You can think a lot of thoughts in less than 10 seconds

Ever since my Uncle Linus passed away in a car accident back in November I have been haunted by the image of how it must have happened. I have an hour commute in both directions when I travel to and from work which allows for a lot of time thinking. It's not unusual for me to think about Linus's accident as I drive and it always makes me sad and a little freaked out.

Last night we got a few inches of snow and then this morning everything turned over to a nasty icy slush as it started to rain. School had a 2-hour delay this morning and my office even opened an hour and a half late in order for people to get to work safely. Lincoln and I both left the house about the same time. He had the kids and was taking Jake to Grandma and Grandpa's and then dropping Hannah off at school (I won't let her ride the bus on icy days) and I was heading straight to work. I pulled out of the driveway first as he was finishing up clearing off his truck to get ready to leave. Our road, the short little extension street that we live on, wasn't cleared yet and was pretty slushy and icy but I got up it without any trouble.

I turned onto the secondary road, one of two that I have to take to the highway, and it had been plowed and was in better condition than our street but was still a little slushy so I was being very careful as I drove down it. I wasn't talking on my cell phone, reaching for my radio or adjusting the temperature in the car. I had both hands on the wheel and was concentrating on driving down the road when all of a sudden I went into a horrible slide and started heading into the ditch and right towards a fairly good sized tree. As I started chanting "Oh my God. Oh my God." and correcting my steering while pumping my brakes (as any good Minnesotan will tell you to do) I managed to get back up on the road but my car started to spin and lean to the right as though it was going to tip over. When all was said and done I had spun around almost 180 degrees and was straddling both sides of the yellow line. Thank God there wasn't any oncoming traffic (or anyone behind me) or there could have been a serious accident.

They say your life flashes before your eyes in those situations and that was very true. Every thought I had was about my family and they certainly are my life. During those horrible few seconds...it had to have been less than 10 seconds because it all happened so fast....I had the following thoughts:

1. "Oh my God....my babies!!!" (as in they're going to be motherless and I don't want them to be sad and not because I thought they were in the car with me.)
2. "Thank God my babies aren't in the car with me."
3. "Lincoln! He's going to be so sad and he's going to have to raise Jake and Hannah without me."
4. And as the car started to tip I thought about Uncle Linus. I just had a vision of him and thought "Oh my God, this is what it was like for him. How horrible."

Luckily nothing bad happened. I corrected the car and it didn't flip over. I didn't hit a tree or another car and no one was hurt. Thank God. And quite possibly "Thank you Uncle Linus". I honestly think he may have been looking out for me. Maybe the vision I had of him was him actually coming down to protect me.

Once I caught my breath and got the car back on the road (heading back the way I came since I was completely turned around) I looked down and realized I didn't have my seat belt on. What the hell? I always have my seat belt on. I usually back the car up into the turn around at the top of our driveway and then put my seat belt on as I start pulling forward to go down the driveway. This morning I got in my car and backed up into the turn around but then realized that I had rain droplets all over my glasses so I took them of and was using my shirt to wipe them clean. I must have driven off then without noticing that I didn't have my seat belt on.

I guess God really does look out for idiots and fools. And Uncle Linus looks out for family.