There I was, driving along the street with half a tank of gas still in my car, innocent, unsuspecting, calm, sleepy even. And then HOLY CRAP! A Chevron station on my left displayed that its premium gasoline is currently being sold at $3.37 a gallon! $3.37! A gallon! 91 grade! Chevron! My last fill-up was $3.49 a gallon at Mobil. I immediately pulled into the left turn lane and waited at the red light to turn into this gas station. I spent $28 on my half-tank and merrily went on my way.

For the next 3 miles as I drove to James’s house (to pick up stuff to mail to Jordan), I kept freaking out looking at other gas stations’ posted prices. “Oh my GAWD!! Arco’s premium gas is $3.35! I just paid more than that when I didn’t even need gas!” (Buyer’s remorse.)
James, who was on the phone with me and kept getting all his sentences interrupted with my exclamations like this, said, “Okay, but do you really want Arco gas?” True. I moved on. He started saying something about work or his car or something, I wasn’t listening, because, “DUDE!!! The Mobil station HERE is $3.25!!! WHAT the HELL!!”
James paused and said, “$3.25? Really? For premium grade?”
I looked again. “Oh, nevermind. It’s 87 gas. Whew! So what’s your gateway entry code again?”
Before James could even tell me, this shot out of my mouth: “The Chevron HERE has premium gas at $3.45! Premium! Chevron!”
James said, with saintlike patience, “But you got it for less than that, didn’t you? Yeah, you paid $3.37, right?”
“Did I? Oh yeah, I did! Oh, okay then.”
*pause*
James said, “You know you’re getting all worked up over 10 cents, right? You only saved like a dime!”

Argh. What has the rip-off gasoline industry DONE to me?!