Gasoline As Cheap As $1.97 In Texas -- June 9, 2019

Gasoline was as low as $2.15/gallon last night on my drive out to Texas Motor Speedway. GasBuddy has sites as low as $2.09 in Fort Worth, Texas. In the state of Texas, GasBuddy has gasoline going for as little as $1.97/gallon. Traveling cross-country, it seems that Oklahoma always has the least expensive gasoline. Today, GasBuddy, for Oklahoma, best prices: $2.08/gallon.

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A Note For The Granddaughters

My maternal grandparents were second generation Americans. Their parents immigrated to America from Germany. My mother's family settled and lived their entire lives in Iowa. It was a tough life, farming and then later, a good job with the local packing plant in/near Storm Lake, Iowa.

But however tough their life was, I doubt it could compare to the challenges of my paternal grandparents, first generation Americans, having emigrated from Norway when they were in their late teens/early twenties.

They raised sheep in the very dry and the very, very cold northwestern corner of South Dakota. Their first house was sod/tar paper/dirt floor. They eventually lived in a wood frame house with a real roof. They lived in that house, raised five children, two of whom went to college, and raised sheep to the very end. I was five when my paternal grandmother died. I barely remember. I was fortunate enough to travel with my dad and my grandfather back to Norway when I was in eighth grade.

Often I wish I had the opportunity to thank my paternal grandfather for all he did for us. I think he would be quite impressed how far his family has come.

I was thinking about that again today after "face-timing" with our two granddaughters who are sailing in the Aegean Sea with their dad for seven days.

By the time they return to Texas, they will have spent three days in Rome; three days in Athens; a week sailing on the open sea, sleeping at night in the boat; a short week in Paris where they will see the US women's soccer team play in the World Cup; and then a long week in London.

Arianna will be a junior next year. I am convinced that she is already planning a similar sailing trip with three or four friends some time during college. Olivia, who will be in eighth grade next year, went to Europe one year earlier (age-wise) than I did. My trip with my father and grandfather to Norway, East Germany, Berlin (west and east), and Paris, changed my life forever.

I think my grandfather would be quite amazed.

Two photos taken today from "FaceTime":

 Eighth grader, Olivia.

So Far Away (From Me), Dire Straits