Gas

Well, this is what we have been dealing with in Atlanta for the last 5 days. Yes this is real time September 24, 2008. And no, I am not all caught up but getting closer.



ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Mohammed Hussain got 3,000 gallons of gas delivered to his Chevron station in suburban Atlanta on Saturday. By Sunday morning, all of the gas, priced at $4.39 per gallon for regular unleaded, was gone.
"We're dry. We've got no gas here," Hussain, the station's manager, said Monday morning.
He said he has "no idea" when the next shipment will come, even though he's been in constant contact with the local terminal.
"It could be days," he said. "Obviously, we're disappointed. We're being patient. That's all we can do."
Across metro Atlanta, drivers in one of the nation's largest commuter cities are running into the same thing: a lack of gas and no clear idea when the situation will get better. State and industry officials say they're working as fast as they can and are urging people not to panic.
Christina Wedge, a resident of the Atlanta suburb Decatur, said her tank was on empty Sunday. When she went to fill up, she passed six stations closed down before finally finding one with gas for nearly $5 a gallon. She got just enough to continue looking for a cheaper price. About a mile away, she found a station with long lines for gas around $4.29.
"I waited 30 minutes to get gas," she said. "It does concern me. I'm actually frustrated that the prices are so high."
Michael Lanfreschi, an iReporter from the suburb of Alpharetta, shared a similar story. He said he left work around noon to fill up his tank "when I started noticing all of the gas stations were empty."
"There was no gas to be found, then panic set in as I approached a gas station with a 40-car line," he said. "This is causing complete chaos. Why is this happening, and what actions are being taken to prevent this from happening again, and why did it happen in the first place?"
According to AAA, Atlanta's drivers are in for sticker shock when they do find a station with gasoline. The average price in metro Atlanta, as of Monday, for a gallon of regular unleaded was $4.02, nearly 30 cents higher than the national average of $3.74.

The gas supply has taken a major hit as refineries in the Houston area try to get back up to full capacity in the wake of Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, state and industry officials say. The Colonial Pipeline, which typically delivers 100 million gallons of gasoline, aviation fuel and other petroleum products throughout the southeastern United States, is not running at full capacity.
"Since the hurricanes both hit, we have been tapping the reserves of the stockpiles of the fuels that were made before the hurricanes hit, and we've been delivering those," said Steve Baker, a spokesman for the pipeline.
"That's caused us to operate at a reduced rate, less than we're capable of. So that's been part of the problem that we've faced, and we're trying to overcome."
Further complicating matters is that metro Atlanta has more stringent environmental requirements than other areas, meaning gas from other cities can't be brought in because it doesn't meet the city's smog requirements. The state is working with the state energy agency and the Environmental Protection Agency about getting a temporary waiver of that rule, said Bert Brantley, a spokesman for Gov. Sonny Perdue's office.
"I don't want anyone to think that's a panacea," he said.
But he added, "Anything that would help us get another truckload or two ... is going to help the situation."
Brantley said the state has already lifted some regulations allowing for drivers to work more hours to get fuel from the main terminal to stations and for heavier trucks to be allowed to carry larger loads than normal. The state is asking people who don't need to fill up their tanks to wait until later before doing so.
"There's somewhat of a shortage right now, but it certainly could get a lot worse if people were to panic and react in a way that would cause a run and drain what supply there is out there now," Brantley said. "That's why we're encouraging Georgians to conserve as much as possible."
The state would not offer a timeframe on when the situation might return to normal. Brantley, however, said the situation with Houston's refineries is getting better every day.
Jim Tudor, the president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores, which represents about 2,600 stores, praised the state for lifting some of the restrictions to allow for quicker delivery of fuel.
"We are working as fast as possible to try to get as many stations refilled," he said. "Having said that, we're still in catch-up mode."
That brings little relief to consumers.
iReporter Dustin Gatlin said he waited 45 minutes Sunday at an Atlanta QuikTrip before it shut down. He then waited for well over an hour at a different station.
"Yesterday, we were in line for about two hours and they actually had people [who worked for the gas station] out there directing traffic because there were people jumping in line, and they actually had to get people out there to watch," he said. CNN News



O.K. this is me. The Governor says things are supposed to greatly improve within the next 4-5 days and another person on the news said about a week. I hope so. Luckily I filled up a week and a half ago and I can usually go 3 weeks before I have to fill up again on my usual routine. So I should have another 1 1/2 weeks left before I will need gas. I am keeping my eyes open and will fill up sooner if the lines aren't long and the price is under $4.00. I have yet to pay over $4.00 a gallon on gas and I don't plan on starting now. I also heard that we are the 6th highest priced gas in the nation at an average of $4.04 a gallon for regular unleaded. The average is $3.74.

I just keep thinking that if this is what gas is going to be like after a few hurricanes what about the second coming? No gas=no food=not happy people. I need to really get on my food storage and beef it up some more. Jon and I beefed it up a little in May with a trip to Sam's Club (just to buy things for our food storage) and we went to the LDS cannery and canned a bunch. But with a family of 8 that is a lot of food/money/space. I guess I will keep adding to it a little each week.

Let the games begin!

The first 2 weeks of school I was glued to the TV watching the summer Olympics. I love the summer Olympics. I love TIVO too. I just set the TV to record all of the Olympics that was on NBC and I would watch it during the day and then Jon and I would watch it together in the evening usually the Olympics that was on the night before since that is when they show all the good stuff that people (or I)really care about (swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, track and field etc). I was always a day behind so for 2 weeks Jon and I didn't watch or listen to the news or radio so nothing would spoil it for us. Well, there was one bad thing about not watching the news. I didn't even know there were hurricanes brewing and coming our way. Thankfully, they all ended up going more west than they previously thought and missed Atlanta completely rain and all. Well even Georgia for that matter. I wish we could of gotten a few rain drops from them though. Oh well, I would rather be in a drought and have a home than in a hurricane and have plenty of water and no home. Anyway back to the Olympics. Below are my favorites from the Olympics. I also enjoyed the opening ceremony that was awesome. The closing was great too but I wasn't ready to see it end. The first few days after the Olympics ended I didn't know what to do with myself. All the kids in school but 1 and plenty of time to get my house work done. I guess I have no more excuses to catch up on this blog. Then I will be able to go on to the next projects. Oh they never end.

Carly Patterson

May and Walsh (beach Volleyball)

Michael Phelps

Dalhausser and Rogers (beach volleyball)

Clay (Decathlon)

Redeem team gets the gold

First Day of School

August 11, 2008 was the first day of school. It seems to me our school system is starting earlier and earlier every year. The reason we started a week earlier than previous years is because they added about 6 early release days (1/2 days). But it is nice to get out of school before Memorial Day. I am ready to send the kids back to school but am not ready for the homework and projects. Hopefully, I can get extra things done around the house besides the basic cleaning, cooking, laundry etc. The schools in metro Atlanta (Maybe it's the whole state not sure though) are backwards on who they send to school first. Any school that I have ever been to or have talk with other people about their schools where they live, have the high school start first then the middle school and the elementary school starts the latest. Well in the Atlanta area they have the elementary school start first at 7:50 am so my elementary kids have to wake up at 6:25 am and the girls catch the bus at 7:00 am and Connors bus comes at 7:15 am. It is still dark when they wake up and just starting to turn daylight when they walk to the bus stop. Then Brenton who just started middle school (6th grade is middle school in our city) starts at 8:35 am (same time as the high school). So he has to catch the bus at 7:45 am which works out perfect because I have to drive Talmage to PreK every day and his school starts at 8:00am. Yes, I have 5 kids in 4 different schools. The girls go to the elementary school. Connor goes to a different elementary school with a whole wing of the school dedicated to children with autism (lucky for us it is so close to our house the same distance from our elementary school but in a different direction). Brenton is in middle school and Talmage goes to a private GA lottery funded Pre K. One of the good things about having Jon's business office in our house is when the kids arrive home from school. I have to pick up Talmage at 2:30 pm and Connor comes off the bus between 2:30 and 2:35 pm and the girls get off the bus at 2:35 pm so Jon makes sure he is home by that time to help get kids off the bus. So far (5 weeks later) Jon hasn't been home in time to get the kids of the bus so I had to pick up Connor and then Talmage. The girls were walking home off the bus as I pulled into our driveway. Then Brenton comes home 1 hour and 20 minutes later. Which I try and have the girls done with there homework before he comes home.
Here are the traditional first day of school photos.

Kennedy starting 1st grade

Payton starting 3rd grade

Connor starting 5th grade

Talmage starting pre K

Brenton starting 6th grade

Good friends busy week!

The Thursday before school started Mike and Kelly Kempf and their kids came to visit for a few days. They were on their way back to Florida from being in Michigan for 2 weeks. Can I just say the 2 days they were here were my busiest all summer. I felt bad that I had so much going on. On Thursday, Kennedy and Connor had their Dr check ups at 10 am. Can you say procrastinator? Connor's birthday was the end of June and Kennedy was right on Aug. 2. I wanted to get it in before school started. Then at 12:00 pm Connor got to meet his teacher. We couldn't stay long because Jon had a meeting to be at at 1:00 pm. Luckily he was able to take Mike so we didn't feel like too much of looser hosts. I also scheduled an appointment to have Payton's haircut at 4:00 pm. Since this was the first time a professional cut her hair she was a little nervous so we went with my sister and some of her kids. Then that night I had a Pre K meeting at 7:00 pm and Jon had a Scout training meeting at 7:30 pm. Fridays schedule was a little bit better. Kennedy and Payton met their teachers at 10:30 am and then at 12:00 pm I had to have all the kids except Hayden at the dentist for their 6 month cleaning. We almost got out without any cavities but Connor had a little one. This will be the last time I schedule anything extra the last week before school starts. 5 kids meeting their teachers and last minute school shopping is plenty for the last week. Anyway, We were invited to a wedding reception later that night that we ended up skipping. Just I was going to go for a little while but totally forgot. We did invite Thomas and his family over for a b-b-q dinner. It felt like old times except no Weihls and we had tons more kids running around. The Kempf's had to check out on Saturday. We couldn't get together with them one last time on Saturday because my niece Olivia was getting baptized at 11:00 am. Most of our summer days and weekends are dead and we are trying to think of things to do. It would have been nice to spread some of the madness around. Oh well, life goes on. And no, I didn't take any pictures what a looser I am!!

Callaway Gardens

So the Tuesday before school started we went to Callaway Gardens. Callaway Gardens is just under 2 hours southwest of our house. We used some of our change money to buy a family year pass there since we usually go there every summer it will pay for itself in less than 2 visits. We just have to make sure we go back next summer before it expires. Callaway Gardens is a resort place on lots and lots of acres. They have hotels, cabins to stay in, restaurants, lots of trails to bike or hike, a beach on a man made lake, mini golfing, paddle boats, bird show, butterfly center, golf courses and much more. Of course some of the things you have to pay extra like the golf courses, blow up bouncers, water skiing. First off we headed over to the butterfly center. They had lots of butterflies of course and cool looking plants. I like the ones below best.

Payton

Hayden and Kennedy

Cool looking flower

They also have some parrots in the butter fly center.

Then we met up with my sister Christa and her family for some lunch. We brought our lunches and ate it at one of the picnic areas. We decided not to go to the birds of prey show. We went last year to the first show at 10 am and were roasting to death. The show is outside and there is no shade where the seats are. So since it was going to be a hot day we decided to head over to the beach. We had a great time just playing in the sand and cooling off in the lake.

Kennedy

Sonoma, Talmage, and Lincoln

Payton

Hayden, Jon, and Eliza

After about 3 hours we cleaned up and went to the circus. A college in Florida (I think Florida State) comes up every year and performs at Callaway Gardens all summer long. We have always wanted to go in the previous summers but never have been able to. The kids were amazed at all the acrobats. Then we had to travel home for kids to go to scouts and activity day girls. It was a fun day. There were other things we would have liked to do that day. Mom and Dad Hansen will be down there next month. They are rented a cabin for the weekend to celebrate there birthdays. So we are planning on spending a day when they are there.

Haircut, What haircut?

So just over a month ago I went to get my haircut. Last time I got my hair cut was a little over a year ago. The last time I purposely got my hair cut short (cut just above my shoulders so when my hair dried it was between my shoulders and chin. My hair was a little longer than when I got it cut a year ago. I went in the lady that I usually go to was with another customer so I went with another lady who was free. She shampooed and conditioned my hair. I love it when they wash my hair it feels so good. Then she combed out my hair and asked what I wanted done. I told her to cut it to my shoulders and layer it. Since English wasn't her first language I think she said that will be short. Anyway, when she was done you couldn't even tell unless you looked real hard that I even got a hair cut. Not that I want everyone to look at me and comment on my hair. I don't like that I am the one who likes to blend in with the crowd and do nothing to stand out. It is hard to tell how short you hair will be until the very end with all the layering they do. So when she said she was done I was a little shocked but not too much since my hair was still wet I thought it would curl up. Well it did curl up but not to between my chin and shoulders. It was more like at my shoulders or just below when it dried. When I got home my kids and Jon wouldn't have know I got a hair cut if I didn't tell them that is what I was going to do. So now my hair 1 1/2 months later is almost to where it was before I got my haircut. Talking to other people about my frustration, I guess it turns out this is pretty common. Jon thinks why cut it the exact length when they can leave it a little longer that is all the sooner you have to come back. I now know the other lady's name, Allison, who cut my hair a previously and did exactly what I wanted so I will be calling for an appointment next time which will be way sooner than a year. So that was a waste of $20.00 (and that was with a tip that I didn't really want to give her but she was right there looking at the credit card slip while I was signing and filling in the amounts. I wanted to give her a big fat $0 in the tip part. Oh well. At least the shampooing was nice. I wish I did a before and after picture.

First Timer

Well today I did it and it only took 33 years to do. Today, August 3, 2008 I bore my testimony for the first time in Sacrament meeting. I know, what took me so long (fear, not having anything to say, freeze up, look like a dork I could go on and on). I have born my testimony before but not in a testimony meeting. I would do it after a talk or lesson and things like that never getting up on my own. Well I have to say it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. All week long I have been having this really strong feeling that I needed to bear my testimony on Sunday. I wanted to be first so I wouldn't have that nervous feeling anymore. I ended up being third. I guess others had the same idea as me. Our ward has no problem filling up all the time with testimonies. No awkward silence in our ward. I am a planner and like to have things written down so I don't forget anything so going up there with no paper to glance at was very hard and probably a big reason why I just didn't do it before hand. I bore my testimony of Joseph Smith. Jon and I have been watching a series of Joseph Smiths life from birth to death on the BYU channel. We tivoed it and would watch it on Sundays after putting the kids down to bed. I realized how much I didn't know about his life and all that he did for the church. I've been to Palmyra, Kirtland, and Nauvoo, been taught the first vision since I was in Primary and a few other popular stories (the one where Joseph wouldn't drink the alcohol before having leg surgery), seen Legacy but that was basically the extent. After watching this series, I really grew to love Joseph Smith and those early saints even more. I can't imagine going through all they went through. Being run out of their homes several times being persecuted. Near the end of Joseph's life he knew he wouldn't live much longer. He gave his life for the saints in Nauvoo. He knew a big mob was coming to wipe out the saints in Nauvoo. He turned himself in along with 3 others (John Taylor, his brother and one other) because he knew the mob wouldn't hurt the saints in Nauvoo because they wanted him and figured if they killed him they would destroy the church. I am grateful he gave his life for the true church and that the early saints had enough faith to keep going even when the prophet died. One of my ancestors on my moms moms side lived in Nauvoo and was a pioneer. Who knows where I would be if Joseph hadn't turned himself in probably not with the parents I have today. Thanks Joseph Smith for being such a great example and having so much faith. Hopefully, it wont take me 33 more years to do it again.

Happy Birthday Kennedy

Kennedy had her 6th birthday on Aug 2. We were still at the hotel on her birthday. We were checking out that day and had to be out by 12:00 pm. So we decided to take advantage of it and invited Thomas and his family and mom and dad Hansen over for a swim in the pool and some cupcakes. We didn't invite my side of the family because that would just be too many people.

When we got home, Kennedy got to open her presents from us. Kennedy and Payton have been talking about American Girl Dolls for the past month. We got a catalog in the mail a few months back and they love to look at all the dolls. Lots of their friends have more than one of these dolls (I guess you can buy lots when you only have 2 kids like most the families that go to our school). Anyway, I basically sat her down and told her if she really wanted one for her birthday to let me know and also let her know that they are $90.00 and that that would be her only gift from us. She thought about it for a day and said she would like the doll for her birthday. I was hoping she would say that because that would make my birthday shopping a piece of cake. So Payton and I went down to the American Girl Boutique at our mall. I guess they only have about 4 locations and we are lucky (or maybe not so lucky since I think that may be why they are so popular with the girls around here) to have one about 10 miles from our house. Payton knew the 2 she really liked. The 2 she liked weren't the main girls but the friends of 2 of the main girls. So we decided on Nellie.

I ended up buying her one out fit too since it was on special. If you spend over $40.00 you get the summer time outfit for only $14.00. She also spent her birthday money on another outfit for her doll.

Then on Sunday we invited my family over to celebrate her birthday. Kennedy wanted a candy cake (a cake with candy on it) She wanted a rainbow on her cake. So her cake has a rainbow made of skittles and the cloud is of smarties.

Happy Birthday Kennedy!