Just One Fix

Free Gas in Sioux Falls

By KSFY News

Tuesday morning, gas prices in Sioux Falls will drop to $0.00. But only for a short time... only at one station... and only for 10 gallons.

It's all in honor of the 2008 Allstate America's Best Drivers Report - in which Sioux Falls drivers were ranked #1 for the third year in a row.

The free gas will be available from 5:30am - 8:30am at the Get 'N Go station at 2401 South Louise in Sioux Falls. Drivers will be able to fill up with up to 10 gallons of unleaded gas per car or truck. Allstate Insurance will be giving away up to 7,000 gallons of gas for free.

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"America is so addicted to oil it will take us years to wean ourselves from it and to look for new ways to feed our addiction is not the answer." - Schwarzenegger

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"I could stop if I wanted to."

Rain Is Water

I really don't like storms. It's been storming a lot lately.

Earlier this month Cycling Sasquatch posted the story of the creation of his rain barrel. It took me seconds to realize I could and should follow suit. Sure, it won't meet my entire plant watering needs, but I'm only looking for 10% replacement for things these days. Not 100%.

The Dad knew of a local hardware store that sells barrels from ChicagoRainBarrel.com. These are pretty neat barrels. They can be connected together. Filling one barrel fills all of them.

After a few days of imagining what it should look like I purchased four cement cinder blocks and a single piece of curved downspout. Yesterday evening I put it all together.

Here's how it sits. (anybody want an unused cement cinder block?)



The Wife figured my completion of The RainBarrel Project would signal the end of the summer rains. It wouldn't surprise me if she's right, but at least last night mother nature rewarded me by filling brand new rain barrel.



The cherry tomatoes already get drinks taken out of the air from our rather moist basement. My mouth waters when I look at these.

HFH

I have a personal blogging rule. Never predict what the next post will be. It often causes writers block. Two posts ago I broke this rule by saying I'd write something about my mom, which is why two posts ago is two weeks ago! Wow. I'm still here.



This evening my neighbor stopped me. He wanted to know the name that goes with our rose bushes. He also wanted to know where to get them. I quick ran inside to ask The One That Knows (The Wife) and came out with a written answer for him...

This exchange then led to my first real concerned conversation about gas prices and the high price of food with folks (I believe) that don't know about The MinusCar Project.

There were some interesting bits of information. Apparently a local Citibank vice president rides the bus to work. Has been for four years. Does so not because of high gas prices...but "for the cause." This vice president was formally presented as an example to other Citibank employees.

Also, at another Citibank site folks have arranged a car pool system based on residence location. Like a bus service only organized and operated by peers. I've always known MinusCar leads to plus community.

The conversation evolved into talk of corn and floods and how we put our food into gas tanks.

The final bits of conversation, he said - "people need to slow down." "I agree."

...the roses are called Hope for Humanity. They are mine. I have them.

TM

Hopefully Terry McAuliffe's political career is over.

Cars v Cyclists

There's a point of impact photo on the internets of a car possibly with a drunk, sleeping or both driver plowing into a group of racing cyclists last weekend. It's a very graphic photo. I can't bring myself to put it here.

Ugh...

Meanwhile local police are searching for a driver that collided with a bicycle ridden by a 14-year-old girl at the I-229 & Minnesota Ave interchange. I learned last evening at the FAB board meeting that this press release was published 14 days after the incident.

Here's an interesting (to me) timeline...

5/15 - DJ Andy airs his complaint about a bicyclist at the I-229 & Cliff interchange. DJ Andy threatens cyclist with his 4,000lb vehicle and imagines shooting the errant cyclist with a bee bee gun.

5/19 - 14 year-old girl on bicycle gets struck 1 mile west of I-299 & Cliff at the I-229 & Minnesota interchange. Driver leaves the scene.

(logical fallacy alert - there is no evidence of a link between the first two items)

5/21 - I share drive time radio with a local police officer about riding bicycles on roadways and sidewalks. Officer fails to bring up 5/19 incident. With all due respect, opportunity missed. Sir.

Update 6:15pm - the more I think about this the more I hope the 14 year-old girl didn't report the incident until the day before the press release - which makes the timeline only partially less interesting.

6/2 - Local police issue press release seeking 40 year-old balding driver "wearing glass." Once we figure out what it looks like to wear glass it shouldn't be too hard to find the guy.

Press release says they seek a "silver Honda with South Dakota organizational plates similar to C2676." Apparently they need some SQL help too. Any geek boys out there want to put that SQL statement in comments?

Clearly there is more work to do in this town.

Next post - what my mom says I did wrong when I was on the air.

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