Karma's Bitch

That was me Friday evening.

It all started with me having nothing to do at work wanting to go home early. I managed to talk my boss into letting me go home. It would boost our daily efficiency (which the higher-ups are really really keen on right now, even though their program/s to track this is so fubar-ed, it's not funny) by having less man-hours for the shift. And I'd been doing my job so well that no one was even making eye contact with me lest I point out something else for them to clean (ha).

So, anyway, he said yes and I danced a little happy dance (in my head). I ran an errand, off-the-clock, and then headed home. Insert Karma's bitch-slapping of me here.

I had a little accident.

Seriously, I had a minor traffic accident less than two blocks from work.

I had nothing on in the car to distract me. Radio was off. Cell phone was ... ok, cell phone was on my leg, but I wasn't talking on it. Or texting. I had it on my leg because it was gouging a hole in my hip pocket. Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, seat belt on (always), etc. I was even doing the posted speed limit (30 mph).

Then this big red Dodge pickup truck appears in the oncoming lane. And decides he needs to turn left. In front of me! Without signaling!

My thought process went like this: OMIGOD! While my foot automatically slams the brakes (thank the powers that be that I changed them just a few weekends ago. Yes, I changed my own front brakes, with some help from my uncle.) and my hands yank the wheel as far left as it will go. The next semi-coherent thought while I'm swerving like hell is Don'tletmehititdon'tletmehiDAMMIT!

Then there's the sound we all know and dread. Screech/crunch! Accompanied by a bit of a jarring. Luckily, no one was hurt. It was a minor fender bender.

I got out of the car to check out the damage. My front bumper is cracked a bit, the hood has some denting, the front fender? (right over the wheel) is pretty banged up, and the passenger door won't open. Thought: SHIT! I was thinking about a new car, but NOT YET!

The other driver admitted fault (and it's in the police report) so my insurance won't go up. Did I mention that no one was injured?

Moral of the story: If you're going to worm your way out of work early on a Friday evening, think twice because Karma is there playing hi-lo with Fate as to whether or not to smack you down a peg.

(ETA: And I gained 3 years of age, thanks to the local paper....)