Winter Survival Tip

Yes, it is a little bit early for a winter survival tip, but man did fall blow in yesterday. Two days ago was pretty beautiful, and yesterday and today rivaled something more out of Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. Fall is definitely here, and winter can't be particularly far around the corner. This isn't pertinent to my one regular reader from Arizona, John, but winter is part of Michigan and we have to learn to love (or at least deal with) all that winter brings.

Which is why today I bring to you a fantastic winter survival tip that I stole from my guy that I saw today. By the way, thank you that guy. You have already improved my life.

One thing that I found really bugging me last fall and winter is those gas stations that remove the lever thingy from their pumps that lock the handle in "keep pumping" mode. Why would they do such a terrible thing? Because the pumps can't stay on automatically, you have to stand there with your hand out in the freezing cold holding that lever with the cold and wind blowing through you right to your bones. Wearing a glove isn't a particularly good option because then your glove has to touch the disgusting handle and you don't want to have to do that with your gloves. It's easier to wash your hands than your gloves, so you and I are stuck out standing next to our cars staring at the gallon meter wondering why the owner of the gas stations hates us so very much. I hate you too gas station owner. Who is this benefiting?

Yesterday when I stopped by my favorite gas station on Woodward between Catalpa and 12 Mile with the wind and rain driving hard, I already started to hate the prospect of pumping gas for an entire winter with my poor hand freezing pump-by-pump. It's only a few minutes a week for a few months of the year, but it's something I have grown to reasonably dread. I popped out of my car ready to inaugurate my hand to another winter, and the guy in the car in front of me was doing something so brilliant, so thoughtful, he must surely be a relative of Rod Allen, color commentator of the Detroit Tigers. He had taken his gas cap and placed it between the gas pump handle and the handle casing, thus forcing the handle into the perma-on position. Freaking brilliant! I gave it a go with my car and the gas cap fit absolutely perfectly for me. I then stuck my hands in my pants with glee and ran over to the man to give him a hug. That hug attempt didn't work out so well (maybe it had something to do with my hands in my pants), but even just reflecting on this revelation right now makes me a happier person. Even if you have one of those tether gas caps (as I do), the tether is long enough for this brilliant use of the gas cap. If you drive one of those gas cap-less Fords you are screwed, but for the rest of us, your life is now officially better. Us 1, Winter 0.