00 in gas in the tank and the gage would read full.

I'm doing something I thought I would never do when I ways young. I'm writing "I can remember when ...". I remember my grandparents and parents saying that, when I heard them I would smile. I would also think "I'm not going to say that when I grow up." Well, I'm saying it.

The weird thing is, I paid $4.19 per gallon for gas last night. This morning I made an entry in my gratitude journal. I wrote "I give thanks that I only paid $4.19 per gallon for gas last night." I am grateful that I only paid $4.19 per gallon for gas. However, there was a time when I would have griped for a week about paying that much for gas. Now I gripe because my dial-up internet connection disconnects in the middle of a blog entry. Every generation gripes, they just gripe about different things.

A Beautiful day in Las Vegas

‘Idál (Justice), 12 ‘Azamat (Grandeur), 165 B.E. – Wednesday, May 28, 2008 about 7:39 PM PDT

Today was a beautiful day, not too warm and not too cold. There were clouds scattered across the sky and a slight wind. It did not rain today; it was just a beautiful spring day in Las Vegas. Today is the kind of day that encourages sitting on the patio and saying prayers or reading the scriptures.

Today is the kind of day that encourages going to the park. The only problem for me is that both parks closest to my house are closed. They closed one for improvements and the other because the city wanted to discourage the homeless from sleeping there. That was not the reason they gave when they closed it I forget the official reason. Since both parks are closed the only place I can go to write or meditate is on my back patio.

Gas prices are about $3.89 a gallon here so I no longer drive across town just to go to a park. If some of my friends are going or there is a group affair at a park then I will drive across town. I will not drive just to sit in a park by myself and write or meditate.

A beautiful day in Las Vegas,

is becoming a beautiful evening.

I have slacked off recently

Kamál (Perfection), 10 ‘Azamat (Grandeur), 165 B.E. – Monday, May 26, 2008 about 4:34 PM PDT

I have slacked off recently. I started working from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM out side the house and as a result, I have not achieved as much at home as I wanted. I used today to catch up on a couple of things. Last night I stayed up later then usually and got up about 5:30 AM instead of 4:00 AM this morning.

I think my problem is a routine. I need to establish a new writing routine. I have not been getting on line in the morning before going to work. Instead, I have watched the local news, which is a bit depressing. I am not sure about getting on line before going to work in the mornings. I think that establishing a new writing routine in the afternoon is the best idea.

I did not go anywhere today. The main problem is gas prices. I paid about $3.71 a gallon the last time I bought gas. I have to get more gas this week, so I will get another $20 tomorrow. I remember when I could fill the tank on a $20 bill and have enough left over for a couple of bottles of soda or coffee. Now all $20 gets is about half a tank or less of gas. Oh well, I suppose it could be worse, at least we are not paying $10.00 a gallon yet.

A Windy Week in Las Vegas

Istijlál (Majesty), 4 Jamál (Beauty), 165 B.E. – Thursday, May 1, 2008 about 7:15 PM PDT

It's been a windy week in Las Vegas, earthquake after shocks in Reno. There is a wild fire raging in California. A typical spring in the west, all right, maybe earthquakes in Nevada isn't typical, but they do occur. We're suppose to be due for a big one.

I suppose an earthquake or two is to be expected with everything else going on this year. Gas prices are rising. They haven't quite reached $4.00 in Vegas yet (at least not at the gas stations I shop at), but they will. Gas prices will reach the $4.00 mark and more earthquakes will occur in Nevada. I need to get an emergancy kit prepared just in case the big one comes in my life time.

I'll have to check and see what I need in an earthquake emergency kit. Not that we'll be getting too far from Vegas with gas prices on the rise. I think I'll start keeping track of the miles I get per gallon. There was a time when I didn't worry abut earthquake emergency kits or how many miles I could go on a gallon of gas. Things sure change as you get older and wiser.

We have been lucky this year with the wind. In February we lost the elm, but it missed the garage. I am working Monday through Friday now. Mom is doing well even though she won't use the new microwave. We are slowly converting to longer lasting light bulbs and now I find out that I may have to dispose of the burned out ones different then I did the other type. I think that's all for this entry.

The Long Way Around

Kamál (Perfection), 4 Baha (Splendor), 165 B.E. – Monday, March 24, 2008 about 6:12 PM PDT

Daily Writing Prompt for March 22, 2008: Write about taking the long way around

I always take the long way around because I have no sense of direction. I am probably the only person in the world that can follow MapQuest directions and get lost. It's frustrating and amusing at the same time. I don't see the amusing part though until latter.

I remember going places with my Grandfather, he never got lost. It didn't matter where we were going he always got us there without getting lost. That didn't mean not taking the long way around. Grandpa always took the rout with the best view. I remember driving through Oklahoma and Kansas. The country was always beautiful and Grandpa always took the long way around.

All though with today's gas prices, he might not have taken the long way around. I remember Grandpa gripping when gas prices increased from, I think, $0.50 or $0.75 a gallon to about $1.00. He gripped about the increase in prices, but didn't stop taking the long way around when his grandchildren were in the car.

My Grandfather and the Price of Gas

Kamal (Perfection), 5 Mulk 164 B.E. - Monday, February 11, 2008 about 3:50 PM PST

I paid $2.86 per gallon yesterday when I bought gas, at a self-service with a mini-mart. It got me to thinking about Grandpa Newland. My grandfather griped when gas prices rose 2 or 3 cents. He would really gripe at the prices today, especially since he would fill his tank himself. When Grandpa bought gas there were only full service stations, which meant that an attendant filled the tank and checked the fluids. However, my grandfather could fill the tank himself, but with an attendant, I don't think he ever thought of filling the tank himself.

I can't remember Grandpa changing his own oil, but he did check it himself. Which reminds me, I have to check the oil in the car tomorrow morning when I get home or while I'm parked somewhere waiting I check my own oil (Grandpa would be proud of me) and put it in if its needed. I don't check the transmission fluid or the brake fluid, I stop at a fill service for that about once a month or so.

Actually, there was a time when I never thought about checking the oil myself, but times and people change. There was a time when I never thought about getting gas anywhere but a full service station. I don't mind filling the tank myself or I wouldn't if I ever put more then $20 of gas in the tank. Grandpa would really gripe at spending $20 on gas and not getting a full tank. Lately all $20 gets is about half to three-quarters of a tank. Yesterday I put only $2.86 in the tank which bought me a gallon of gas.

Giving Thanks and the Price of Gas

18 Qudrat 164 B.E. - Tuesday, November 20, 2007 about 8:17 PM PST

All right at first glance, the price of gas is nothing to be thankful for. Today I bought $17.00 in gas for a little over $3.03 a gallon. My mother's co-pay on most (not all) of her medication is $3.00. I paid more for a gallon of gas then my mother pays for her meds.

However, today we picked up a Thanksgiving Basket, which included a turkey. The Thanksgiving food basket didn't cost us any cash. On the way home from getting the turkey and stuff, I saw the price of gas at another self-serve station. It was around $3.11 per gallon. I am thankful I bought the gas at the station I did because I paid less for the gas.

This has made me realize that no matter what the problem there is always something to be thankful for. True sometimes we have to look for it, but if we look hard enough we find something to give thanks for; this is the time of year when we look for things to give thanks for, but we need to look for thankful things all year round.