Paying For Others Mistakes

Fair warning...this is a bit of a rant on my part. This morning I was driving home and a truck hit the back of my car. It was snowing, the roads were bad, but that is no excuse for what happened. I was behind two other cars turning left when the light changed to yellow and we all began to turn. At that moment, northbound traffic was stopped in the inside lane and no one was coming in the outside lane. As I am turning, a 16-year-old in a big Chevy truck decides to try to get through the light. He darts into the outside lane and speeds up. Now, I was almost through my turn and the light had turned red before he ever hit me, but thanks to Utah laws, I am the one who gets cited for failing to yield. This kid flies out from behind other traffic, runs a red light, is going much too fast for conditions, and I am the one who is at fault simply because I was turning left. It is totally absurd. Now I have to deal with the cost of repairs ($500 deductible), the cost of the citation and the rise in my insurance. The damage to the truck amounted to a flat tire. My car, just a Ford Focus, has the right rear almost completely destroyed. Needless to say, I am more than just a little upset at the injustice of it all. If he had been coming when I started making my turn, I would have stopped, but he wasn't. It's just so wrong. The kid only turned 16 back in October! To make matters worse, I still do not have a job and I have no idea how I am going to pay for all this. I am very frustrated. The only good thing is that my insurance company is moving very quickly and I could have my car back before the weekend if I can figure out how in the world I am going to cover the deductible. When it rains.....

Tentatively Testing The Waters......Again

It has been almost five months since I took the time to write here. I think there has been some kind of subconscious correlation between this blog and being laid off from my job. I'm still unemployed and I have not had a lack of time to share thoughts here; I just haven't taken the time to do it. Now I find myself needing some kind of catharsis, some way of shouting at the universe, if you will, and I decided to write again.

Losing my job was not without a silver lining. For the first time since 1995, I spent Christmas with my kids. They are in Sweden and we usually only get summers together, but I have never been able to make an extra trip. This year I made it. I have also had the time to explore other interests and possible avenues for future employment. I have done some freelance writing for a small weekly paper and that has been both interesting and educational. So things have not been all bad.

But enough is enough and I really find I need to get back in the money-making mode. I'm at the point in my life where I have no real desire to settle for just anything. I have great hopes of finding that perfect job that quickly becomes a career I thoroughly enjoy. I am hoping for something that lets me write. I know that something must be out there for me.

So I am back writing here. Hopefully it will not be five months before I show up here again.