DragonBlog

Another Catch-Up Post

Things that have happened over the time since my last post that I can mention here:

Two child head injuries - one where my daughter managed to trip and fall headlong into the corner of a doorjamb. This resulted in a perfectly straight wound that brought blood up just below the surface and the scab is still not entirely gone. The very next day, my son managed to flip over and smack the top of his head on the slippery floor at a place where one of his friends was having their birthday party. Her wound was more severe, but he sure managed to complain more about his. Fortunately, both are actually just fine. Neither required stitches or ER visits (although calls to the pediatrician were made). *phew*

I have finally earned my "squirrel-slayer" title, albiet only by unfortunate accident. Normally I'm the type that will throw on the brakes and swerve to avoid hitting the smallest of road critters (although twice I've strangely had birds dive-bomb the vehicle I was driving at the time!) but when the guy in front of my suddenly swerved, I followed suit - only to follow in his tracks as he failed to miss the squirrel. I will forever have this small sketch of horrible slow-motion stuck in my head as the squirrel twisted and writhed in obvious injury before the crunching sound that it made when my own tires rolled over it. *shudder* I suppose, at least, that I put him out of his poor squirrel-misery. *sniff*

Ohh... since I seem to be driving a lot lately, and also seem to be stuck behind them frequently - is it Lexuses or Lexi? We think Lexi. Because it amuses us. Brian and I, that is.

Then there's the train story. On my way out to meet Brian somewhere about a week or so ago, I was stopped near some train tracks as a bit of traffic congestion had built up. I was confused as I watched cars pulling off to the side of the road. Then I noticed the car ON the tracks. Something had happened and they had swerved such that the car had partly falled off the paved area going across the tracks so that the front wheels were over in the railroad part. He couldn't back up.

Let me just note that this was also during rush-hour. Prime train time, as commuter trains zoom back and forth getting people home from their workplaces.

Realization set in for me about what was about to happen. A train would come - shortly - and this guy couldn't back up from where he was stuck. His wife was walking away from the car, a car seat in one hand. I assume the child either wasn't with them, or had already been removed while the man desperately tried to save the car.

But the beautiful part is next. It still makes my eyes well up. I've seen so many instances where people just walk on by - I get very cynical about the human race in general as of late. So it was simply a beautiful thing to watch all those people streaming from their cars, leaving them sitting at the side of the road, engines still running, as they rushed to help this guy. He had gotten out and started trying to push it back up onto the paved area and they joined him. Within moments, I watched, (I would have left to help if my own kids hadn't been in the car with me - which was the only reason I hesitated - I didn't want to leave them alone) as at least a dozen men rushed in to help him get that car back up onto the pavement. They pushed it back, he leapt inside and backed it quickly up and out, onto the regular road again.

It was about 5 - 10 seconds before the gate started flashing. Less than 30, for sure, before the train flew by us. I can only imagine what might of happened if the car had still been on the tracks.

Once in a while, human nature will step up and surprise me. I'm glad it still can.

There's other stuff in the works that I'm leaving out of the blog for now. But we had a lovely Thanksgiving again this year, with Brian's family and my uncle in attendance. Hooray for family! And the fact that I ate beyond my normal capacity again. Hooray for stuffing! *grin* There goes the diet. Again.

Current Mood: busy

Project Download

This Project Download thing is circuiting around the web right now, on at least a couple of the sites I frequently check. Click it. Download it. I hope it helps her, as I've been on the end of the system without insurance before. The insurance we have now is so much more precious to me because of it.

There's lots to report, but little time, so I'll leave other things for another day.

Current Mood: anxious