Now we're cooking with gas!

No, wait, 1 over that. Now I'm driving with cooking oil!

Yup, that's right. I just purchased my first tankful of bio-diesel yesterday. It's all vegetable oil and "greenhouse neutral" meaning that the plants used to generate the oil consumed more carbon dioxide than is being emitted from my little Jetta. I hope that my car doesn't smell permanently of french fries. The process of getting this fuel is a little sketchy. I had to phone "Dr. Dan" and set up an account (a check for the first 40 gallons). Dr. Dan operates out of a rented garage in Ballard, with his trucks full of alternative fuel and pamphlets outside. I'll be able to drop by and use my key to open up his pickup and start the motor for the pump that enables me to get my fuel. There is a house with 8 cats next door. (We watched them while waiting for Dr. Dan to return from lunch yesterday). It's a colorful neighborhood.