So here we go, my first entry of the year. I'm afraid it's going to be a rather long and boring one though. Sorry, I can't really help it; the excitement levels in my life aren't all that high right now. I know I've said this before but this time I mean it. My diary is getting a major facelift. I can't stand the way it looks right now which is one reason I don't update very often, the other reason being that I am extremely lazy.

I'm going to have some spiffy graphics courtesy of Rogue. I've discovered I'm horrible at designing templates though. That being said, I have a huge favor to ask. I've noticed that there are a lot of incredibly talented designers around here and I was wondering if one of you would be so kind as to write up a layout code for me if I got you the graphics? It would be most appreciated. I can do all the links and stuff like that; I just need the basic layout code. I'd be forever indebted to anyone who might be able to help me with this.

On to other things, I have about 3 weeks to recap and I think I've forgotten most of what happened there. Maybe this won't be such a long entry after all. Okay so will start off with Friday December 13, 2002.

I've always found Friday the 13 to be lucky for me; I guess I'm just not very superstitious. Anyway, this particular time that luck was very present. It had been a fairly rainy day like we frequently have around this time of the year. I was returning from the eye clinic by myself and was almost home. I had just gotten on the off ramp when the back wheels of the jeep started to hydroplane. Now, I�ve always heard that while you�re involved in an automobile accident, everything blurs and you can�t remember what you�re supposed to do. Well, that was not the case with me; I believe that I thought more clearly in those few fleeting seconds than during the entirety of my life.

I tried to turn into the skid while pumping the brakes and yet the jeep just kept sliding. By this time I realized that there wasn�t time for me to do anything else, I just had to prepare for the worst. I hugged the steering wheel to my chest and held on with all my might and watched as the jeep continued to slide, narrowly missing a concrete lamppost and several road signs. Luckily there were no other cars near me because I slid across all the lanes of traffic. In my mind I was thinking, "When I hit the grass, the car will stop sliding." Well, I was partially right. The jeep hit the grass and I thought it was over. I was so wrong. The instant it hit the grass, the jeep began to tilt.

I knew right then that it was going to roll, at the time I thought it would just flip and land on the side. At the worst, it would land upside down. It landed on its side and the glass shattered, I felt my head make contact with the ground and pulled myself even further inside. The jeep was now upside down and the back windows all began to shatter. The jeep continued to roll and I was helpless inside, holding on for dear life and praying that everything would turn out all right. Suddenly the jeep came to a stop, settling back on its wheels at the bottom of a hill.

It was only a matter of seconds. A few observers said that it couldn�t have been more than ten seconds. To me though, it felt like a lifetime. Well not quite, it seemed to drag on forever and yet take a very short time. The sort of feeling you get when you�re on a roller coaster, everything seems to move so fast, you don�t know what comes next and so it seems to go a bit slowly. And then it�s over. You don�t know if you were really on the ride for two minutes or for several hours. As I said, the jeep settled back on its wheels so I was right side up. For a few moments I was dazed, I wasn�t sure if it had really happened. Everything seemed to be moving very slowly and within a blink of my eyes life returned to its normal pace.

Other drivers surrounded the jeep in an instant. One man gave me instructions, telling me to turn off the engine and place the keys on the seat next to me. Another got on his cell phone and called for helped. A third was tending to my medical needs, making sure I was physically fine and all that good stuff. After they had determined I was physically unhurt, (or as far we could tell), they decided to get me out of the jeep. They surveyed the jeep, trying all the doors only to find that all the doors had been jammed during the roll. I was now trapped inside the jeep and a sense of panic seemed to fill the air. My rescuers would not give up though and after much maneuvering and a lot of muscle work they managed to pry the driver side door open. Carefully, they lifted me out of the vehicle and helped me stand.

I was now free and everything was beginning to sink in. It was 12:14 p.m. on December 13, 2002 and I was alive. I had been spared and I was fervently thanking God in my heart. I stood in the muddy grass for a few minutes before the ambulance arrived and the paramedics attended to me. Being the scrawny little thing that I am, the cuff was too big and they had a hard time getting my blood pressure. After checking for evidence of shock and taking all my vital signs they informed me that I was unhurt and did not need to go to the hospital unless I felt the need. Surprisingly, I was very calm and collected during the entire ordeal, answering every question in a clear manner. I told them I couldn�t see any reason to go to the hospital. They had me sign a waiver and left me in the care of a police officer.

As I stood with the officer, waiting for the wrecker to arrive, I realized all my original rescuers were gone. This saddened me quite a bit, as I had wanted to thank them for their help. So I�d just like to take this moment that on the off chance that one day any of them might come across this page, as unlikely as that is I would still like to say thank you. I appreciate it very much, more than you�ll ever realize.

I spent the next few moments surveying the damage to the jeep. The roof had caved in and then popped back out in reverse effect. The only window intact was the windshield and it was shattered beyond all repairs. The frame was main twisted metal with the jammed doors protruding slightly. Both bumpers and been torn loose as had both side mirrors. The interior was shredded to pieces and filled with grass and mud. The jeep was totaled. Nothing could be salvaged. All our personal items were sitting in a pile a few feet a way, thanks to one of the other drivers who had stopped. He had stuck around the longest, making sure everything was gathered and that I was left in good care.

The wrecker finally arrived and I filled out the release forms. When that was done the officer offered to drive me home. I was easily within fifteen minutes walking distance but though that it would be better to accept the ride. The problem was since we were past the exit; we had to drive to the next closest one, ten minutes away. Which meant we�d then have to back track and that would take longer than walking. At this point I didn�t care and was content to just sit in the back seat of the police car.

As we drove we carried on a slight conversation. The officer informed me that the jeep had rolled five or six times, they weren�t quite sure on the number yet but they knew it was at least five. He told me that if I hadn�t been wearing my seatbelt there was no chance for my survival. He then said that I was extremely lucky (which I already knew, believe me), to not have sustained any injuries as it was. The air bag had not deployed and there was flying glass everywhere. As I said, it was a lucky day for me. Not that I had been involved in the accident in the first place, but that I had emerged unscathed.

To cut the next part of the story short I quickly summarize. While on the other exit ramp we came across another automobile accident and stopped to help. So what should have been a twenty-minute ride ended up taking two hours. When I got home, I collected our personal belongings out of the back seat of the police car and deposited them on the front porch. I explained to the neighbor what had happened and asked her to keep the baby over there for a while longer. Then I stood in front of the mirror in the hallway and studied myself. My clothes were stained and there was mud and grass caked in my hair. That�s when it really hit me and I called my host mother at work. By the time I had hung up the phone the realization of what had happened had fully sunk in and I broke down.

I don�t know how long I cried but somewhere in that time my host father returned home from work and I explained everything to him. A short while later I called my Mum and friends back home. After that, everything passed in a blur. I know I slept for a while but other than that I don�t remembered what happened until the next afternoon. Which is what I shall address in my next entry since this one has dragged on for quite some time. So until my next entry in five minutes, adjo and take care. And wear your seatbelt!!!