Chavez, CITGO & Ditzy Blonds...

Off & on over the past months I've heard bits & pieces of things said by Hugo Chavez. Each time it has crossed my mind that I would never again buy gas from CITGO, owned by Chavez' Venezuela, my own small protest against tyranny and idiots. It wasn't much of a stretch because I'm not one to buy gas from name-brand stations unless forced by circumstances. I figured in a pinch I'd buy the higher priced Exxon, etc. if I had to make a choice. (I heard Neal Boortz on the radio on the way home to write this blog saying that if he ran out of gas he would get out and push his car a mile to a competitor rather than pump gas at CITGO - go Neal!)

After listening to Chavez rant at the United Nations yesterday, I again affirmed that I would not help his country in any way by buying their products. Again, I didn't really think much about it knowing I bought at the non-brand type stations (not much of a sacrifice!).

(Have you figured out where this is going yet?)

This morning after the ground breaking for the new Fayette Senior Center in Fayetteville I glanced at my gas gauge and realized it was past time to feed the tank some gas. I zipped out of the courthouse grounds and went to one of my more favorite stations when in the area, the Pitt Stop. I pre-paid as always, went out to pump my gas and happened to see.... oh yeah, you know what I saw, don't you? A CITGO logo on the pump.

Yes, this ditzy blond, with all the ire and irritation still in the forefront of her mind, was pumping gas from Chavez, from Venezuela, from a CITGO station! I did finish pumping the gas, but I wondered as I pumped if I could stop immediately and get a refund for the amount not pumped? I looked around and wanted to get into a conversation with the others pumping gas, I wanted to let them know they were pumping gas owned by Venezuela.

Of course, I didn't. It would have been just a little silly to point the finger at myself and chances are they would have thought I was just as nutty as Chavez! Plus, I don't think the people working in the station would have appreciated that type discourse. So I quietly pumped my gas and vowed never to pump gas there again, vowing to only use my favorite station in downtown Fayetteville or the others I frequent when in other parts of the county.

Drove down to pick up a prescription at Jones Pharmacy, glanced at MY station, the one I use more often than all the others combined... only to see a CITGO logo on the sign.

Ditzy. Completely. All this time I've been so committed to buying gas anywhere but from Chavez and the vast majority of gas I've pumped has come directly from his tankers. Chances are I indirectly paid for his trip to the U.N. to attack our President and country.

Oh well, now I'm going to need to find a new favorite station in Fayetteville. And this ditzy (mostly real) blond is going to learn to pay a bit closer attention to details when taking a stand on principle.