Expensive Habit

The location of my not-so-new-anymore job is right at the edge of suburbia. Far enough that, as I drive home on the highway, I pass a service centre. Everyone knows that service centres exist for people who have poor gas management skills, who are in far too much of a hurry to get their vacation started, or who are too timid to venture off the highway even for a few kilometres to look for a normal gas station. In short, we all know that these places will gouge you silly.

I've been working for about two months now, and I've noticed that every day on my way home, there is a dark green van filling up at the exact same pump at the service centre. First of all, it surprises me greatly that there are people who really use it. If they had just gotten off the highway at the previous exit 500 meters behind them, they would have been staring at a gas station (and it's even the same company). But that van puzzles me the most. Do they really need gas that badly? Are they really that unwilling to fully exit the highway to find a normal gas station? Do they have extra money to burn? Could they give some of that money to me and I'll go get some cheaper gas for them?

I looked over at the station today as I passed and was initially shocked that the pump was vanless (my little story would be ruined!). But then I saw it parked at another pump. I guess even creatures of habit need a little variety.

Before I close off, I wonder how many of you noticed the gigantic photo of the craziest looking condominium on the front page of the Toronto Star today? Well, that thing is going to be my new neighbour. For the record, I'd like to say that I didn't vote for it. I went with the most normal-looking design that would have matched the first three towers. Yeah, it's kind of typical, but it was the one I was the most willing to stare at every day. I have to admit, the "Marilyn" is slightly better than four of the other five designs that were being considered (I would have been pretty peeved if the "Spiderweb" or the "Jenga" buildings had won), and I'm slowly getting used to it. I am extremely curious to see what the floorplans will look like.

"Save your strength, save your wasted time, there's no way that I want you to be left behind"