I Bet My Monday Was Better Than Yours
It wasn't the 102 degree fever.
It wasn't the chills.
It wasn't the funky-colored tongue.
It wasn't the tonsils that were swollen so huge that they looked like they were trying to hug one another.
It was when I bit into a Snickers egg and it tasted like ass-flavored cardboard that I went, "OMG! Batten down the hatches! Call the National Guard! Declare a National Emergency! I AM SICK!"
Just for a little reference, the last time I had stepped foot inside our Primary Care Provider's office, our street name reminded me of "redrum," meaning that it was two addresses ago, or at least nine years. I very rarely do the sick thing, and I especially don't do the sick enough to go get drugs thing. But, there I sat, suffering from what Dr. Google had declared strep throat. You know that anytime Dr. Google says something other than "You're dying," you had better take it serious.
As luck would have it, the only appointment I could get was at 4:15, which put me right smack in the middle of an Alexis-sized dilemma. In theory, that should have been plenty of time to finish the appointment and get back to daycare to pick up the kid before they closed at 6:00. The idea of a doctor's office being efficient is funny, though, so I went ahead and picked her up on my way over. There is nothing quite so fun as trying to entertain a 4-year old while contemplating which eating utensil would be best to gouge out your tonsils. (Answer = spork. Of course.)
Alexis and I piled into Audrey and made our way towards the doctor's office, her chatting her head off and me wishing I could put a sound-proof box over my head. Just when I thought the day couldn't possibly get any better, well, it did.
AWESOME.
That, my friends, is what happens when someone decides that stop signs are optional and turns left into oncoming traffic. I'm thinking that the fact that I didn't have a stop sign or light or anything and that she hit the side of my car should make it pretty clear-cut that I am not at fault. Right? Right, or at least that's what the police officer said as he cited her for failure to obey traffic signals or whatever.
The entertaining part of that little fiasco was that the woman tried to argue that she had stopped. Since the car in front of me had turned right, she must have had the right-of-way. And! And! I must have been driving really fast for her to misjudge it like that. The confused and irritated expression on the police officer's face made that little attempt at shirking the blame totally worth it, as did his ten-minute lecture on how she must be a moron. OK, so maybe he didn't call her a moron, but he did say that the evidence made it clear that I was travelling at a low rate of speed and had obviously done everything I could to avoid the collision. And then he made her repeat after him as he said, "I am at fault. I did not yield to oncoming traffic."
Big love to that police officer. Your sense of humor was the highlight of my crap-tacular day.
Actually, I take that back. A totally-fine-and-not-even-slightly-traumatized Alexis giving Audrey (my car) a hug on "her bump" was the highlight of my day. That kid has a heart of gold and then some.
Oh! Oh! Oh! AND there was another highlight to the day. A certain little post about Girl Scout cookies may have been syndicated over at BlogHer. Yup, that's a highlight, even if the first time that post ran here it led to me getting all sorts of angry emails from Girl Scout leaders declaring that I just don't understand how dangerous this world is and it's not safe for girls to go door-to-door and there is NOTHING lazy about sitting at a table at a mall and waiting for people to buy your cookies. Because, you know, there are no crazies at the mall. Ever.
Anyway, Alexis is fine. I'm considering decapitating myself until the antibiotics have a chance to kick this thing in the teeth. You should head over to BlogHer and leave a comment on the syndicated post so that I look even more special than y'all make me feel every single day.
Here's to hoping absolutely NOTHING notable happens tomorrow . . . Seriously.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Reader Comments (27)
Hey, at least the Pirates won.
Oh. Yeah. Right.
(Hope you're feeling better soon...)
@Uncle Crappy--They just did that to further pile it on, I'm sure. Oh, wait. What am I saying? There's no way they can win at will. It must have been pure dumb luck. ;-)
I love the wrongdoers that think that they're making an argument to prove their innocence when really their inability to shut up ultimately removes any doubt as to the source of fault.
Looking forward to the future posts on dealing with the insurance claim. Those should be dandy.
Hope you feel better!
I saw this picture on flickr and RACED to your blog. You know, as fast as my fingers could go. We were outside all day and I didn't see your tweet. I'm glad you're okay. I'm sorry she's stupid. But listening to the cop make her repeat that must have been at least a little gleeful, no?
But, seriously, I was so happy to see you there on BlogHer. You make me smile. Here's hoping the hate mail is minimal. :)
Well GOODNESS! What a day! I had strep this time last year. It sucked. I hope you get better soon! And I hope your car heals too ;)
That woman sounds like my Sister...I better go check her car :)
I swear Spring Fever has decreased the driving skills around here!
Surprisingly, all the experiences I have had with the officers here been pleasant and humorous-even when one pulled me over for "dead tags" (thanks to a 2+year old typo by the car dealer).
Wish you had a picture of Alexis comforting Audrey...
i love that alexis hugged the car. almost as much as i love that the cop effin rocked!
(am i allowed to swear over here? i can't remember.)
Sorry you had such a bad day! Hope you start feeling better soon. Love that sweetheart Alexis! What a good heart.
Dude, what a craptacular day. But that police officer should probably be given a written commendation of awesomeness to the force for that "repeat after me" thing. I'd have paid to see it.
Really? The cop made her repeat that? Classic! I love it!
Sorry your day has been so bad. Hope the antibiotics kick in soon. Haven't had strep since I was a kid. Got it all the time then and then I got mono. Miserable. I feel for ya.
Craptastic definitely describes the day you had! Alexis hugging the car - too cute!
I had strep a few weeks ago and I thought I would die!!!
I'm glad everything, and everyone, was OK and hoping tomorrow is entirely uneventful. ;-)
Yeah. Your Monday was definitely better than mine. I certainly could have used a hospital administrator with the attitude of your new best friend, the cop.
Hugs to your big hearted girl, and get well soon!
Gargle dissolved Asprin. Prevents spork induced throatectomies.
Trust me, I have a PHD in Dr Google.
Was this officer available because that is EXACTLY the kind of man I want in my life. I hate that you had such an awful day but that moment of her repeating back how she was wrong is in some small way just pure goodness.
I hope you feel better soon... Snickers Eggs are to good to tolerate their tasting like ass.
Stupid people should not have a driver's license. Ever. They should have to take the bus.
Hope you're feeling better. I suffered with step throat 9 times in a little over a year and then had my tonsils ripped out. Haven't had strep since. Thank GOD!
So you did inform them the white border didn't mean optional in the country, right? Missy had a similar issue of getting yelled at when she got hit a few months ago. At least you had a cop on your side.
Just for some more fun for you - Alexis' carseat now needs replaced, and IMMEDIATELY. (unless she has a Britax or a Sunshine Kids carseat - those defer to NHTSA crash rules).
However, the other lady's car insurance has to pay for it, since she was at fault.
email me if you need some help.
Article from another board (written by "Jean", not by me):
Crashed Carseat Replacement Criteria
With the exception of Britax, most carseat manufacturers state to replace a carseat after any crash regardless of the details of the crash. Here are helpful manufacturer links for addressing the issue of crashed carseat replacement:
Graco says to replace the carseat after any type of crash. Graco's FAQ page is under reconstruction at http://www.gracobaby.com/CustomerSer....aspx?page=FAQ as of Dec. 2008 but Graco owners may verify the replacement recommendation in their manuals and/or by contacting Graco via the contact info. on the linked Graco FAQ page.
Evenflo's FAQ at https://plweb.evenflo.com/faq_detail.aspx?faqid=4544 instructs parents to discontinue using the crashed seat immediately and to contact Evenflo for additional guidance.
Cosco/Safety 1st/Eddie Bauer seat owners can go to http://www.coscojuvenile.com/contact_us.asp for contact information and guidance.
Sunshine Kids recommends discontinuing use after a crash in the FAQ at http://www.skjp.com/products/radianFAQ.php. The crashed seat may also be eligible for the voluntary crashed seat exchange program if it was occupied during a severe crash in the U.S.
Britax's FAQ refers to the NHTSA criteria for carseat replacement after a crash at http://www.britaxusa.net/support/faqs.aspx
Q: What should I do with my child restraint that's been involved in a crash?
A: Britax recommends that use of a child restraint be discontinued if it has been in a severe crash. We further advise of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) position that it is not necessary to replace a child restraint after a minor crash. A minor crash is one that meets ALL of following criteria:
* The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site;
* The vehicle door nearest the child restraint was undamaged;
* There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants;
* The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND
* There is no visible damage to the child restraint.
If your Britax child restraint has been involved in a severe crash, it may be eligible for consideration for a new one of the same or similar design. See the Voluntary Crashed Restraint Exchange section of our website for more details.
Here is the direct link to NHTSA's crashed seat criteria for replacement, previously cited by the Britax crashed seat FAQ: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju...raintReUse.htm
Please note that the above manufacturer's crashed seat FAQs and NHTSA criteria do not differentiate between an unoccupied and occupied seat. The carseat has been subjected to crash forces even if it was unoccupied at the time of the crash. There could be unseen damage from the stress of the crash that could potentially cause the seat to fail to properly protect your child in the event of another crash.
Insurance Tips
If your crashed seat(s) meet the manufacturer's guidelines and/or NHTSA's for replacement, the at-fault driver's auto insurance company should be contacted about covering replacement(s). If you live in a no-fault insurance state, then you would pursue replacement through your own car insurance company.
Some insurance companies are very proactive about covering crashed seats regardless of the manufacturer or crash details, while others may act as though they've never heard of such a thing. It may also depend on the particular claims representative at any given company, and you may need to speak to a supervisor or more senior claims representative to get the authorization for replacement coverage. The insurance company may instruct you to simply purchase a replacement seat and submit the receipt for reimbursement, or prorate the original purchase price of your crashed seat(s) to determine how much to reimburse you, or instruct you to purchase the exact same model as your crashed seat(s). Be sure to clarify what the insurance company will specifically cover before purchasing a new seat.
If the insurance company refuses to cover replacing the carseat(s), you could present the insurance company with FAQ information or other supporting documentation from the carseat manufacturer and/or NHTSA. If the insurance company is still reluctant after you present manufacturer's or NHTSA's statements, you could also try asking for a document stating it accepts full liability and responsibility if the crashed carseat fails to properly protect your child in a subsequent crash. This is an approach reported to have worked in cases where insurance companies weren't initially cooperative. Also, insurance companies in California and Illinois are obligated by law to replace occupied crashed seats according to these links from the California Insurance Code at
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/app...s11580_011.htm and the Illinois Insurance Fact Sheet at
http://www.idfpr.com/DOI/autoinsuran..._own_claim.asp. The California and Illinois requirements may be useful leverage even outside of those states, especially if your insurance company also operates in either or both of those locations.
Disposing of a Crashed Seat
Trash pickers may be tempted to re-use or sell your crashed carseat at a yard sale, eBay, Craigslist, etc. To discourage this, remove the cover, cut up the harness, and write "CRASHED - NOT SAFE TO USE!!" in multiple places on the seat's shell. Then discard the various parts in dark trash bags over several weeks of trash pickups, or inquire if your community can handle recycling the plastic shell and other plastic parts. Your insurance company may ask you to turn in your crashed seat, but ideally you would take the seat apart and use the marker on the shell before you turn it over to prevent reuse.
If your replacement carseat is the exact same model, you may want to save the old seat's cover as a spare, or you could try to sell the cover to a buyer with the exact same model seat. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much a buyer is willing to pay for a gently used cover if it's a popular or discontinued pattern. If the carseat was unoccupied at the time of the crash, you may also want to save the internal harness as a spare if your new seat is the exact same model. If the seat was occupied during the crash, however, then definitely cut up and discard the harness.
Oh, and I recommend the new Frontier85 if the insurance company allows you to pick "any" seat. It's pricy, but it's a great seat!
@Amber--Thanks! You saved me some googling, for sure!
I would say that cop deserves a little note sent his way via the desk sargent for his strong work! I am glad you and Alexis are okay! The image of her hugging Audrey seriously melts my heart.
any time! I got my information from the car seat questions board on babycenter:
http://community.babycenter.com/groups/a7645/car_seat_questions?
Those ladies there *really* know their stuff!
Oy. I'm glad you're both okay. And that the moron is okay. Sorry about the Snickers egg. That IS tragic.
Feel better soon.
Poor thing. If you have any Girl Scout Cookies tucked away in the recesses of the freezer for an emergency, I think your Monday might qualify. Hope your Tuesday was better!
Oh no, so sorry. Hope your week has gotten better.
Thin Mint anyone?? ;-P
So sorry about your sucky day! I hope your week has gotten better and that you are feeling better.
I would be flipping out if my child was in the car when I got into an accident. LOVE that cop, though!
And yeah for your post on BlogHer! Ignore any hate email. It was a good post, and oh so true.