It all started with a car crash. Adventures with jojo & louielouie & our friend Julie

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I need to change this blog post but didn't have a lot of time, so i thought i would tell a story instead that i already had written out. It's a true story. (for the most part.)

Before i go on, let me explain the photos: this is not the same trip as the car crash trip because i didn't own my digital camera yet. And the black&white photo is from 1983. That is me and louielouie (on the right). We are at the union office (my job now, but not then) during a teacher strike. The rest are from Alderbrook Inn at Hood Canal: soup photo: louielouie used to be a home ec teacher and now is a voc-ed administrator and is a very good cook; puzzle photo: Julie (on the left & louielouie on the right); boat photo: scenery at Alderbrook; & the last one is julie and louie.

For about 10 years now louielouie, Julie and I take a trip somewhere in Washington or Oregon at least once a year just to hang out in our jammies, cook, drink good wine, watch DVDs, put puzzles together and talk.

louielouie, as y'all know posts here often & has been my friend since 1979. Our friend Julie (since the early 1990's, is an elementary music teacher - she used to teach Ms. Hippie!) doesn't post here, but says sometimes reads. (Maybe she will weigh in on this trip and clear up any misrepresentations.)

On these trips Julie usually drives and louielouie and I do the shopping and cooking. It's a nice trade because we all do what we're good at. This trip of which i am writing about was to Port Townsend and it started out with a car crash.

We were being picked up at my place and Julie was unusually late. (Usually it is louielouie who is late.... I, of course, being such an anal person, am always on time.) Julie finally arrives, and because she hates being late is speeding around our condo circle up to my garage where we quickly loaded up our luggage. (And yeah, they make fun of my 400 thread count travelin' sheets that i always bring on trips in case i get a bed with flannels on them, but you should see how much THEY pack. Julie's hair products alone need their own suitcase!)

As Julie sped out backwards from my fairly long condo driveway she hit the steel post that protects the electrical transformers. And she hit her fairly new Honda Accord hard. So hard we didn't even want to get out and look at the backside until we made a pit stop. (It was pretty bad.) But Julie didn't let this little car crash deter her from having a good time and we did. (Port Townsend is a wonderful place!)

About a week later Julie gave louielouie and me a heads up that Rebecca, the insurance agent was going to call us. And she did. And we gave our account of the story of the car crash. And here are the email exchanges about how that went down, color coded for your convenience:

* * * * * * * * *

jojo's email:

Julie, here is what I told her ….

She asked what happened. I said that we had had an all night party celebrating your 2 month celibacy and had switched to bloody marys just before loading up the car to head out to Port Townsend where we could hopefully score some weed.

I told her that you were backing out of my driveway and that I was a little concerned because you were exceeding the speed limit and so I explained the reason for my concern and all that being because of how I used to be on the condo board, but now I am not, and so I didn’t have the same kind of ‘pull’ to get away with breaking rules such as speed limits and hanging political signs in my windows….anyway I digress…so I said that you hit this big pole which protects all the trees that used to be here only they have cut them down (two since I got off the board!) and I thought maybe you had even run over a little dog but I couldn’t be certain because I think it was still stuck to your tires and you refused to get out and look because you were pretty drunk on the bloody marys and couldn’t get your seat belt off.

I think the agent appreciated that I made a special note to point out that you DID have your seatbelt on. I thoughtfully added that you didn’t run over any old people, and if you had, well it would have been their fault anyway cause they NEVER watch where they are walking. She thanked me and said she was calling louielouie next. I hope louie's story and mine match so she doesn’t think we are drunks AND LIARS.

Oh yeah, and I told her my neck was hurting bad. And that I spilled hot coffee in my lap as a result of the crash and I was wearing my new $300 suede Armani jacket, which is just perfect for those Port Townsend beaches, only not so much when it is raining.

I hope I did okay and that you get your money soon so you can fix your bumper.

If not….i have some Obama bumper stickers.

Jojo's email:
Oops That is a typo on the $300. I meant $900. As if you could buy anything Armani for so little money.
louielouie's email: Julie,
I want to apologize in advance for any rude or threatening calls you may get from Ron.(louie’s husband, who is a doctor) He’s got this unnatural and unfounded fear of narcotics that I so don’t understand. I find that the Oxycontin and Vicodin help ease my pain somewhat and provide me with a little peace. I’m sure you understand.

I really didn’t mean for him to blame my “addiction” on the car accident you caused with your carelessness last week. I explained to him that you really were paying attention to the best of your ability and that excessive speed is a relative thing and that I didn’t blame you for my excruciating pain that can only be relieved by narcotics. Plus if Jo hadn’t been fumbling around under the seat for her battery-operated device while you were trying to drive you wouldn’t have been so distracted. How were any of us to know the condo board had installed those poles in our direct path earlier that same day?

Anyway, I don’t blame you in any way; as long as I can keep the supply coming. I may need your help with that down the road apiece or maybe Jo can hook me up with her contact there at the Brown Bear, I have no ill will against you. I’m just warning you meanwhile, don’t take any calls from Ron; he can be sooo unreasonable.
sarah

PS I won't mention any of this to Rebecca if you can help me out, if you know what I mean.

Julie's reply: I hope Home Land Security is not monitoring us (due to the fact that we have signed up for the Democratic Party and Ron actually ran and I am a card carrying member of the ACLU and I send money annually to some womens fund in Afghanistan). Wait - there's a knock at the door . . . . louie's reply: Since when is Narcotic’s addiction an issue for homeland security? I would worry a whole lot more about your leftist leanings and the fact that you’re consorting with an undocumented international with questionable political intentions if I were you.
julie writes:

Dear "friends"

I want to thank you sooooo much for helping me out. Did you happen to mention that I probably did some serious damage to the pole and that it will cost the condo board at least 30 grand to replace/and/or fix it?

Sarah I am so sorry you are sleeping poorly because of the accident and that you can't feel anything in your fingers (or, apparently, in your cold cold heart). I'm sure you failed to mention that both were pre-existing conditions. Are they making the insurance check out to your husband who also just happens to be a physician? What a coincidence.

Also - there is the continued inquiry as to "other" witnesses. I'm sure Dorothy could help you out here, Jo. Or maybe you could say it was her oxygen tank I hit which caused a minor explosion, resulting in about 100 grand of damage.

Again - thank you both. I'm sure Rebecca will be happy that I chose Nationwide as my car insurance company.