Still Intact, Thanks

Dad and I decided to take a drive today, up the narrow Angeles Crest. It's beautiful up there right now. And very green thanks to the wet season earlier this year.

It's also very dangerous. On one side you have the jagged mountain face. On the other is a sheer 2000-foot drop. It's where motorcyclists go to hot-dog their way up the mountain, living off the thrill of the sharp curves.

On this particular holiday weekend, someone was taking the southern route down into La Cañada a little too quickly.

He was moving so fast that the blue F-150 had drifted into the opposite lane, coming around a curve at about 40 miles an hour. A curve where the speed limit was 25 mph because it was particularly tight around the jagged mountain face, with only a guardrail between him and certain death.

At the same time, two cars were moving up the mountain, at about 35 mph. The red coupe in front came around the bend and suddenly I was staring directly into the blue truck's front grill.

In the 2.6 seconds between that instant and what could have been the World's Deadliest Bumper Cars episode, my body tensed, my car stalled, and I waited to hear metal crunch, either from in front OR behind.

My little car must have some sort of force field around it, or it was the grace of a god I don't even believe in, because we completely avoided ever touching each other. He wrenched the truck back into his lane at the very last possible moment, but it was oh so close. I mean about an INCH of space between that huge truck and me, and yet, not even a scratch.

Thankfully, the Camry behind me had left enough room between us, too. Thank you, Camry driver.

I couldn't get my car started again for a few minutes. The cop that pulled up .03 seconds too late to see the near-hit pushed me into the turnout, then went and hassled the jackass that almost made my dad and I a holiday weekend statistic.

Dad drove us back home. Where we promptly passed out from the shock.

Other than that, it's been a wonderful weekend. To everyone who leaves during long holidays, please stay gone. There is NO traffic when you're not here.

And to the guy who nearly killed me, fuck you. Next time, you might not be so lucky.

Asshole.