Near-Death Experience, April '09
The Universe made another in a long series of half-assed attempts on my life yesterday, further reinforcing my notion that it won't say "Natural causes" in that blank on the death certificate. And as usual, I didn't see this one coming.
I was driving down to Tacoma to see my mother for Sunday dinner and to do her taxes. I-5 southbound was fairly open, with good weather and no trouble in sight, so I was doing about 55. I was just about at the Convention Center when I felt/heard a CHUNK! but didn't know what hit me. Then I noticed in the rearview mirror that the back windshield had shattered (but not fallen in). Our first day of springtime sunshine worked against me, as the bright light caught on all the cracks in the glass, making it blindingly bright. So I had no rear vision.
I managed to exit just past the brewery (what're they calling the brewery now? The roastery, or just The Old Brewery?), turn around and head back to the apartment. Late in the afternoon on a Sunday is no time to be calling around for deals on autoglass. I'm sure I could get one of these 24-hour autoglass repair places to do it, if I had a budget for that sort of thing. No, I don't have comprehensive insurance on this car: I paid $500 for it at an impound auction a few years ago, and it has a bluebook value of zero. So that leaves me to pay this out of pocket. I'm looking to get a used windshield at a wrecking yard, then have it installed. Got a line on a windshield out in south Seattle, for $50, but I'd have to pull it myself. I'll look at my own vehicle tonight, see if that's something I can pull off (no pun intended, now or ever).
Just what the hell hit me I don't know: there was nothing at the site of the impact on the glass, I'm thinking it was something heavy that fell/was dropped from one of the overpasses. When I think about it, had I been travelling any slower, if would've landed sooner and taken out my front windshield, and quite possibly me with it. Even if it didn't kill me instantly, it would still mean a shattered windshield when I was driving 55 or 60 right past all those downtown exits. I almost certainly would've wrecked, maybe taking out one or two other vehicles as well. Not a pleasant thought. Moments like this I try to think of myself as lucky (though annoyed).
I was driving down to Tacoma to see my mother for Sunday dinner and to do her taxes. I-5 southbound was fairly open, with good weather and no trouble in sight, so I was doing about 55. I was just about at the Convention Center when I felt/heard a CHUNK! but didn't know what hit me. Then I noticed in the rearview mirror that the back windshield had shattered (but not fallen in). Our first day of springtime sunshine worked against me, as the bright light caught on all the cracks in the glass, making it blindingly bright. So I had no rear vision.
I managed to exit just past the brewery (what're they calling the brewery now? The roastery, or just The Old Brewery?), turn around and head back to the apartment. Late in the afternoon on a Sunday is no time to be calling around for deals on autoglass. I'm sure I could get one of these 24-hour autoglass repair places to do it, if I had a budget for that sort of thing. No, I don't have comprehensive insurance on this car: I paid $500 for it at an impound auction a few years ago, and it has a bluebook value of zero. So that leaves me to pay this out of pocket. I'm looking to get a used windshield at a wrecking yard, then have it installed. Got a line on a windshield out in south Seattle, for $50, but I'd have to pull it myself. I'll look at my own vehicle tonight, see if that's something I can pull off (no pun intended, now or ever).
Just what the hell hit me I don't know: there was nothing at the site of the impact on the glass, I'm thinking it was something heavy that fell/was dropped from one of the overpasses. When I think about it, had I been travelling any slower, if would've landed sooner and taken out my front windshield, and quite possibly me with it. Even if it didn't kill me instantly, it would still mean a shattered windshield when I was driving 55 or 60 right past all those downtown exits. I almost certainly would've wrecked, maybe taking out one or two other vehicles as well. Not a pleasant thought. Moments like this I try to think of myself as lucky (though annoyed).
posted by Russ the Librarian at 1:50 PM
1 Comments:
Hey, Russ!!
Glad you are still with us!! You're right. Lucky it didn't hit sooner!
I'm going to be in Tacoma from the 21st (really late) to the 26th. If you could, let our friend know I will be at the same place I was for reunion, that would be cool! Last I heard, he was working at the A Street Depot.
Email me at lavenderwolf_6@yahoo.com and I will give you my cell # to forward his way. I would have e-mailed you direct, but I got phished, and lost your new e-mail address.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Irene
Post a Comment
<< Home