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My no good very bad days...
[Note: There are non-car pictures lower down]
2007 did not end well for me, and 2008 did not get any better. I'm lucky enough to have a job where we get the week between Christmas and New Year's completely off. Unfortunately, I decided to go in to work one of those days to save some vacation time.
At an intersection I've been through hundreds of times, I completely zoned out. Miata, meet Mercedes, Mercedes, meet Miata.
I like how it looks like it's sneering at me. "How could you be so stupid!!"
Reminds me of Billy Idol.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. I wasn't going very fast, but when you have a low car with an aluminum hood, the damage adds up quickly!
Mechanically, the car was still in great shape. I was able to drive away with nothing leaking. So I took it to the insurance recommended auto body shop. Maybe that was a bad idea? The repair estimate came to about $4500!!!!
This is a 1995 Mazda Miata M-edition. It's a Miata, of which there are 100's of thousands, but it's a special Miata (especially to me!). The wheels and the rear end (LSD) are probably worth a couple grand alone..... but to the insurance estimators, it was a total loss! NOOOOOooooo!
I was crushed... I was going to lose my car for a momentary lapse of reason, a broken hood, and a bumper. That was pretty much the extent of the damage. I'd chosen a good repair shop, obviously too good!
We'll leave my poor Miata there for a little while...
Next on the agenda, skiing! It dumped a lot of snow in the California mountains at the beginning of January. So me and a couple of friends from work decided it would be great to play hooky one day and take advantage of the conditions.
It was a beautiful day.
The snow was perfect.
We were all having a blast... (me on the right)
Then... on a slope I'd been down minutes before...
Ouch! I was making a turn, caught an edge, went head over heels (I think), and smashed into the nice hard embankment... I felt an enormous impact near my head, and slid to a stop. I looked forlornly back up the hill at one ski and my sunglasses and thought there was no way I could crawl back up there.
As I decided on what I should do, I felt a great pain near my neck. Thankfully, at this point a nice girl (I don't think I ever got her name) from Cal State Northridge stopped and talked to me while I decided if she should call ski patrol. I quickly decided yes, after I realized it *really* hurt to move my right arm.
My friends had gone in front of me and they were waiting near the next lift. Waiting for too long.... they (correctly) had a baaaaad feeling. I got a call on my cel and told them ski patrol was on the way. They hooked the next lift up to come and follow me back down.
After a quick assessment from the nice ski patrol guy, he said I obviously had a broken collarbone. So he loaded me up on the sled for the journey down.
In order to keep my mind of the impending pain... I decided I should keep the camera out, so here a couple of shots going down the hill (and I am not left-handed).
The ride was actually a lot smoother than I expected. My friends said he made a huge snowplow in front of me to smooth out the snow.
I made it safely to the bottom and only had to stop him once because my shoulder started to really throb. After a quick respite at lodge's first aid station, my friends shuttled me off to the emergency room.
After some X-rays, lunch, and vicadin, I was feeling surprisely good! No pain unless I moved my arm incorrectly. To stop that from happening, I was in a shoulder immobilization sling.
No need to waste a perfectly good day... back to the slopes. I hung out at the lodge sipping (non-alcoholic) drinks and eating snacks, while my friends finished out the day.
I amused myself trying to take pictures left-handed, most of which with the expected results (no photos, you don't think I saved the bad ones, right?!).
Here's my artistic snow bunny attempt:
And one for my son, the construction equipment nut:
Back to reality. My car was still totalled! I pleaded with the insurance adjuster about my car being special and all he heard was blah blah blah, $4500. Thankfully, the shop owner "knew a guy" at my insurance company for cases where the owner really wanted it fixed and the car was worth it.
So I called him up, and the next day, they agreed to fix it! Wow, that was easy... the other adjuster also called me, and I had to resist doing a happy dance on the phone over his previous objections.
Congratulations, you've made it to the end... My car is now fixed (piccies a bit later) and it's only in the last couple of weeks I've been able to do things like drive (stick shift), and type for longer periods of time. I can finally hold up my SLR successfully, so I've taken a few shots.
For my next act, which I hope goes much more smoothly, my wife is having a baby on Tuesday!
Cheers! I hope all your Journeys are better than this one.
2007 did not end well for me, and 2008 did not get any better. I'm lucky enough to have a job where we get the week between Christmas and New Year's completely off. Unfortunately, I decided to go in to work one of those days to save some vacation time.
At an intersection I've been through hundreds of times, I completely zoned out. Miata, meet Mercedes, Mercedes, meet Miata.
I like how it looks like it's sneering at me. "How could you be so stupid!!"
Reminds me of Billy Idol.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. I wasn't going very fast, but when you have a low car with an aluminum hood, the damage adds up quickly!
Mechanically, the car was still in great shape. I was able to drive away with nothing leaking. So I took it to the insurance recommended auto body shop. Maybe that was a bad idea? The repair estimate came to about $4500!!!!
This is a 1995 Mazda Miata M-edition. It's a Miata, of which there are 100's of thousands, but it's a special Miata (especially to me!). The wheels and the rear end (LSD) are probably worth a couple grand alone..... but to the insurance estimators, it was a total loss! NOOOOOooooo!
I was crushed... I was going to lose my car for a momentary lapse of reason, a broken hood, and a bumper. That was pretty much the extent of the damage. I'd chosen a good repair shop, obviously too good!
We'll leave my poor Miata there for a little while...
Next on the agenda, skiing! It dumped a lot of snow in the California mountains at the beginning of January. So me and a couple of friends from work decided it would be great to play hooky one day and take advantage of the conditions.
It was a beautiful day.
The snow was perfect.
We were all having a blast... (me on the right)
Then... on a slope I'd been down minutes before...
Ouch! I was making a turn, caught an edge, went head over heels (I think), and smashed into the nice hard embankment... I felt an enormous impact near my head, and slid to a stop. I looked forlornly back up the hill at one ski and my sunglasses and thought there was no way I could crawl back up there.
As I decided on what I should do, I felt a great pain near my neck. Thankfully, at this point a nice girl (I don't think I ever got her name) from Cal State Northridge stopped and talked to me while I decided if she should call ski patrol. I quickly decided yes, after I realized it *really* hurt to move my right arm.
My friends had gone in front of me and they were waiting near the next lift. Waiting for too long.... they (correctly) had a baaaaad feeling. I got a call on my cel and told them ski patrol was on the way. They hooked the next lift up to come and follow me back down.
After a quick assessment from the nice ski patrol guy, he said I obviously had a broken collarbone. So he loaded me up on the sled for the journey down.
In order to keep my mind of the impending pain... I decided I should keep the camera out, so here a couple of shots going down the hill (and I am not left-handed).
The ride was actually a lot smoother than I expected. My friends said he made a huge snowplow in front of me to smooth out the snow.
I made it safely to the bottom and only had to stop him once because my shoulder started to really throb. After a quick respite at lodge's first aid station, my friends shuttled me off to the emergency room.
After some X-rays, lunch, and vicadin, I was feeling surprisely good! No pain unless I moved my arm incorrectly. To stop that from happening, I was in a shoulder immobilization sling.
No need to waste a perfectly good day... back to the slopes. I hung out at the lodge sipping (non-alcoholic) drinks and eating snacks, while my friends finished out the day.
I amused myself trying to take pictures left-handed, most of which with the expected results (no photos, you don't think I saved the bad ones, right?!).
Here's my artistic snow bunny attempt:
And one for my son, the construction equipment nut:
Back to reality. My car was still totalled! I pleaded with the insurance adjuster about my car being special and all he heard was blah blah blah, $4500. Thankfully, the shop owner "knew a guy" at my insurance company for cases where the owner really wanted it fixed and the car was worth it.
So I called him up, and the next day, they agreed to fix it! Wow, that was easy... the other adjuster also called me, and I had to resist doing a happy dance on the phone over his previous objections.
Congratulations, you've made it to the end... My car is now fixed (piccies a bit later) and it's only in the last couple of weeks I've been able to do things like drive (stick shift), and type for longer periods of time. I can finally hold up my SLR successfully, so I've taken a few shots.
For my next act, which I hope goes much more smoothly, my wife is having a baby on Tuesday!
Cheers! I hope all your Journeys are better than this one.
Chris
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Comments
In that first pic, there is another car in that garage. From the little bit that shows, it looks like a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Is that right?
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
Cuong
Put a 5 liter Mustang motor in it
Glad to hear you got the car fixed up. I do hope your shoulder's healed too.
Oh, and my best to you and Joy!
Thanks Elaine... yep, that's a '69 Ghia next to my car. It's Grandma's, and hasn't been driven in over a year. If it was a convertible, I'd have pushed harder for the keys. :cool
Health is another matter, but glad to hear your broken bone healed.
I try to take it in perspective. Worst days for most of us insn't that bad when you consider how some are surviving in Kenya and many other parts of the world.
I know many others who are very sick right now and to be healthy, have food in my belly, nice weather, a nice camera or three, bag full of lenses, and a place to sleep is a blessing in deed.
I know you'll take it in stride. Look how many things you have to be thankful for. A wife, son, nice camera, home, nice job.
Ah life is good. and it's good to be alive.
Gary
PS- Sorry man ... I'd going with that Year of the Rat thing ... which leaves you with about 360+ days of doom.
G
Unsharp at any Speed
Chris, Feel better - you'll be sleeping well with the Vicodin! and at least you can hold the new baby!
ELaine - I thought you were looking at the Mini Cooper - but you are right - a Ghia! I had a VW Convertible an dmy friend had a ghia - they did not come in that putrid green.
Flash Frozen Photography, Inc.
http://flashfrozenphotography.com
My first car (when I was 16) was a '70 Ghia. My dad "remodeled" it for me with a basically new interior and a great paint job...Red Pearl...looked white but sparkled red when the sun shone on it. It was a fun car and I seem to have Ghia radar and love spotting them! I've often wished that, like the Beetle, they would remake the Ghia.
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
Heh, yep. It serves me right... going skiing insted of shooting!