Have I told you about the time that my favorite convenience store betrayed me in the worst kind of way? Sit down with a cup of tea, or maybe a Dallas Blond Ale, and let me unfold the story of how Buc-ee’s became a traitor of my heart. It’s true. We got bad gas at Buc-ee’s.
A convenience store the size of Texas
On Monday of last week, we had a nail in one of our Explorer tires so it was slowly leaking air. We took it down to Discount Tires and had them fix us up – and across the way was the golden moon: the smiling beaver in the sky. Buc-ee’s. A glorious sight indeed, with its rows and rows of available gas pumps beckoning to us. We filled the gas tank, grabbed a coffee, and headed home.
The next morning, DFW awaited Jeremiah’s arrival; I dropped him off at his physical therapy appointment before he made his flight to Portland, Oregon. While he wined and dined some of his cohorts, I watched as lightning lit up our motorhome through the skylight in our shower. Rain, hail, and thunder tucked Bernie and me into our bed as we lied there, trying to sleep.
Wednesday came and went. Thursday arrived, along with the undeniable need to go grocery shopping if I were to survive off something other than ramen noodles and soylent. (For those of you wondering, it’s not soylent green and yes, has an obviously horrible name. But have you tasted it?! It is equally as gross tasting as its name implies.)
Buc-ee’s: The Traitor
With Bernadette sitting in the front and navigation on my phone, we started the car. Nope. The Exploder would not start. I was angry. After texting with Jeremiah back and forth, I made some arrangements. With an auto mechanic on board, I called our RV-vehicle insurance and was passed around to three different people just to find out they wouldn’t cover the towing of the vehicle. So, I did the next rational thing: called the tow company with the best google review and then almost shit myself when I got the bill. $140 bucks to tow a car six miles. I cringed, wondering how much the bill for the car would be when it was finally repaired.
Waving the Explorer goodbye, Bernadette and I set out to have a good day none the less, ramen noodle packet in hand. When Jeremiah called me around four that afternoon, it was to announce the betrayal of Buc-ees.
“The mechanic called and the car is ready,” he said, “It was bad gas.”
Buc-ee’s, you traitor. The one-stop convenience store where employees wear cowboy hats when making brisket sandwiches was a big fat jerk.
Reader’s Digest Version
Long story short: after drying my tears, I had a massively difficult time getting a Lyft to get me to the mechanic since we’re far enough into the country that most people have 5 or 6 dually trucks, and don’t rely on Lyft or Uber. I have learned a lot of lessons having moved from Portland, Oregon. We lived out in the country there – about 45 minutes from downtown, on an acre of land surrounded by walnut and hazelnut orchards but the longest we ever needed to wait for an uber was around 15 minutes.
That is not the case in Texas.
I finally got a Lyft Friday morning, was able to grab the Explorer, and was pleasantly surprised that the bill was 100 bucks to diagnose and change the fuel filter, paired with the knowledge that we may need to replace the fuel pump sooner rather than later. (By the way, if you’re in Terrell with car problems, I highly recommend J’s automotive.) I saw the gas that was pulled out of our Explorer and was surprised at the percentage of water.
Buc-ee’s gas was full of water. We’ve even filled up the diesel in our motorhome at Buc-ee’s but will be avoiding that from now on. It’s just too big of a risk, despite the easy pull-ins and multiple rows of fuel.
Expectations
Today I sit on the couch, still in Terrell. We had high hopes of hitting the road Saturday, but we are now waiting on an MRI for Jeremiah. Here’s what I’ve learned: I am much better at not setting expectations on timelines of where we’re going to be, or setting up the potential for disappointment in so many ways. I know life can throw curve balls about timing. What I’m still horrible at and working through is dealing with unexpected negatives, like a car not starting or a Lyft driver being difficult to pin down. Jeremiah? He’s the biggest troubleshooter I know, taking everything in stride from the moment he wakes up. So, do I want to be more like him? Hell yes. I am sick of being anxious about every decision I make or potential thing that could go awry.
Oh, did you expect me to say something like, “No, we balance each other out?” Nope. I’m envious and working on being better about it.
Where do you find yourself struggling in your day-to-day life? Is it lowering expectations, or dealing with bumps in the road? Or is it something else entirely?
Tip: If you’re in Terrell, Texas with a sad car, check out J’s automotive. You can walk over to Braum’s and get soft-serve ice cream on a waffle cone for a buck to melt your miseries.
