Tuesday, October 13, 2009

It's Just Rain People

I wanted to add to yesterday's alarmist post, it's just rain people, calm down. Me included. The UK grinds to a halt when it snows and Santa Barbara twitters about the first big Pacific storm of the year as if it's an ice storm, or a hurricane, or a Nor'Easter instead of a couple of days of heavy rain. We have a climate here. We don't have 'weather'. It's a phenomenon and people are completely thrown by it. It was the headline news. Patients canceled appointments, children were sent home with notes from school, people squelched around town in sodden Uggs searching for umbrellas.

Then LK phoned with the words 'everyone's OK but....'. You see, it's not just rain. It's the first big rain of the year, leaching months of oil to the surface of the roads. People don't have the benefit of wet traction tires or the experience of driving in the wet. LK had been south bound on the freeway with both girls in the back of the car when the woman in front of him braked too suddenly, hydroplaned, swerved out of control and starting spinning, pirouetting towards him in terrifying slow motion. Fortunately he is the most level-headed driver I have ever met. Thank God more like. He didn't oversteer and cause our car to slide out or even worse, flip. He gently moved over to the other lane and consequently the out of control car only clipped the back of ours on it's way in to the centre divider. Everyone was fine. Everyone was insured.

We got so lucky. My whole life was in that car. I was at home revelling in the peace and quiet of an empty house. Ironically. When they finally returned and I'd hugged everyone to within an inch of their lives, Anna looked at me with serious four-year old eyes and said 'Dada said FUCK!'.

I'll bet he did.

11 comments:

Daffodilly said...

Thank god he is a good driver!

Anonymous said...

Yikes! I am glad to hear that everyone is okay!

Unknown said...

I bet he did! I did, just imagining the scene!

Thanks for your blog, it's a bright light in my somewhat dim day today - underemployed but thankfully beautifully insured - Oh Canada!

Unknown said...

I bet he did! I did, just imagining the scene!

Thanks for your blog, it's a bright light in my somewhat dim day today - underemployed but thankfully beautifully insured - Oh Canada!

Muddling Along said...

Great to hear that all are ok and amazed at LK's coolness (and sort of relieved he said f**k - I'd have been potty mouthing for hours!)

seadragon said...

So glad to hear everyone's ok!

Jane said...

Well done LK! Glad everyone was ok.

Ali said...

Yay for LK! That must have been a pretty terrifying moment. The way you describe SB it sounds like another planet to me. It makes me quite intruiged to visit the US myself.

Unknown said...

'Dada said FUCK!'. YAY, she'll have a new word for school.

It's like in our area when the first snow hits and NOBODY remembers how to drive in it. Might as well call in sick, sit at home and wait it out.

SO GLAD everybody is okay and what an awesome husband who KNOWS that "everyone's okay" should be the first thing out of his mouth!

Expat mum said...

The Ball & Chain did that with one of ours and we had to pretend that he'd said "truck", which is what in fact had been hurtling towards them at the time. Glad everyone was OK. I have noticed that people don't change their driving style with the weather much here. In Chicago, despite it snowing almost every winter, there are still people who think they can slam the brakes on about a foot before a STOP sign and get away with it.

The Girl said...

Holy shit.