This is or was "my" truck. It's always hard for me as an ex Finance/Lease manager to term anything that I leased as being "mine." I leased this truck from my "employer" and was called an "owner/operator" or "independent contractor." Both of these are misnomers. I owned nothing. I was not independent. All of my dispatches came from the same people who leased me the truck and as I said, leasing is not owning.
Tuesday at 7:30 AM CDT I was awakened by an unusual jolt and instantly began to receive a constant stream of verbal updates (with some mild obscenities interlaced) from my co driver. We'd left I-70 and were air-born. This is not a good thing in an 18 wheeler. The increasingly distressed nature of my co driver's updates as he rapidly ticked off our progress (sideways) down an embankment combined with the never before felt vibrations and jolts (extremely hard) didn't do much to improve the outlook. I was dead I thought. Now. In the dark, in a sleeper of a truck. Violently. Probably in very gruesome and painful fashion.
I re-upped with Christ on our status, claiming him as LORD and savior in what I thought were my last moments. I'm sure he hadn't forgotten that I'd done that before. I certainly hadn't forgotten, but nonetheless I acknowledged him and claimed him and braced for the end. There was another violent shock and the bunk came up and slammed my back hard, and I felt something give and announced to my co driver that my back was now broken. Shortly after that we came to a rest in the way you see above.
That's the picture side, the other shows a bit more damage.
Looking at it quickly, my truck might seem able to drive after a tow, but it is hopelessly broken in many ways. The steer axle is bent. The two drive axles are knocked out of place and skewed. Approaching the truck from the rear you can see the components of the drive line scattered across the Kansas cornfield. Once the trailer was detached from the truck and towed, you could see that the frame was bent below the fifth wheel plate. It is likely that it is bent in several other places.
As it turned out later, I was in error about my injuries. There was indeed a broken bone, and yes it was near my back, but it was a rib. I walked out of the ER in Oakley Kansas a few hours later, a hurtin' but upright unit.
Oakley is a great place to have a disaster. Someone called right away with extremely detailed location information as our truck left the roadway.
As soon as we stopped moving, I asked my co driver to assess the damage, he got out and did a walk around and saw what I described above. He wasn't gone long. By the time he announced to me the condition of the truck he was also accompanied by one of Oakley's finest. The officer in question had met him as he checked the truck (a process taking two or three minutes) and had asked my co driver if he had called 911. He said "No, you're here already."
The ambulance wasn't far behind. The EMT's were great. They got me on a back board and braced my neck. There was a discussion about "using the saw" to get me out to which I responded "please don't."
In the end they stomped merrily and efficiently around in the truck settling on removing the passenger seat and we went out that way. I think I will remember the eagerness of the responder wanting to use the saw to my dying day. I chuckle every time. Even if it is very painful.
Oakley was great. The Hospital, the Police, the EMT's, everyone.
I had a chance to survey the accident from several angles afterward. The truck left the highway and tilted at what had to be more than 45 degrees as it went down slope, yet it ended "shiny side up" which is a strong commentary on the grace of God and the skill of my co driver. Not a soul viewing the site could understand how the truck didn't roll.
I have mulled over several names for my truck for several reasons. I think I need to give it one for a ship that was lost, but all of whose passengers survived.
I'll probably end up back at a name I liked best but could never quite finalize. "The Millennium Cornbinder." She was the fastest hunka junk in the fleet. We were well below the speed limit though that day, not that we ever spent much time on the wrong side of the limit, wherever or whatever that limit might be.
I've also thought of the name "The Student Prince," which refers to a Leo Kottke song in which the instrument makes the player sound good. I've never thought I was that great a driver, but the ship I sailed in made me look like I was. In the end, the "Student Prince guitar" of the protagonist in the Leo Kottke song, is lost to someone sitting on it and it's never the same.
That kind fits as well.
Tuesday at 7:30 AM CDT I was awakened by an unusual jolt and instantly began to receive a constant stream of verbal updates (with some mild obscenities interlaced) from my co driver. We'd left I-70 and were air-born. This is not a good thing in an 18 wheeler. The increasingly distressed nature of my co driver's updates as he rapidly ticked off our progress (sideways) down an embankment combined with the never before felt vibrations and jolts (extremely hard) didn't do much to improve the outlook. I was dead I thought. Now. In the dark, in a sleeper of a truck. Violently. Probably in very gruesome and painful fashion.
I re-upped with Christ on our status, claiming him as LORD and savior in what I thought were my last moments. I'm sure he hadn't forgotten that I'd done that before. I certainly hadn't forgotten, but nonetheless I acknowledged him and claimed him and braced for the end. There was another violent shock and the bunk came up and slammed my back hard, and I felt something give and announced to my co driver that my back was now broken. Shortly after that we came to a rest in the way you see above.
That's the picture side, the other shows a bit more damage.
Looking at it quickly, my truck might seem able to drive after a tow, but it is hopelessly broken in many ways. The steer axle is bent. The two drive axles are knocked out of place and skewed. Approaching the truck from the rear you can see the components of the drive line scattered across the Kansas cornfield. Once the trailer was detached from the truck and towed, you could see that the frame was bent below the fifth wheel plate. It is likely that it is bent in several other places.
As it turned out later, I was in error about my injuries. There was indeed a broken bone, and yes it was near my back, but it was a rib. I walked out of the ER in Oakley Kansas a few hours later, a hurtin' but upright unit.
Oakley is a great place to have a disaster. Someone called right away with extremely detailed location information as our truck left the roadway.
As soon as we stopped moving, I asked my co driver to assess the damage, he got out and did a walk around and saw what I described above. He wasn't gone long. By the time he announced to me the condition of the truck he was also accompanied by one of Oakley's finest. The officer in question had met him as he checked the truck (a process taking two or three minutes) and had asked my co driver if he had called 911. He said "No, you're here already."
The ambulance wasn't far behind. The EMT's were great. They got me on a back board and braced my neck. There was a discussion about "using the saw" to get me out to which I responded "please don't."
In the end they stomped merrily and efficiently around in the truck settling on removing the passenger seat and we went out that way. I think I will remember the eagerness of the responder wanting to use the saw to my dying day. I chuckle every time. Even if it is very painful.
Oakley was great. The Hospital, the Police, the EMT's, everyone.
I had a chance to survey the accident from several angles afterward. The truck left the highway and tilted at what had to be more than 45 degrees as it went down slope, yet it ended "shiny side up" which is a strong commentary on the grace of God and the skill of my co driver. Not a soul viewing the site could understand how the truck didn't roll.
I have mulled over several names for my truck for several reasons. I think I need to give it one for a ship that was lost, but all of whose passengers survived.
I'll probably end up back at a name I liked best but could never quite finalize. "The Millennium Cornbinder." She was the fastest hunka junk in the fleet. We were well below the speed limit though that day, not that we ever spent much time on the wrong side of the limit, wherever or whatever that limit might be.
I've also thought of the name "The Student Prince," which refers to a Leo Kottke song in which the instrument makes the player sound good. I've never thought I was that great a driver, but the ship I sailed in made me look like I was. In the end, the "Student Prince guitar" of the protagonist in the Leo Kottke song, is lost to someone sitting on it and it's never the same.
"Tilt Billings saw a guitar in a pawn shop window.
Not much to look at but he knew that he'd found
The old Student Prince that they made years ago
So easy to play!
What unbeatable sound!
Paid twenty bucks and grabbed his guitar
Still be a steal at ten times the dough
It was amazing how a mere beginner
Could play just a few notes and sound like a pro
He'd play his heart out when he was at parties
Guys would get jealous
(but girls were impressed)."
(Leo Kottke/Ron Nagle - Round Wound Sounds)
That kind fits as well.
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10 comments:
disaster? it got you closer to god didnt it
if you say its a cornfield its a cornfield, but it looks like the negev
the whole incident was worth the kottke anecdote, love the title
Hugh, friends in DC told me you weren't doin' well, hope you recover well. Maybe you should have that rib removed and made into your second wife. You're lucky you hadn't established your harem, you'd be in a real fix trying to satisfy them all with your broken rib. Love the CR England, Inc. logo on the trailer, figures, huh?
What does all that drivel mean?
Rib to second wife? What? You don't believe the creation story? Do I care?
I don't have a harem, and never will, even if I have a second or third (etc) wife.
Mormons own a lot of businesses. Are you trying to say something about "mainstream" LDS members?
You do remember that I regard all versions of the LDS faith to be false religion don't you? You know, as in "go to hell" false?
Have another drink Jam.
Drivel? What does it all mean??
Why Hugh did you bump your head, too??? If Adam hadn't been given Eve, where would he still be?
Do you still maintain a legal marriage certificate with your spouse? Doesn't that bind you from any additional wedlocks?? What State were you married???
Get well soon!
HalleluYah you are fine. Haven't heard from you lately. When you feel up to it, give me a call. I miss talking with you.
Scott
Drivel?
Jam:
"Maybe you should have that rib removed and made into your second wife."
This is bad theology and therefore only funny to those who have no respect for the Word of God. Fine by me if you don't regard the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament to be the Word of God. Stinks to be you Jam. It's not going to cost me anything, but this again is you at your best, which is really you at your worst. Sound bites only.
Creation is closed after Eve is made from Adam's rib. No other person is made as Eve is made. My wife is not my rib nor is any wife I could have my rib. Only Eve is created this way, as a derivative of Adam. Thus she is "One Flesh" with him the moment she is created.
So "Ha ha," but you do answer for every idle word to Christ, and I don't think he sees this as funny. You, mocking his creation.
Jam:
"You're lucky you hadn't established your harem, you'd be in a real fix trying to satisfy them all with your broken rib."
How rude. I'm not looking to establish a harem. I have never had a purpose or object to have additional wives. What I do in the bedroom is not for you to discuss. I won't discuss it other than to say I play through the pain in all walks of life. I'm back to work.
Jam:
"Love the CR England, Inc. logo on the trailer, figures, huh?"
Specifically what figures? I did not investigate the backgrounds or religious beliefs of the persons owning the company. I went to work for them because they were one of three companies recommended to me by an experienced trucker with 22 years on the road, who is not LDS.
Jam:
"Do you still maintain a legal marriage certificate with your spouse?"
It wouldn't matter one way or another Jam.
"Doesn't that bind you from any additional wedlocks??"
Only plural LEGALLY registered ones Jam, and marriage, despite your continued pretense than you don't "get it" is NOT defined by the state. It existed long before the state came along. They have tried to define it and they have created a legal context for it's registration. Beyond that, it's a free speech issue. If I want to call a frog my wife, I have that right. If I want to call a woman who is not my legally registered wife, my "wife," this too is a free speech issue and a religious freedom issue.
Jam:
"What State were you married???"
Bliss.
Jam:
"Get well soon!"
If you really meant that, you'd have been a little more respectful of me, my wife and my employer. This wouldn't have been the time to mock me.
Just three items, Hugh :
1."...your continued pretense, than [that] you don't "get it" is not defined by the State".
If the State doesn't define it, then why on Earth were you a registered lobbyist in Vermont trying to legalize polygamy?
2. Speaking of Vermont, you posted on your VermontPolygamy blogsite a entitled piece,"Paths"dated Jan 4, 2011 wherein you solicited for 'Mrs Pharisee Two and Mrs Pharisee Three...to join the Pharisee Phamily"?? I term that harem building but you may not. Good thing no female
'mistakers' were recruited is my take on your foul overture.
3. CR Trucking, Inc. is headquartered in West Valley City, UT and their trucking school is in Salt Lake City, UT so my take is that you were kinda clueless on who you went to work for in the blind. It is not the first time that I have observed your poor insight into varied subjects.
I noticed you dodged the marital status question, you know that legally binding contract you signed?
Jam, you cleary don't read, or more likely, you just like to play amateur lawyer to a non existent jury.
1.) As stated many times by me, on this blog and elsewhere, if it's legal, no one asks. I have yet to have anyone ask my wife and I for our marriage certificate. We way we're married, being married is legal, end of story. It also makes it so that a polygynous family does not constitute a reason for home invasion. Right now on the basis of it's "illegal," police can barge in any time. The fact that they later score deals with the perps to plead no contest in exchange for probation and NOT challenging the jurisdiction's bigamy statutes, is indicative of the fact they don't think they have a leg to stand on. Still, you can break down the door on suspicion, and later convict on child labor laws. Ask Mr. Hawkins about that.
2.) I'm not building a harem, I'm attempting to build a stable of drivers. As evidenced by this post, that driver wasn't limited to being a wife. My co driver was a man. I prefer wives as co drivers. Thus the object is to obtain family members as co drivers or keep co drivers or keep the money in the family. It's not to acquire wives. The MEANS to an end, is not the END.
3.) I see you're religiously bigoted. I don't look to see if a company is controlled by Mormons, I've worked for them before. I've also worked for gay people. I look for work. End of story.
I didn't DODGE the marital status question, it is both irrelevant and none of your business. You got an answer. When you can DEMONSTRATE to me that it is "illegal" or "against a contract I signed," then an "unofficial" wife becomes relevant. We've had this discussion before, and you continue to pretend you haven't heard me say that.
Why are YOU dodging THAT question Jam? What makes it illegal to have a girlfriend and a wife? If I call my girlfriend my wife, isn't it both a religious freedom and free speech issue? Why do YOU dodge THAT?
Dear Hugh,
You know I love you as a friend. But must you continually say that my religion is false? I show you respect by not telling you that your religion is false.
It's called tolerance, dear. My husband, the exCatholic, says that Jesus preached tolerance.
I am so happy that you survived your accident that I don't care if Jesus, Joseph Smith or the Buddha saved you. I'm just happy that my friend Hugh is alive.
So let's put our religious differences aside and thank God that you survived.
After 13 years, I guess I should update this post with the information that I was right the first time in my injury assessment. My back was broken in two places.
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