I didn't fill the boat up (no sense carrying more than I need), but I put 15 gallons @ 4.19/gal (mid grade) for 62.85. Discover is running 5% back on fuel purchases so I will get a bit over 20 cents a gallon back.

It's getting worse. Yesterday's fillup was $54. GW filled her car at the same time. Neither car was empty and it still cost us $109 for regular unleaded at $4.23.9. Dang, this is starting to get to the point where it hurts.

Hey Mark, take your foot off the hose, will ya?

How do you think folks on fix income or very limited income are coping?

Like me for example.

It REALLY hurts.

Thank god I moved here when I did. Last year at this time I was driving a minimum of 80 miles a day with an average of 100. This year I drive a minimum of 3 miles a day with an average of 5.

Last year I went through 2.5 tanks a week,(20 gallon average fillup). This year a tank lasts 2 weeks.

D- guessing that you're really taking advantage of the campus buses?

And flipping off boaters riding by in big pick-ups at the bus stops?

LMAO. We definitely do not have that problem here. But KU never has been a BIG TRUCK or BIG SUV school. It's kind of weird because there very few trucks/suv's around campus. When I go home, it's odd seeing a bunch of trucks and SUV's. At any rate, there is talk at the City level of cutting city transit service. That's much different than the situation Waterdog is experiencing...

And nope, not using KU on Wheels for commuting to-from class. We only operate 2 summer routes, which do not serve the west Lawrence area where my apartment is. Infact, during Fall/Spring it doesn't serve this area due to funding!

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However, I am living ON CAMPUS (2 bedroom suite with living room- not the traditional dorm!) again next to eliminate this commuting crap. It's a good thing I got my app in when I did. Oncampus housing has a waiting list longer than it has EVERRR been. The school enrollment is not up either. Student don't want to drive, Period.

BTW, I happen to have a weird thought today. Do you think we will ever see $120 per barrel or less again? $100 or less? It was only in like 2006 that oil passed $60 a barrel...and I remember it being breaking news. Two years later and it's over 200% the price of what it was then. That's what you call having fun.....NOT!

Nope, cheaper oil is not on the horizon. The obnly way that oil will come down in price is: less consumption (yeah, right. it could happen...NOT), competition with other, viable and sustainable energy sources. So, bend over and grab you ankles and get ready to shout, ala Keven Bacon, "Thank you Sir! May I have another?!"

Which is why alternatives are a NOW NOW NOW thing....Can't wait a day longer. Throttle to the floorboard, NOS system running max capacity, and turbocharger at max boost on the alternative energy research/development bandwagon.

The problem is getting folk's attention. As long as oil is relatively cheap enough, people will not be open to exploring alternatives seriously. And by seriously, I mean putting money into developing an alternative to the point where it is commercially competitive with oil. That takes a LOT of money because oil is realtively simple to turn into fuel. Also there is a huge distrobution infrastructure to deliver it to the consumer. You won't catch me driving any kind of vehicle that doesn't have a ready infrastructure available to refill my fuel needs (in whatever form that may be) wherever I may drive to.

Oil is easy to transform into fuel?

I think I disagree. Lots of wasted energy in that process.

Yep. But now both sides want to place blame. Hey blame-gamers! That's not helping. Figure out what to do NOW, not THEN.

Drilling isn't the solution. Give it up already those on the right/red side. I'm not saying oil is going bye-bye, but drilling for more isn't going to be able to keep up. Period. Simple.

And to those nut-jobs who sit far far left. Use a little rational choice analyst before you open you're dam mouths. There's NOT a perfect solution so weigh benefits vs costs/damages a little. It might help your case, you dang [insert word of choice].

I've said my piece. Bye Bye!

It's easy because there's already a prescribed method and lots (perhaps not enough still) refineries to do their magic. So, plenty of supply.

In our part of the country...we have plenty of natural gas distribution and supply....

I'm not an electrical distribution dude, but it can't be overly difficult to expand that capability. After all the grid needs updated anyways. Why not spend a little more and built with enough capacity to reduce the demand on oil?

Oh wait. That would make too much sense....

Not arguing your point, but then that's just another resource that would be, IMO, short term. That solution would certainly would make some of my collegues happy as they have natural gas on their land.