mama vents:: worst week

Usually these vents come on Tuesday, my least favorite-- usually very bad day of the week.   Tuesday came and went and before I had a chance to post I watched our life go out of control.

Moving is always rough.  We were busy setting up new utilities, changing information, finding new doctors.  It has been go, go, go since Monday morning.  Dale met his new boss, which went great.  We finally found a grocery store that carries our favorite local and organic products. I celebrated my first Mother's Day....so I cant say that our week was all bad.  Until yesterday.

I am a backseat driver.  It drives Dale nuts but he loves me for it.  My backseat driving has saved us from missing exits and turns but no matter how loud I screamed "BRAKES" yesterday, we still found ourselves slamming into the back of a 4Runner in front of us. 

We drive a 1998 Ford Explorer and yesterday when we approached the stoplight Dale suddenly found himself with no brake pressure, pedal to the floor, like sliding on ice.  We slammed.  Everyone was fine, even Kannon who was mostly shaken up with excitement.  We exchanged information, got a tow home, and thought the worst of our day was over.

Our car was parked in front of our house, which is slightly sloped, but nothing that caught our attention yesterday.  We checked the mail, grabbed some belongings out of the car, and reached our front door only to see our car ROLLING DOWNHILL!!!!  The parking brake had failed!

Dale dropped everything, ran after the car, and tried to turn the wheels but ended up jumping out of this moving vehicle as it approached the busy street below us.  Thankfully, we watched our car run over a mailbox, a fence, and finally land in our neighbors front yard instead of the street. 

All in all, we are very lucky.  The brakes could have gone out on the freeway; the car could have rolled into the street; somebody could have been killed.  The damage is really minimal to all involved, but we sadly said goodbye to the Explorer today as we know we will probably not see her again.

The brake estimate is $1300 (best case scenario) and the damage sustained is at least $1000.  Our car is only worth $2700.  Our insurance company will cover damage sustained by the accident but the brakes are our responsibility.  Being as we just moved, putting nearly all of our savings into this, we are saying good bye.  Thankfully, we never sold my Toyota Camry.


I know I am 20 weeks pregnant...but tonight, I am soaking in a bathtub with a glass of red wine and welcoming the weekend.