a not-so-bedtime story

We have had some crazy busy weekends these last few weeks, and I'm starting to think I could make the drive from Rexburg to Alpine with my eyes closed.  That obviously would be a bad idea, so I won't do it, but it reminds me of a time when I almost DIED a few weeks ago.  So that's where I'll start:) 

There are times when Ross gets a little behind on schoolwork, which happens to most college students (especially crazy-busy music majors).  Well, a few weeks ago I decided to take a trip to visit my family and give Ross the opportunity (i.e. time, space, freedom, etc.) to catch up on everything.  I left Rexburg in the afternoon to give myself plenty of time to get to Utah without it getting dark.  Well, I was less than 2 miles south of Rexburg and had just passed a pocket of traffic (including a semi-truck) when I made the mistake of looking down at my console to make sure I had my cell phone within reach.  I don't know how it happened, but the next thing I know I'm halfway off the road and into the median.  I remember thinking to myself "don't overcorrect, don't overcorrect!", but my first reaction was to pull my car back onto the road.  I had just barely set my cruise control at 70 mph, and it wasn't until I (involuntarily) jerked the wheel to the right that I hit the brakes.  My car (a Honda CR-V) squealed across both lanes on Highway 20, hit the right shoulder, and I frantically tried to gain control of the car.  I ended up overcorrecting again, sending my small SUV flying back across both lanes and into the median.  I am SO THANKFUL for my car... had it been any other SUV, I would've rolled it.  I know it sounds dramatic, but the first police officer to the scene actually saw it happen.  He said that when I hit the median the 2nd time, I had two wheels in the air and was sliding sideways down the highway.  He thought that I was going to roll the car when I hit the median, so he was very surprised when I landed with all four wheels on the ground.  All I remember is that before the two wheels went into the air, I was looking down the highway out of the passenger window.  That's how far my wheels were turned.  I think it was also a blessing that the snow had just melted on the median, so the dirt was softer and more squishy and it actually helped to keep me from rolling.  I've never been uncontrollably hysterical before, but I think it took about a nanosecond for my body to go into complete freak out mode.  I started to shake all over, I couldn't breathe without wheezing, and I started to cry.  My first reaction was to call Ross, and because I was so hysterical, he thought I'd had a REALLY bad car accident.  I barely had time to tell him where I was before a nice cowboy in a pickup pulled off the road to make sure I was okay, and then the cop pulled up (the one who saw it happen).  The cop noticed that I was literally clutching my belly, so he asked if I was pregnant.  When I said yes, he called an ambulance to make sure I was okay and that I hadn't hurt the baby.  All I could tell him was that my sunglasses were on before I lost control, and by the time the car stopped in the middle of the median, they were on the floor.  They wanted to check my head and my vitals, and they also did a belly check to make sure everything was okay.  Poor Ross... by the time he got to where I was, there were 3 cop cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck (a LITTLE over the top, but that's how they do it).  He sat and rubbed my hand while they checked my blood pressure (which went from 130/96 down to 117/80 by the time I could get my breathing under control), and I've gotta give him props for staying so calm.  After confirming that all was well, including Baby Gabe, I shook the hands of the men who helped me and walked back to my car.  Ross put his arms around me as we were walking and said "I just wanna hold you for a second."  We both realized how close of a call this really was... according to the police officer, this could have been a very bad accident.  Ross followed me back to Rexburg so we could take the car to the shop (it was making a grinding sound when I'd turn left), but other than cleaning out LOTS and LOTS of dirt and gravel from the wheel wells, they only had to replace part of the axle that was bent.  Did I mention that I love my car???  Not only did it literally save my life, but it held up pretty nicely considering it took a pretty good beating.  

Anyway, Ross and I now think twice before taking our eyes off the road.  Unfortunately, it took this incident to shake me up and make me realize the importance of staying alert ALL the time.  I looked down for a second, but it only took that second for me to lose control of my car.  So, as my plea to all who read this, please keep your eyes on the road.  Don't look down, DON'T TEXT, don't allow yourself to get distracted.  You can't afford to take your eyes off the road!  Believe me, I KNOW.  Please, just be smart when you drive!  

*T