Did you know there is a gas shortage in North Carolina?

It has been a week that we havn't been able to put gas in our tank! it is friday and we are on empty, as a lot of Charloteans, very frustrated and wondering what the heck is going on. We have heard all the escuses possible: mother nature, media, more mother nature, ....?but no one elseoutside the Carolinas seems to go through this! Gas stations are empty and when they do get a delivery it is only half the normal fill.So today I decided I had to find gas one way or another.

Finally! after standing in lines from 9:15am to 12:37 pm I was able to fill the Saturn's gas tank! I saw on the news this morning were gas was available so I get ready, square up my shoulders and prepare to do the American thing:...stand in line...no! not for Macy's white sale. no! not for your favorite Rock concert at the Pavilion and definitely not for a ball game ! but for somethings as mundane and as frivolous as pumping gas so we could get to church Sunday and go to work Monday morning.....(Oh Ya...did I mention my two men in the house slept through the whole thing?.....Christmas IS around the corner..)
....SO I drive by two gas stations with mile long lines and no-one pumping and I arrive at the stated station on the news. They are pumping and the line snakes around the Wall-mart parking lot for a mile there too so I line myself up behind the other folks. Some try to cut in.....lynching comes to mind...but i stay calm and hold my ground. Finally after a full hour (not too bad considering) comes my turn at the pump. I get my debit card out and untwist the gas cap and I hear some acclamation from the rank of pumps and soon an attendant comes with plastic bags to cover the pumps...."we've just ran out!".
Now what?...I am on red.......grrrr...so I inch my way further down the road and pass another empty station and the next one has a mile long line but is pumping. 2 lines.....which means each line uses only 2 pumps at the time. SO I line up and cut off gas now and then and inch my way closer to yet another pump...The line snakes down 2 roads then in the shopping center then behind the Windy's. Even though it is pouring down rain, I open my windows. The smell of just grilled burgers tease my nostrils as i am thinking I left only with a yogurt in my stomach 3 hours ago, I need to pee and I am starting to have low blood sugar......another couple folks cut in line...grrrr...(where is the tar and feathers?)...one guy behind me gets out of his car and jogs to where we can't see back to the station I suppose, and then jogs back to let his companion get a relief....that would be nice......than he jogs back with an umbrella and later I realise he was directing traffic so everyone could advance in a fair manner. Nice guy!....Did I mention we stayed in one spot long enough for our tires to start to decompose? Finally we are moving again and soon it is my turn to the pump.....please don't run out before I get some......I feel like the guy on Sesame Street , crawling in the desert near cattle skeletons remains who stretches his arm as he whispers "agua" and then the words flash on the screen in neon (not correct spelling i know). No neon in the sky here but i do get to pump my 11 gallons of gas (I was running on fumes and a prayer I think.)....then....yep! you guessed it. I park the car, run into Windy's and order a drink and 2 (yes 2) cheese burgers. what?! you say, she is taking one back to the guys back home?...the thought did cross my mind...but naw......they can fend for themselves. I earned these......and I take my time...with the car turned off of course....yum....that was good. well it is 12:45pm.....Time to go home and do what needs to be done next...what ever that is.......September 26 2008