The trip has come to an end, and I am back home in the hood. I knew when we were about to hit Granite City when the air quality started getting really bad. After having lots of fresh air, and only having to use 4 1/2 H tanks and 9 Frova tabs in 16 days. Now I am curious to see if I start getting hit like mad. I've known I need out of this town for a long time, and after being in some very clean air a long period - and some very smoggy air for 2 seperate nights, this should prove or disprove my theory as to the hydrocarbon factory adding to the factor of the number of CH's I am getting. (Now THAT was a long sentence.)
What an adventurous Journey I had, and while I had many moments that took my breath away just to see some beautiful sites and all of the new experiences being in a forgein land where their money looks funkier than ours, there were downsides too.
Brew wrote on Jun 26th, 2009 at 6:15pm:| Carl - I'll bet two weeks in a car did you a world of good. Not. ;) |
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It was indeed a bumpy road trip. Luckily Jeff had it mapped out so we didn't drive more than 6 hours to any single destination and there were times we had to pull over to rest stops so I could get out and just walk off cramping in my back and leg, but we kept on course on time. One thing that helped was the heated seat with lumbar support.
It was well worth it though. I had a REAL vacation, a getaway, and brought back memories and images I will cherish all my life.
The only travels I've had before this were all work, work, work back when I was with an independent music dist. company in '94 & '95. One of those festival road trips running music booths nearly cost me my life and did end someone elses, which left me with PTSD.
June '95 on the Ohio turnpike 88 mile post, the car my boss was driving overheated, so he pulled up under the overpass in the shade, well off the road. We had our belongings, fixtures & registers, and loaded it with CD's & Cassettes, and our change for the event; meanwhile I was following him in the green Chevy van FILLED front to back with CD's & Tapes for another event that was being dropped off at the event we were vending to take to another event at the same time.
I pulled over and he took the van to get antifreeze & water, and I stayed behind to watch the camper trailer. I tried to get in to grab some industry updates we just got since I knew I'd be there awhile, but couldn't get the door open (I could always pop the lock, but for some odd reason couldn't that day.)
I laid down on the retainer wall next to the camper and laid my smokes and soda right behind my head so I could reach them without getting up. I was there maybe two minutes when a guy who had just got on the turnpike started drifting off the shoulder numerous times while reading something, according to the person behind him. He drifted off and hit our camper and the minivan he was driving catapluted twice off of the camper with the bumper wrapped in the right front tire, landed upside down sliding 100 yards I think it was.
When it happened, I heard a crashing sound that lasted almost 45 seconds and upon the initial hit - I saw the front overhang of the camper coming down right on me. Next second may have only seemed 45 seconds long, don't know. Next thing I know I am on the other side of the underpass wall away from the camper, dazed.
I got up and a trucker pulled over and screamed as I got up, "Is there anyone in the camper?" and I couldn't speak. I started walking to the
minivan which was upside down where a crowd was already starting to form and I thought "I better go back and keep an eye on our stuff or what's left of it." There were already people gathering around there, and when I returned the police and ambulances started arriving. I was shaken pretty bad and went to grab my cigarettes - and the overhang of the camper had crushed them and the soda bottle, landed RIGHT where my head was. At that moment my knees started knocking and I went into shock and dropped. They put a neckbrace on me, laid me on a flat board and I woke up in the hospital with a cracked rib and large bruise on my side
where 'something' hit me and knocked me off the wall. When I asked the female officer in the room what happened to the people in the van she said, "He didn't make it."
Not knowing this guy from Adam, I just started bawling. He was killed instantly, as the vans roof had a V in it that crunched down 6 inches below the seat, crushing him.
Here's the eerie part: months later we got the police photos of the accident, and the way it happened, the right front tire assembly wrapped up in the bumper of the camper and twisted it away from me, ripping it open like a sardine can strewing cd's and tapes all over the highway. The front overhang came down on the wall, while the camper itself pulled, AWAY from the wall
making it impossible for anything to have knocked me off the wall!!!! However I had bruised ribs and one cracked when instead my head SHOULD have been smashed instantly by that overhang that came down fast. My reflexes couldn't be that fast for me to have flipped over the wall myself, so something else had to have caused it.
Some believe in guardian angels. I believe that could actually be loved ones who have passed on, but are still here as energies and watch over us. Who knows. All I know is if either exists, it was with me that day and knocked me of the wall. There is no other way to explain it. It is beyond my reasoning.
That left me with what I refer to as 'travel-phobia' since it was the first day of a seven week road trip (summer festivals were big $$$ aside from the mail-order division of our company) which was nerve-wracking the entire way. I gave up being a 'road dog' after that and over the years developed a fear of bridges and winding sharp ramps. I had recurring nightmares that are variations of the accident, one in which my head actually gets crushed and I usually wake up freaking at that point. Early last year I found out I have PTSD from that incident.
This trip, I am glad to say, was not only a joy, but helped me overcome some of those fears and phobias that had built up. Otherwise, I would have puked my guts out had I went over that bridge coming out of Canada into the U.S. that seemed to go on forever, as it winded and twisted a bit. I just looked down at the water, the lighthouses and boats and the waves and for the first time I was at peace on a bridge, after going over so many before it. That alone makes me feel good.
This twas a long yet short 16 day jaunt. The next big event is next month with headbanger week: Going to the Metal Mayhem Fest with Slayer, Bullet For My Valentine, Killswitch Engage, Marilyn Manson and a bunch of other bands are playing an all day fest on July 23rd, then the CHeadbangers LouCon begins the next day! Woooo Hooooo!!!! Registration going in the mail on Monday. ;)
Peace,
Carl
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