Many of you that do not live in So. Cal. may not have heard about the blackout of Sept. 8. One worker in N. Gila, AZ did something wrong and caused all of San Diego County, and some of Imperial & Orange County, and Mexico to lose power just prior to rush hour. This page is the result of drivers rushing, and not seeing the non-working lights as a stop sign.

Journaling reads: The power went out at 3:38pm. The power was out in all of San Diego County as well as parts of Mexico, Imperial and Orange Counties. What was going on! I Knew I had a full tank, so I could afford to sit in the car and wait, and it was getting very hot in the office with no open windows and no air conditioning. Ninety minutes and 1.5 miles later a traffic cop was getting the traffic moving to almost full speed. Stopping at the non-working traffic lights, was not something I guess I should have done, as it seems no one else wanted to do so. I didnt even see it coming, but the impact was something I had experienced before. It caused the six 12 packs of pepsi that I had in the back to explode, and I could hear it hissing. I sat stunned for about 10 minutes. I was shaking. I knew what to expect, as I had been rear-ended before. I didnt look forward to the pain that would surely start in the morning.

I was lucky to have been able to call out to AAA, but it took 90 minutes for the tow truck to arrive. As we drove to the lot, we could see cars abandoned along the road, having run out of gas. Cars were lined up at dark gas stations, as they had too little fuel to make it home. After my initial call to AAA and Ron, cell phone service was non-existant, so I had to rely on texting. Dropped off by the tow truck driver at a gas station I waited in the dark to be picked up. People were walking around like zombies waiting to get gas. It was so eerie. At 9:30pm, Ron finally found me, and I was happy to be handed a warm soda to drink on the drive home.

Human error by one utility worker in North Gila, Arizona was the cause for more than 5 million to lose power.

It was no surprise when told by the insurance adjustor that my poor beloved Matrix was a total loss. Although I loved my little Matrix, I will not buy another as 2 Matrixes being rear-ended and totaled is enough for me. I think I will be dealing with head and neck pain for some time to come, but at least now I can feel my fingers and toes again.

So now I take a deep breath and try not to think about the loss, and how much money I will have to add to the insurance money to buy another car. I set my sights on the future test drives. Rachel thinks it fun, and cant wait to come along to sit in all the new cars. IM thinking maybe this time a red car.

Items used:
Katie Pertiet
Stay Calm Layered Template
Artistry de Blanco Kit
Stitching Holes Borders No. 02
Naturally Krafty No. 08
Cherished Artistry
Lynn Greiveson
Sweet Madelaine
Worn Page Edges No. 05
Hint at It 4
Hint at It Love
Sugar and Spice Kit
Maplebrook Studios
Just Linens No 02

Font: Pea Dain Michael
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