Aliens!

Alien abduction time. This particular alien is at the big White Castle gas station.  The story that follows is not real.

On a particularly uneventful Tuesday night, Trevor and Gage were road-tripping through the desolate backroads of the Midwest. Their car, an old beater held together by duct tape and prayers, sputtered to a halt just outside the town of Nowhere. With the gas gauge firmly on "E," they had no choice but to push their car to the nearest gas station—a rickety old place called "Cosmo's Fuel Emporium."

As they approached, the neon sign flickered erratically, casting an eerie glow over the deserted pumps. The station looked like it hadn't been updated since the 1950s, complete with rusted gas pumps and an old soda machine that probably still sold cola for a dime.

"Do you think this place even has gas?" Trevor asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Well, it's either this or we start walking," Gage replied, pushing the car with a grunt.

Just as they reached the pump, a strange humming noise filled the air. The ground began to vibrate, and a bright light engulfed the station. Trevor and Gage looked up to see a shiny, metallic spaceship descending. It landed gracefully, and a ramp extended, touching down right next to their car.

Out stepped an alien, about four feet tall with green skin, big almond-shaped eyes, and a fashionable silver jumpsuit. He looked around, seemingly unimpressed by Earth’s hospitality.

"Greetings, Earthlings!" the alien said in a surprisingly chipper voice. "I am Zorgon from the planet Zog. I come in peace and in need of fuel."

Trevor and Gage exchanged bewildered glances. "Uh, hi, Zorgon. We're kind of in the same boat... er, car," Trevor said, gesturing to their vehicle.

Zorgon squinted at the gas pumps and then at the car. "Ah, primitive combustion engines. I can help with that."

Before they could protest, Zorgon pointed a small device at their car. It emitted a beam of light, and the car was instantly filled with fuel. The guys stared in amazement.

"Wow, thanks, Zorgon!" Gage said, still processing the bizarre turn of events.

"No problem," Zorgon replied, looking at the soda machine. "I’ve heard legends of this 'cola.' May I?"

"Go for it," Trevor said, still in a daze.

Zorgon approached the machine, pressed a few buttons, and out popped a cold can of cola. He took a sip and his eyes widened in delight. "This is marvelous! We must have this on Zog."

Suddenly, Zorgon’s eyes gleamed mischievously. "Trevor, Gage, how would you like to come to Zog and help us set up a cola distribution network? It’ll be an intergalactic sensation!"

Trevor and Gage, still stunned by the night's events, nodded hesitantly. "Sure, why not?" Gage said, thinking this would make one heck of a story.

"Excellent!" Zorgon beamed, pressing a button on his device. In an instant, Trevor, Gage, and their car were beamed aboard the spaceship. The ship ascended into the sky, leaving the gas station quiet once more.

As they soared through space, Zorgon showed them the ropes of interstellar trade, and soon enough, Trevor and Gage were the proud proprietors of the first-ever cola franchise on Zog. They were instant celebrities, adored by aliens everywhere for bringing the fizzy drink to their planet.

Back on Earth, the gas station became a legend. People came from miles around, hoping for their own encounter with Zorgon and a taste of the extraordinary. Meanwhile, Trevor and Gage enjoyed their new lives, never having to worry about gas money—or anything else—ever again.

And so, the story of Trevor, Gage, and the alien at the gas station became an intergalactic hit, proving that sometimes, the most unexpected detours lead to the greatest adventures.

End of Story.

Here's a video of Trevor demonstrating what he plans to do to the carne asada tacos he ordered one time when we were in Downtown Disney:

Here are some more fun pics:

And here's a bit more of the story:

The Diaz Family from Vineyard

Lissa and Christian Diaz had the enviable task of wrangling their six children into their SUV. Christian Jr., Kaiden, Reagan, Roman, Titan, and Lincoln were excitedly bouncing off the walls, quite literally, as Christian tried to load the last suitcase.

"Is everyone in?" Lissa called out, doing a quick headcount.

"Wait, where’s Lincoln?" Christian asked, looking around.

"He's hiding in the trunk," Reagan giggled.

"Linc, get out of there," Christian said, shaking his head.

Finally on the road, they were barely out of Vineyard when Titan and Roman started arguing over a toy.

"He took my dinosaur!" Titan yelled.

"Did not!" Roman retorted, clutching the toy to his chest.

"Here we go," Lissa said, turning up the radio to drown out the din.

An hour into the drive, the SUV became a cacophony of snack requests, bathroom pleas, and general chaos.

"Mom, I'm hungry!" Kaiden called from the back.

"Here, have some crackers," Lissa said, passing back a box.

"I don't want crackers. I want a burger!" Kaiden protested.

"We'll get burgers in St. George," Christian promised, hoping to stave off a mutiny.

Lincoln, the youngest, started a round of the ever-popular "Why?" game.

"Why is the sky blue?"

"Because of the way the atmosphere scatters sunlight," Lissa answered patiently.

"Why?"

"Because of science," Christian said, hoping that would end it.

"Why?"

"Because... magic," Christian finally said, throwing up his hands.

"Cool!" Lincoln said, satisfied for the moment.