Sometimes stupid things happen, and sometimes I do stupid things. On Monday I did a stupid thing. I was leaving my parents’ house to drive the 6 hours back to my place, but before I’d gone half a mile I wrecked my car. I don’t remember the crash itself (being hit in the head by an air bag does a number on the memory), but I know that I looked over to comfort my cat (who hates car rides with a passion), and the next thing I knew I was hearing a warning siren of some sort and trying to figure out why my windshield was shattered and air bags deflating. Then I realized the warning siren was the ringing in my ears from having been hit in the head by my air bag.

As it turns out, the street curves just enough at that point that driving straight (while looked at a cat) landed me in the ditch just at the point where a concrete driveway spans the ditch. Even at the 15 miles per hour that I was going at the time, I hit the driveway with enough force to sheer off the metal that held my right front wheel to the rest of the car. I still can’t explain it very well. I keep saying it’s too bad I didn’t do this in London so it could have been taped by a few surveillance cameras.

Luckily, my cat is fine and I all have are a couple of bruises, a scraped knuckle, and the after-effects of a little concussion (stupid air bags). The same cannot be said of my car. I doubt I’ll ever be able to drive it again.

So now I’ve driven home (a day and a half later than I’d planned) in a car I’m borrowing from my parents. What amazing parents. Oh, and did I mention that all this happened on their wedding anniversary? Happy anniversary Mom and Dad…