How many times have YOU run out of gas in a Prius?

We've done it 4 times now. That's right, the car that is getting us an average of 49miles per gallon has run out of gas 4 times.
I really can't blame it at all. With the "it can go another day on E" attitude, it's not hard to do.
Let me also say, I'm not a dumbass. I've never run out of gas in any other car in the 15 years I've been driving. Even my husband ran out of gas in the car! Is it just us?

So for those of you with a Prius (or those on the 4mo waiting list for one) who just want to know what happens when you run out of gas. OR for those of you who's friend just called and asked you to google what to do in this case, here are my helpful hints!

1. Fill up the car, it's a Prius, not a flying carpet.
2. Once you get down to "one bar" it will beep to alert you that it's already past time to fill up...FILL UP.
3. After a while on the one blinking bar it will beep really loud (like a slap on the hand, or on the head in frustration, because it warned you!!!) the exclamation point will light up and you are seconds away from coasting in.
4. Make it to the nearest gas station, and FILL UP. But wait, that isn't it. It takes a few tricks. Actually insert the key in the car (Prius owners with SmartKey know this is a crazy thing to ask, since they've prolly never actually inserted the key) Sometimes you need to wait 10min or so to let the battery rest. Sometimes pumping the brake pedal helps. It will leave the warnings on the screen for a day or so, hoping to burn the image into your brain, so you'll be more vigilant about FILLING UP.
   
5. If you can't coast in to a gas station, put the car in "N" and push. Then follow instructions in #4.

Have YOU run out of gas? Let us hear YOUR story. What tricks did you do to get the car to start?

Gringos

No, not what Mexicans call white people.
The restaurant that started in Pearland. (also in Sugarland, South Houston, LaPorte, Fuqua/I-45, Texas City, Champions, and San Antonio)
They have a green sauce that is to die for. I've tried for years to recreate it. Friends have tried to recreate it. I googled it and got nothing. From what I've read there are 2 type of green sauce, avocado and green tomatillos. I'm pretty sure it has avocado because of how thick it is. It may also have tomatillos.
Has anyone had luck recreating this sauce, or anyone worked there and seen it made?

Charlotte's First Easter

Three weeks old and just over the top cute. She smiled for the first time on Saturday for her Daddy.

Harris County Toll Road (un)Authority

Yesterday in the mail there was a letter from Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP wanting to collect $157.50 for Harris County Toll Road. Come to find out you can't use your ez tag in a rental car. I was told that if you total your car and end up in a rental for a week, you have to get a whole new ez tag for the rental car, then another new one when you buy a new car. Stupid, right? But if that's the rule, then that just means I didn't read the fine print when I signed up, my fault.
What isn't my fault is that HCTRA failed to contact me regarding the $6 that I owed them...2 years ago.
They waited 2 years and then I get a letter from collections. As far as I know, that's against the law.
Now if it were just me, I'd prolly just pass it off as a mistake. It's not just me. In early January the mailman delivered a stack of 28 letters to my boss from HCTRA. It's my job to open the mail. Each of them were from the same firm and they were collection letters. I open the mail everyday at work and I would have noticed the two times they say they already contacted him. It's pretty hard to miss 28 letters.

If you have also received a letter from collections and not a single thing from the toll road, please let me know. I have the 11News Defenders working on this, we just need to find others who have dealt or are dealing with this.

Breast Strong

For those of you who watch The Colbert Report will know what "wrist strong" is. Well I'd like to tell you about my new discovery which I'm calling "breast strong".

The are Milk Bands, a great way to keep up with what breast you used last and what time you fed last. I bought one on ebay for about $6 and that includes shipping. It's a great gift for someone pregnant, especially if you are like me and enjoy bringing something a little different and kinda hip!

Oh and yeah, I'm past my due date...sigh...

The Pregnant Hypocrite

I stand (type) before you a Pregnant Hypocrite.


No induction.
It's one of the reasons I chose a birthing center.
No induction before I'm 42wks.
I'm gonna stick it out.
Well maybe when I'm staring 42wks in the face.
I'm in no hurry, just longer that I get to sleep in on the weekends.
Well, maybe some black/blue cohosh after 41wks. But no membrane stripping.
When people ask how I feel, my answer is "too good", so I can't complain.
Or maybe after 40wks.
Well I was up for 3 hours with pretty strong contractions last night, thought "this is it". Just to have it end abruptly.
Maybe right on my due date.
As long as my Bishop's Score is good. If it looks safe.
Maybe some stripping of membranes if the cohosh doesn't work.


So Monday my plan is to get checked and take a look at my Bishop's Score and then decide on the black/blue cohosh. If I take them, and they don't work then maybe I'll get my membranes stripped on Tuesday.

What has happened to me? Am I that anxious for pain, and no sleep and sore nipples? Yes.

*sigh*

Oh how I hate thee, John McCain

Let me count the ways...

Growing up we were taught never to use the word "hate". You could strongly dislike someone, but we didn't hate.

Well, I HATE McCain.

Ann Coulter said
" -- He excoriated Samuel Alito as too "conservative."

-- He promoted amnesty for 20 million illegal immigrants.

-- He abridged citizens' free speech (in favor of the media) with McCain-Feingold.

-- He hysterically opposes waterboarding terrorists and wants to shut down Guantanamo.

-- He denounced the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

-- He opposes ANWR and supports the global warming cult, even posturing with fellow mountebank Arnold Schwarzenegger in front of solar panels."

"If Hillary is elected president, we'll have a four-year disaster, with Republicans ferociously opposing her, followed by Republicans zooming back into power, as we did in 1980 and 1994, and 2000. (I also predict more Oval Office incidents with female interns.)

If McCain is elected president, we'll have a four-year disaster, with the Republicans in Congress co-opted by "our" president, followed by 30 years of Democratic rule."


and I have to say that I totally agree.

Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.

Plus his face looks so dry, I'm afraid it's gonna fall off.