feeling gassy?

At this point, I'm fairly certain that the price of gas is directly tied to how full my gas tank is at the momet. I swear that three days ago (and for about a week and a half before that) gas was $1.97. Not great by any means (remember in high school when it was $0.98?) but better than it's been for quite a while. So I go last night to fill up my car, and what do I find? It's now up to $2.08. Yeah yeah yeah, summer driving season and all that jazz, but seriously: a dime in three days? Why?

However, I did get about the only joy you can have at the gas pump these days: as they say in that old Jerry Seinfeld commercial, "the perfect pump." Actually, not quite perfect--I stopped at $19.95 and had to top off the last five cents--but any time I land on a multiple of five I'm decidedly pleased with myself. It's like one of those little games you play that no one else knows you're playing. You know the kind. "If I can finish the dishes by the time the toast pops up, I win." Or "If I can get three green stoplights in a row, I win." Or "If I can name the next radio song within four beats, I win." You never really win anything, of course, but it keeps life a little more interesting.

Or am I the only one who does this? Do you find yourself doing things for no reason at all other than you tell yourself you should? Like, remember that old "Step on a crack you break your mother's back" joke. Even into high school, when I took my dog for a walk I would try and set a natural pace that kept me from stepping on any cracks, not because I was obsessive compulsive or I really thought I might break my mother's back, but because it was a way to make the walk a little more interesting. Anyone?

OK, so now I'm thinking this post will make me sound absolutely crazy, especially if no one else plays little silent secret games like this. But I'm really not crazy. I just have an overactive mind. Or something.