[Ansteorra] How times have changed.

[Burke McCrory]

Over the weekend I was filling my gas tank and thought how happy I 
was that I had found gas at $1.96 gallon.  I strikes me as being a 
sign of the times when we can be happy to find gas at about $2.00 a 
gallon.  Just last year at Gulf Wars I remember how disgruntled we 
were that gas was up over $1.70 a gallon and how it was going to hurt 
to fill our tanks.  Now after a spike to $3.00+ per gallon we are 
very happy to see gas settle to $2.00 a gallon.
	I thought about how it has changed my level of activity in the 
SCA.  These days, trips that I would have never given a second though 
about (events in Oklahoma) are given more consideration as to the 
costs.  Trips to other areas in the Kingdom have become a lot fewer 
because of the added cost of fuel.  It is not just the cost to go to 
say Stargate or Steppes,  it is also the significant increase in cost 
for everyday driving around town and to work.  My fuel budget is up 
50% in the last few years before SCA travel is included with no 
significant additional driving.  I use to travel about 24000 miles in 
a year (SCA included) last year a did about 14000 miles.  I sure goes 
to show how times have changed.

Burke