Cop: It was like one carnival ride, yeah?
Tina: Yeah, it was.
Cop: You like carnival rides?
Tina: Not this one.
Today I washed my car and cleaned the interior of trash. Then I took it down to Jiffy Lube for a safety inspection. Then I drove to the library and borrowed a book on Oahu activities. Then I swerved into a hill, crashed, and almost killed myself.
You wanna talk about blog worthy ...
Car Day, Part II (edit: 8.24 pm)
Okay, so I think I have finally reached the mindset of accepting the fact that the experience happened and it's gone now. The memory isn't as vivid and my nerves have calm down enough where I can make clever remarks about it.
Basically I was on my way home and was about to take the off ramp towards my neighborhood. The car in front of me began to slow down and I began to do the same. Suddenly, it shifted into the next lane and standing right before me, ready to take me down with the strength of a Chinese army was ... a bucket. I wish I could say it was Neo from the Matrix, palm flat out and ready to defy the laws of physics, but no. It was a fucking bucket that almost killed me today.
I swerved and lost control of the car.
When I stumbled out, cars began to stop and a guy on the side of the road came by to help me. I think this is the guy who dropped the bucket in the middle of my lane but at the time I was pretty shaken and didn't put two and two together. The EMT's drove by and checked up on me. I told them I was fine though when they asked me what date it was, I told them it was January 30th from being so hysterical.
Then the cops came, the tow truck came, and Nick and my dad eventually came like the calvary. Nick said he broke a few rules while driving to get to me. I've never been more appreciative of his disregard for the law.
To answer Meis760's question, yes time did slow down. Or it didn't. It's hard to explain. Because trying to recall it is hard as it happened in moments. These moments, however, were very long and vivid. I guess the best way to explain it is to picture a flip book. When you flip the pages, you get the just of what's happening in seconds. Yet, when you take each page, you can only remember certain pages because of certain details. I find this the best way to describe it.
As I was turning down from the hill, I remember seeing the ground in front of me and thinking, "Okay this is it."
And that's it. Literally. That was all. I didn't scream. I wasn't sad or angry or scared for that matter-- At least, not in the moment. I just thought that quietly in my head. Looking back on that thought, I now realize what I was really coming to terms with: "Okay, this is it. The pavement is going to slam on my face as I make my way down and I am going to die and that's okay because it's just going to be another experience I will have to deal with."
All of that in one single, simple thought. It's so weird to recall that now. It's like I was watching a movie.
I'm not trying to be melodramatic here. (Of course, compare this to your average "Ways Xanga Has Disappointed Me" blog and hands down, I should be expecting a "Welcome Back to Not Dying!" pie of eprops from the Xanga team.) But as I stumbled out, I looked at my poor, trashed car and realized that somebody else would've had to explain what happened to my dad today if it didn't end up the way it did. And that's pretty damn lucky.
Tomorrow, I don't have work. I don't have a car, either. But I don't think I want to worry too much about that right now.
Comments (23)
Yeah, that definitely qualifies as blog worthy. Glad you're OK!!
You first! No injuries? I would imagine that can shake you up. Did time slow down? The important thing is that you're well and not in a worse state. Every day sure is precious.
Inanimate objects second. Insurance got it covered?
Good. Not dead = more blog entries. Thanks.
Sounds like a 12 coupon ride to me.
I'll show you mine.
Thank goodness you survived, without injury! And as you play it over in your head you can become proud of how you reacted throughout the experience.
that's my biggest pet peeve, when people swerve in to the other lane only to leave you barreling down on some car/object that is stopped in the middle of the road. i hate that shit!
and um...january 30th? seriously?
Dear Tina,
I don't blog like other folks, but I try to spend some time when I'm visitng a blog. I read your entries about your pictures, Cinderella, having no electricity. (I work in the electrical industry) and this one.
I've noticed some young bloggers do post an astounding amount of photos of themselves. I post photos too, but usually when I'm on an excursion, so I'm not just "posing" in my room, for gosh sakes.
I liked your assessment of Disney princesses and how Disney is somewhat catching up with the times. It's only been recently that women have even gained respect as equals to men, and according to some men, they don't believe this has happened. The Women's Liberation movement in the 70s opened a lot of doors.
Your entry about electricity seemed to talk about the internet a lot. We had electricity but no internet for many years. People just watched TV then. I always pull out a book and a candle during blackouts.
So sorry about your car. I've been in so many car wrecks I lost count. But it was long ago. I think the last wreck I was in was with my motorcycle in the late 80s.
Hope you get your car fixed. Do they say it's the guy with the bucket's fault? Somebody tried to make a lane change into my car (I drive a small convwertible sports car) the other day, and I got so spooked I had to pull over to the side of the road to calm down. He didn't hit me, but if the lane to my right hadn't been open at the time, I would have been crushed between two cars.
Glad you weren't hurt.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
Dear Tina,
Oh, I forgot to give you congratulations for your featured "top five" entry.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
@utlawgirl - You bet. The ambulance guy was like, "Coming?" and I was like, "With you guys? No way. I've got a blog to write."
@Meis760 - I think insurance should cover most of it. I lucked out on great parents. My dad pays for my car insurance and had put down a lot of money on the car when I bought it. I think that's the only reason why I'm sad right now. I'm really close with my parents so I hate to put them in this situation. They insist they would rather be paying the insurance company instead of the funeral parlor though :(
@Zombies_Ate_My_Neighbors - Well, then again, dead = zombie blogs and a chance to recreate Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video.
@Nampambulisti - I'm counting my broken dreams of turning that car into a bat mobile as an injury.
@bryantomato - Just wait until my "Survived Cowboy Style Gun Shoot Out During Tornado" blog. That shit will keep me Xanga real.
@soulsdream - Hah! That's exactly what the EMT was thinking. I said January 30th and he gave me this face like, What the fuck is wrong with you? I should have replied with, "Oh, pardon me. My apologies. I just slammed myself against a fucking hill.
Seriously, cars need to build a "Hey, there's a bucket and you might die from it" turn signal. Would've really helped.
@baldmike2004 -
On the subject of posting pictures: YES! That's exactly what I'm talking about. I see people like that and I'm like, 'GO OUTSIDE AND TAKE A PICTURE!'
On the subject of women liberation: As much as I'm not a big Hilary fan, you have to admit that she's a good example of that women's liberation movement.
On the subject of electricity loss: I always pull out an orphan and make them dance by candle light. *shrugs*
On the subject of my car: No. But they definitely said it wasn't my fault. I told them about the bucket, but I didn't realize that the guy who was there in the first place was probably the guy who was trying to grab the bucket at the time. I was pissed off to realize that. I'm glad you're okay, too. Some crazy shit happens on the road, huh?
@tinahawt - cement you in history, even.
@tinahawt - I personally like to recreate "Beat It", stylish rythmic knifefights and all.
oh my--glad to hear you're still alive
@bryantomato -
*wakes up from power nap*
*sees Bryan Tomato with huge cement mixer in front of bed*
What are you doing?
*Bryan Tomato turns on huge cement mixer*
*cements Tina in history*
@Zombies_Ate_My_Neighbors - I personally recreate stylish rhythmic knife fights with myself ALL the time.
@genesis83 - Thanks. You're one of the few. I'm sure some leader of a terrible ninja gang is saying in some abandoned warehouse, "What? You mean the bucket didn't kill her? IMBECILES!!!"
Oh man, nothing like a near death experience to make you appreiciate....
Xanga. Oh, and life.
Glad youre here to blog and leave me funny comments.
You can walk now, who needs a car. They rape you with gas prices anyway. Bend over, no wait, You dont have to bed over. Eff cars, theyre overrated!
@Consenttotreatment - But I like contributing to global warming :(
@tinahawt - Oh in that case I will take a long car ride for you tomorrow. In memory of your car.
I will contribute for both of us.
Cause Im caring like that
@tinahawt -
*stows cement block under random sidewalk*
be proud of yourself. you will be revived by aliens after humans go extinct like the poor dinos did. And uh, I threw your laptop in with you.
@bryantomato - Great. That way when the archaeologists chip away at the stone and find me, they can see my corpse and go, "Oh god. We have a blogger."
@tinahawt - damn. you = win. *waves white flag*
@bryantomato - Hahaha! Were we having a battle of witty remarks? That's awesome :D
@tinahawt - I'll just sulk into a corner and cry! T.T
Just so happy to hear you are OK.
@cral7616 - Thanks :)