I call it my exciting morning

Exciting in a not good way. I was headed to the second half of the Spin-Off photo shoot for the Summer issue Thursday morning. I had awoken at 4:30 am and edited three articles before I even showered. I was feeling productive and organized. My Dad came over to watch Hannah and then take her to Miss Tina's once she woke up. We had a good chat of shoes and ships and ceiling wax and cabbages and kings while I made my lunch and organized Hannah's things. I was on the road by 7:30 am--plenty of time to make it to the photo shoot by 9 am in Fort Collins.
Then, just 5 minutes from my house as I was headed north on Wadsworth, a truck came out of no where and was suddenly in my path. There was no time to stop, no room to stop, actually. I think I had time to put my foot on the break and try to stop, but that's it. I was in the right lane, the left lane was backed up and I guess someone in the left lane waved this guy across. The police officer called it the wave of death. We were fortunate that in this case it wasn't the cause of death, but I could see how it could be. I never even saw him in the south bound lane waiting to turn across traffic--there were too many cars blocking the view. I assume he didn't see me or he wouldn't have turned.
My car plowed into his truck between the wheels and Kelly estimates that the force of the crash moved both vehicles about 8 feet. The driver of the truck didn't seemed to be injured. He was polite and concerned about me. My little blue Subaru was smashed up so badly on the right side that the bumper (or where the bumper used to be) is nearly in contact with the right wheel. My injuries are from the airbag--but I'm glad it was there. My neck looks like I rode down a gravel path on it. Feels like it, too. The firefighters on the scene were concerned about where the airbag hit me--the angle (because of my short stature, I think)--so they wanted to err on the side of caution and have me checked out in the ER. I hurt enough to agree with them--so I had a little trip to the ER in an ambulance with a neck brace and on the back board. All the internal stuff checked out okay and I was released a few hours later. I called Kelly as soon as I found my phone and he got there as they were taking me away in the ambulance. He retrieved my things out of the car (including the wheel that I was taking to the photo shoot to loan to Stefanie) and my Harry Potter CDs. He went home to tell my Dad what was going on. Dad took Hannah to Miss Tina's and then joined us at the hospital, where we ran into the surgeon who had performed my appendectomy nearly 3 years ago. Small world. Needless to say, I didn't make it to the photo shoot. I took Friday off, too, and slept.
I'm feeling better. I felt well enough to dye with indigo this weekend. I did some beading, some spinning, some knitting.

Hannah was concerned when she first saw me. "You have an accident, mama? Dat's a bummer. You need a band aid? I go get my doctor's kit. You feel better?" She gave me numerous shots and took my temperature until she was satisfied that I was okay.

I'm thankful that Hannah wasn't with me, I'm thankful for seat belts, for having both hands on the wheel, for airbags. I'm thankful for police officers, EMT, and firefighters who were on the scene with in seconds. I'm thankful for professional and cheerful ER staff who were attentive and thorough. I'm thankful for Kelly who was by my side as quickly as he could be. I'm thankful for my family who called and came to see for themselves that I was okay. I'm thankful for friends expressed concern and who offered to help out. Nothing like an exciting day to help illustrate how lucky I am.