Calamitous Thursday

So it began as a routine day -- breakfast with my friend and broker Pat to discuss investment income in a bad market,a few hours in the office helping Stuart strategize about a case, playing on the computer, meeting D1 to slip her some cash...

I headed home, and Wifey had some friends over looking at jewelry for sale, and I intercepted friend and neighbor Diane out for a walk, to invite her inside for a glass of wine...and then D1 called, crying and panicked --another car accident.

I went into calm Dad mode, trying to quiet her, gathering info, and I soon learned she was on 441 in Hollywood, on her way to meet friends at the Hard Rock, when the suv in front of her stopped for a red light, she stopped, and the Infiniti behind her didn't... He hit her pretty hard, she was pushed into the suv, and hit her nose on the steering wheel --it might be broken, should she call an ambulance???

I scooped up Wifey and we headed to Hollywood, talking to D1 and calming her. We arrived and saw the car that hit her --looked pretty bad. I estimated he hit at about 30 mph, but then the tap into the suv was modest --ne damage there, and just a cracked plastic grille on D1's car.

D1 had ice on her nose, was in pain, but, thankfully --nothing catastrophic. The nice Hollywood cop wrote a ticket for the Infiniti driver, a Jamaican who came over and apologized ("I taught de was goin' through") and then we met D1's friend Joel, a UM 1L she's been keeping some company with. Nice fellow --he flew up to D1 as soon as she called him.

So, after awhile, Joel drove D1 back to her apartment, I drove the accident vehicle, and Wifey took my car. As night grew later, D1 was eating pizza and laughing with Joel. I think the loss to me was modest --no more than 5 years off my wife with this latest scare.

We called Dr. Dave, our family guy, and he said to just follow up with a nose man next week. D1 got an appointment for Monday, but I'm hoping she'll be fine before then and be able to miss it. No, I told her, unless there's a break, this is NOT an excuse to obtain the WASP nose she was denied by her ethnicity...

D2 returned from her cruise, and immediately had the pitch perfect take on her sister: "Classic JAP problem. Needs to get her BMW fixed, and maybe a nose job."

Meanwhile, we spent some exquisite time together. The Ds had lunch, and then we all drove to the insurance claims office (the Jamaican is well covered, luckily) to have the car's damage estimated. The claims examiner told us to take the car in right away, as the exhaust system was damaged, and she didn't want a carbon monoxide case...We took the car to the dealer where we bought it, and left it to their efforts. D2 should have it back in a few weeks...

And then, of course, is the earthquake in Japan. Things were a bit worse for those folks...

Life is so fragile. I made my living from much worse car wrecks than D1 had. I know that in a NY (or Tokyo) minute, everything can change...

And so we deal with crap, and keep thankful when it's annoying, and not calamitous...

Millions in Japan tonight would gladly take our place...