Life is All About the Timing. And Driving Undistracted.

Let the record show that Val no longer rises at 4:50 a.m., as she did for the last 18 years of her working life. I'm barely drifting into REM sleep at that time now. When I first retired, I kept more normal hours, and was off to town around 9:00 a.m. for my 44 oz Diet Coke. These days, I'm lucky to leave here before 1:00, and sit down to lunch by 2:30. On days that I go to Walmart or the bank, I don't get home until 3:00 or 3:30.

This afternoon (Thursday, as I'm writing this), I got a text from Hick at 4:23.

"Are you okay there is a bad wreck county road is blocked"

"I'm fine."

"Ok bad wreck no traffic either way from around prison"

"Could be the sharp curve, or prison people pulling out trying to merge, or an escape, or the usual idiots crossing the center line."

"I'm at car shop and he says it's a garbage truck and two cars."

"Oh, no. There goes our low trash bill."

Let the record show that this was our trash day, things being delayed one day from the holiday.

Hick sent the text at 4:23, so I have no idea when the accident occurred, for there to be responders at the scene, blocking traffic both ways. We both travel that 3-mile stretch of road every day.

Sometimes, it's a good thing that The Universe has synchronized its meddling in your life. Like making sure you're sitting in your dark basement lair instead of driving along a 3-mile stretch of blacktop.
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UPDATE:

On the way to town this morning, I saw some new skid marks going off the road on the right side. Here's my theory: the garbage truck was headed out of town, and was either too slow, or perhaps stopped, and some impatient ignoramus tried to pass on the curve, and hit somebody coming the other direction.

UPDATED UPDATE:

The story was just in the local online paper 30 minutes ago! I was somewhat correct...

"The report states that the accident occurred at approximately 3:35 p.m. when DRIVER ONE, 34, of BILL PAYING TOWN, was traveling west on THE COUNTY ROAD east of A LITTLE TURNOFF. A vacant 2018 Peterbilt 337 trash truck was parked on the right shoulder of the road and partially blocking the westbound lane, according to the report.

The 2016 GMC Terrain driven by DRIVER ONE struck the rear of the empty truck, causing her vehicle to rotate and cross the center of the roadway.

A third vehicle, a 2010 Toyota Prius driven by DRIVER TWO, 42, of BACKROADS was approaching in the opposite direction from DRIVER ONE and struck the rear of her vehicle. Two passengers of DRIVER TWO's vehicle, PASSENGER ONE, 74, and PASSENGER TWO, 72, both of Oregon, were injured in the collision; PASSENGER ONE received moderate injuries while PASSENGER TWO received minor injuries. Both were transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital.

DRIVER ONE received minor injuries in the accident and was privately transported to the Health Center in BILL PAYING TOWN.

Damage to the GMC Terrain and Toyota Prius are listed as totalled; damage to the Peterbilt 337 is listed as minor."
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So...I was kind of right, except the trash truck was headed INTO town, and the driver causing the crash might possibly have been inattentive rather than an ignoramus. I missed the part about the trash truck being driverless and parked.

One thing's for sure. I'd rather be driving a GMC Terrain than a Toyota Prius.