Gas-tronomic Delights

--) Yikes! Went out last night and found that gas prices had jumped another 6 cents all around!!!

++) Rats was great! The Delmonico steak was tender enough to cut with a spoon and the potage puree ("mashed potato" to you!) was served in its own copper "tea pot". The appetizer was a white gazpacho and was very interesting. Cathy and Steve had lamb Porterhouses and I heard no complaints from either. Phyllis had sole and enjoyed it too. But is Rats ever expensive!!! Whew!! A neighbor emailed that if I can afford Rats, I have no right to grouse about $2.71 gasoline prices!

We never did walk around the Sculpture Garden as it was too steamy for everyone. Steve said it was just like Vietnam -- he returned from an 18-day trip there on Tuesday.

++) Shalom Club Bagel Breakfast was very nice. They had a conveyer belt bagel toaster that no one was able to set right so most people had burned bagels with their cream cheese, lox, whitefish salad, tuna salad, onions, tomatoes, olives, etc.

++) Found some cheaper gas! We had to run to the soup kitchen so Cathy could pick up some papers and later work on the 05-06 budget. On both Broad St and Chambers Ave, we found at least one name brand gas station with $2.45/$2.55/$2.65 and quite a few no-namers with significantly cheaper gas. So I filled up at a Getty for $40. Now that may not seem like much to you SUVers but as the driver of small cars with small tanks, it was a shock. I'm going to drive the speed limit and keep a fictitious egg between my right foot and the accelerator (for a while), and see just how much of a savings I can effect.