happy thursday!

today i saw a white oldsmobile cruising down the snow covered median. no lie! i mean, i'm sure it was not intentional. at least he didn't try to quick swerve out of the median and end up flipping himself over . . . although THAT would have been exciting. i know about these things.

that reminds me. i missed the five-year anniversary of another important event in my life, from which i emerge, never wanting to drive again, though it was pivotal for a friendship i had with a certain boy.

anyway, the date was december 21st, 2000. if you're keeping score, that's 15 days after the demise of Chief on december 6th, 2000. yes, my friends, i did it again. while cruising (literally . . . very poor move on my part) down to st. joe via 131, between exits 38 and 36 i ran into ice on an overpass. started sliding (right next to a semi, mind you, and my heart was not calm), and in my efforts to NOT leap off the overpass or sideswipe the semi, i ultimately began reliving my previous accident. (i actually said, out loud, "Not again!")

(that's NOT puke . . . it's pop. seriously)

in the space of a couple mere heartbeats the following thoughts ran their course in my mind: first, i was going to die, because obviously i didn't die in the first accident and so now i MUST be about to die here (think final destination. oy.) actually, that was the only thought in my brain. my life didn't flash before my eyes or anything, i just felt completely frozen. the slide, the roll, all of that, i don't think i even thought anything. it all just happened in front of me.



fortunately it had snowed and there were 2-3 feet in the median, so i just rolled OVER. landed right side up this time. lost my phone, though. bible and planner survived. i did get strange looks from the ambulance folks when i blabbed on about doing the same thing 2 weeks earlier. (note to self: learn to keep your mouth shut)

anyway, the damage was nowhere near as severe as to chief, but because it was in my dad's name, and he lives in McBain, the insurance was company was kind enough to total it.

and then when my policy expired, they completely dropped me.

go figure. they had to pay for two brand new trucks! me, i didn't EVER want to drive again. i thought i would be okay, but after sitting in Maple Hill Mall (the mecca of kzoo excitement) waiting for a colleague to pick me up on her way to the gr, it hit me just what i had experienced.

so i've come a long way. now i drive a vehicle EQUIPPED for the possibility of a future tumble. someone made a comment to me once about not trusting a vehicle that automatically came with a roll-bar. me, i'm thinking it's a good investment.