Lightning struck twice

This is how my windshield looked the first time it was smashed July 25, 2008.

This is how my windshield looked the second time it was smashed September 1, 2008.

I don't know why this past summer was so harsh for me. As you can see "lightning" struck me twice on a wound that was just healing. In July my windshield was smashed by a tire tread on I-16 40miles from Savannah. I looked to my left and when I looked back, to the road, something black was falling from the sky. I was so shaken, and shocked I kinda kept driving for a second like "what just happened?" I actually only assumed that it was a tire tread because the car in front of me had maneuvered out of the way of another piece in the road. My only other assumption was that the car in front of me had rolled over the first piece causing it to fly up and smash my windshield.

After two weeks with a rental car and my account a $500 deductible short, (that I had to hustle my hind off for!!!) I finally got my baby back with a shiny new windshield. Yay!! I'm driving , but still kinda paranoid cause that was such a freak accident. Well on my way to photograph the Welcome Home Hip Hop event September 1, Labor day, I'm driving and talking to my friend Becky (safely on my blue tooth!) and I clearly see the back tire of the car in front of me roll over something that.... ta da! flies up and smashes my windshield on the right side. AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I'm furious. This all happened at night near construction on 75/85 in a matter of seconds. The first thing I say is "Are you kidding me??!!" I'm trying to flag the car down cause I'm pissed and I don't want to pay for this AGAIN! Well they couldn't even understand me, and then they were going on 400 and I didn't have any toll money. I mean I knew they were not "responsible" to pay because it was an accident, but tell that to my bank account. Well all I could do was go to the event, photograph people hoping they wanted to purchase my work, and get some MORE money for this windshield.

After talking to like 4 insurance reps, I'm frustrated and feeling powerless. Who has $1000 in deductible money to pay for a windshield that gets smashed twice in 2 months? Thank God for the last insurance lady who found and better option for me. She called a mobile glass company, got me an estimate just for the windshield under $200.00. Praise the Lord! Well I didn't have the money that day so they came the next day when my check hit my account. That day I went to church thinking I don't have enough left to pay any bills on time, but when I got home and looked at my account, and another check had been deposited in my account by accident. Praise the Lord Again!!! God knew what I needed because that payment was supposed to come that next week and I would have had late fees on my bills.

I don't know why this windshield business happened to me twice. I can only say that God is truly in control because both times I walked away with my life. Sometimes he has to remind us that even when everything is taken away, destroyed, or out of order, God is a God of Restoration. So I continue to put my trust in HIM. I have had other stressful trials in the last few months, but God has truly restored me and supplied me with ALL my needs. I am so grateful. What has God done for you lately?

60 MPH is the new full tank

So since the recent gas shortage has gotten everybody changing their gasoline options, I have decided to drastically change mine. Well it is drastic for me, because I usually drive 75-80mph. (flow of traffic...hey this is the 'A') I have decided to start driving 60 MPH pn the highway to conserve the gas in my tank. On Sunday, I had a little over a half of a tank, and that was that night. Monday through Friday I have to drive approximately 35-40miles each way to work. What I noticed by Wednesday was that I was one notch under a half of a tank. That's pretty good considering I went to TACO MAC with the gang after acting class too. Anyhoo, by Friday my tank was at a quarter of a tank and you might say "Go Fill Up!!" but I knew that I probably wouldn't have to until Saturday after class. I was correct. I sometimes wait to get gas depending on how much money I have at the time and the price did seem to go down when I got it.

Overall, I found that though I may piss off a few people driving that slow, it tremendously saved me a huge amount of gas. You should try it for a week and see don't your pockets thank you for it. I also noticed more of my surroundings and wasn't as rushed when I got to work. That's another thing, make sure you leave in enough time to get to work. Just putting in my 2 cents...that I saved driving along with the regular slow pokes. The S-L-O LANE!! LOL!!