Tuesday morning, it was VERY cold outside. By VERY cold, we're talking below zero temps and wind chills even lower. I was driving west on Highway 29 about a mile from my exit, when I hit a patch of black ice and my back tires just slid out from underneath me! There wasn't much I could say or do. I tried steering into it, but that did nothing. I screamed the only words that could come out of my mouth "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD" I must have said it at least four times in the three or four seconds it took for my truck to finally spin around and, with the left front fender, hit a wooden 4x4 signpost (snapped that baby like a toothpick!), and ended up about three feet from the sign post with my rear tires firmly implanted in a snowbank!
Fortunately, there was a Good Samaritan behind me who immediately stopped to make sure I was OK. Joe Miller was on his way to work at Freedom Homes in Dorchester, WI. He got in my truck with me and "rocked" it back and forth to get it out of the snowbank. It only took about 10 minutes to do that -- as he had to be watchful of traffic on the highway. I hope they know what a great employee they have in Joe! I'm planning on sending a thank you gift to him because he really was my hero that morning!
In this first picture, taken with my cell phone, you can see the ruts left by my truck after we drove it out of the snowbank.
By the grace of God, I was not really hurt in the accident. I did notice a sore back and neck, but that seems to be going away. As everyone knows how much I love my truck, the truck can rather easily be fixed -- not so with me. I'm eternally grateful that I wasn't hurt, but I can't help but be bummed about my truck. So far, the damage doesn't seem to be too bad, all things considered.
Here's a picture -- again, taken with my cell phone, so it's kind of small:
Now what you don't really see is that the hood has a nice crinkle in it, and there's a big dent on top of the hood, where the sign must have hit it. The bumper is also messed up so that will be replaced as well. It's also pulling quite hard when I brake, so it's going into the frame and alignment shop, first. They'll put it on a machine that will not only check the alignment, but the suspension and everything else, too. I told the body shop manager that I'm concerned because of the heavy towing we do and I want to make sure that everything is fixed properly. The truck is going to a GM dealer as the only folks who have EVER worked on my truck besides me have been GM dealers with certified technicians. Even my oil changes are done that way. I take VERY good care of my truck and considering the cost of a new one, I want to make sure that everything is done according to what GM says needs to be done and by having everything done at the dealer, they have accurate and complete records of everything, should something go wrong.
We've come to the conclusion that had I not hit that sign and had there not been a snowbank there, I most likely would have gone "a$$ over teakettle" into the BIG ditch and not been anywhere near as lucky as I was! The thought of that just scares the hell out of me, so I try VERY hard not to think about it. I spent Tuesday night chatting with some friends on the phone and having one or two too many cocktails. Not surprising, considering the way the day started!
We're dropping my truck off on Sunday so the alignment shop can look at it on Monday. On Tuesday, they'll start the body work. They've already ordered the parts, based on the estimate from the adjuster that came to look at my truck yesterday. They figure it will be done by Friday. It's going to be a LONG week without my baby!
OK, on to other news. Yesterday, I got home about 5:30 p.m., after stopping at the grocery store and as I was unloading the truck, I saw two young men walking up the road . . . usually, that means car troubles. I looked, and sure enough, just down the road a bit, was their car on the side of the road. I asked if they were OK and they said they ran out of gas. I had a 5 gal. gas can that had maybe a gallon of unleaded in it (from our lawnmower) and offered it to them. They tried to give me a handful of change and even insisted -- "Gas is $3.00 a gallon!" -- but I said no, just bring the gas can back.
A few minutes later, they pulled into the drive. I guess it was enough to get their car going (they said they only had a mile or two to go to get home). When they handed me the gas can, again, they tried to pay me, and of course, I told them no. I told them to just "pay it forward." It felt good to be able to help someone else out so quickly after I was helped, even if it was just giving someone a gallon of gas.
I must say, I couldn't help what I said next:
As a mom, I'm going to holler at you. It's below zero outside and you're walking up the road in SWEATSHIRTS with no jackets, hats or gloves! What's the matter with you! You need to at least keep some coats and gloves in the car. Next, in this kind of weather, you should NEVER let your car get below half full! Of course, I'm saying that as a mom and that's exactly what I tell my OWN kids. Please be careful and get home safe.
I certainly didn't "holler," but you get the picture. I'm sure those boys went home and told their parents what I said. I can only imagine their own mom saying "SHE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! Good for her!" It brings a smile to my face, because the boys really looked quite chagrined when I said that! I'm sure it's not something they'll soon forget and hopefully a lesson learned.
Now, it's Friday and I'm off to my parents' house tomorrow to do some painting. With dad's gout, he just can't climb up and down the extension ladder to paint the very high parts of the walls in their great room. So, lucky me, I get to do that!
I don't really mind, though. They do a lot to help us out and mom comes and works in the store whenever we need her, so it's the least I can do, and it will make them very happy to have their room finished. Mom called me this morning to tell me that dad had an epiphany! They have two cars and a Chevy Blazer. They kept the Blazer when mom got her new car because it's the only vehicle they have that can tow their boat. Well, obviously, they're not using the boat in the winter, so they said we can take the Blazer tomorrow for me to drive while my truck's in the shop! We'll get it back to them at some point when we go there to visit, or they'll get it when they come here. How awesome is that! It will really make life easier, I'll tell you that! Course, that means that Greg is coming with me tomorrow, and we don't have a lot of time because he has to work at County Market at 4, but there's not a lot I have to paint, so we shouldn't have a problem.
So, things are going well. It's funny how when you have an accident, one of the first things you do is thank God that you're not hurt (or not hurt bad) and that it's not as bad as it "could have" been. Here's hoping no one else has to say that kind of prayer!
Julie
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