Positive light
My drive home to NJ gave the trip a little twist.
While passing through Columbus, OH, I drove over a seemingly-innocuous puddle and completely lost control of the car. I spun at least 2 full circles across a 4-lane highway (without crashing into any other cars) until my car finally came to a stop (crash) against a concrete barrier. Whatever control I was able to exercise over the car, I used to make sure the impact was felt in the back of the car, not the front. I'm completely fine, but my car and bike have had better days:
One of the many many many MANY pieces of good news is that the car is still driveable, and "Big Red" got me home in record time. (She gets that determination from me.) Unfortunately, the trunk is completely wedged shut (and inaccessible from the interior), with all my clothes trapped inside. Including everything I planned to bring on the trip.
With my shredded nerves and battered confidence facing a repair bill that will undoubtedly far exceed Big Red's value, I am forcing myself to think of this in a positive light -- for the rest of the day. One should never be anything other than incredibly cautious while driving, and I won't need another reminder of that for 30 years or so. I'll be so scared to drive that I'll be motivated use my feet, bicycle and public transportation even more than I do now. The repairs will soak up the money I'd planned to use to get a cat, which probably wasn't a good idea anyway.
And for this reason, I am deligted that the accident gives me the PERFECT excuse to buy a whole new travel wardrobe when I get to Thailand! I've heard so much about how cheap and wonderful the clothes are. Plus, I'll have to buy them at markets, where prices are soft and bargaining is a sport. Shopping is one of my very favorite travel activities, second only to superb Turkish baths.
Another positive thing about the car accident is that it gave me an excuse to indulge my passion for cookies from Eat 'n Park. This family restaurant chain has locations throughout Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and my stops at those restaurants are the undisputed highlight of the drives between NJ and IN.
The restaurant is remarkable only for the signature Smiley Cookies. It's just a regular cookie with white frosting and a "smiley face" formed by colored icing drops. But they are incredibly delicious.
I'll admit it, I'm hooked. I crave them. They cry out to me on the road. Indeed, I may have chosen to attend IU Law because I needed an excuse to travel through a part of the country where I could get the cookies. Delicious sugar cookies + an icing happy face x 12 = a very happy Jen.
Okay, I might be exaggerating a little. But they are damn good cookies!
So you can imagine my delight when I found that Eat 'n Park is selling new flower-shaped cookies. Ooooohhhh ... (drooling)
Just when I needed an extra pick-me-up, Eat 'n Park was there for me. Thank you, Eat 'n Park. Thank you.
While passing through Columbus, OH, I drove over a seemingly-innocuous puddle and completely lost control of the car. I spun at least 2 full circles across a 4-lane highway (without crashing into any other cars) until my car finally came to a stop (crash) against a concrete barrier. Whatever control I was able to exercise over the car, I used to make sure the impact was felt in the back of the car, not the front. I'm completely fine, but my car and bike have had better days:
One of the many many many MANY pieces of good news is that the car is still driveable, and "Big Red" got me home in record time. (She gets that determination from me.) Unfortunately, the trunk is completely wedged shut (and inaccessible from the interior), with all my clothes trapped inside. Including everything I planned to bring on the trip.
With my shredded nerves and battered confidence facing a repair bill that will undoubtedly far exceed Big Red's value, I am forcing myself to think of this in a positive light -- for the rest of the day. One should never be anything other than incredibly cautious while driving, and I won't need another reminder of that for 30 years or so. I'll be so scared to drive that I'll be motivated use my feet, bicycle and public transportation even more than I do now. The repairs will soak up the money I'd planned to use to get a cat, which probably wasn't a good idea anyway.
And for this reason, I am deligted that the accident gives me the PERFECT excuse to buy a whole new travel wardrobe when I get to Thailand! I've heard so much about how cheap and wonderful the clothes are. Plus, I'll have to buy them at markets, where prices are soft and bargaining is a sport. Shopping is one of my very favorite travel activities, second only to superb Turkish baths.
Another positive thing about the car accident is that it gave me an excuse to indulge my passion for cookies from Eat 'n Park. This family restaurant chain has locations throughout Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and my stops at those restaurants are the undisputed highlight of the drives between NJ and IN.The restaurant is remarkable only for the signature Smiley Cookies. It's just a regular cookie with white frosting and a "smiley face" formed by colored icing drops. But they are incredibly delicious.
I'll admit it, I'm hooked. I crave them. They cry out to me on the road. Indeed, I may have chosen to attend IU Law because I needed an excuse to travel through a part of the country where I could get the cookies. Delicious sugar cookies + an icing happy face x 12 = a very happy Jen.
Okay, I might be exaggerating a little. But they are damn good cookies!
So you can imagine my delight when I found that Eat 'n Park is selling new flower-shaped cookies. Ooooohhhh ... (drooling)Just when I needed an extra pick-me-up, Eat 'n Park was there for me. Thank you, Eat 'n Park. Thank you.
posted by Jen at 10:11 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home