Heart Attack City

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914874653356847668.post-57946070350824468572007-06-29T23:27:00.000-04:002007-06-29T23:46:56.920-04:00Heart Attack CityThese boys are going to be the death of me with their accidents and near misses. Yesterday we went to the YMCA. Young Everett was going to display his polite young man manners to open a large door for us, so he ran ahead to get there first. Well - then the grown man behind us decided he would display his polite grown man manners, so he reached above us and past us to pull the door open (I had my hands full with the baby and our swimming gear bag). He pulled it open all right - right over the top of Evy's big toe, peeling the toenail backwards to bleeding and leaving an ugly purple bruise. Ahh! Oh how his crying echoed down the long concrete block walls of the swimming area! Tonight it was the bike ride. We have tried to pick up a new routine of "family bike ride" after dinner since we moved to Florida; tonight we went a little late and it was getting dark on us when the road curved sharply. Chriss was in the lead pulling Goo goo baby in the baby-buggy-wagon-thingy; Everett right behind him, me coming up behind Everett, and somewhere way behind was Brian fighting his dog that he insisted on bringing who was not cooperating with this whole bike ride run at all. Enter one speeding pick up truck coming straight at us! Chriss and I saw it at the same time and yelled at the boys to get to the side of the road as we do when any car approaches at any speed, but this truck was SPEEDING! "Get off the road!" we were both yelling. Everett obediently peddled his tiny Tigger bike in to the grass on the right hand side as we've been teaching him, but where was Brian? I didn't see him and looking behind for him I veered over to the left hand side and this truck was still coming fast. Chriss was in the middle of the street at that point waving his arms, shouting at the driver to slow down, the baby buggy in the middle of the street with him, Everett confused - should he stay behind the buggy like we've told him to or on the right hand side in the grass? So he's teetering on the edge of darting out in front of the truck (and WHERE is Brian!?!) so I'm shouting at Everett to go back to the grass and looking behind me for Brian. I've dropped my bike by now and am on my feet when here comes Brian's dog running up so I snag him from certain death as I hold my own dog still on her leash and finally....fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinally in this horrible splilt second near death experience comes around the corner my air head, my day dreamer, my fantasy child lost in his own world down the middle of the street completely unaware of any impending doom under a speeding truck. "Brian! Get off the road! Get off the road!" We scream at him. Chriss and I are both in the center of the street now waving our arms at the driver and shouting at both the truck's driver and our nine year old space cadet. Right up on top of Chriss the driver finally sees us - it wasn't that dark, I think he was tuning his radio or rolling a joint for all I know but he obviously wasn't watching the road anymore than his speedometer. He brakes heavily and comes to a stop. "Sorry, I didn't see ya there!" he says. *WHEW!* I did a quick inventory, everyone still alive? Brian is behind me in the grass looking confused not having a clue what just happened or how very near we all came to being road kill, thus totally not understanding the rage that came next. We peddled on home from there, glad to arrive all safe and sound. Thank you God and your little green angels. <div class="blogger-post-footer">If you lay down with dogs, you're going to get fleas.</div>Soggy Bottom Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10226580090761992966noreply@blogger.com