So Here's a Question for You
Last night I was randomly surfing around and caught a phrase on a page so random I can't even find it back. But the person said he had never been in a car accident. I found that so hard to believe since I practically have a CAREER in the Car Accidental Arts. So I'm asking... How Many Car Accidents Have You Been In? Driver or Poor Helpless Passenger. (And I'm talking like full-on call-the-cops type... not those little backed-into-the-neighbor's-mailbox type. *ahem*)
I can think of five in the last 12 years. Two of which involved nice little rides in the ambulance. There's a potential sixth, but no cops were involved.
1. The Drunk Driver Accident. The end of my sophomore year. It was prom night, and my girlfriends and I were riding around in my mom's new convertible after helping a friend of ours get ready to go to the dance. We were at a complete stop at the stoplight, when this 4x4 MONSTER TRUCK came barreling up behind us slamming on his brakes at the last minute, but still clipping the back corner of the car. Based on his breath, he had clearly been drinking but he worked for the city so never was tested for sobriety.
2. The Des Moines Accident. December, my senior year. Six friends and I packed in a mini-van and went to visit our other friends at college in Pella. On our way home, some dude had foggy windows and tried to cross the four-lane highway right in front of us. Bad plan. I was in the back seat on the right side and ended up sort of sprawled across the front passenger seat as we stopped nose-down in the ditch. Two guys in front had seatbelts on. None of the rest of us did. All but one of us were taken to the hospital in ambulances. Thankfully everybody checked out okay, though I had the world's largest bruise EVER from hip to knee and from front to back. Then we just had to wait for our parents to come five hours to pick us up.
3. The Ozarks Icestorm Accident. January, 1997. We were on the road and had spent the night in Missouri. Our show that day was cancelled, because school was cancelled due to an ICESTORM. I don't know if our road manager or our director was to blame, but somehow it was decided that we were going to set out for our next destination in Arkansas since we had an extra day to "take it slow". I just remember thinking how beautiful the trees looked covered in their ice crystal shells. Then the fishtailing began. Much fishtailing ensued. The next thing I remember is being upside-down and facing the opposite direction. And I didn't want to crawl out the window, because half the mountain had come into the van and the only thing I could think was that I didn't want to get dirty. Again, thankfully all nine of us got out okay, but a few of us, me included, were taken to the hospital to get checked out. A truck driver who witnessed it said he was afraid to come over, because he thought for sure he was going to find dead bodies.
4. The First Manda Accident: Side-Swiping (You know I love you, right?) :) Four years ago. Manda, being the bestest best friend ever, drove me down to Nashville for my job interview and to help me look for cute apartments. We were just about to leave Brentwood to head for home, and while getting on the on-ramp, she failed to notice the little red upside-down triangular sign and just sort of bumped up against a large pick-up truck. The gentleman was very nice though. (Was he hitting on you?) And I think I remember taking a polaroid of Manda talking to the cop. I'm so much fun to have around during stressful situations.
5. The Second Manda Accident: Rear-Ending December 2002. This time we were getting ready to go to the airport, and the combo late-breaking and bad brakes led us to sorta hit a car in front of us who in turn hit the car in front of them (a Jag). You can read the details in my post here.
5.5 The Parking Lot Incident My junior year. I was in a hurry to get off work for some reason and didn't wait long enough for my back window to defrost. I sorta clipped another guy's car as I was pulling out of the employee parking area. But we each just called our dads, and no police were ever involved. But that was the only one that was my fault.
So yeah... what are your stories?
Bat Watch 2005: Day One
So last night I moved a patio chair to the back of my dad's truck and stared at the corner of the house where my closet is for about an hour. Waiting. Waiting for the little creatures to emerge. Sure enough. Shortly after nine, one appeared in the general area I suspected and took flight. So I made the entire household come outside with the flashlight and pointed out where we needed to have someone patch holes.
I went to bed happy and satisfied that I was one step closer to getting rid of them. Happy, that is, until 3:10 this morning.
I had decided to sleep in the other bedroom another night because my things were already in there, and I figured it would be quieter. Wrong. Seems we have more than one bat, as I feared. They also live in this other corner of the house, and they come home at OBSCENE hours! (The first bunch at 3:10, and the rest at 4:15.)
I should just take a picture of the house so you can see what I mean.. but outside the window in that bedroom, there is a bit of roof that slants down. This is also known as the landing strip for these little critters... because I would hear the scratching as they landed there, and then the flittering of their wings as they scooted through whatever hole was there, and then the internal shuffling as they must each tell the rest of the group to move over.
Almost makes me gag just thinking about it. But yeah, it's an old house made the old way with plaster walls and little insulation. I'm sure there is plenty of room for a little bat colony. *retch*
Dad's bringing home his big ladder tonight, so we'll see what happens on BAT WATCH 2005: DAY TWO!
Happiness is...
...coffeeee
Last night I was randomly surfing around and caught a phrase on a page so random I can't even find it back. But the person said he had never been in a car accident. I found that so hard to believe since I practically have a CAREER in the Car Accidental Arts. So I'm asking... How Many Car Accidents Have You Been In? Driver or Poor Helpless Passenger. (And I'm talking like full-on call-the-cops type... not those little backed-into-the-neighbor's-mailbox type. *ahem*)
I can think of five in the last 12 years. Two of which involved nice little rides in the ambulance. There's a potential sixth, but no cops were involved.
1. The Drunk Driver Accident. The end of my sophomore year. It was prom night, and my girlfriends and I were riding around in my mom's new convertible after helping a friend of ours get ready to go to the dance. We were at a complete stop at the stoplight, when this 4x4 MONSTER TRUCK came barreling up behind us slamming on his brakes at the last minute, but still clipping the back corner of the car. Based on his breath, he had clearly been drinking but he worked for the city so never was tested for sobriety.
2. The Des Moines Accident. December, my senior year. Six friends and I packed in a mini-van and went to visit our other friends at college in Pella. On our way home, some dude had foggy windows and tried to cross the four-lane highway right in front of us. Bad plan. I was in the back seat on the right side and ended up sort of sprawled across the front passenger seat as we stopped nose-down in the ditch. Two guys in front had seatbelts on. None of the rest of us did. All but one of us were taken to the hospital in ambulances. Thankfully everybody checked out okay, though I had the world's largest bruise EVER from hip to knee and from front to back. Then we just had to wait for our parents to come five hours to pick us up.
3. The Ozarks Icestorm Accident. January, 1997. We were on the road and had spent the night in Missouri. Our show that day was cancelled, because school was cancelled due to an ICESTORM. I don't know if our road manager or our director was to blame, but somehow it was decided that we were going to set out for our next destination in Arkansas since we had an extra day to "take it slow". I just remember thinking how beautiful the trees looked covered in their ice crystal shells. Then the fishtailing began. Much fishtailing ensued. The next thing I remember is being upside-down and facing the opposite direction. And I didn't want to crawl out the window, because half the mountain had come into the van and the only thing I could think was that I didn't want to get dirty. Again, thankfully all nine of us got out okay, but a few of us, me included, were taken to the hospital to get checked out. A truck driver who witnessed it said he was afraid to come over, because he thought for sure he was going to find dead bodies.
4. The First Manda Accident: Side-Swiping (You know I love you, right?) :) Four years ago. Manda, being the bestest best friend ever, drove me down to Nashville for my job interview and to help me look for cute apartments. We were just about to leave Brentwood to head for home, and while getting on the on-ramp, she failed to notice the little red upside-down triangular sign and just sort of bumped up against a large pick-up truck. The gentleman was very nice though. (Was he hitting on you?) And I think I remember taking a polaroid of Manda talking to the cop. I'm so much fun to have around during stressful situations.
5. The Second Manda Accident: Rear-Ending December 2002. This time we were getting ready to go to the airport, and the combo late-breaking and bad brakes led us to sorta hit a car in front of us who in turn hit the car in front of them (a Jag). You can read the details in my post here.
5.5 The Parking Lot Incident My junior year. I was in a hurry to get off work for some reason and didn't wait long enough for my back window to defrost. I sorta clipped another guy's car as I was pulling out of the employee parking area. But we each just called our dads, and no police were ever involved. But that was the only one that was my fault.
So yeah... what are your stories?
Bat Watch 2005: Day OneSo last night I moved a patio chair to the back of my dad's truck and stared at the corner of the house where my closet is for about an hour. Waiting. Waiting for the little creatures to emerge. Sure enough. Shortly after nine, one appeared in the general area I suspected and took flight. So I made the entire household come outside with the flashlight and pointed out where we needed to have someone patch holes.
I went to bed happy and satisfied that I was one step closer to getting rid of them. Happy, that is, until 3:10 this morning.
I had decided to sleep in the other bedroom another night because my things were already in there, and I figured it would be quieter. Wrong. Seems we have more than one bat, as I feared. They also live in this other corner of the house, and they come home at OBSCENE hours! (The first bunch at 3:10, and the rest at 4:15.)
I should just take a picture of the house so you can see what I mean.. but outside the window in that bedroom, there is a bit of roof that slants down. This is also known as the landing strip for these little critters... because I would hear the scratching as they landed there, and then the flittering of their wings as they scooted through whatever hole was there, and then the internal shuffling as they must each tell the rest of the group to move over.
Almost makes me gag just thinking about it. But yeah, it's an old house made the old way with plaster walls and little insulation. I'm sure there is plenty of room for a little bat colony. *retch*
Dad's bringing home his big ladder tonight, so we'll see what happens on BAT WATCH 2005: DAY TWO!
Happiness is......coffeeee
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