DesertSkald

First of all, me and my dad are FINE.

My family (mom, brother, sister) work at a boy scout camp near Flagstaff over the summer. My dad and I work down in the Valley so we just dropped them and a popup trailer off, stayed the night, and left around 4:30 PM earlier today. While driving a friend's F-150, my dad had a problem with the truck. Namely, he let his foot off the gas and the pedal stayed down. He tried putting it into neutral so he could brake and coast it out but he lost control. We spun around into the ditch on the right side of the road and rolled 2 or 3 times, we're honestly not sure how many it was. I landed upside-down, held up by my seatbelt (which I will wear whenever I'm in a car from now on, no matter how uncomfortable they are) and my brain was still trying to register the weird fact that I'd just lived through the lamest but most dangerous roller coaster ride I've ever been on.

After we confirmed we were both okay I popped my seatbelt and started looking around. Thankfully, there were now about 5 to 6 cars who had stopped and at least that many guys standing around the overturned truck trying to figure out how to get us out if we weren't dead. They asked us if we were alright/needed help to which my dad yelled "GET US OUT OF HERE" and the guy standing closest to my door (the not smooshed one) used his arms as a makeshift jaws of life and pried the door open. I crawled out, crawled back in to unbuckle my dad, and he crawled out too, albeit a little bit slower than I did.

This was about the time that the guys standing around pointed out that I was not hallucinating when I saw a Semi driving towards us when the car spun. The 'Trucker' (who is either secretly the superhero Semi Man or Optimus Prime) (almost - not sure if he did or not) jackknifed his rig to avoid hitting us as we spun/starting rolling and managed to keep driving. This guy is my hero today, right up there with my dad. We survived the truck rolling, but I doubt we'd have survived a semi driving over us or slamming into us.

The guys who helped us/DPS/paramedics checked us out, and eventually a tow-truck and the rest of our family was called and they freaked out drove down from Flagstaff to pick us up. My mom took my dad to John C. Lincoln's ER, and the doctors have said that my dad's fine apart from some bruising; this is great cause we were positive he'd broken a rib or two at least. I had soda in my hair and cuts on my hand from when I went back into the truck to grab cellphones/insurance papers and put my hand on the broken windshield. Also, I now believe that I got glass bits all over my legs and lower body from crawling back into the truck 5 or 6 times. I've basically given myself a very nasty rash. With microscopic glass shards.

The truck is (certainly) totaled, but our friend's fine with it as long as we're alright. Still going to have to get her a new truck before she gets back home next month though. Hopefully insurance will pay for (most of) it.

And believe it or not, my family is seriously considering an F-150 as our next car after this, or at least a Ford truck. That thing rolled 2-3 times and we freaking walked away from the crash. Heck, aside from cuts, I'm FINE (will be sore in the morning though, owwie...) Had to take a shower to get all the soda out of my hair (ick...) and remove tiny glass fragments from all over my legs, still not sure I got them all.

The ABSOLUTE CRAZIEST THING is we were transporting our TV back with us and it was in the backseat behind me. I didn't even bother looking for it the first 3 times I went back into the truck cause I just assumed it was in pieces scattered along I-17. NO. The dang thing is UNDAMAGED lying out underneath the truckbed. Must have fallen out the last time we rolled, My new manga books, however, have dirt all over them.

Pictures:


And I'm sorry if it seems like I'm focusing on meaningless details like the TV, but it's how my brain coped with ZOMGIALMOSTDIED and having to sit next to the truck for 2 1/2 hours, looking at it, and having flashbacks/ intense moments of overactive imagination. That and my subconscious telling me it was all a bad roller coaster ride.

Thank you, I'm going to sleep now, will definitely be sore in the morning.

I know I've been gone for a while and haven't uploaded recently. But I have been busy. Namely, the outdoors cat that I have adopted over the past 6 months was pregnant. Really, REALLY pregnant. And I found out today at work that she finally had kittens!
SO HAPPY!!! There's 4 of them: two orange tabbies, a white kitten, and a white kitten with orange spots. They are the most ADORABLE things I've ever seen! Oh my god, I'm brimming with baby names and all the names that I've always wanted to name a cat have gone right out the window. I suggested 'Snowball' for the white kitten and my mom stared at me. In my defense, it's cause he/she/it was shoving the bigger orange tabby kitten around, and it reminded me of Snowball from Pinky and the Brain for some reason. Well it's got to be popular for some reason, right?

EDIT (6/1/2011): So, we've had to give momma (Two-Two) to the humane society because she wouldn't get along with my sister's cat (was fine with _everyone else_). Good news is it looks like she's already been adopted! So yea for Two Two! Also, Autumn 'Aut'... the orange spotted one... the cute one... the one that I WANTED TO KEEP... has gone to a long time friend of the family whose family has wanted a kitten for forever since their cat died. They've sent video and daily updates for the first week, and it looks like he's adjusting well to his new home with 4 less cats in the house. Still... have I mentioned he was my favorite?
Aisling (the white kitten) is the only girl of the bunch and a VERY clever princess. A cat in every sense of the word. The 2-3 homes we tried to find for her fell through and I'm planning on keeping her since I can't have Aut. Also, she gets along with my cat Milady just fine, so she's already tolerated by everyone except my sister's cat, who thinks all the kittens are demon-spawn. She's slowly getting used to them though, and she doesn't mind them being in the room, as long as they don't see her.
Tigger/Garfield: The two orange tabbies. The ONLY difference between the two of them is Garfield's front-left boot is longer. I wanted to name them Sunstreaker and Sideswipe but the rest of the family said NO. So fine. Garfield's going to another family friend of a couple years where he'll be well loved by 5 or 6 kids and the various people who pass through the house... and yes, he'll probably end up like his namesake, that's the apparent intention. I just hope he doesn't get TOO fat, he's plump enough already. They'll be picking him up later in July when they get back home from visiting family on the east coast.
Tigger doesn't have a home yet, although if someone takes Aisling (because she IS a beautiful & devious kitten) I AM KEEPING TIGGER! He's a little shy and timid, though he isn't as lovey-dovey as Garfield, who will sneak under people's blankets at night and nuzzle up to them. I think of the 3 remaining kittens he'd be tolerated by Mel the most. Milady doesn't seem to like the boys though.

Judging from my reaction to surrendering Two Two and giving up Aut (3 total trips to Dairy Queen and random weeping throughout the day/next day) I'm going to have a hard time letting 2 of them go, but I kinda have to. They are kittens and they eat A LOT. That and need attention, and poop, and gripe for cat treats, and annoy the other animals, blah blah blah but they're cuutte... I guess that makes up for it.