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View Full Version : A gloat and rant in one...



scott spencer
03-18-2007, 7:35 AM
Well, I don't normally post stuff like this but I've been chewing on this situation for 22 hours now and have been up since 2:30 this morning pacing and fretting some more, so pardon my vent....

St. Patty's Day is usually a fun day for me, being my birthday....this year it was a weekend BD to boot which is always a little nicer IMO. But by yesterday morning at 9am the day headed south in a big way... I got a frantic call from my 20 year old who had totalled our car while driving in the storm. Considering that he had our 16 year old son with him, we were fortunate no one was hurt....could have been a devistating blow to the family. It's hard to shake the feeling of seeing that car sitting on the side of the expressway with the nose missing and one tire on the other side of the road. It's hard to not second guess the wisdom of letting him drive. Nonetheless, the potential expense and the loss of the car weighed heavily on the day. The situation is compounded by the fact that the engine expired on our 3rd vehicle 2 weeks ago and we hadn't even had a chance to deal that issue yet. Going down from 3 vehicles to one for a family of 8 is gonna make for a tough week or two until we sort things out, and the only solution is a very high and unexpected expense. The one functioning vehicle is a 15 passenger gas hog too! :rolleyes:

Last year at this time, I was facing fairly significant shoulder surgery for the new wwing season. Now this year there'll be no major shop upgrades, driveways replaced, or patio's installed due to this financial blow. That's life I guess... Thank God everyone is alright. We went thru the motions of having a nice day but it felt kind of surreal. By midafternoon, my good friend and fellow Creeker Tom Pritchard and his wife showed up bearing gifts....nothing like a Wixey Angle Gauge and a Bessey frame clamp to lift the spirits! (that's the gloat part!) He's got in credible timing and great taste in gifts! He always looks like the cavalry pulling in the driveway during days like this. I also received a nice 10" Sheffield gent's saw from my kids....it's too bad that it was so cold and nasty out yesterday! Lasagna and ice cream pie ensued, so there were a few bright spots that are trying to displace the nasty taste the early part of day left.

So there you have it...an official whine about life. The luck of the Irish must still be on spring break this year. :rolleyes:

David Wilson
03-18-2007, 7:47 AM
Scott
Happy birthday, good score, and glad to hear no one was hurt.

Chris Barton
03-18-2007, 8:56 AM
Hi Scott,

I'm glad your kids are OK but, also very empathetic about the loss of the auto. I'm assuming that the car was insured so while you may have a deductable to pay, it shouldn't break the bank. The logistics problem is completely understandable and I've been there before. My suggestion would be to have a sit down with all the family and explain what the priorities have to be for the next few weeks; work transportation for you first, subsistance transportation for the family second (groceries, doctor, dentist, etc...) and everything else a distant 3rd. I wish the best of luck for you and your family.

John Shuk
03-18-2007, 9:03 AM
I'm glad your children are OK too. Hope everything gets worked out.

Fred Voorhees
03-18-2007, 9:23 AM
Gee, and I thought that this kind of situation only presented itself to me once in a while. Scott, keep the chin up and time will certainly straighten things out. I have forever been an enternal pessimist and have always found that the dark clouds only hang around for so long. Glad that the kids are ok, that, afterall, is the most important thing.

Jim O'Dell
03-18-2007, 9:33 AM
snip The luck of the Irish must still be on spring break this year. :rolleyes:

Maybe, Scott. But if so, I'd say it must like cold weather spring breaks, and was riding right along with your kids.
I'm also very glad that they are ok. Things can be replaced. Jim.

Keith Outten
03-18-2007, 9:36 AM
Scott,

They build new cars everyday.
The financial loss is not significant.
The adjustments your famiy will have to endure will build character.
Your son is alive and unhurt, imagine an empty seat at the breakfast table this morning...how horible that would be.
You say you have a family of eight, I assume that means six children.

You are one lucky man this morning :)
Accentuate the positive, yesterday your family received an angel when you really needed one.
You had a wonderful birthday.
.

Jim Becker
03-18-2007, 10:35 AM
Scott...what Keith said. Material things can be replaced and we can all endure a little waiting for things we want when other priorities intervene. Physical harm or death to family members are a whole other thing...and I'm glad that your kids are fine after what could have been a real disaster.

Dr. SWMBO's sister's second oldest son (say that five times fast...) was in a similar accident on the DC beltway a couple weeks ago. He and his friends walked away with nary a scratch, but the Suburban was totaled. They were blessed that day as your kids were yesterday.

Ken Fitzgerald
03-18-2007, 10:59 AM
Scott.........Happy Birthday! and what a wonder birthday gift.....two healthy sons escaping injury in a terrible accident! "Tis the Luck of the Irish!

As others have said.....the vehicles are replaceable. As Chris Barton said....prioritize your driving and in a while things will be back to normal.

scott spencer
03-18-2007, 10:59 AM
Thanks for the support gang...you guys have the right perspective.

The car is insured, but the loss will likely put a $1-$2k dent in the family budget by the time all is said and done...which is considerably more desirable than an empty seat at the table for sure. I can't imagine dealing with a loss like that, and my heart goes out to those who have.

There's the loss of a 3rd car adding to the frustration...late last August my mother gave us her old 97 Geo Metro for my son to take back forth to college and work...it was a true blessing. But we didn't even get an oil change out of it before the swing arm snapped away from the frame due to some unnoticed corrosion....totalled without even having an accident, again no one injured, and again plenty to be thankful for considering some of the alternative outcomes....imagine that occurring at expressway speeds! The title had just arrived in the mail for Pete's sake! The Lumina that was totalled yesterday was purchased used in October to replace the Geo....the new tires were 3 weeks old! ...a fine car I might add. It's all just one of those moments when you clench your teeth, forge on, and thank God for the blessings! (but I gotta admit, there's a little fist shaking going on too! :o )

OK...guess it's all out my system now! Thanks for listening! :)

Tom Pritchard
03-18-2007, 8:35 PM
Hey Scott, I'll keep my eyes and ears open for a replacement vehicle for ya! I'm sure there's one out there that will be perfect for you and the gang! As we said yesterday, it could have been MUCH worse, and everything that was lost can be replaced.

Glad you salvaged a good finish to the day! The weather will be warming up later this week, and some time out in your shop would be great therapy! Give me a call and we'll plan a path forward over a tankard of Rohrbach's "Scotch Ale" (Scotch Ale-A strong ale that starts out sweet and malty with an alcoholic warming in the finish. Very smooth going down but it packs quite a kick.)

I can hardly wait!!! Glad you liked your presents! Buying for a fellow woodworker is so easy!!!!