Carded

[altivo]

No, I don't mean asked for ID. I mean preparing wool for spinning, which was what I did in a class this morning in Wisconsin. Although I'm not entirely sure it was worth the price I paid, it was a good presentation with LOTS of hands on experiments and practice. We were encouraged to try things as many different ways as we could think of during the last hour or so, and I have a sack full of mixed color batts and mixtures such as Coopworth with soy silk or mohair locks to try spinning up now and see how they turn out.

Driving up and back was not so much fun, really. I must be getting old, eh? Well, I've never been fond of driving, but coming back was really unpleasant with glaring sun and excessively heavy traffic slowdowns in small rural towns. Seems like everyone is having an end-of-summer festival of some sort. Or else a high school football game, perhaps. I did not pass any apple orchards, which is too bad because I do stop for those.

Tire pressure warning light went on en route and I thought I'd fill up with gas and air but the station I tried had an air compressor that wanted four quarters inserted before it would run. That's ridiculous, especially with gasoline the price that it has been. Stations around home still have free air, and consequently, the Wisconsin pirates sold me neither gasoline nor air. I topped up the tires when I got home and will buy local fuel in the morning.

Have to repeat this trip tomorrow for another class. Will think twice about doing that again next year, though. Once a year is enough.

Intended to do the grocery shopping normally set for Saturday when I got back today, but didn't get enough sleep last night apparently and once Tess was put out to eat her daily quota of grass I had to take a nap. Got groceries after dinner instead. Now I need to load the spinning wheel and tools into the car for tomorrow's trip, in case it's raining in the morning as predicted.

Comments

[schnee]

the station I tried had an air compressor that wanted four quarters inserted before it would run.

That is ridiculous, yeah. Another friend of mine over on LJ just mentioned the same thing – air not being free and requiring you to put in quarters instead –, and I said the same thing there. Over here, I've never seen or even heard of any gas station trying that; air is always free.

[altivo]

Yes, I agree. However, it appears that stations in Wisconsin do not. I watched after that and every filling station I passed that had a visible air hose was equipped in the same manner, with the same device. While I understand that an air compressor must be maintained and that there is a certain amount of overhead attached to keeping it available, it simply can't be enough to justify this practice. Obviously it's a case of "Everyone else is doing it, so why should I be the only one who doesn't profit from it?" At a dollar for every use, it certainly must be making a profit.

Oddly enough, other retailers still offer "customer conveniences" but the gas and oil business has grown into one that tries to take a nickel for everything. Where they used to not only fill your tank for you, but also clean your windows, check your oil, and check your tire pressure or battery on request, now they want money even for air and water. I suppose next they'll be charging for the use of the window washing sponge, even though you have to do it yourself these days.

[schnee]

Probably, yeah.

Strangely enough, you'd think that this'd present a business opportunity, too — distinguish your own gas station by offering better service, and people will come there instead. You may not get the quarter others charge for air, but you're gonna get 20 or 50 bucks when someone also decides to fill up instead.