This is the first time in my driving career that I actually feel it is necessary to think about where I am going. The best car for gasoline that I had was a little ’92 Geo Metro Convertible. It took at the most $20 to fill ($8 in the US) and I could drive a good two weeks or more. And that was when I was going to University so I was making two or three trips from the West End of Ottawa to Downtown. It was great. Oh yes, there were the two years I drove a motorcycle all summer. And well that was only what $6 to fill? I don’t even remember how long I used to go without filling it up. But, I also drove around a lot more than I would have in a car. Now with my Nissan, which I love by the way, it took $67 of gas last week! I couldn’t believe it. It was a big enough shock when I went from $20 to $40 to fill a car. But, $67, give me a big huge break!

I actually think twice about going out now. That is pretty sad. I save my car trips for the days when I have lots to do. Otherwise, I try to get out on foot. My husband and I even walked for groceries on the weekend. Not something I could do if it was a big weekly order. At least not without a wagon in tow. Only so much fits in the bottom of a stroller. The thing that concerns me is that winter is coming and that is when I feel like I have to get out more often.

I do realize that oil production is down in the US, but don’t we get our oil from Alberta? I thought that Petro Canada did all the oil and gas production on Canadian soil. Hence, the “Canada” in their title. So why is it, that before it was even known that there may possibly be a shortage in the US, our gas hiked up? Here I go with questions again, why do we normally pay twice as much for gas as they do in the States? Why does the Canadian Government continue to say there is no price gouging or that there is nothing they can do? Ahh, if only we had the answers to all of these things, we would be back to paying $0 .45 per litre. In the meantime, I will continue to try to conserve. And perhaps we will be owners of hybrid or electric cars in the near future. We have already been considering a Smart car for my husband to drive to work. I shudder to mention the $98 it cost to fill up his van!!!

Yikes, think we will be walking today!

… I was getting ready to go to grade 10! Every fall, I get the old nastalgia feeling for school. I hated highschool when I was there, but every year since I have missed it (during the fall). For a brief period of time, it was replaced by University, but it really wasn’t the same.

My next door neighbours have two kids going into highschool this year. I was a little jealous of them. They were getting all their clothes ready, picking out what they would wear that first day!

For my first day of grade 10, I wore my purple “Jam” shorts (true surfer shorts, and that was long before I ever surfed) with a purple “Polo” shirt, a white “hoodie” sweatshirt over top and my white keds. Crazy that I remember eh? Ya, grade 10 was a great year! I always met my girlfriend, Natasha, halfway and walked the rest of the way with her. “This year is going to be great!” we would both say as we walked along Woodroffe Avenue. On our way to Confederation High School. Confed, as we called it, is closed now. It closed a few years ago and is now Yisak Rabin Jewish High School.

The best part of the first day of school was seeing all your friends that you didn’t get to see all summer. Even today, I miss some of those friends. Some I have been in touch with and a few I cannot find, no matter how hard I try.

One friend sticks in my mind, Graham Sharpe. I have tried over the years to find him, but every time I get close it ends up in a dead end. Little did we know that this would be our last year of school together. Graham headed off to Germany in June after grade 10 as his Dad was transferred. The last time I saw him was when he returned in 1990…WOW! That was a long time ago!! He was one of my best friends back then, and I would love nothing better than to say hi.

This past weekend our street had a party, and it was really funny to find out that we had a few neighbours that we went to high school week. Perhaps that is what makes me more nastalgic this year. My husband and I went to high school together, but funny enough we didn’t hang out together. He was more of a metal head/rocker type and I was more of a preppie/cheerleading type. We did know each other because of mutual friends, but did not start dating until much later, well, 10 years ago actually! It is kinda funny too that so many people remember him for his parties and playing guitar. When I tell people from school who I am married to, they always say “oh yeah, I went to his parties, they were great, they got busted”. Of all the parties I went to, none were his. We went to the same highschool, but a different one at the same time.

I guess I should have called this an Ode to Highschool. In a few weeks the longing to walk the locker lined halls will pass and I will be thankful that I don’t have to write any tests. But, I will always be thankful for the friends I met and the times I had. Highschool was great, not the best years of my life, but some of them. I would love to go back to the first day of school, just once… but everyone I want to see must be there too 🙂

Happy First Day of School Kids, Enjoy!