junk in the trunk...

i could be referring to lucy's big ol' cloth-diapered booty, above, but alas, i am referring to actual junk in the trunk. the car trunk, you know? according to chevron's website (which offers tips for getting more out of every fill up), for every hundred pounds of weight taken out of the car, gas mileage increases by 2%. i don't have a trunk--just a back cargo area--but weight does not discriminate. once i started thinking about it, i realized that i might be schleping a few extra pounds all over town. our stroller (rarely used) tips the scales at around 20 pounds. also, the paranoid, over prepared driver that i am likes to keep an emergency kit--complete with spare clothes, flip flops, boxes of crackers, sunscreen, a swimsuit, a mexican blanket, 3 towels, 2 flashlights, a bottle opener,disinfecting wipes, a miniature sewing kit, a book of matches, trash bags, a book of sudoku puzzles and 2 gallons of water. just in case i go flying off of a hill and don't get discovered for a few days. or happen to stumble across a pool party. you never know.

to be completely honest, a 2% reduction doesn't seem like all that much to me. but when coupled with others (keeping tires properly inflated, driving slower on the freeway, gentler braking, etc) the benefits really begin to add up--around 25-27%. which sounds nice. and makes me begin to think i need to rethink my "emergency" supplies.

note to self: the car is not a closet...