This morning my daughter left again for college. She's been home for six months, and now she'll be gone for six months (Thanksgiving and Christmas not included). I will miss her, but thanks to the wonderful modern technological world, we get to text and call . . . like a lot. And even face time, if we want, which I will not want because I tried it and I look terrible. She told me that when she's away at school, she reads my blog first thing every morning - which is now good motivation to write every day! Well, except weekends.
Anyway, the point of all this is not to lament the fact that my daughter abandoned me, but rather to tell you how much I dislike Oregon (northeastern Oregon, that is). I had to drive my daughter across the border (no green card or passport required) to meet up with her ride to school in Rexburg, Idaho. We had a lot of fun driving there (it was only about 45 minutes) so I was distracted by all the things that bother me about driving across the state line. However, after I dropped her off and headed back towards the beautiful state in which I live, little things began to really annoy me. Like the fact that the Taco Bell wasn't opened yet and I really had to go to the bathroom (I had a humongous Diet Coke - - Mayor Bloomberg would probably have me arrested). Like the fact that the sun was in my eyes all the way home. I know - - not really northeast Oregon's fault, but everything was annoying me so I blame it on them. Like the fact that the speed limit on the highway is only 55. Holy cow! Have you ever driven on a highway with nothing but flat boring fields surrounding you and trying not to drive as fast as you could to get away from it??!!! It's HARD! And then there are the drivers themselves, driving 55 mph on the two-lane highway - and I couldn't pass because the stupid sun was in my eyes!
To be fair to northeast Oregon, though, I must say that there is one thing (yes, one thing) that they have going for them. Gas prices. They are almost 20 cents less per gallon than we pay in my beautiful home state. Plus, they pump your gas for you. As a matter of fact, it is against the law for you to pump your own gas! I like to pump my own gas, but it was kind of nice to sit in my car while the attendant cleaned my windshield and gave me my receipt with a "Thank you, ma'am, have a nice Friday"!
So, I guess I won't totally write off northeast Oregon. As long as their gas prices stay down.
I don't know what Oregon is doing, but it seems to be working pretty well for them. The no pumping your gas thing took me off guard the first time I needed gas there. Any time I'd go back down from WA for some reason I made sure to fill up before I crossed the border. Western OR is gorgeous though. Oh, btw, there's also a gas station in Anacortes WA that is full serve.
ReplyDeleteYes, I love western Oregon too :) I love Portland, and I love Multnomah Falls - - gorgeous. But northeastern Oregon . . . well, I'd rather fly over it :)
DeleteOkay, that dumb Oregon gas pump thing bugs the heck out of me. Every single time we go through Oregon I'm afraid that Steve is going to be hauled into jail for getting out of the car. Sometimes he does it on purpose just to get them over to pump our gas faster. Yes, Oregon is absolutely beautiful but I really don't think you need a degree in "Gas Station Attendant" to pump your own gas
ReplyDeleteI don't know why they do that, but now I think I'll have to google and find out!!
Deleteawww i know you are missing your daughter--and i wish we had full service gas stations again!!
ReplyDeleteIt was really nice watching the gas station attendant clean all the bugs off my windshield :)
DeleteWhen I was a teenager, I used to love pulling up to the gas pumps and telling the attendant to "Charge $10 to my dad." Good times...
ReplyDeletethat is so funny, dana!
DeleteIt's funny how things can be so different according to regions. Where I live nobody's ever filled their own petrol- there are always people to do that for you.
ReplyDeleteand I bet you don't pay $4.09 a gallon!
DeleteNobody looks good on Facetime.
ReplyDeleteI can't drive 55. Like the song. I always go 5 over and sometimes 10. I watch for cops.
Nice that you get to talk to your daughter a lot while she is away.
facetime is the worst invention :(
Deleteand my daughter - - she's texting me as we speak!
Good to know ... I plan on visiting Oregon one day...
ReplyDeleteOregon is a lovely state. Seriously. Just don't get out of the car when you stop to get gas :)
DeleteI have never been to Oregon. It sounds like a cool place, maybe someday I'll get there.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to a lot of places :) Oregon, however, I've been to -- and it is really nice and you would probably like it!
DeleteMy friend had moved to Oregon, and she told me about not being allowed to pump your own gas. It sounds like that place is stuck in the 1950s or something.
ReplyDeleteIt was actually kind of nice :(
DeleteI always frighten the gas station attendants in Oregon by jumping out of my car when I pull up because I forget about the no self-service thing. And then I feel all weird just sitting there and letting someone do it for me and then I agonize over whether I should tip. That said, I like the pace of Oregon.
ReplyDeleteMy sister, who lives in California, said her husband always gets out just to see what the attendants will do :)
ReplyDeleteoh how I dream about the days when I didn't have to pump my gas, I really hate getting gas *,* Hope your daughter arrives safely and just think you have us to keep you company....ok I know not even close!!! wish it was :[
ReplyDeleteI know ?!?!??! when you do the face time wear silly glasses so it is on purpose you change your appearance just like it can't be a bad picture if everyone is making silly faces right keep it silly and you are golden!!! This is the part you think I am a genius LOL I'm kidding you can just say good idea LOL.
Genius idea!!!!!
DeleteI have never been to Oregon, but I hear it is beautiful! But the way you talk it sounds like driving through Kansas, boring. My hubby hates Kansas like you hate Oregon, I think it is because he got a ticket there. LOL, thanks for following me and totally following you back!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy sister lives in Kansas - I have to agree with your husband :). (Although I didn't get a ticket there!)
DeleteOn our annual spring trip to the Oregon coast, I plan my gas so that I do not have to pump any at all! My husband feels the opposite and will run us almost to empty in the hopes of making it back into the land of self service gas stations.
ReplyDeleteNever been, but the gas prices have piqued my interest. Also, the Mayor Bloomberg comment totally cracked me up in a laugh-out-loud kinda way.
ReplyDeletedoes not sound like my kind of place either because I like to drive faster than that ! ha ha
ReplyDeletewishing your daughter a happy start and a great college time !!
Oh man...I would love to find a gas station that pumped the gas for you. They don't even want you to come in to the office/store to pay here...they want you to use the prepay at the pumps. I would be willing to drive slow just to get to a gas station that wants to look after me.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteits such a nice & Awesum blog provide info
hope more people discover your blog because you really know what you’re talking about. Can’t wait to read more from you!
for more plz visit
free debt advice for debt settlement
First, I love that your daughter reads your blog first thing every morning. :) Second, all this talk of Oregon and my beloved Idaho is making me homesick.. :( And really, I think it is northeast Oregon's fault but I do like their no pump law, altho it seems like a silly law. We had one full service station in Idaho and I loved it and I wish there were more. :)
ReplyDeleteWe have some full service stations around here. I never go because the gas costs the same and I never know if I'm supposed to tip or something. I'm not against tipping, but it's awkward when I'm not sure of the rules. I just googled the reason why Oregon has the law and there's a list a mile long. Some of it makes sense and some of it doesn't. Odd is all I can say. BTW, I hope your daughter has a great year at college.
ReplyDelete