cc: file, Grandma Hafen via Tony Hafen, Pauline Nelson via mail, Sara and Des Penny, Claude and Katherine Warner, Lloyd and Luana Warner. and Diane Cluff.
"`So what in the world is Dad writing about now? Rear End? I thought he was happily married now, so why is he thinking about a rear end?' As I sit down to write this week's Thoughtlet, I can see these questions floating through the minds of those of you out of town.
Well, the reason I decided on this topic is because I ran my company Lexus into the rear end of a pickup first thing Monday Morning. It was on my way to work. It was also the first day going to the new office building at Kirkwood and I-10. And it happened right next to Landmark's old office building. I had a wonderful weekend. Had written my Thoughtlet Sunday night, got up Monday morning and went for a run with Andrea, got Audrey, Rachel, and Matt up and Andrea fixed a nice breakfast while I had a shower, we read from the scriptures, I started reading `Ender's Game,' and we had a family prayer. The day started perfect, and it finally felt like my life was back where I thought it was several years ago. Then I give Andrea a good-bye kiss, and head off to work.
The accident was simple. As I approached the freeway from Kingsland on Barker Cypress, I recalled I forgot to write down my mileage on the log I keep so I can turn in an accurate report of personal use of the company car at the end of the year for tax purposes. So being the ever diligent person I am, I immediately opened the glove box where I keep the log. I looked down for a second to find the paper, when I looked up, there was a pickup stopped right in front of me. I slammed on the breaks and the car just skidded into the rear end of the pickup. After it happened, I realized, they were watering the road with the sprinklers, and I hydroplaned into the truck. No one was hurt. The truck bumper was bent a little bit. The Lexus front-end had dropped down because I hit the breaks so hard, and the Lexus bumper slipped under the bumper of the pickup. The Lexus hood was folded back about 2 feet, taking the top of the radiator off. We got out and introduced ourselves, and then both drove our cars onto the flood control dam there off Barker-Cypress. We exchanged information, he left, I called Lexus on my cell phone and arranged for the car to be picked up, a wrecker came and I told him everything was taken care of, a policeman came by and saw everything was under control and left, and he didn't give me a ticket. I called Andrea and she came and picked me up, I took her home and dropped her off, and took her car into work.
The thing interesting about this is that on Saturday morning, after the Open House (9923.html), Paul said to me `Dad, I wrecked the Saturn.' My response was reasonable. I simply asked what happened. He said a pedestrian ran in front of a truck in the rain, the truck slid to a stop, and Paul hydroplaned into the rear end of the truck. I don't recall how expensive Paul's accident was estimated at being, but mine is estimated at $5,000. So in the typical male ego way, I guess I can say `Mine's bigger than yours Paul.'
Sara came to the new office to help me unpack on Monday. She asked if this was the first time I ran into another car's rear end. I was pleased to be able to tell her it was. Then I described each of my car accidents to her. I have described some of the accidents in previous Thoughtlets, specifically rolling the `Red Apple' (.../9834.html). There was also the morning I was acting like a teenager, was upset with Mom, drove out of the yard too fast, and did not look up the lane and did not see a pickup coming down the Minersville Road at 80 miles per hour. I was driving the yellow Lincoln Continental (same year and style they made the origional Batmobile out of). The pickup saw me, he slammed on his breaks, skidded 180 degrees and was going down the lane backwards when I heard the noise and hit my breaks. If I would not have hit the breaks he would not have hit me. As it was the rear end of his pickup hit one of the tail fins on my Lincoln, and it knocked the bed of his pickup off line. I recall the policeman measuring how far his tire marks were on the road and determining how fast he was going. Then there was the time Ray Gardner and I went on a double date at the University of Utah to listen to Simon and Garfunkel. I was driving with my arm around my date, and when I changed lanes I did not see the car next to me. It didn't do much damage to that car, however, the entire front fender of my copper colored Javelin from American Motor's was ruined. Uncle Chuck totaled that car when we moved to Dallas and Grandma Sharp (Jackson) and he came to visit once. The last car accident was on a very important day of work at The University of Houston. I was going in early to meet the delivery truck for some computer equipment being delivered for a demo of 3-D visualization in May of 1980. I had a brand new bright yellow Mazada, which we had paid cash for out of the proceeds from selling our house in Dallas. This was my first Japanese car, since Dad did not like me to buy Japanese car's because of World War II. As I went to cross a busy two lane highway a lady motioned me forward, I looked the wrong way, and drove into the side of a car coming up the inside lane. It totaled out the Mazada. I don't even remember what we replaced it with. I do remember being about 2 hours late getting to work.
Other than the bandage on the head of the girl I had my arm around when I rolled the `Red Apple,' no one has been hurt in one of my accident's. I do feel very blessed in this regard. The guy I hit in the rear end this week was very concerned about me being hurt. Other than my pride, I wasn't hurt. There were some interesting logistics during the week.
Monday was spent moving into the new office. Monday evening Alma and Larry Law, and Sister Moreless joined with Sara, Audrey, Rachel, Matt, Andrea, and I for Family Home Evening. Tuesday there were meetings and Tuesday evening we had a get acquainted dinner meeting for the Tiger Team I am working with for the next week or so. We had 16 people at the dinner at Beef `N Bird, and it was really interesting. The meetings Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were some of the most fun I have had in my entire career. We had lunches brought in, dinners each night, and I gained 5 pounds by the weekend. Thursday evening I ended up driving Roger Anderson's rental car home. Friday I got a little red rental car. Friday night Andrea and I went to see the movie `Notting Hill.' Despite the smut prevelant in most all of the movies these days, we enjoyed ourselves and had several good laughs. Notting Hill and Portobello Road were in my last missionary proselyting area, and this is where I purchased the Stereoscope (.../9638.html, 9901.html, and 9902.html). Saturday morning was Family Day at Continuum Resources. I was one of two main presentors. I left from there for Galveston where our Tiger Team toured a large deep water drilling vessel. I was too late getting back to attend Stake Leadership Meeting, so I went and got a haircut. Andrea and I and some of the kids (on an intermittent basis) watched a couple of old movies on TV: `Sabrina' with Audrey Hepburn and `The House Boat' with Cary Grant and Sophia Loren. It was a fun evening. Today was Stake Conference. Ken Turner and his family stopped by after Stake Conference. Roger Anderson and Bob Mishler came out to the house for a bar-b-que and dutch oven dinner. I even played on the guitar and sang some of the songs written for you kids and the song I wrote for Andrea. After they left Andrea and I walked over to see the Kessler's. They were not home. And other than the rear end experience at the first of the week, we really had a wonderful week. I hope and pray each of your weeks were proportionally as good as the rest of the week."