we were run out of FLL by Hurricane Wilma, and over a week, spent one day in the pool.
After a period of time, 8 of us (the 6 students, instructor, and instructor girlfriend) flew to Cozumel to complete the dives. This required flying with a booster which was left in Coz, and buying helium in Cozumel in 2002, an extremely expensive proposition.
Maybe you purchased old or discounted helium. You paid the 2002 price, but didn't Hurricane Wilma pay her visit in 2005? I can't recall the price difference between those two years, but felt like nit-picking. In any event, a bummer of a story that grows only marginally more amusing as the years pass. In any case, your tale and 100 days a year's rank any of mine as far as finance goes. I have however lost a pair of friends and they are priceless.