New pursuit

It appears I'm not up a creek without a paddle after all. Carol and I will be dipping our toes in the water as we clamber into our new kayaks this summer. Between spending time at the camp or at a campground with access to a pond we've wanted our own means to get out on the water and explore the shorelines. We're especially eager to be out during the early morning and evening calm periods which are so peaceful. Besides the kayaks and paddles we bought life jackets and an emergency kit. Once we try them out there will probably be several more items we'll want though our approach will be on the low key end of things.

just a little is enough becomes a little bit different

I guess it's time to change the look of "just a little is enough". Blogger or Blogspot as the entity that provides my blogging space has updated the space I manage the blog in with a new clean look. It's ok, I've been rather comfortable in the old system, and the previous design since my first blog on March 18, 2006. So while the change over took place whether I liked it or not I decided try a design change to go with it. I could switch back but I'll give this a little time though I imagine I'll get used to it.

To be fit is to fit it into my schedule

Wow, actually made it to Planet Fitness today. It's been over two weeks. What with working late more frequently than I care for I tend to go straight home. Of course I could have gone after working late, and get home later or on the weekend do yard work and whatever else then go late and workout and get home late. That just doesn't work for me. What I like is to get out of work a 4pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, get to PF, get in my routine, get home a little late but still have a bit of a evening. The rest of the days being more traditional. Just the way I am and will continue to be. At least I aim to be there on my schedule.

Ramifications - mind the GAP

As Carol and I were in the process of being tortured with paper work for the purchase of that earlier truck we submitted to adding GAP (Guaranteed Auto Protection) coverage to the financing. Though it would be nice to portend that we had the wisdom of age by our side it wasn't something from all the other vehicles financed over the years we'd have expected needing. So in spite of ourselves we are very happy that we did make that addition. With the lost of the 2007 Tundra regular auto insurance wouldn't cover the entire financed cost and as we all know - as soon as you drive it out of the car dealership it start depreciating. The GAP will cover that difference. To collect that money though involves providing several pieces of information of which I am in the process of doing. Like many folks I'm not good at reading through the instructions provided of what I need to pull together. The list is strung out in a long sentence in the midst of all the explanations of what's covered, payoffs, definitions, etc. So I typed out each item that needed attending on a separate line so I could better keep track of my progress. Funny how a little white space can clear things up.

Family Flu

The flu bug is making the rounds and has now caught up with my beloved. Earlier Carol's sister Elaine had an awful time with it well into last week. Then their brother Greg came up last week from Texas for their sister Lois' birthday party at Elaine's on Sunday and stayed with us a couple of nights then moved on to Elaine's and came down with the flu. He wasn't doing too well by Sunday evening and was scheduled to fly home Monday, I wonder how that went. Finally Carol came down with it at work today and is quite under weather right now. Could be my turn soon but I'm hope that this winter's flu shot will hold the fort.

Ramifications - vehicle shopping Part 2

It's done, we bought a 2010 Toyota Tundra Thursday night, wrapped up the paperwork mid-day Friday and I drove it to work, then home. We're quite happy with it, similar color outside, gray instead of black inside. Bluetooth and a better radio system, includes XM though I'm not subscribing yet. Side benefit, had the brake box for a trailer left in it by the previous owner. Forgot to take the one in the F-150 before trading it for the 07. Also has the extended side mirrors, makes backing the truck into the garage a little tricky. Carol had done a ton of researching this and the last purchase. She probably knew every used Tundra at a dealership for southern Maine and eastern New Hampshire. We went in to look at a 2010 white Tundra and ended up with this trailer pulling ready model with only 22,000 miles - what a gal to be married to!

Too early yet to tell if this ends the "ramifications" of the accident that began it all but for the most part it should. The insurance companies are still shaking out their end of things and I hope to see the final accident report which won't be available for another month or so but that's just curiosity. Good timing on the purchase as I'll be picking up the camper from storage next weekend. My goal for this week, a mundane week.

a pound of flesh, one small piece at a time

As I may have mentioned, I have a terrific job that suits me just fine and pays well. That doesn't mean that all is peaches and cream either. Today was a good example of bits and pieces of my brain being slowly eroded into the jelly that surrounds the Vienna Sausages in the can. It was a day of starts and stops, hard to define on my timesheet which may look like a book of fiction to the trained eye. Actually I could probably roll yesterday's time into the equation. Between figuring out the best ways to produce certain graphics projects and other requests that were needed "ASAP" (oh how I hate that term) the whole train of thought thing was completely off the tracks. Four new proposals to be worked on came to light today so keeping busy shouldn't be a problem and another week will fly by. Wave now. By the way, it's been a long time but I like vienna sausages.

Ramifications - vehicle shopping Part 1

After being ripped open for a closer examination.

Still waiting for the settlement on the truck - cripes this thing is dragging out but we did get pre-approved for a loan from the credit union so Carol and I felt empowered enough to venture out after getting home from work and visited a couple of dealerships that had used Tundras on their lots. The first place has a potential candidate, a little later model, 2010, at the top of our budget, 35,000 miles, low key sales approach. Maybe get back to them and see if a lower offer might work. The other visit started out low key, another 2010, a little scuffed up but the mileage was high at 55,000, priced at our budget point, then the heavy pitch from the sales manager. That was enough for Carol and she meandered out the door as I made a conciliatory conversation wrap up and joined her in the car. All in all a good evening to prepare ourselves for the task at hand. As a little self congratulations treat for surviving we stopped at Cole Farms for dinner, a cheeseburger and onion rings for Carol and liver and bacon with mashed potatoes for moi. Sure can work up an appetite not buying a truck.

Stick a fork in it

Some finality has arrived, this afternoon the assessor declared the Tundra totaled. Kind of sad, the most impressive vehicle I ever owned, such a short time. Now we need to settle with the insurance company and a return to truck shopping. Carol has been on it for the week and a half since the accident. There are candidates out there but the time it takes just to look at one much less several takes a toll on us and to have to do it again is tiring to think about much less do. To top off the situation, we're on the clock in regards to the rental car. With the verdict on the truck we have five days rental allowance payed for by the insurance company. Throw in Easter and work days buying a new vehicle is no simple matter. I think I'm due for a Grateful Dead moment.

Ramifications - vehicle rental

"ramification" - a development that complicates a situation


It's been a week since the accident and the insurance company has yet to declare if my truck is repairable or totaled and settle with me for replacement. I had taken Lois up on her offer to borrow her car for a few days until the claim assessor made a decision. I figured Monday at the latest then I rent a car for the duration of either having the repairs done or shopping for a replacement. So here we are on Wednesday and still no word which way this is going so I made arrangements and picked up a car so I could return Lois' car back to her. It was a big help having it just to get through the first few muddled days of the aftermath, time to forge ahead as best as I can. When the insurance company's rental carrier contacted me this morning it was to learn right at that moment they didn't have a vehicle available but expected to have one late in the afternoon. What they ended up delivering was a GMC Acadia Obamamobile. Actually a very sweet ride. If the astronauts of the Apollo mission had half the technology this thing has they may never had returned to Mother Earth. From Bluetooth cellphone accessibility to a TV screen in the rear view mirror that shows me what I'm about to run over while backing up. Of course this is way more than I need just to go to work and back. Still have the PT Cruiser which Carol is driving to work. What I have to take into account is if the truck is repairable then I can rent up to $3,000 over 30 days or if the truck is totaled then it's $3,000 over 5 days, the expectation is in that time I buy a replacement vehicle. No small feat as Carol has been window shopping around on the web and not finding a comparable ride at the same price/mileage. If the truck is repairable then I'll have to downgrade to a compact to stretch the money out, no problem about that, just to much thinking.

Don't let a little wind get to you

Just over two weeks ago I was in the region of Texas that has been experiencing a barrage of tornadoes today. The weather warnings that night before departing for home had my attention. Fortunately it turned out to be bodacious thunderstorms alone. Like that wasn't enough. Stunning videos today of freight trailers launched a couple of hundred feet into the air like match boxes. My sister-in-law Bev had the Dallas Airport flight bringing her to Maine delayed. I'm amazed that they were flying at all.

Dorothy was right, there's no place like home.

Patches too? - Yes, Patches too!

Unfortunate circumstances

This is NOT an April Fools joke

~ Warning, some readers may find the content of this post disturbing. The account I write here is to the best I can recollect. During the process I found something’s remained clear and something’s were perceptions of what I thought was going on around me, my memory being what it is in the best of times. ~

Wednesday began with a wintery mix for the drive into work that morning. What began as a normal day with cautious driving conditions turned tragic when an oncoming car out of control crossed the centerline hitting the front of my truck then careened around and behind me before each of us came to a stop. In less than the moment it took to realize it was going to happen our vehicles slammed together and came to rest. Myself a short distance from the point of impact still in my lane, the car had spun around and come to rest off the side of and perpendicular to the road with its front end on the shoulder. Feeling shaken up, I was upright, no damage within the cab, engine hood crumpled upward, with the seatbelt holding me against the seatback the airbag had deployed but barely grazed my face, smoke swirling from it and the back of my neck hurt some. At that point I knew I shouldn’t move though I swung my eyes to the passenger side mirror and saw the car’s final location. No other vehicle I could tell had yet come upon us so I slid my hand into the thigh pocket of my pants for my cell, brought it to my face and dialed 911. The answering dispatcher asked the nature of the call and the other standard quick questions, including my condition whereas she told me not to move and she proceeded to connect my call to a local dispatcher.

Meanwhile after several vehicles had passed the accident scene without stopping someone finally pulled in behind us. He checked the driver of the car and as another driver brought forward a blanket for the other driver he came my way. Seeing I had a cellphone out asked whether I had called 911. I asked how the other driver was doing, the reply was not good, blood coming from the nose and an ear and she was unconscious.

Soon the blue lights of police vehicles began to arrive and moments later the first responders arrived. After checking the woman in the other vehicle a sheriff’s deputy followed by an EMT came to my window and in due process with other personnel my neck was braced I was eased out of the truck’s cab, strapped to a board lowered to a stretcher and loaded into the ambulance. The trip to the hospital seemed to take forever, with the neck brace rubbing my Adams apple and strapped down on a horizontal board the EMT wired me up to a 3D heart imager while taking my blood pressure. I was asked for various health factors which were fresh in my mind as I recently had had my annual physical where all results were normal or better. The EMT had contacted Carol and she arrived at my room at the hospital soon after a nurse and doctor came by with questions and gave a quick checkup telling me I’d have a CT scan to check for any damage to my neck and shoulder.

Shortly after the scan a county sheriff's detective came in, not a good sign. After an introduction and a couple of questions about how I was doing I brought up how the other driver was doing. He said she didn’t make it. I was afraid that was what I’d hear. Since a fatality was involved then a police investigation is required. We talked about what I saw during the accident, what I had been doing since arriving home from work the evening before and everything right up to the accident. This included activities, foods, drinks and what time I went to bed and what time I got up that morning. Also, would I be willing to provide a blood sample as part of the investigation which I acceded to. The nurse and doctor came back and said the scan results showed no injures, told me I’d be sore for up to a week and to load up on ibuprofen and Tylenol, drink plenty of fluids and get extra rest. I finally had the collar removed and the back of the bed raised – what a relief that was. Then I was able to A. get to the restroom (whew) and B. fill out an accident report. The detective was very cordial and informative about the process and he, Carol and I kept up a general conversation while waiting for county sheriff’s technician to arrive to take the blood samples. When walking to the restroom I felt fine other than a little stiffness in my neck so once I was released from the hospital I had Carol drop me off at work.

The tragedy of the women in the car resides with me. She was a young woman, single, on her way to work in the direction I was coming from. I feel sorry for her family, friends and co-workers and hope they find peace. From what I hear she was a very happy, well liked/loved person. Aside from the weather the details of how she came to the point losing control of her car is not known to me. The accident investigation will not be released until about 8 weeks from now. As I write this I’m waiting for the determination of the insurance company whether my recently purchased truck will be declared totaled or not. I am still amazed by the protection my truck provided me in this type of accident.

I am moving forward from this with an ever increasing appreciation of life and how precious it is, how important it is to live in the moment because in the blink of an eye everything can change. I’m also thankful to Carol and her love and support, my son Ian, family, friends and co-workers who checked in on me to see how I was doing. And I thank God for all that I have.