Posted on August 16th, 2007
We just got into Denver. Today was spent driving in a straight line across the mid west listening to old country and gospel. Space in North America is plentiful, and sometimes the way its been strapped together in highways, railways and outlet malls can seem lifeless. but then there are times like today where you can drive across flat plains along 66 to Denver that makes the country feel as big as it was supposed to be on TV, while still seeming really pure.
that said we ate at a subway in the middle of a cattle field.
a few months ago we got into an accident, but didn't make an announcement to make sure our families knew before anyone else.
Have you ever felt like you weren't supposed to be somewhere?
After we finished our record, we flew down for a meeting in LA. Everything seemed to be going wrong, we had missed connections in SF and finally got to LAX at 12:30 pm. We had forfeited our ride, so we decided to get a cab from the airport to our hotel. This was my first cab experience in LA, and unfortunately wasn't my last, although i wish it was.
i can't remember much of what was going on. I was exhausted and wanted to get to the hotel. I was sitting beside Joel our manager, and listening to the cabbie talk about changed traffic patterns because it was oscar weekend. great. we were taking the residential route to hollywood.
I had my head down and was going through my bag at my feet and thinking about getting to bed. At that point i heard Joel say something like 'oh fuck!' and then there was just an impact--the sound of crushing metal and deep bright lights.
my face slammed into the side window and the bounced into the plexi divider in front of my face. i remember we were at a dead stop and we had rollled up on someones front lawn, and i was just hoping that i wasn't opened up and bleeding, but then i felt the warmth. it was totally silent for about ten seconds, and then just started swearing. i think we all started kicking the door at the same time. My door had been crushed shut, but we finally all rolled out onto the grass. i think we swore frantically for about 2 minutes aimlessly to no one until the ambulance came.
apparently we t-boned some 18 year old dudes car after he pulled out in front of us off a side street. we were going about 80 and i guess he misjudged our speed. luckily the airbags came out for both of them, both cars were completely totalled. his car was crumpled an inch to the clutch on the passenger side.
i couldn't really see cause of the blood when i rolled out onto the grass, but some paramedics took me to the hospital. i had opened up my cheek and both brows and needed some stitches. i thought i would post a picture of it for you all to see in our pictures page.
i look like i lost a fight, actually the next day on the flight home i wore a low cap so that i wouldn't alarm everyone on the flight. some stewardess came over to me and told me i had a pretty face and shouldn't cover it like that. so i lifted my hat and she balked, my eyes were almost swollen shut, the horror gave me some sort of enjoyment despite my cracking headache.
everyone was allright, but we are very lucky and thankful. life comes in bright lights and bruises, and sometimes you don't appreciate those things until you get an impact. make sure you tell you mom, dad, brothers and sisters and dogs that you love them. you never know how lucky you are....but you can get luckier by never taking an LA cab.
jay
