For your Sunday afternoon entertainment…………………

I refuse to drive in Mexico. After living in Culiacan and in Guadalajara, I firmly believe that one must have a death wish to drive in those two cities where buses rule and pedestrians are merely targets begging to be run over. Signals? Amazing if the majority of vehicles even have brake lights. Bus drivers talk on their phones, text, smoke and eat tacos while driving. Yet I actually feel safer on a bus than in a taxi or a friend’s car. Go figure.

But here in the village of Leavenworth pedestrians rule and traffic laws are enforced. And I am quite comfortable driving down Highway 2 to neighboring towns. Of course that would necessitate adding fuel to the vehicle. And that’s wherein the problem lies.

Back in Canada, Domo was MY gas station. Their slogan was “We jump to the pump for you.” They pumped the gas, not me. And they washed your windows and even even brought you the requested chocolate bars and drinks. They also gave away premiums such as wine glasses. And they were conveniently located throughout the city. BTW, just look at what the price of gas used to be!!!

But here in Leavenworth self-serve predominates. And this princess doesn’t pump gas. So……….. I am teased mercilessly by Steve but I have him trained to be sure that there is always gas in the Explorer. He knows my threats are not idle when I state that I will leave the vehicle wherever it stalls if it runs out of gas.

But one other slight problem arose the other day. Actually it was the first time we encountered this situation. Steve just got a new truck so he parked the Explorer in the garage. He left for work before I left for my exercise class. My intent was to go grocery shopping that day so I was planning on taking the Explorer. I took one look at the closed garage door and headed for the bus. If I can’t push a button to open a garage door then the door stays closed. This princess is used to automatic garage door openers.

I expressed my frustration that night and chuckled when not only did he open the garage door, but he also backed the Explorer out onto the driveway. And yes, there was gas in the vehicle. I went to my exercise class, had lunch at the senior center and then went grocery shopping. The Explorer is now resting in the garage.

But I am extremely proud of myself as I have now mastered the art of opening this garage door entirely on my own. While it is annoying that as I push it up it tries to come back down, I can get it up high enough to just clear the roof rack. Being 4’11” does have its challenges.

But I still refuse to pump gas!!!!!!!!!!!