Close Call

Do you ever have those moments where something major and traumatic almost happens and you realize how lucky you were that you are ok? Well that happens to me several times a year. My latest issue coming last night as I was on the interstate about a mile from my exit going into downtown Seattle. And it truly was a freak of nature. I was in the middle lane about a mile from my exit when I decided I need to get into the right lane. There was nothing odd about the day - it wasn't raining, the pavement wasn't wet. Nothing like that. But as I was easing my way into the right lane, all of a sudden my car's tires lost their grip and flew me toward the concrete wall. Now I was going about 65 miles an hours in my pathfinder with no weight in the back. Luckily I keep my head a bit in these situations and was able to jerk the wheel to try and correct but the road was so slick it had trouble getting a hold of the road to right itself. It did finally catch though and of course sent me careening back into the bad line where I fishtailed another two seconds and got my car righted. I came about a foot from slamming into the wall and having a major accident. And the reality of it was, if i had hit the wall, the angle of approach most likely at that speed would have sent me spinning and then flipped my car. Thank god I wear my seat belt.

As my heart is pounding and my head is spinning and I look in my rear view mirror to see all the traffic behind me sloooooooooowing down, I look over in the middle lane to see what possibly could have caused my car to slip like that seeing as my tires are not in bad condition at all. Turns out there was an major oil slick that lasted for at least 200 yards or so. One of those that are fine enough that you don't notice it as you are driving, but upon further inspection you notice one lane is not like the others. It's an oil slick that you typically have to deal with on the first 15 minutes of the road when it starts raining. Yeah - scary business!

But hey! I am OK! :) Luckily for me I didn't even scratch the wall, but I find myself wondering at times.....how do I get myself in these predicaments? And does everyone go through these types of scares and as often as me? I know my brother does, but for some reason he attracts that kind of weird stuff.