Auto Carriage Shenagins

Last time I wrote a blog it was Thanksgiving. Suddenly it is January and it is the dead of winter. This is my least favorite time of year. That isn't surprising or rare and I'm sure most people dislike January and February in Minnesota. Winter is saved by Christmas and the first few snows by my account and then is worthless after New Years Day. Maybe I'll just go into hibernation until my Birthday.

If nothing else, perhaps I should try to avoid the roads. For those who haven't heard, I was in a car accident on Friday. I'm fine - Thank God - and so is Lindsey, who was in the passenger seat. There was a simple Minnesota snow hitting the decks of the 35E bridge and a gentlemen driving a gigantic (and Red!) Dodge Ram thought it might improve our evening by sliding over and hitting my door panel, shattering my window and then fishtailing into the gas tank and bumper area.

Hooray.

My car is in disarray, but like I said, it is important that everyone involved was okay. More painful is the insurance process that is currently ongoing. Nothing is simple in this world.

In a "Final Destination", surreal way all sorts of people I know then promptly got into accidents. Joe got into one a few hours later. Then Monday my "Judging Ronald" and movie star friend Nick managed to use his Pontiac Sunfire weapon to destroy a couple cars. Today I heard that Suzanne also got into an accident on Monday. Everyone is fine, but how strange is to have 4 people get in accidents in 4 days?

I feel a bad movie script is being written as I type. ("Final Destination 4: The Common Car Accident" is now Copyright 2008 Brett Patterson)

All of the car drama that has been going on this week has made me think how lucky I am to even have a car and to have adequate insurance for it. I know it is lame to be thankful for a car, but I've been on a kick lately to be thankful for what I have and not to complain about what I don't. It is a better way to live, I feel.

I'm fairly sure that the lovely Mazda 6 that has been mine for 2 and a half years will be totalled. What I will do after that...I have no idea. I'll likely just buy something for the money I get for the car...not something new. I'm still paying off the Mazda and I don't feel the need to add to the payments.

Honestly, I've been really positive about all this and I like to think that is because I tried to hand it off to God right away, because I'm not great at dealing with situations like this. Long, intricate processes are not my speciality, so I'm trying to get along with it best I can.

Happy 2008 everyone. Lets hope to see some positive changes for Earth in 2008.

={+}=