Not My Normal Friday

I had a very important medical appointment scheduled for 9:4o this morning and the Dr's office is about an hour away. I woke with a migraine, downed 2 Excedrin Migraine, dragged myself to get ready and left by 8:45. So far, so "good."

I got out to Rt 30 and got stuck behind a flatbed truck. One of the features that I love about the new Rt 3o traffic circles is that they are two lanes wide. So as the truck and I approached the circle I considered passing it. But I decided there was no real reason to...he wasn't driving too slowly and I wasn't running late. So I let him merge in front of me and continued to follow him on Rt 30.

About a half a mile later, it happened. The truck and I came to a ridge at a top of a hill and the cars in front of us had, unknown to us, slammed on their brakes for some reason. There was nothing we could do. The truck slammed on its brakes sending smoke and rubber flying as it crashed into a small white car. I slammed on my brakes, sending the contents of my car flying forward. As the truck swerved to the right into a lawn, I swerved to the left to miss both vehicles. An oncoming car had already swerved onto the shoulder so I had room to pass through and avoid the entire accident. Unbelievable! On the lawn where the truck landed were two little girls screaming their heads off as they were chasing the cause of the accident...

Yes, their stray dachshund donning a green coat was darting back and forth in traffic. Not kidding.

I pulled over to make sure everyone was alright and to wait for the police so I could offer to be a witness. The girls caught their dog and ran to their house. I never saw them again. I waited for about 15 minutes but when the police still hadn't arrived I told the men involved that I really needed to go. I left them my name and number if needed but I never got a call.

I got in my car, checked my phone and discovered a sweet message from a friend saying she was thinking about me (thanks, friend!). I headed to my appointment knowing I was now going to be cutting it close. As I replayed the accident in my mind (with my headache now raging) it dawned on me. If I had passed that truck at the traffic circle, I would have been the one to rear end the white car and I mostly likely would have been hit by the truck from behind. There was no way the truck could have stopped in time to avoid hitting me. I would have been sandwiched between the white car and the truck. Now I was shaking.

I turned onto Rt 91 and got stuck behind a John Deere tractor. Good grief. He turned shortly.

I approached Rt 32 in Gamber and a cop was following me. Now I had to drive slowly! Time to call the Dr's office. I explained, they understood and told me to take my time.

On Rt 32 in Howard Co I sat in construction...not moving. By this time I had "given up"...there was nothing I could do, everything was out of my control so I might as well be calm about it all.

I arrived only 15 minutes late.
I survived the medical procedure.
And I lived another day to tell about it.

And I'm still not a dog-lover.