WHAM!!!!!!!!!!

So it's the night before New Year's Eve and Adam and I are returning from Borders. We just bought our new calendars--they're 50% off now--and were congratulating ourselves on being such prudent shoppers.

I went to make a move into the next empty lane on the 101 and look up and the car in front of me is inches from my bumper. I frantically tried to maneuver out of the way but I was not fast enough and smashed my front end into rubble.

The woman in the van in front of me jumped out of her car and yelled "What the fuck?" I could hear a child crying. I was somewhat in shock. The air bags had deployed but by the time I noticed, they were already deflating and hanging on the steering wheel like a sad balloon from a very bad party. Adam kept saying, "I'm all right, I'm all right," and I sat there in shock. Jesus. Did I do that?

The guy in the van came over and looked into the window. I have to say, he was very calm and kept his cool. He asked me to call the police because his little girl complained of pain. I got out of the smashed car and staggered onto the sidewalk. I called 911 and a few minutes later the cops showed and took over.

The cops and firemen were also very polite, very professional. I took care not to mention that I was an attorney--no sense in aggrivating everyone who was being so calm. I just stood there in disbelief. I've been driving for 31 years and I'd never, ever done such a thing. It happened so fast I couldn't believe it.

Right now I'm stiff and sad. My little green car is probably headed for the scrap yard. My insurance rates are going to hit the roof. And I have no car for the next few days.

But the boy is okay. And the cops told me that the little girl--who they loaded onto an ambulance--wasn't hurt so much as she was scared.

I tell myself that this is 2008 back loading the bad luck into the last few days. I tell myself what the cops and my own loving son kept telling me--it was just an accident, these things happen.

But my back is getting stiffer and my mood is sinking. The boy's mother drove over to get me home and he's staying with her tonight.

Yeah. Happy New Year. Sigh.