Well, after a rollercoaster holiday at my parents’, I’m back home in one piece—gerbils and dog still alive. I think this is some kind of record for me. Three animals all under my roof and I have yet to kill them—I for one am highly impressed with myself!
I’ve been looking to trade in my car for a few months now. I have a Mazda Tribute for 3 years and love having all of the space to cram stuff into, and it’s a cute vehicle; however, comma, I’m not so much loving the whole buying gas all the time thing. It’s got pretty good gas mileage for an SUV. On average I get about 22 miles to a gallon, but I know I can get a lot better as well as a much smoother ride with a nice mid-size car. I’d even be fine with possibly buying something a year or two old—I’ve had my brand new car and am over the need to be the first person to ever sit in the driver’s seat.
So yesterday I’m driving home along the highway that shoots pretty straight from Natchez to Little Rock. It was a four lane road at that point—two lanes going each direction with a narrow median. There were about 5 cars in the two lanes going my direction about 4 or 5 car lengths ahead of me, but other than that there was no one else around me. I’m driving along minding my own business when the wheel suddenly jerked to the left into the median and almost into the oncoming lane, I overcorrected to the right but then the wheel jerked back to the left in the same way and my entire car spun around completely backwards, fishtailed back and forth a couple of times, and then spun 360 degrees 2 of 3 more times, wildly spinning across pretty much all of the lanes. I held the wheel loosely and let it do pretty much its own thing until it got back under control and kept myself from instinctively slamming on the brakes. The smell of burning rubber was overwhelming and the screeching of the tires against the pavement was amplified in my mind. Eventually the car spun back in the right direction and I drove for a couple of seconds in complete shock and then pulled over onto the side of the road when I felt the shakes coming on. The whole experience probably didn’t last more than 10-15 seconds tops, but it felt like an absolute eternity.
All I could think about was how many things could have been different about that scenario that would have left to an entirely different outcome—there could have been cars behind me or in the oncoming lanes that I would have smashed into, my car could have flipped easily as SUVs are so famous for, a tire could have blown, there could have been light poles or trees along the side of the road that I could have wrapped myself around. And only 100 yards or so up the road the highway became a narrow two lane road with heavy traffic going either direction. For such a terrifying occurrence it certainly happened in pretty much the safest place possible. Well, aside from a field of cotton candy and Serta mattresses—but really, how often do you drive under those circumstances? Not often, I’m betting.
Logically, I realize that this could have happened no matter what I was driving—probably the tire just caught in a ridge or small pot hole that I didn’t see and got thrown out of its forward momentum. It would have happened to any tire that happened to hit at whatever angle I hit it at, and there was nothing I could do about it. Even so, I sort of want to throw up when I get in my car now. Like it’s a huge deathtrap looking to throw me off of bridges or into dens of hungry lions. Every time my tires rumble over a patched pothole my heart drops into my stomach and I expect to go hurtling round and round like the Teacups at Disneyworld.
With that being said I also feel extremely thankful that nothing truly tragic happened and that I was able to drive away from the scene, leaving my little curlicue skid marks in the road far, far behind me. Still, if anyone would like to buy me a car, I’d be fine with that. I’ll even give you mine! A trade! Or, you know, cake. I’d take cake too.
Wow. That IS scary! Glad you came out of it unharmed!
Posted by: Steph. | January 03, 2006 at 09:07 PM
Good grief! I'm so glad you weren't hurt. I have had some of those moments, and they do feel like they last hours!
Posted by: sophie | January 03, 2006 at 11:04 PM
Me: Cake please
You: Sorry we're all out of cake, we didn't think we'd have such a rush
Me: so my choices are "or death"?
Posted by: Not the Boyfriend | January 04, 2006 at 01:35 AM
So happy you're safe. That is truly terrifying!
Posted by: shani | January 04, 2006 at 05:57 AM
(((you)))
glad you're okay!
Mmmmmm...cake!
Posted by: Anonymous G | January 04, 2006 at 06:36 AM
Oh my! That is so scary! Maybe you should take it in to have it looked at?
I'm so glad you are alright, and good luck with the new car search!
Posted by: Erin | January 04, 2006 at 05:34 PM
how frightening. Glad you're safe.
Michele sent me today.
Posted by: Sandy | January 04, 2006 at 05:52 PM
That is so scary! Glad you made it through okay.
When I was a little girl the same thing happened to my mother and when the car stopped, I sat there clapping my hands and singing, "Do it again Mommy!"
No wonder she calls me her troubled child!
Posted by: Account Deleted | January 04, 2006 at 09:36 PM
My heart was racing, just reading this. I'm glad you're okay. I know what you mean about the gas mileage, but I went with a smaller SUV like yours just b/c I knew I needed the ability to get things that were larger than a sedan's trunk hole. Hope you had a great New Year's.
Posted by: Becky | January 05, 2006 at 03:34 AM