mental conditioning

the title's actually a bit confusing, but let me explain and then you'll get it.

so i was at the gas station yesterday, filling up my tank. now, i don't drive some big gas guzzler - it's a 16 gallon, 4 cylinder sedan that gets me 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway. and now that gas prices have dropped to about $3.85/gallon locally, i still thought it was "great" that it only cost me $50 to fill my tank instead of the $60 it cost me about a month ago.

what the heck planet am i living on that THAT was okay?! when i first bought my car 3 years ago, i think it cost me $40 to fill that same tank!

see how the government screws you over by conditioning you into thinking that, "well it wasn't as bad as before, so it must be okay now."

i am so not signing up for that. gimme back my $3.25/gallon and i'll shut up.