The ARCO Ark

As the family was enroute to our friends house yesterday we got into a discussion regarding Gas (As in, "Lordy, Lordy... Look at the price of Gas... Why, I can remember when Gas was just 75 cents a gallon.") Yea, we're THAT old!

We began talking about the different Gas companies and how they competed with one another "Back in the olden days."... And then I recalled an old memory that had been lodged far back in that dusty corner of my mind. The ARCO Ark! It was circa 1970 and the highlight of each week included a trip to the ARCO gas station with my dad. He'd fill the tank and then we'd walk together into the shop off of the garage where he'd pay for the fill-up. In those days you always had to go into the station to pay for your gas, this was the world before debit cards... This was also the world before the gas station mini-mart... You wanted a candy bar or a bag of chips you best hit the 7-11... However, if a soda was what you were hankerin' for you could always get a bottle of coke out of the machine for a nickle and a quarter. I never enjoyed walking into the Shop... The smell of grease always burned my nose and everything was covered with a layer of black dust - cans of oil, packages of air freshener and the yellowed calendar on the wall. Even the item I desired... The very item that brought me to the station in the first place, was layered with the same dusty, black film... And that item was a small cellophane package that held 2 tiny plastic animals within it's grimey cocoon.

The thrill of this whole experience was the anticipation of which pair of animals you'd receive. The idea is that Noah had collected 2 of each animal... I however, seemed to have a plethora of Ardvaarks (much like the e-bay collector shown above.) The joy of receiving a whole new pair of animals to add to the mix would make my entire week... And set my fingers to itching until I could get home and proudly add the newest acquisition to my collection.

So I was pretty excited when I found this ark on ebay this morning... But then I remembered the disappointments involving the ARCO Ark... How frustrating it was to receive ANOTHER pair of Ardvaarks and how that would make the entire excursion to the gas station seem pointless... I'd silently curse the powers that be at ARCO for not being mindful of the fact that Noah would NEVER have considered more than 2 of the same animal... Not only that but where was Noah? His wife? and the Dove with the olive branch? The other thing about the ark that filled me with dismay was the fact that the damn thing didn't float in the bathtub... Yeah, that's right... Put it in water and it tipped on it's side and drowned all the animals... I mean, if you can't make a boat that floats so that it can double as a bath toy then what's the point?

Regardless of the frustration, I find myself wishing gas stations still participated in these little promotional gimmicks... Even though I'm now in my 40's (ugh!) I know I'd still get excited about going for a fill-up and anticipating what I'd find poised in a little celophane package... Rather than have to deal with the reality of cringing over how much the price of gas has soared since my previous visit.