August 28, 2007
My car insurance agent, Mr. Pokey Agent Man, finally faxed me a copy of the police report from my car accident back in April and tells me that the companies are willing to settle 50/50 because the report is inconclusive and it’s come down to my word against that of the Idiot Driver who tried to run me out of my lan and then hit me anyway.
My options are to accept a 50/50 decision, which means that it’s no-fault on either side, and pay half the deductible and the insurance companies pay for half of the damages, or go to arbitration to pursue an actual decision.
The play it safe side of me says to take the 50/50. “No fault” is good, and I have the $500 in the bank, sort of. Well, I can, anyway. The truth and justice side of says that’s a crock. HE hit me when he was driving recklessly, I got out of his way and he still hit me (on the rear left side, basically at my wheel well). Therefore that side wants to go to arbitration and pursue a 0/100 decision against him.
It’s clear to ME what happened, but what’s the arbitrator going to decide? I’ve got photos of the damages done to my car but I can’t tell if it’s obvious there that he hit me either. And I can’t really expect a Holmesian arbitrator, I’d just have to hope for the best arbitrator to be interested in deciphering how it all went down and then deciding for me.
That’s sort of a lot to take on faith. What to do?
April 22, 2007
A work acquaintance spent last week nagging me about my boring life, and how I needed to get out and have more fun “at my age.” After some thought, it didn’t seem like such a bad notion to enjoy life a bit more and I resolved to go with the flow if merrymaking plans arose, rather than squashing them with my usual “I’ve got to work” mutter.
Well, you know how that goes…. you don’t just ease into it, life just comes at you in a torrent of commitments. I planned to get my hair cut on Saturday and take BoyDucky’s friend out for lunch or dinner for his 30th birthday on Sunday. Friday evening, I swear, I could hear the gods tittering at my “planning”. This is how the story really goes:
Friday: My state tax refund hit my account, yay!
Saturday: A good friend’s mom turned 60, so I was invited to a surprise birthday lunch. After lunch, East Coast Friend (ECF) proceeded to find and buy me an awesome pair of sunglasses because she a) has been looking for sunglasses for me since high school, and b) she knew I was knee deep in no-spend month 1. I really only looked because I figured we’d have no luck again, I definitely didn’t expect her to get them for me!
Saturday afternoon: I was asked to relief babysit for BoyDucky’s brother and sis-in-law so BoyDucky’s family could have a family birthday dinner. Except I got into an accident on the freeway to the house. The idiot driving an SUV pulled that cutting-across-four-lanes move, and was going to take out the front of my car, so I had to pull into the first lane to try and avoid him. He hit the rear tire of my car anyway, and caused another car to go spinning across the highway behind us. My tire is flat, the hubcap is gone, and the wheel well is beat up. It could have been a lot worse, considering what he was doing, but now I have to deal with insurance, fixing my tire, fixing my car…… *sigh* Geebus. Babysitting Backup Friend (BBF) and I shared our consolation prize: Costco Dog and salad. As we were over an hour late to babysit, BoyDucky’s family postponed their dinner plans until Sunday. So that meant that the originally planned birthday dinner had to become a Sunday brunch. Except we were meant to have brunch with ECF and Co.
Sunday: We tried to schedule one earlier and one later, but ultimately had to split up for our respective brunches, instead. Then we gals had some good clean fun at ECF’s house w/ECF playing hairdresser and the rest of us playing Care Bears: The Game That Melts Cold Hearts. No reading required. Ages 4-8. Doesn’t that motto strike anyone as a little mean?
I’m back now, with Moom’s tag to work on, dinner to make and work to do. *Sigh* I can’t wait to hide at home next weekend!! (with my spiffy new sunglasses perched atop my shaggy hair, of course.)
Oh, and Stater Bros. has their Ragu pasta sauces on sale for 99 cents a jar. Silver lining, anyone?
Spendy spendy:
$5, Costco
$0, sunglasses (courtesy ECF)
$0, Sunday brunch (courtesy BBF)
$???, car accident