A REPORT FROM WOLVERINE

Michael Sez: I got this report from Wolverine up in Michigan last night. It might be telling you the wave of the future. Also, Kaiservontexas said the Zombies looted and burned a Walmart store just West of Houston this weekend. If stuff like this does not let you know that people will take your ass to the cleaners or to the grave then you are just not paying very good attention.



I loaded up with gas in Toledo at lunch so I could hit the road early. I got home and packed the truck for the trip and decided that I needed a nap before I left. I was tired and I knew the five hour trip would make me sleepy as hell. The dogs had awoken me at 0300 and I never got back to sleep.

I finally hit the road a little before 1530. I knew that would put me passed A2 before rush hour and into Lansing just after rush hour, or so I thought. Thirty minutes out of Lansing my son called to tell me that gas lines had formed and shortages were broadcast on the radio and TV. As I exited the e-way I saw my first line up. Gas station had a half mile or better lineup to get gas at pumps. It was stacked up from both directions and it looked like gridlock in the station. I didn’t notice the price, too much traffic to watch.

I dropped the stuff off for my son at Michigan State and headed out of town. Every station I passed had a line up for gas. Prices were $4.09 to $4.29. The radio “gas watch” reported stations in down state and particularly Jackson had gas at over $5 and one station at $6.10! As I drove north on 127 every station I could see from the e-way had a line up of cars. Some only had six or eight waiting, other many more.

I kept watching my gauge and decided I would get gas at an out of the way station I knew about in Alma. I pulled in and was number five in line. Gas was $4.09. I topped off knowing I could get to J’s cabin and probably home from there.

J did not have a radio on and had arrived north before the news broke. I told him about the panic buying and he decided to run into town and top off. I had topped off again when I got to the cabin exit and guaranteed I would be able to get home.

The cheap stations, those at $3.99 had lines for gas. The $4.09 and up stations had no line. J filled up at Wal-mart for $3.99. It was far enough from the e-way that no one was there.

Being in the woods we didn’t get any news on the situation all weekend. I don’t know what happened to cause the panic but did hear that the governor was supposed to talk on the radio at 1800 but I lost that station before that happened.

Coming home prices are still up above $4.09 but there were no lines and no panic buying going on. I didn’t see any stations closed with signs saying out of gas either. Looks like the panic is over but it was a very good taste of what we will be seeing in the future. Helped me resolve to finish my gas can recycling ASAP and make sure I am ready for that day when there is no station to get gas from.

Wolverine