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this is about the worst day i have had in some time. we here in minnesota are in the midst of a suffocating heat wave. temps, even in duluth, where there is almost always a cool breeze off lake superior, have been sitting close to 100 with humidity to match. i had to make an overnight trip to the minneapolis area, and boy, it was bad bad bad. i started with my gauge reading about 62mpg, and by the time the return trip was over it was sitting at about 56. i decided to give up the tank and fill the car, and the final result was about 52 mpg, really not up to what i am used to.

i really found myself having a hard time using the techniques i usually use. the wind was awful, and there was no way not to use the air conditioning. i finally even gave up using autostop, since the car immediately began to heat up inside.

i was passed all the way home by the typical saturday traffic....large vehicles pulling huge toys.......and they sure do like to go fast. i had one guy riding my butt who just wouldn't move until i finally slowed down to about 40 mph. there was no reason for him to be there, with an empty lane on the left.

i ended coming home very hot and angry and wondering why nobody else seems to care. our gas prices are at about $3, and nobody appears to have changed a thing. why i should i bust my butt to try and maintain what i do, when the rest of the populace is so blind to what is going on.....i feel like there's a huge hammer waiting to fall as far as our way of life........

maybe it's just the very low mood i have fallen into since my knee surgery, which is known to cause depression since the recovery takes to long. it didn't help that every time i stepped on the clutch it reminded me of the knee.......i must be in the mood for a pity party, but the whole day left me wondering why i even bother.....

I think I posted my favorite saying from one of those despair calanders "No one drop thinks it is responsible for the flood". What you do does mater.

It's fine to question why you do it. We all do when things are tough. I think all of us have had to use the a/c occasionaly. I know what you are going through it was 95+ here in chicago and it is expected to go higher monday and tuesday.

Do what you can. Sometimes you can't do everything and sometimes it hurts when you are suffering and you know the guy next to you could care less about what you are doing.

:) Hi Laurie, :)

Here is a message from your Buddy in TN.

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
Terry

I never thought I would be saying this, but yall should move south east to the cooler weather. It was 85 in Pitt today. Humid, but not unbearable.

Heh. Laurie, it sounds like we're having the same kind of weekend. Hot weather is nasty stuff, and it seems to turn everyone nasty with it. As for why we should keep up with our drive for fuel economy, I look at it as a "last man standing" kind of thing. Some are going to be able to cope with higher fuel costs, some are not. And if our current situation is any indicator, the pinch is going to get even tighter before it lets up, if it ever lets up.

Not only that, but we are all here to set an example. We don't simply say "Get rid of your SUV and buy a hybrid!" Instead, we say "See that car in your driveway? You can reduce the pain when you fill it up, and here's how." Then we walk outside, start the car, and work our butts off. That's key, because without walking the line our encouragement is meaningless. Otherwise it would be like telling a fat kid to shape up and then stuffing our own faces with cake.

:) Hi Laurie, :)

Here is a message from your Buddy in TN.

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
Terry


thanks, terry, ya made me smile.......now maybe i will have the nerve to update my sig with my horrible mileage hit.......

thanks, terry, ya made me smile.......now maybe i will have the nerve to update my sig with my horrible mileage hit.......

Hey Laurie,

Every day is not a {Home-Run}. ;)

Terry :)

think of it this way, our lifetimempg will be higher than anyone who takes interests at the very end of our oil consumption cycle. So either or, the sooner you take action, the less of the blow it will hit us in the end.

I hope that made sense.

Laurie don't feel too bad I had the same ride today.
100% Humidity, stormy, gusty headwind and the fuel just didn't want to burn right.

Despite going a little slower I still came short of my MPG goal today. Looks like I might miss my tank goal in the end because of this :(

Wow, it was as hot as Dallas today! :eek:

Today was a bummer for me as I need the A/C more. With 400 miles on the trip, mpg dipped from 74.9 to 73.7. :(

The sandwich in my glove compartment turned into "grilled tuna cheese".

The only consolation is other drivers took an FE hit - probably worse.

I sure hope the weather is not this hot at HybridFest next weekend...

current forcast is for 75F

Don't give up Laurie.:) :) :) Today in Northern In the temp was reading around 95 in the shade. The family and I went to some friends' house for a pool party:) and I was only able to get 48.9 for the round trip. The trip was right around 25 miles. My temporary ride's A/C isn't working and we had to have all of the windows down which really seemed to increase the drag. You may have lost the battle for the day but, compared to eveyone else, you are still winning the war. :D :D

footnote to the whole mess....

i think my car was apologzing to me this morning. when i pulled into the lot at work, my gauge readout was 66.9MPG.....tailwind, and i was too tired to drive more than 55 must have helped :)

It's been over 100F in Dallas the past several days...and it does not get below 80F at night (ie. heat advisory :eek: )

Thought leaving a tuna cheese sandwich in the glove compartment was safe. Two hours later, it was turned into a grilled cheese sandwich - actually tasted good. :D

I'm glad you're feeling a bit better Laurie. After all it's another day or as we say here at the office "another chance to excel" :rolleyes:

It's going to be in the 90's this week here in L.A. and going to be quite a challenge for me to stay off the a/c.

Thought leaving a tuna cheese sandwich in the glove compartment was safe. Two hours later, it was turned into a grilled cheese sandwich - actually tasted good.

Uh Chuck ... tuna+cheese+hot glovebox+2hrs < safe

Let's say my Insight has a solar heater. :D