The Accident, from my perspective
Yes, you read it right: accident. You can get Donna's perspective at her blog, assuming she has time to post to it. :)

You read about how my day was earlier. Well, I had a softball game at 6 in Park Ridge. What a great defensive game, especially that I had at first base--didn't injure myself either and made only one error and a few stellar defensive plays. I was pleased. We won 3-1, probably the lowest-scoring 16-inch softball game I've ever been a part of. Afterward, I decided to meet up with Donna to grab a bite to eat and hang out. On our way back from Panera Bread in Oak Park, we were heading eastbound on 26th street. The following paragraph happened in about literally, five seconds' time.

We were cruising along, I have no idea what we were talking about. Up at the next intersection, I caught a car out of the "corner" of my line of sight flying, and I mean really moving, down this street Lombard toward 26th--there was no corner building, so we saw him early enough. The guy was doing 40-50 mph, easy, and the minute I saw him, I said, "Watch it, this guy isn't going to be able to stop!" with the intensity of my voice raising with each word as I realized that I was speaking the truth. He realized about five yards before the stop line that he was careening onto a two-way street and slammed on the brakes--I heard that much. I thought, oh, shit, I hope no one is coming from the other way and looked ahead to see a minivan headed westbound. It was too late. Donna, meanwhile, was doing the right thing and swerving to the right (the parking lane) in advance and slamming on her brakes. The Neon and the minivan hit on the front corners of the vehicles and immediately, physics took over and sent them toward us. I heard Donna say something like, "Oh shit..." and I said something to the effect of "Hang on..." They probably hit us at 30 mph or so, right on the driver's side front wheel. We were still in the process of stopping, but we were close to stopped, and we were still a good 15 yards west of the intersection. The minivan hit us dead on, but the Neon coasted behind us. We were hit to the side, so our heads snapped sideways. Donna tapped her head off the driver's side window--I didn't hit anything. It hit us on the side, so the airbags (thank God, I fear them) didn't go off, but far enough up so that we weren't hurt really at all.

We checked on each other and then got out of the car. Donna was able to open her door, but I had to nearly kick mine out hard to squeeze through because of the body torqued from the other side of the car. I got out and turned to the Neon, which was behind us, where the driver was still sitting, stunned and dazed and confused (if you get my drift). I said, "Don't you move, fuckhead, until the cops get here." I turned to where some drivers behind us were walking up to all of us and said, "Don't let him leave."

Then I turned my attention to the minivan, where this woman was just running around and screaming. Someone mentioned something about a kid being in the van, but I looked and there was no one...She had her one kid with her. And she was just screaming and screaming and screaming but said she was OK.

Donna and I decided that she should go to the hospital, just in case, because of the head injury. I felt fine, so I refused treatment. I don't know if I automatically went limp, or what...But I went with so she'd have someone to walk home with her (she lives a couple blocks from the hospital).

She got checked out and was OK. We left the hospital and hung out a little bit. I still felt OK...but now my shoulders and the lower part of my neck are a bit sore. They said that's normal and to just take Advil. Donna's car didn't look so good when we left in the ambulance, but I'm no damage assessor or anything, so we'll see. We don't even know where it was taken.

I'm just waiting now to give a statement to the police officer, since he didn't show up at the hospital in the two hours or so that we were there. Hopefully he calls me, as he has all my info.

Ah well...another exciting, fine day in the life of me. Now I'm actually tired though, now that my mind is shifting out of "Crisis Mode" and into "Normal Mode." Yeah...how was everyone else's days?

P.S.: I got the call from Butch saying our credit lines are OK, I guess...but now they want us to sign the lease next week, which means I gotta have the rest of the money by then. That's insane. I'm going to PLEAD with them to give me two more weeks...I don't know what to do about that, as I haven't really had time to think about it. :)