quirkymarshmallows93

[quirkymarshmallows93]

The stuff of suburban nightmares

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This was in the great Gatsby

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A moment of peace, within a traditional New England scene (Papa Gino’s, Dunk’s billboard, packie, Gillette Stadium, fall leaves). Walpole, MA.

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“The cables under your desk can’t hurt you”

the cables under my desk:

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Springfield Massachusetts September 18 2024

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Another spotting

Why am I getting a boner for this 2000-2003 Nissan Maxima

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More from the South Attleborough (yes we're spelling it the official way this time) Mobil. The car wash, is it turns out, is in fact not operational, but the kiosk is still connected to power, as evident from the dot matrix still displaying options for would-be customers. Payphones and propane refills are also no longer services offered at this location. We used to be a country, a proper country.

Mobil - Attleboro, Massachusetts.

It was a warm night driving back to Massachusetts from Providence. The familiar orange light on my dashboard had turned on while still within the Creative Capital's city limits. Most of the gas stations I drove past on the way to this one were unbranded, meaning that there was no guarantee of fuel that meets the standards of Top Tier certification. Prices were also not spectacular, particularly for the no-name locations, which are usually at least cheaper than Top Tier counterparts. Determined and certain that there were better fueling points out there, I consulted a mostly trusted price finder application, which as predicted displayed this Mobil as having the same price per gallon as most of the other locations - $3.40, rounded up from the vestigial price ending in nine tenths of a penny. There would be no issue relocating either, as the dash light comes on when there are still around three reserve gallons of gasoline left in the tank.

I arrived as the sole patron of the business. Submitting myself to surveillance capitalism, I inserted my ExxonMobil Rewards Plus card into the reader, earning 42 points for my purchase of 13 and a half gallons of regular unleaded gas at the end of the transaction. Afterward, I accidentally hit the capacitive button that answered "no" to the question of whether I wanted a receipt. Since I was taking it slow that evening, I went inside and asked the kind cashier for a copy of the consumer ephemera, who confirmed the amount, handed me the document, and wished me a pleasant day, even though it was not day. As I exited the convenience store, I held the door open for a fellow nighttime patron, whom I can only imagine was similarly pleased at the positive difference across the state line between the fuel markets, especially seeing as his SUV sported Rhode Island license plates.

The photo above was taken while I was fueling, in an attempt to capture the quiet peacefulness of this essential business, most pronounced at night when it is one of few places in operation. At most Massachusetts gas stations, one can lock the gas pump handle in place while fueling, freeing up both of the driver's hands, although the legal code displayed on all pumps throughout the state prohibits leaving the nozzle unattended. As such, I was able to properly frame the scene, following the rule of thirds in order to keep the boxy car wash building in the lower left ninth of the picture. I was also able to adjust the exposure, minimizing light bleed from the overlit canopy, while still revealing the source of brightness for the artificially illuminated parcel, visible in the shadow cast on the first letter of the Car Wash sign. The tunnel itself harkens to a time before refinement culture, when an automated and unmanned wash was sufficient for most vehicles, instead of the increasingly experiential, subscription-based business model catering to those who want the ultimate car wash experience, whatever that means. Given the trend away from these types of washes, and my incomplete curiosity, the tunnel may or may not be closed - the boarded menu hints that it is - as has been the case at other Mobils. The tall sign behind it, signaling to highway passersby the presence of the station, stands humbly among coniferous trees, its northernmost neon burnt out. The iconic red pegasus, largely retired from present-day marketing, is still prancing on the side of the cookie cutter Mobil Mart.

@gas-stationed hope u like!

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Thinking about the custom Taco Bell GMC Sierra

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CVS rear entrance, Route 5, Longmeadow, MA. Note the austere exterior and the faded lettering on the sad little awning. The store is in the upstairs portion of the building, the door merely leads to a staircase that is conveniently positioned by the pharmacy rather than the retail portion of the business. The rear lot is a more sensible place to park, given the crowding and difficulty of egress at the front parking lot of Rinaldi’s Plaza.

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Mobil - Attleboro, Massachusetts.

It was a warm night driving back to Massachusetts from Providence. The familiar orange light on my dashboard had turned on while still within the Creative Capital's city limits. Most of the gas stations I drove past on the way to this one were unbranded, meaning that there was no guarantee of fuel that meets the standards of Top Tier certification. Prices were also not spectacular, particularly for the no-name locations, which are usually at least cheaper than Top Tier counterparts. Determined and certain that there were better fueling points out there, I consulted a mostly trusted price finder application, which as predicted displayed this Mobil as having the same price per gallon as most of the other locations - $3.40, rounded up from the vestigial price ending in nine tenths of a penny. There would be no issue relocating either, as the dash light comes on when there are still around three reserve gallons of gasoline left in the tank.

I arrived as the sole patron of the business. Submitting myself to surveillance capitalism, I inserted my ExxonMobil Rewards Plus card into the reader, earning 42 points for my purchase of 13 and a half gallons of regular unleaded gas at the end of the transaction. Afterward, I accidentally hit the capacitive button that answered "no" to the question of whether I wanted a receipt. Since I was taking it slow that evening, I went inside and asked the kind cashier for a copy of the consumer ephemera, who confirmed the amount, handed me the document, and wished me a pleasant day, even though it was not day. As I exited the convenience store, I held the door open for a fellow nighttime patron, whom I can only imagine was similarly pleased at the positive difference across the state line between the fuel markets, especially seeing as his SUV sported Rhode Island license plates.

The photo above was taken while I was fueling, in an attempt to capture the quiet peacefulness of this essential business, most pronounced at night when it is one of few places in operation. At most Massachusetts gas stations, one can lock the gas pump handle in place while fueling, freeing up both of the driver's hands, although the legal code displayed on all pumps throughout the state prohibits leaving the nozzle unattended. As such, I was able to properly frame the scene, following the rule of thirds in order to keep the boxy car wash building in the lower left ninth of the picture. I was also able to adjust the exposure, minimizing light bleed from the overlit canopy, while still revealing the source of brightness for the artificially illuminated parcel, visible in the shadow cast on the first letter of the Car Wash sign. The tunnel itself harkens to a time before refinement culture, when an automated and unmanned wash was sufficient for most vehicles, instead of the increasingly experiential, subscription-based business model catering to those who want the ultimate car wash experience, whatever that means. Given the trend away from these types of washes, and my incomplete curiosity, the tunnel may or may not be closed - the boarded menu hints that it is - as has been the case at other Mobils. The tall sign behind it, signaling to highway passersby the presence of the station, stands humbly among coniferous trees, its northernmost neon burnt out. The iconic red pegasus, largely retired from present-day marketing, is still prancing on the side of the cookie cutter Mobil Mart.

@gas-stationed hope u like!

[quirkymarshmallows93]

Watching Hoda and Jenna on a CRT while waiting on my oil change, what’s better than this

[quirkymarshmallows93]

Your verification code is 525600. Do not share this with anyone. We will never contact you to request this code.

[quirkymarshmallows93]

Buckle up, European and Foreigner Tumblypoos, because I'm about to learn you a thing about AMERICA.

You see these delectable motherflippers? These are called STATES. You stupid foreigners might not be able to wrap your head around this, but basically they're administrative subdivisions of the country.

And here's the thing: They are totally heckin' different from each other! For instance, New York:

Looks TOTALLY DIFFERENT from Kansas:

And they both look TOTALLY different from California!

So before you make fun of an American for not knowing where tiny third-world countries like "Check Republic" or "South Korea" are, maybe think about how much we have to learn about the unique regional differences in our OWN country. Maybe you should think about AMERICA more.

[quirkymarshmallows93]

When someone sends you a credit card referral so they can get 100,000 bonus miles when you sign up