Lucky to be Alive!

Settled for a Jeep

For ten years before I had Pepper I drove a silver corvette. When she came along it was impossible to fit a stroller with baby garb in a sports car. I parked the Vet for quite sometime before I relented to sell it! Memories of youth were tied up with the car, now referred to as my disco car. I shake my head in wonder at what the heck the allure was way back then.

Oil Change

I settled on Cherokee jeep with a custom diesel engine, secretly longing for a sportier car. After three months, we had the standard check up! A young mechanic at the dealership forgot to return the plug after the oil change. The car seized five blocks down the road. We were furious to say the least, thankfully the dealers insurance covered it.

The Clutch

If I recall it took eight weeks to get the new eight thousand dollar custom diesel engine from Paris. I was floored when a year later they had to replace the clutch. I was a consciences driver, careful not to ride the clutch; it was later revealed complications from the replacement engine installation caused the clutch to wear unreasonably sooner than expected.

Frost

Two weeks after the clutch was repaired I left for work at six twenty on Saturday morning in late January 1987. It was a clear morning; frost layered the lawns, a deer posed on my neighbor’s acre property. I checked the brakes for black ice on the vacant road in front of the house, as I mired the beauty of the deer. The car halted with ease.

Black Ice

A moment later I continued on my trek to work, maneuvering the back roads to save time. I spotted flashing cars lights ten minutes into my drive. It was a fairly desolate street. Apprehension washed over me. I wondered who or what was up ahead. Before I could finish my thought, I went into an uncontrollable spin. Desperately trying to regain control, I drove against the black ice. The jeep landed in a deep ditch driver side down. Minutes later two long haired young men knocked on the door. In my shock, all I could think was oh great now I’m going to be raped. I shook off the silliness and opened the passenger side door. They pulled me out. My three quarter length winter coat, was covered in mud. In my gall I asked them to retrieve my purse. Realizing later just how nervy that was!

Emergency workers

People from a near by house took me in. Police and ambulance were called immediately. I had tiny abrasions on my hands from the shattered window, not a hair on my solidly sprayed head was out of place. I amused the medics with my witty antics, entertaining them, while they assessed my injuries, asking questions in search of brain trauma. They voiced their amazement that I wasn’t critically hurt or killed instantly.

The attending officer also spun out of control on the same road stopping centimeters away from landing on top of my jeep. The men shook their heads while exchanging perplexities about what a lucky woman I was. Having survived such an ordeal basically unscathed. Save a minor seat belt injury, a few tiny abrasions on my hands and face, which cleared up shortly after.

Officially Totaled

The car was totaled, the officers statement about road conditions insured that I was in a brand new car within a week. It wasn’t a diesel, or the color I wanted. So grateful to be alive, the type or color of the car became irrelevant.

Was that jeep a lemon? Or cursed? Or was it just one of those unfortunate life experiences I needed to endure?

Changed the position of the Baby seat

I was so grateful Pepper was not in the car that morning, as she would have been on a normal week day. From that day forward I placed her infant car seat in the middle of the back bench rather than in the passenger seat beside me!