A Wacky (and Amazing) Week

This has been one heck of a week. Last Thursday (the 17th) we got quite a snow here in Southwest Virginia, in some areas getting up to 4 inches. I had to go to court that day, and because I was told by the court at 4PM the preceding day that, "yes sir, we are having court!" I went down to Abingdon to stay overnight at a Hampton Inn I often frequent.

Sure enough, when I got up, there was 2-3 inches in the parking lot and it was still coming down. I tried calling the courts, no answer, and I watched the news. Many schools were canceling their classes, but no news of any courts canceling. So, I loaded up my car at about 7:30 in the morning and off I went. The roads were just fine until about 20 miles from the courthouse.

Now, mind you, this still was a US Highway, though an alternate route (four lane divided highway), but apparently someone just hadn't gotten around to salting my side of the road (the other side was just fine!). Sure enough, I'm going down a hill at 15, 20 mph tops, and I slid and lost control, ramming my car into a guardrail.

Anyone familiar with Saturns, especially the ones manufactured in the early 2000s knows that they don't dent--they break (because they're made of a type of plastic rather than metal). It was basically cosmetic damage and I am fine (though I got the estimate and YIKES am I glad I have insurance!!)

So I had to pull out of the rut and continue on my way to court--ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THEY DECIDED TO CANCEL COURT ON MY WAY THERE!!!! But apparently I wasn't the only one that didn't get the memo ("Did you get the memo? We're hearing that you're having trouble with your TPS reports" but I digress).

The courtroom was full of people when I got there, several attorneys, both local and otherwise who told me they hadn't heard anything either. So what does the judge do? He decides that since there was a possibility that some announcement went out that court was NOT being held that day, that he would only give judgments, etc where the defendant showed up. And wouldn't you know, none of mine did! But none of mine ever do show, so I continued all my cases to April. FUN.

So all I had to show for my time down there was a beat up car (kinda makes you wish you had one of those t-shirts: "I went to _____ and all I got was a wrecked car!" Or maybe not).

But I was okay and all was well. I made it okay to last weekend and then something happened that my wife and I didn't quite expect.

Stay tuned. :)