[VAC] Rocky Mountain or Mount Washington Rally

["Harvey Barlow" <harveybarlow@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim, Jere, Wayne, Dan, & Terry,

Thanks to each of you for the advice.  You prompted me to actually calculate
the probable cost instead of only reacting emotionally to the doom and gloom
of media predictions.

I calculated the per mile costs of fuel and even assuming that the predicted
increase to $3/gallon does occur, and premium grade gasoline reaches
$3.25/gallon (my high mileage Ford now demands it), fuel cost will only rise
to approximately $0.41/mile with a worst-case scenario.

Based on an actual analysis I guess I should just do what I want to do and
ignore the cost.

Wayne, unfortunately "cheap" is a relative term.  Although it has been more
than 25 years since I visited the Mount Washington area of New Hampshire
while we spent a week Airstreaming at Estes Park in the summer of 1994, I
estimate the cost of gas to attend the Rocky Mountain Rally at around $530
compared to $1850 for the Mt. Washington Rally.  And, the events are
scheduled at the same time so I'm forced to choose one or none, but not
both.  Life is complicated isn't it?

I have to confess:  Underlying my "concern" about the cost of premium
gasoline is my increasing interest in a new Powerstroke Diesel tow vehicle.
You all know how we go through the complex mental gyrations to convince
ourselves that we "must have" rather than "want to have" a new automobile.
The familiar odometer on my gas 460 Ford is now reading 154k.  I had planned
to keep it at least through the end of this tax year and maybe to the 200k
mile mark but the combined influence of cheaper diesel fuel, increased fuel
economy, and simple want is beginning to tip the balance in favor of a visit
to a local Ford dealer.

I'm still thinking it over.

Thanks for your input.

Harvey