Good to be Home

"Here in my car
I feel safest of all"
      - “Cars" by Gary Numan

We got the RAV back from the body shop last night, and it looks pretty good.

New tires and various repairs cost us a bit last summer, so we were glad the RAV wasn't totaled. With a little luck, knock on hood, I'll be driving this car for a few more years.

I'm not the only one who is happy to have the RAV back in the garage. Char celebrated the RAV's return by running around the living room with her hands in the air yelling, "Whoooo hoooo! We got our old car back!"

Charlotte detested the Ford Focus that we rented (trying to be a one-car family lasted one day). The cramped back seat didn't recline, and the car sat too low for her see much outside. I was able to get her booster seat clipped in, but for the life of me I couldn't get the seat belt to buckle in the correct receiver. We had to awkwardly connect to the receiver on the other side of the car. Getting her in and out was a pain for both of us.

Before we left home this morning, Daphne watched Charlotte smile and affectionately place her hand on the RAV's hood. On the drive to school I asked Charlotte how it felt to ride in our old car again. She leaned forward, gave me a thumbs-up, and returned to her reclined position.

It feels good to be home.

link

Doe. A Deer. A Female Deer... RAV. The Car That Hit the Doe.

There is a large open field near our house, and while driving by we often count the number of deer we see. I just didn't count on seeing one up close.

It happened so quickly. One moment I'm driving Charlotte to school in busy traffic, and the next moment I'm watching a large doe bounce off the crumpled hood of my RAV4.

Thank God no one was hurt. I was able to keep my car moving in a straight line, so no other cars were involved. From the lack of blood on my car, I think the deer also survived. She did leave the scene of the accident, so that doe is in trouble if the police catch her.

Luckily, Charlotte was distracted for most of the incident. She was listening to a book with her headphones on. All she remembers is a loud "thump" and an animal's body flying away.

She later told me she thought we had hit a Great Dane. Our neighbors have a Great Dane, and she is as big as a deer, and yeah, thinking that you had killed Scooby Doo would be pretty horrible. Char also said she felt a lot better when I explained it was a deer, not a dog. "Dogs and cats are way smarter than deer, Dad." I agreed.

I also agreed with the police officer who wrote up the accident report. He said the RAV looks rough, but it is safe to drive. The headlights and blinkers still work, and although the radiator is bent inward, it holds fluid, and the engine doesn't overheat. I'll drive it to the repair shop on Monday.

It's going to be tricky managing three schedules with only one vehicle, but we'll see if we can make it work without renting a car. I'm not happy that a deer got all up in my grill, but things can always be worse.

 "Accidents will happen." - Elvis Costello

PS. When the front of your car looks like the mouth of a decomposing jack-o'-lantern, other drivers get out of your way. Also, patrol cars follow you.