North Carolina, or Third World Nation?

This is what every gas station we drove by looked like. Closed.

There is a major gas shortage here in North Carolina. No lie.
Apparently there is a pipeline that ships the gas to NC/TN/KY and it's broken. Most gas stations are closed, and the lines are collossal at the stations that have gas, when they have gas.

We actually haven't done much traveling, because the folks wanted to be sure we'd have enough gas to get to the airport tomorrow. My friend G, who lives about 80 miles away in Waxhaw was supposed to come and visit today, but she just called and she only has 1/4 tank and has yet to find a station with any gas. She thought she could make it here, but needed to know if Hickory had gas. My dad found some this morning, after waiting in a really long line, but told her that it would be a total crapshoot this afternoon. Therefore, G's staying closer to home, and hopes that she and her hubby can find some gas this afternoon. If they do, we will meet for lunch somewhere near the airport tomorrow. Crazy.

No gas here either:

It is just so odd to see; convenience stores are closed and dark, and lots of pumps have garbage bags over them to let people know they are dry. It feels like a third world country. They predict it should end within two weeks, but what bad timing! (But, at least it prevented my mom from trying to drag us to historic locations up in the mountains. She always wants to take me to the Biltmore estate and I decline, and this time it was totally out of the question.) On one of my first visits, we went to the mountains to this place called Blowing Rock which was pretty neat. On the way back we stopped at a local shop for beverages, and they had this local food called "cajun boiled peanuts". Apparently boiled peanuts are somewhat popular in the rural nether regions of North Carolina. I thought I'd try them. I can eat almost anything, at least a bite; I've had smoked seal in Greenland (which was the worst thing ever or so I thought), and lots of crazy shit in my day... Anyway, the storekeeper ladels some peanuts out of the water filled vat, and I pop one into my mouth. Worst. Thing. Ever. I literally ran outside and spit it onto the ground, grabbed a pop out of the machine and chugged it. It was that bad, I couldn't even do the courtesy chew and swallow. Ugh.

The moral of the story: avoid boiled peanuts at all costs.