That was close (and a PSA)

This afternoon we were on our way to the city Rush, my mother and step-father live in to go have a Christmas supper with them.  Everyone was excited and anticipating a great visit.

As we drove we pulled up behind a car that was being driven a little um, unsafely, so B.D. decided he could just whip around it. Just as we pulled out we hit a stretch of glare ice on the highway, our traction control kicked in and he lost control of our car.

At that moment we should have rolled our car down the embankment of the "on-coming traffic lane" but we did not.  B.D. tried regaining control of the car but to no avail. We then did a 180, slide backwards for a few yards and began to do yet another 180. As my window was passing the driver of the other car's window, we made eye contact with each other in an incredibly strange & eery moment that seemed to last minutes instead of mere milliseconds. We tapped, yes, tapped the very corner of her back bumper, spun out of control again, did another wierd spin of some kind and wound up half buried in the ditch of the lane on the highway we were headed in the first place.

The girl of the Charger (the other vehicle) spun out of control, rolled down the embankment of the ditch we should have initially gone down and totalled her car. When all the snow cleared, we found her bottoms up near the tree line of the ditch. She has some minor scratches and bruising but is otherwise (currently known to us) fine.  We were all bumped around and, obviously, frightened but let me tell you something.  The only damage to our car is two minor chips in the paint and a small corner in one of the signal lights chipped out.

As we play the accident out in our heads now, it really could have played out a lot differently and with fatal results for the members of both vehicles.

Our city lost a police officer yesterday because of a similar accident; he was 30 some years old. We mourn his passing and the loss his family and our city has endured with the loss of an incredibly wonderful police officer.

We are stiff and sore; Bug & I moreso than Jellybean and B.D. but we were both on the passenger side of the car and absorbed most of the bouncing, jostling and banging around. Tomorrow may be difficult for sore muscles to raise us out of bed but I am grateful for such a little problem.

On our way home, after being pulled out of the ditch from the tow truck driver, our car overheated. When we stopped & opened the hood to see what was the matter, our engine was PACKED with snow.  With both B.D.  & I digging out the snow, we were stopped on the side of the road for a half an hour. 

Wait time buried in the ditch was an hour and a half; ten minutes later "stranded" on the side of the road for another 30 minutes.  Here is where my Public Service Announcement comes in: When you are traveling ALWAYS, ALWAYS, AWAYS keep a winter survival kit in your car!  We were fortunate that we had brought the kids' snowpants, had a sleeping bag and made them remember the toques and mitts.  Besides that though: granola bars, candles, water, flashlight, batteries, etc.  For a more comprehensive and professional list look here (remember though that this list is geared toward Canada but I am certain it would come in very handy for at least the northern States!)