Day
2 - The angels are among us
I
wake up at a rest stop half way through Nevada. It's purty out
side (purty is southern for pretty). Still real gray and drizzly.
Figures.. The rain and drizzle followed me. We hop on the road
right into nasty weather for the next 4 hours. The first angel
appears. While driving through a hail storm, the Green Ford
Intrepid next to me does a high speed exit stage left. I don't
know if the old couple used the breaks to slow down because
of the weather or what, but something spun them a quarter turn
and sent them flying into the desert median. My hand was on
the CB mic. and calling for help on ch. 9 as they spun. I couldn't
brake and stop because I, too, would slide or the big rig behind
me would have eaten me alive.
I
felt guilty. No way to turn around! Angle? Yeah definitely!
Could of been me! Different lanes and they would of spun into
me! If they spun another quarter and went off sideways instead
of nose first then I would have been watching a high speed roll
through the desert. Instead, they just flew into the median
and spun a muddy rooster tail. A roll at that speed! That...would
have been nasty.
I
got to a rest stop and dialed 911 on the pay phone. NHP was
already on its way. I still felt guilty!!! About 4 hours later
another angel appears! This time he was definitely looking after
me... and everyone in back. The traffic through Salt Lake City
is "Shiiiiiiiii........." During the pile the traffic speed
went from 50 to ZERO. I was heading straight into the DEATH
ZONE with no room to stop. I have been reading a book on the
capacity of the brain and teaching (thanks Lauren) and, well,
the brain is an amazing thing. In about one and a half seconds
it (and an angel, I'm sure) helped me do the following. BRAKE
hard (like that is going to help) SCREEEEEEEEEECH...check mirror
for approaching traffic in left lane... I know their is a blind
spot ... oh well I am about to die anyway....ZIG- Floor it...
CHIRP...exit stage left....approaching cement wall, ZAG- Floor
it CHIRP... exit stage right into the lane... check mirror for
possible rear collision... Floor it...CHIRP...yep, there is
a car there but he is in controll.... Slow down... Blessed be
the gods.
Me
and the rest of us who would have piled are ALIVE. The guy behind
me was not flipping me off for cutting him off so he may have
had to jump out along with me or maybe these folks in Salt Lake
are just nice. With my heart pounding I pull out of this "exit
only lane" into the shoulder of the median so I can get back
into the crawling traffic in my needed "exit only lane". Maybe
they are nice? Or, some one put a 50 caliber machine gun on
top of my roof rack, because within seconds someone left me
a hole to enter into.
Approximately
three hours later, I had traveled all of 10 miles. About 5 hours
later (yep this 2 day, 16 hour drive ain't done and I've been
at it 17 hours) it is pitch black and I am heading over the
pass on I 70 out side of Salinas, Utah. I feel like I am in
Han Solo's
(first Star Wars) Millennium Falcon. I am entering into hyper
drive and the stars, which are beginning to turn into streaks
of white in my headlights, are all around me. It stays that
way for a good long 20 minutes. Feels like an hour of white
knuckle driving. I first leaned into the windshield for a better
look. Now, I'm turning off the CB so I can concentrate.
Next
went off the radio. I was plum scared. No... I am not going
fast. It's white out blizzard over the pass. The white lines
are blending in with the streaks of snow in my headlights. The
snow gets a little lighter. I sit back. Next comes on the Radio...then
the CB...phew...I made it. Jake's head is between the seats
on the center console, snoozing away and waiting for a scratch
on the head. I haven't stopped to get too many pics cause welllllllll,
just haven't felt like sharing this gray, dreary...nasty day.
I reach Moab at midnight their time. I bunk into the Hostile
I had contacted. I SLEEEP.
INDEX
| Day 3
