We had a little excitement on the way home from the gym yesterday. I was feeling good enough to make it to the 9:00 water aerobics class and I really wanted to go because I’ve decided I don’t like going on the weekends therefore it would be my last chance for a few days. Cody was nice (as usual) and dropped me off long enough to take a water aerobics and a water movement class. I’d gotten a drink at keva juice which is becoming a post-gym habit for me and he picked me up at about 11:30.

On the way home waiting to turn from paseo del norte onto golf course we got rear-ended. No no we’re fine. In fact it barely felt like a bump to us. The dog was with us but she was lying down on her big bed and it took me a second to figure out whatthehell happened. So we pulled over to the parking lot nearby and I called APD on my phone. Nerd that I am I’d programmed non-emergency police, the vet, the 24 hour vet, and the county into my cellphone.

The lady that hit us was very nice and was pretty shaken by the whole thing. She had her two kids in the car (a boy who was maybe 4 and a girl that was about 18 months I’d say). They were both in the back in proper seats and they seemed ok. I think she’d been distracted scolding them or something. Our car was fine. Basically there were a few rips on the cover of the spare tire on the back of our car so maybe the rim on the spare is dented. We’re going to get it checked on Monday anyway. Her car was a bit banged up - a light was cracked and the hood is sticking up a bit in one part. Turns out that car is like two months old, poor thing.

She was so shocked that we weren’t upset about it. We were mostly embarrassed because Cody had big bed-hair from taking a nap while I was at the gym and naturally this had been the one time I didn’t bother to fully shampoo, condition, and comb my hair. Or bring a matching outfit to change into. But as far as we were concerned there wasn’t anything to be upset about. We were fine and the puppy was fine and our car was barely touched. Heck, I’ve done what she did once many years ago - was busy watching the traffic on road I was turning onto and bumped into car in front of me. And I’d been bumped before but that was in the Mercedes with the giganto rubber bumpers. It was so negligible both times they weren’t even worth a call. But there was some damage here so we waited for the police.

While waiting we opened the back window so Winter could get some air. She got the kids out of the car and the little boy decided he wanted to pet her. I’m very proud of my puppy she behaved beautifully. We’ve been socializing her at shops and things ever since she’d had all her puppy shots - taking her out in public and I would carry treats so people (especially children) could give her treats and we worked hard on that ‘take it’ command so she would take them very gently. So Cody held the little boy up and let him pet her. Then he let him give her a treat. Then he wanted to get in the back of the car so Cody lifted him through the window. I was a little nervous about that but Winter behaved beautifully - she let him pet her and lean on her and everything. I could tell she was a little scared - “Who is this in *my* car?!” But I was watching very carefully and reassuring her and she behaved perfectly. What an amazingly good girl. I took him out to get checked over by the cop then put him back in when they were done.

One time, the 18-month old held her arms out to me to be held. I need to point out that I have very little experience with small children. Well, any children. I’ve babysat before but it’s been quite a long time. So that was touching and strange. I did take her but probably held her too tight because she seemed awfully wiggly and I was worried I was going to drop her.

This is more physical contact than I’ve had with my own nephew. I’ve never touched him because I was a smoker and his mom wouldn’t let us - or our coats - near him. Now that we quit and he’s almost three we’re strangers and he’s afraid of us. In fact, he’s far less socialized than our dog - or the little boy that was playing with her in her back seat. I think it’s a combination of an uptight overprotective mom and his dad being out at sea for a good portion of his first year. It’s kind of the dad’s job to introduce the daredevil stuff isn’t it?

Speaking of, the lady’s husband came by to take the kids and they were both friendly and very thankful about how nice we were about the whole deal. There are some angry people out there, I guess, who would probably have made a scene. But Cody and I are empathetic people who have made mistakes too. I think that what a lot of people forget - we’re all crappy drivers one time or another. We all have that moment where we flake.

Earlier when I was standing outside of the Keva Juice waiting for Cody to pick me up there were two guys at a table beside mine. At first I thought it was some church counseling thing because the older man looked very…churchy..like a preacher in his plaid button-down civilian clothes. The younger guy was in his late teens or early twenties. I’m still not sure what it was all about but it was clear there was some kind of counseling / mentor thing going on. I overheard the older guy talking about getting in the habit of sending good feelings rather than being wrapped up in one’s self and never helping anyone. How there are all these opportunities every day where you can help a person - without any cost to yourself - that can have a positive impact on that person, who goes on to do something kind to someone else, ad infinitum. He mentioned movies like Magnificent Obsession and Pay it Forward. It was a nice conversation to listen to - not the usual banal conversations about people and politics one overhears outside the starbucks. While I’m not totally naive about people I do think it’s better to smile and hold the door open for someone when you can. I’ve had some nice encounters that way.

I’m thinking about that conversation now because I feel like because we were obviously nice people this woman showed a pretty good amount of trust in us with her children. I mean she was standing there the whole time so nothing bad was going to happen but not everyone is comfortable with their toddler and a 97 pound dog hanging out together. I probably wouldn’t have been so trusting with mine but it was a nice feeling to have someone this open and trusting around us. To see Winter behave so well and have a little girl reach out to me like that. It was worth the rips in the spare tire cover.

Turns out she sells Mary Kay products and handed me her card, laughing while she did it because she knew it could be a weird thing to do; and offered me a free facial. I thought it was sweet. I don’t buy make up stuff very often though so I thought I’d link to her Mary Kay page and maybe someone could pick up a few things if they needed it. Help her pay to fix the front end of her Toyota or something.