The resolution? Not to get gas at a Circle K.
This was back in 1998. I went into Circle K with a nearly flat tire and discovered that the air machine, which previously had charged customers a quarter, now cost 50 cents. Confused over the price of air doubling overnight, I called Tosco, Circle K's corporate parent at the time, and raised hell. And since I was a columnist for a big local daily newspaper at the time, they actually called me back to blame a greedy subcontractor.
Damn air guys. What, you thought OPEC was the problem?
I ended up getting two columns out of the deal and later the resolution, which I repeated until 2003, when I ran out of gas near Seventh Street and Bethany Home Road. If it wasn't about 300 degrees that day, I might have hung tough, but Circle K was close, I was sweaty and fat and that was that.
Looking back, it was a fine show of resolve. I might try it again in 2009 — because that 50 pounds simply ain't happening.