Today was going good, a friend gave me a card that got me a dollar ($1) off each gallon on gas (max 20 gallons) and I filled my tank and a 5 gallon can.
Then the can tipped over while I was taking it home and the lid sprang a leak. About 3 gallons of gas is now soaked in to Everything in my trunk - the stench alone is terrible and the only way I have to deal with it is to leave my trunk standing open till it dry's / dissipates.

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 68):

Well, not the only way...

You could throw a lit match in there too, much quicker :)

In reply to kouk (msg # 69):

Yes. but I NEED my car and really can't afford to get a new one.

And an outdoor vac.

Difficulty: Hard

Time Required: Up to 1 hr.

Here's How:

    Remove excess gasoline by blotting.

    It's very likely that there is extra gasoline still left on the clothing. Using a clean white cloth, blot up as much gasoline as possible so that it will be a more simple process to absorb what is left in the clothing.
    Use baking soda to absorb the gasoline.

    Sprinkle baking soda onto the stained area and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Dump the baking soda off of the stain. You may need to repeat this process 2-3 times depending on the type of fabric and how much gasoline you were able to blot up in the first step.  Don't be afraid to repeat this step several times.
    Rub liquid dish soap into the stain.

    Dish soap is a great way to remove greasy and oily stains.  Rub 2 tablespoons of dish soap into the stained area. Allow the clothing to sit for up to 5 minutes before soaking in hot water for 30 minutes. It's really important to use the hottest water that is safe for the fabric type.  Hot water is necessary to remove the gas fully from the clothing.

    Use more baking soda.

    If any scent of gasoline or hint of the stain remains, make a baking soda paste of 2 parts baking soda and 1 part water and rub it directly onto the stain. Allow it to air dry and then brush the baking soda off of the clothing. This step can be repeated again until the gasoline is fully removed.
    Use a stain stick, gel, or spray.

    Apply a stain remover to the fabric according to the directions. You'll want it to sit for at least 5 minutes. Wash in the hottest water that is safe for the fabric.

Tips:

    If you still have any gasoline smell left, you might also try a vinegar and water soak for 30 minutes. Repeat the vinegar soak again.
    As a last resort, you can also add a little orange cleaner to the wash load to help break down the traces of gasoline and get rid of the smell. Look for an all-purpose cleaner derived from oranges, like OrangeGlo's Orange Clean All-Purpose cleaner or Fantastik Orange Action Cleaner. If you've doused a gallon of gasoline on thick denim jeans, you may need to use the whole bottle.

What You Need:

    Clean white cloth
    Baking soda
    Liquid dish soap
    Stain stick, gel, or spray
    Vinegar (optional)
    Orange Oil Cleaner (optional)

That is a good idea, but it's the Entire area of my trunk, about 3 gallons of gas was lost (spilled) - 2 I can't bend over far enough to do any of that, arthritis in my back makes such jobs impossible for me and I don't have any friends who can help either (we all old sore folk around here and sadly I am the youngest and healthiest of this lot).
Presently all the rags from the trunk are being run through the wash (3 cycles), but the base of the trunk is carpeting or a sort and can not be removed. (Attached to the back of the trunk compartment via screws - can't reach them as it's to far back and see above).

Last problem, don't have an outdoor vac and no clue as to where to get one (Can't rent one, don't have the money - had several large expenses last month and that cleaned out my bank account till I can rebuild it - which given I am dirt poor did not take long at all).

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 72):

Might still be worth dusting the whole area with a good layer of baking soda. Or at least tucking a couple open boxes in there for a while. People do it to remove odors in their fridge all the time, and it's relatively cheap.

Later, when you can afford it, visit a do-it-yourself car wash. Most have quarter-op vacuums available for car interiors -- and more powerful than the average home shop vac, anyway. The car wash in my town isn't a do-it-yourself type, but they actually advertise their vacuums are free to use. Don't even need to use the carwash. :)

A bowl of vinegar or apple slices, removed daily, repeat as needed, also absorbs odors.

Be sure to leave the trunk open, open, open! It's the fumes that will turn your car into an accidental Ford pinto if you're not careful... and in the future, never carry gas in your trunk!

Recently I've just been feeling sad. Reasons. There are reasons. It's not worth getting into though. I been there and back many times. I've come close to death's door early this year and fear I may have to tempt a visit by the end.

I wrote a poem here. I'm not a poet, though. It isn't perfect, but it's free. It could use work, but I don't need it to be perfect. My friend always tells me what makes art is the flaws. All I ask is please make some reference of me if you like it and choose to rip it. It took me some time to make. I just really feel bad, and talking on RPOL, actually being clear doesn't work. So I wrote this poem. I'm giving you the chance to react, but I don't need advise. I know myu problems, and I know the solutions. On scale of 1 to 10 I've been an 8 all this week. Today I came to 10, and no one ever asks about 11.

Anyway, I'm gonna post the poem. Just be nice, okay. I'm not trying to win any awards or prove any points. I'm not preaching. I'm not. I'm just venting. I've tried several ways. Now, I'm trying this. People have told me to write down my feelings. Maybe I'll be the next...some artist. That's not what I want though, and what I want I may not get, and that's not important. Having people like me,  respect me, value my company, want to listen, want to talk to me, that doesn't matter. It plays no part in me doing the same. If I tell them to like me, they probably won't. I ask them to like me, they might. Though now they know what I want, I'll do what I can to find how to give what others want.

No more talk the poem:
Mountains and Valleys

A day is one of many, and all days we know are numbered. For we do not remember our first, not will we our last. What memories made, and those you, are memories you don't know, and can't undo. What mark you leave upon the land, stay ingrained like wind in sand. To build the castles in the mind, it is not without a test of time. Know now who are, and what you'll be, are the same like seed and tree. In the end though, castles stand, withstand the test of time when made of earth. Of stone and brick those last the longest, but make them not for time, nor shelter of the wind. Instead I say, make your castles like the smith immortal made.

When rich man on way to atone, came past the stones, and iron gates. Fled his fortress to take a witness, but those of his were long since gone. This man saw no path, no way to freedom. He walked the road and braved the night. At last he found himself upon a shore, and there he saw the pauper.

He asked this man, a man of wisdom, a man reborn, said the King in trembling voice, what can I do to live forever?

Said the pauper to the king, with eyes of amber and lips of slate. The pauper said, your kingdom thrived, what have you that you did not want? The King spoke now with wrath of lighting, speed of gale. But I must die, my people gone! Now the King spoke with fear of thunder, and calm of storm. How can I be as you are and know the beauty, that you for which you have taken?

Now the Pauper, frowned his face and beckoned to the King. Come forth King, though not of good. You made the world love you and so they did, but the world gone your people fled. The King declared without a doubt, but my castle was made stone and steel. And yours of sand upon the shore! You have what is mine, and I of yours. How dare you be, how dare you stay. The Pauper sighed and warned again. You do not want this that I have, for I have earned what is my life.

The King grew louder, took his hand, and struck the Pauper upon the brow. My people! That which you have taken. I will do as you have to me. I will put forth a godly decree, and by his might I shall be free. The Pauper sat without a sound, without a fear, and only patience. I have nothing you can steal, that I will not give. You want it so, and so you shall you have.

Upon the King grew a crown, of old and ancient. It had the iron, stone and jewels. Then Rubies dazzling, gold anew, but only then the King now knnew. The Pauper rose, with robe of silk, in moonlight waving. And like a hand a ray of starlight beckoned to him. The Pauper spoke, now with all he had, all he was and nothing more. I warned you young, I tell you old. What has now happened you were told. I too was king of kingdom prospering, had my way with and took it freely. I lived all a King could be, and in the end I too was not free.

I came upon this very shore, and could not see for all I looked. I did not heed, nor did you neither. The shore you stand is what you wanted. These people here, and now yours' eternal. They rest upon the sea and shore. Now you may have your Kingdom for always. Now you may play with your people, in all your grandeur. Left you are now, left you will be. To build your castle upon this shore. The stone now sand. The iron rusted. The sea is salt, and made of tears. But you will have what I have given, and you will have this when mean not years. Every night, upon your waking, you will rise and meet this fate. Build it carefully, build it quick. For on the morrow, you'll wake once more.

The King's eyes sunk, his fears awoken. He pleaded now, without a hope. I take it! take it! I am now sorry. Please take it now and give me peace.

The Pauper, sighed and said I won't, for you thought a trinket trifle what was that found in a Kingdom silver. Once men came looking, for the treasure. The richest place upon the worlds. Said they give over, what is ours, they valley poor and Mountain rich. Blood and bone, the mountain rested. Spade and dirt, the valley lifted.

Said the pauper once again, You see now. Don't you? You looked for treasure and gave to me, what did the Mountain. What they saw is as you did. But you of desert are now of shore. What the valley found, was what they would not ever have. Peace on Earth, was in the graves.

The King prostated, kneeled then crawled, I beg you, beg you, this is not mine! And the pauper rose, not fell, into myth, into memory. For it was battle he had won the King. Made his place upon the land. Now the silence broken gentle, and calm that froze in the hour. The sand ran slow, and drifted did the tides. And did the King, now know his place. There was no fruit, not merry songs. There were no children, nor beast to rear.

Now this peaceful scene. This calming sound, was all he had, and time, and waiting. There will always be those that do not yield, and win my glory and seize the day. Stories now, they are but whispers, still they linger, but do they dance?

Nor shall the Pauper, nor shall the King. Beauty is not lasting, nor kiss on cheek. The rose will wilt, the thorn will prick, but loves lost quick in the winter, are sweeter still by the moment. In death I shall rest, like all that come, and all that went. I seek only peace. You'll have your wars. I take my rest. You keep the shores.

V_V--the fifth and final of my family. With eyes wide open and downcast. The first letter of my name. A symbol I would use. And now, Mountains and Valleys. It's just a name though, it's not who I am, but it does have value and meaning.

That's the reason I came to RPoL to see stories, and make friends. I'm still working on both of those, even after ten years.

To the rest of you be well. I have no answers. As a guy named Jason told me today, you can be your own best doctor if you know yourself. Please be well.

In reply to Piestar (msg # 74):

There are times where I have no choice but to carry it in the trunk. This last time the car itself was full of people. (and 1 large dog), so the trunk was my only option.
And believe me, when I am not driving the trunk is Open, as is the spare tire well.

I did not appreciate the Ford Pinto crack by the way, that was my very first car, had very few problems with it for the many years I drove it. (and it was the same year model that had all those complaints about exploding to)

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 76):

Back in the day there was a Ford Pinto driving around San Diego with flames painted from the back going forward. Funny stuff...

It's always kinda sad when someone posts interest for a game in a system you love, but then want this super detailed background to play. I mean, am I the only one that thinks you don't need a novel of a background to know how to play a character?

In reply to GammaBear (msg # 78):

As a GM who likes players to provide detailed histories, it's not about how you play your character, but about what the GM can pluck from that background to make interesting stories and link you to the story and to other players.  I've found that, more often than not, when I get a player who wants to play with no real background for their character, they don't like it when I make stuff up as we go.  They whine about how "that's not how I envisioned my character!".  Well, if it's not, then you should have shared that vision with me.

There is a limit to how much background I want, though.  I don't want day-by-day life histories, and there has to be some room for interpretation or the addition of little plot twists -- things the person may have believed were so back when, but with time and new information may seem different now -- so I can bring the past into the current game plots.

That's fine, and I'm more than willing to come up with backgrounds. After all, that's half the fun. What I have a problem with is a litteral essay's worth of of info. 2-3 paragraphs on character personality and goals, paragraphs for 2-3 things they've done. Plus more for other stuff. It's ridiculous IMO. It's not that I can't come up with that, it's just by the time I do the game will be full. Oh well.
This message was last edited by the user at 15:30, Thu 10 Sept 2015.

I tend to make a short type of background then flesh it out as I am playing and getting a better feel for the character - though I do run stuff past the GM before putting it in play (did it with out the running past the GM once and got booted with little to no warning).
That one irked me because he did not tell me I was overstepping the line at all, just poof I was out of the game and he ignored my request for information or anything afterwards.

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 81):

Wow that's weird. Anyhoots, I am more likely to go overboard on the background. It just depends on how much leeway I have, and how inspired I was when creating the character. One time I went overboard just to find out that the gm expected short novels for posts... I can't do that one very often.

Not so much of a vent.. But is.. Anyway!

Recently it's become sooooooo quiet on here! I'm used to a good several handfuls of posts a day but it's just diminished completely.

I know it's just been back to school/college/uni and even work for some but.. I've never seen it this quiet around this time of year?

Maybe it's just me! Or my games I'm in..

But I NEED my good dose of daily Rpol writing!

Help, before I wither away..
This message was last edited by the user at 21:18, Thu 10 Sept 2015.

In reply to Little_Devil (msg # 83):

Not just you. My games have been on the slow side for quite awhile now. As in, sometimes a couple of weeks between it being my turn to post. It's driving me nuts. Or at least driving me depressed. Roleplaying is actually pretty damn important for my mental health and I really feel it when I don't have at least a few posts to respond to every week. It isn't just a disappointment when there aren't any posts. My stress and anxiety levels go way up.

I should probably try to find a new game, but I hate applying for them. I find the whole process very stressful. I'll invest a lot of time and brain power in writing my applications, only to get rejected because I like to play non-standard characters. Or if I do get accepted, then comes the character sheet (which ends up being another huge time sink and is never 'the easiest part' for me) and once that's done, I'll discover that the people I'm grouped with are all terrible roleplayers.

I really needed to vent too, it seems!
This message was last edited by the user at 23:44, Thu 10 Sept 2015.

Have you tried a request GM PhatJackel  ?

In reply to silverelf (msg # 85):

I have, yes. But rarely have any luck with those. Still, because of my vent I'm now in contact with someone who is very likely going to run a free-form solo game for me. It makes me really glad I decided to have a moan about it!
This message was last edited by the user at 23:46, Thu 10 Sept 2015.

In reply to PhatJackal (msg # 86):

Awesome, I'm jealous! The slow games on my list are the quickest of the lot, sad to say.

In reply to Piestar (msg # 87):

I have a game that has not seen a post in 3 weeks.  I know he is active because I see him post in the different public forums.  But this has been the lay of the land for this game.  I could see it being more aggravating if the game had a fast pace, then all of a sudden it came to a screeching crawl.  I fill the dead time with other games. hehehehehe

In reply to tulgurth (msg # 88):

I have a game that hasn't advanced since June. I would consider 3 weeks a quick pace in many of the games I play in.

I am guilty of that. And my braon is fried from pain and outside fristration.

I am 2 out of 3 for burning my tongue on tea at work today.

In reply to Brygun (msg # 91):

umm.... stop that. you should have learned by now...