$4.13/gallon

There used to be a game show on in the 80s or 90s maybe, was it on MTV? I dunno. I blank out when it comes to horrible specimens of pop culture around my coming of age. On the show, friends or couples or someone had to answer questions with what they guessed their partner (who was backstage in a sound proof booth – it goes without saying) would say before the partner would bounce onto the stage for a stressful timed replay of the true answers.

The answers were one of two possibilities: Cool or not cool. Generally, contestants would yell out these phrases while the studio audience cheered or groaned. It went something like this: “Skipping underwear with a white sundress.” “Coooool!!!” “Telling your buddy that you saw his girl cheating on him.” ”NOT Cool!”

So I'm sitting in the courtyard with the other parents waiting for my kiddo to come out of preschool. One of the moms turns to tell me, “You know the kids know our cars? They know who rides in each car.”

Her massive grey elephant of a Suburban is parked just on the other side of the gate.

“Yes, I realize that,” I say.

“That's really cool! Isn't that cool?”