"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." ~ Benjamin Franklin

OK, Now I REALLY Need a New Vehicle

>> Sunday, January 11, 2009

Yes, I know I said that a week and a half ago when it cost me $650 to do a bunch of work to the Explorer. But now I really have to get a new vehicle. Truly. Look what happened to it yesterday:


It's done for good, this time. Yes, I know I thought that 3 years ago when the deer attacked us, but this time we are within just a few months of paying it off so the cost to fix will be more than the payoff for the insurance company.

Before I go any farther with the story let me assure you all that Doug is OK. Which is amazing since his airbag didn't deploy. You can bet I'm going to ask some questions (like whether or not it was even replaced). When I asked him why he didn't get hurt he said, "I went limp, like I was doing an air drop." Ahhh, the Army taught him so many useful things!



So, here's how it happened... We had been clearing our old documents from our file cabinets and doing some basic cleaning. There were lots of shredded papers and cardboard boxes so Doug decided that he would take it all to the recycling center. (We may be evil conservatives but we do believe in doing what we can to not make more of a mess). His initial plan included taking Brenna along. Thankfully she was resting on the couch and opted to stay home.

Doug had dropped off the recycling and was on his way home. The night before we had some sleet that got covered in snow and the roads were a bit slick and not all had been cleared. Doug had come over a hill and at the bottom of the hill a truck was turning. Doug began to slow down. Well, he tried to slow down (he wasn't going very fast to begin with). Unfortunately the road hadn't been cleared very well and he just slid. All the way down the hill.





Instead of hitting the truck that was turning and having a 2 car accident, Doug aimed for a snow bank at the side of the road. It was a big snow bank, too. About 4 feet high, maybe a bit more. I guess it was a pretty firm snow bank because Doug hit it and "bounced" off it and into the pole.

The pole won. Doug called me to come get him. I arranged for family to come watch the girls (the car seats were in the truck) and I headed out. The roads were still bad; a car in front of me lost control and almost took me out. (That would have been what you call ironic.) As we were waiting for the tow truck a big sander came by a couple of times. People were still sliding around trying to avoid the police car and the tow truck.

We made all the necessary calls and went to the bank to stop the payment that is supposed to withdraw on Monday. No point in paying for a totaled car, you know.

Then we came home, Doug called Ford credit to tell them we stopped the payment, and then I put him in a hot bath. Just in case his muscles decided to hurt.

As for what we are going to do... Luckily Doug can hitch a ride with my siblings this coming week. And on the day he can't I am sure I can borrow a vehicle from my brother since he & his wife carpool. The following week Doug will be out of town (that a whole nother story). Hopefully the issue will be resolved by the time he returns.

How We're "Livin' Dave"

Before taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University we probably would have gone out and gotten a new vehicle... With a new loan. Not so now. Our plan is to celebrate the loan being gone by buying the cheapest car we can find (that is drive-able) for Doug to drive to work. No more car loans for us! (This is our silver lining)

13 comments:

Laine 8:51 AM  

wow! That really stinks! I'm glad that you are all ok! And guess what, now we're in for MORE snow, yep another blizzard on the way for Monday.. gee it's great! :) Hopefully the snow plowers will be out and ready with their salt and dirt!

Anonymous 9:45 AM  

Thankful that Brenna stayed home, that no other vehicle was involved and that Doug was not hurt. Much to be grateful for when the situation could have been much worse. His guardian Angel was riding with him.

Heidi @ Trendy Dollar 9:49 AM  

Dang! But at least you won't have a car payment now!

The Fritz Facts 10:53 AM  

I am so glad that Doug is okay. What a lucky guy! Hopefully that airbag just didn't deploy, otherwise someones head is going to roll!

Hopefully the week goes smoothly!!

Fantastagirl 11:52 AM  

Glad Doug is okay! Hope you are able to find a suitable replacement and quickly!

cbstinso 3:12 PM  

We're glad everyone is safe! We really share a lot in common with teh two of you... evil conservatives, recycling, Dave Ramsey. Reading the part about calling Ford credit, I was thinking "What a great time to buy a 'beater' with cash." Maybe I should try that on the 4-Runner we really couldn't afford :)

Marie 3:17 PM  

Ouch! Glad Doug's OK. I've been driving my used Subaru for 5.5 years now! Great way to go.

Jill 5:43 PM  

Oh gosh- so sorry. Glad Doug wasn't hurt. And at least the car payment is gone!

Sally 6:23 PM  

so glad Doug is ok...I hate driving when the roads haven't been cleared.

So, maybe the insurance will pay MORE than you owed on the loan...is that possible??? Let us know what you find out about that air bag.

And after you go for a bit w/ no car loan, you'll never want to go back...even for that super snazzy convertible! =) We LOVE having no car payment...so much so that I get mad when I have to pay $200 to get the brakes done...even though that's ALL I have to pay for the car for a year. Crazy!

Doug H 9:36 PM  

Thanks everyone. The guy that was waiting at the bottom of the hill to turn left was very nice and thanked me profusely for not hitting him.

It is kind of embarrassing though. I drove General Officers for a few years while I was in the Army. I've had specialized drivers' training. But, I supposed knowing how to fire a weapon while driving doesn't help when you're up against a big, wooden, ...err..., stationary target. Or something.

Knowing how to control a 2 wheel drift was handy though.

Take this with a snowplow load of salt, because I just totaled the truck. Here are some tips for anyone who doesn't have winter weather driving skills:
1. Point the wheels to where you want to go. This sounds like a no-brainer, but people forget this and over compensate, which is harder to recover from.
2. Don't lock up the brakes. Most new cars don't allow you do this anyway, but even so, let the wheels turn. This gives you control. Otherwise you are just a hockey puck and at the whim of physics.
3. Breathe. Another no-brainer....or so you think. Relax. Really, this helps. If you tense up, you won't act when you need to act. You'll close your eyes and miss that last moment opportunity.
4. In a collision, it's better to be a rag doll than a wooden board. Trust in your seat belts...that you've tightened up. Believe me, the tighter the better. Don't brace yourself and think that you can hold back a ton worth of machinery and whatever momentum that multiplies the power of that mass. All that will come out of that is broken bones, stiffness and bruises.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. I hope your weekend was better than mine. I praise God that no one was hurt and that Brenna decided to stay home. Cars can be replaced...

Paula Reece 9:37 PM  

Oh no!!!! So glad Doug is okay, but that totally sucks! I know, the roads have been awful for quite a few days now. We went to Jordan Creek late Saturday morning and halfway there wondered what we'd gotten ourselves into! Let me know if you need a ride anywhere or need me to run errands for you! :)

Unknown 9:42 AM  

soo sorry about the accident. glad noone was seriously hurt!!

YAY for "living Dave!!"

Tamara B 11:48 AM  

Doug, glad you're okay and that Brenna stayed home! Thanks too for the reminder of winter driving conditions. They suck around here too and no matter the number of hints I give hubby, he says my kids will never live any of their childhood in California :) I was thinking a move to the city would be better than nothing but by the look of the pictures Jody shared, city streets are just as crappy as the streets in our rural towns!

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