THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 3, 1995 TAG: 9509010187
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
I'm grateful I work in Suffolk and don't routinely have to buy gasoline on interstate routes.
If you think prices are high around here, a long-distance trip will put you to counting your blessings.
Recently, I drove to Arkansas to visit the Ozark branch of my family, noticing on the way the lovely scenery and the not-so-lovely cost of fuel along I-40.
The price per gallon was generally 12 cents more than in Suffolk.
Of course, if you go only 10 miles or so south of here, to Corapeake, N.C., you will note prices of about $1.15 for regular, while at least one station in Suffolk is charging as little as 99 cents.
I live in Carolina and would be glad to make my humble contributions to the state's coffers - but not when I can pay 16 cents less in Peanut City.
The reason for the Beebe, Ark., trip was to see two of my five grandchildren. To spend more time with them, my son Clay - their father - and I traded driving times and went straight through. Quite an experience.
It was an eye-opener on I-40, populated mostly by 18-wheelers. They are ominous looking things, but most of the drivers are pretty courteous.
Driving straight through has several things going for it: You can spend more time with the family, save motel costs, sleep more often because of breaks in driving, and night driving means less traffic.
I made it back home with no more MILS2GO, as a local license plate declares.
And that leads us to do license plates once again - strictly local, of course.
Thanks to my observations and those of co-workers and other friends, I have a lengthy list of contributions.
As for the writing, though, I'm ONMYOWN. But, that's all right, ME COOL, while another driver is KOOLLL.
One driver hits the freezing point with 32 BELOW. Time for some hot LIPTON-T. CHO MILK, though, is probably a more favored drink in this weather.
While on the subject of food and drink, check out these plates: YT LTNIN, BAD PNT (don't know if that's peanut, paint or pint), BRED MAN, DONUT, BY PERDU, JAM-HAM, SOO PIG, NU WINE and, on a red Festiva, 1 RED M&M.
SEE RED was seen on a fire-engine-red truck. And, there's 1RED MOM. There's also a SMFD MOM. Another woman proclaims 2SXY4 U. Another has 4 KDS & 3 DGS.
Someone else has 4 KIDS. Another lays claim to just 1 SM FRY.
One is a popular number: MIRROR 1, CHILLN 1, TREE 1, TEXAS 1, CARDS 1, 1 FAST 1 (2 1s for the price of 1 1), OLD1 4US, 1ST-OF AL, 2 TO NO 1.
A personal favorite is 1 BUMBUM. There's 1 DOLL, HAND-E1, 1 BLIND (I get nervous driving near him), 2TEACH1, LEFTY 1, DC DC 1 and the plate proclaiming that there is only 1WA2HVN.
Heavenly themes abound. Say ``halo'' to MT JOY1, MTN ANGL, BLESD 2, CMPASHAN and, of course, W8 ONGOD.
WEIGHT, of course, has a different meaning. PUDGY 2 is not too bashful, nor is CHUB-BE. Someone losing weight is GN2D GYM.
As far as age is concerned there is the infamous MIDL AGE and its very close relative, ALMST 40.
This tells it all: NO LKGBK.
Looking ahead, there is OBC RN 2B, owned by an individual anxious to eliminate the last number and letter.
Also on the medical scene is ILUVXRA, TTH ASST and TUTHPKR.
There is JAIL-DOC, but the blue ribbon in this category has to go to OUCH-RN.
The best medicine is on the license plate that reads, LAFF 2 DA.
KEYWORDS: LICENSE PLATES LICENSE TAGS by CNB