Three Months Later

Life has been passing at an increasingly rapid rate for us.

Dale has had the cast removed and is about half way through his physical therapy. It's slow going. It's often painful. The therapist says he should have full recovery in around a year's time.

The other party's insurance has agreed to settle for policy limit. Unfortunately, it's a VERY small policy. In the end we'll pay the lawyer, pay his medical costs and if we're really lucky, we might have a little to put in the bank, though we're not counting on that.

People have asked about the accident and I've come to realize that a lot of people out there don't really understand how the game works. More than once people have encouraged us to sue the person who hit Dale. We considered it, but once we looked at the whole situation, we realized it would be a lost cause.

To sue and benefit, the person you're suing has to have assets. This person did not. Sure we could go after future wages, tax returns and any monies he might receive in the future. However, the one part people don't realize is that when you sue someone in a case like this, they can easily get out from under the judgement. All they have to do is file bankruptcy. And, once you go after the individual, you've waived your right to any settlement from their insurance policy.

In the end, we decided the best course of action was to go for what was guaranteed - the insurance policy. And while it has a pretty low limit, it should still be enough to cover what we need as a result of the accident.

While it won't make up for the job that Dale lost, we are very fortunate that he will be able to go back to work soon.

Two weeks later.

It's been two weeks since the careless act of another person totally changed our lives. Dale's injuries are healing a little more with each passing day. On the 2nd he goes back to the orthopedic surgeon and they'll remove the pins from his right hand and set it and his forearm in a regular cast. They'll probably take the stitches out of his knee as well.

While the injuries are healing, and he's better able to get around on his own, the frustration is growing. The frustration is from more than just the accident and the injuries; the loss of his bike and a great job opportunity. The bulk of the frustration comes from the drastic changes we've experienced in our daily lives.

Dale has always been the kind of person who can't sit still. Now he's reduced to laying on the couch or in his recliner. He can't even play a video game to pass the time. Daily tasks, even as minimal as using the restroom, have become a major undertaking. It's difficult for him to remember that he does need to depend on me, and others, for simple things, such as opening the bottle of pain pills or refilling a water bottle. He'll often try to do these things and fail, resulting in more frustration.

He hasn't been able to sleep in our bed since the accident - and not for lack of trying because the couch is not very comfortable. Unfortunately, he has to sleep with his arm propped up, almost vertical, and the only way to accomplish this is to wedge it between his upper body and the back of the couch.

We got a copy of the police report on Wednesday. It included pictures of Dale's bike and the other guy's truck. It was amazing to see the damage to the truck. The whole front end was damaged, including the hood being buckled up on the front passenger side - which is where the truck struck Dale's hand. I was a bit surprised, there was actually much more damage to the truck than I expected there to be.

Every day I keep reminding myself that it could have been worse. I have to keep doing this, because if I don't, I'm not sure how I'd handle all that's on our plate right now. One moment of bad judgement and lack of attention has cost us so much. More than we can ever put a price tag on, and certainly more than the guy's insurance policy limit will provide (yes we know what the limit is, and it's not a whole lot). At this point we're just hoping that we don't end up in debt because of this.

For everyone who says we should sue the guy, there is a reality to that which most people aren't aware. Sure, we could sue him and receive a judgement in court. It could result in garnishment of wages or a lien on future assets.... but all he'd have to do is file bankruptcy, and the debt is wiped clean. It would be all for nothing at that point. Besides, you can't get blood from a turnip and the low liability limit on the guy's policy shows us another fact - there are likely no assets. Most people who have assets worth protecting do so by carrying large liability limits on their auto policies - so they can't be sued for their property.

So once again, I remind myself how lucky we are. Dale is healing; the broken bones are mending; the bruises fading.... slowly. Have our lives been impacted in ways we'd never have been able to anticipate? Most definitely. Are we frustrated and angry? Of course. Do we feel like the damages we've suffered, and will continue to suffer for months to come will exceed the liability limit of the other guy's insurance? Without a doubt.

How do you put a price on things you've lost, which you hadn't come to have yet?

Simply put, I don't know.

And just like that, things change overnight.

Three days after my last post, a series of events was set in motion that has led up to our current situation.

Dale was put in a lower paying position at work. A pay cut of nearly $3/hour is really significant when you're trying to live on one income. 

A few days later we began looking for other jobs - starting in Chico, Sacramento, even SF and LA and San Diego. We looked out of CA and on March 12 he was offered a position in North Dakota which he accepted.  

On Wednesday the 14th, he worked his last day at his job here.

He was set to leave on Saturday the 17th and would report to his new employer on Monday the 19th. 

On Friday the 16th, he took his motorcycle from the mechanic to get gas (and one last short ride before heading out to ND) and in less than a 4 mile trip, everything changed. 

Because it's an "open" case - meaning we have not settled with the insurance and haven't seen the police report - I'm not going to go into too much detail. The facts are, as I understand them, that the two lanes of traffic headed in the same direction that Dale was going, had stopped to leave an open spot. Dale was getting into the left turn lane. A guy driving a Toyota Tundra decided to take the open spot in the lanes and did not see Dale, striking him fully head on with his pickup, essentially he T-boned the right side of Dale and his bike. 

The bike is totaled. Dale has 4 broken bones in his right hand, a brake in his ulna and 2 hairline fractures in his right tibia. He also has a floating piece of bone in his right ankle - which may or may not be a result of the accident. If it isn't from the accident, it's a severely aggravated old injury. Regardless, he's in a lot of pain. 

On Saturday the 17th he had surgery to pin two of the 4 broken bones in his hand, the other two couldn't be pinned because they were too close to the joint. Later that day we received the call that because he couldn't report to the new employer on the 19th, they couldn't hold the job for him.... so no new job. No old job. No motorcycle. 

Everything we were working toward was gone, just like that, in a matter of seconds.

It is also our understanding, from what the police said at the time of the accident, that the driver of the truck has a suspended license, is on probation for DUI and has a "brethalizer" in the truck which requires a legal BAC to operate. From what I've learned, he was NOT intoxicated at the time of the accident, but his wife, a licensed driver, was the passenger and apparently was not driving because she had "a headache."

I don't want to spend any more of my time speculating as to what caused the driver to hit Dale. Dale said that when he looked at the guy seconds before impact, the guy was looking the other way. There's no way he saw Dale. All I know is that our lives have been turned completely upside down. 

The other thing I know is that this could have been so much worse. Dale has some broken bones and he'll heal. His bike is totaled, but it looks like we're going to buy it back at salvage and he'll have a project to work on once he's healed. He's lost a job, but he'll find another. 

Today is our 9th anniversary. Had he driven to North Dakota we wouldn't be spending this day together. Had the accident been worse, there's a chance we wouldn't be celebrating this day at all. 

Here are some pictures.....When you look at these I want you to think. This accident was at low speeds, in nearly standing still traffic. Dale was not splitting lanes or riding crazy. He was on a VERY brightly colored bike, with an equally brightly colored helmet, and his headlight was on. This was an ACCIDENT. The other guy just didn't see him. Was the other guy negligent? Sure - he wasn't even supposed to be driving. Had it been raining that day, yes. But lots of people ride in a downpour, in this case, it was NOT raining. Regardless, a bike, when ridden smartly, carefully, is no less capable in rain than a car. 

Before you jump to conclusions about people who ride, I want you to think. Most riders aren't out there being maniacs, sure there are some exceptions, there always are. Most of them are just like Dale, riding back from the gas station. And when it's motorcycle vs truck, or even a small car, the bike always, ALWAYS loses. I'm asking you to be aware. Look around you. Motorcyclists are not as easily seen as vehicles, even when brightly colored. 

We are VERY lucky. Many are not. Take the extra seconds, slow down, be aware. 

As angry as I am with the person who hit Dale, I cannot begin to imagine how he must feel knowing he seriously injured another person.... knowing he could have killed my husband. 

Dale's bike before:

And here is the bike now. The first one was at the scene on Friday (the helmet is sitting on it), the others were taken today at the shop where the bike is currently sitting:

And Dale, in the ER on Friday: 

I was allowed to take a pic of one of the xrays - this is of his hand. You can see the two bones in the palm where there are now pins. His middle finger is broken just above the knuckle at the palm and right below the knuckle in the palm. 

Before surgery on Saturday: 

Assorted shots of the injuries: 

Easy crock pot Carnitas

Carnitas, literally translated means "little meat" and is one of my favorite Mexican dishes to make at home. I think I have probably posted this before, but it is so easy, and so versatile, and well... so tasty, that I felt it bears repeating.

You will need:
1 large (family pack) pork carnita meat
1 small can dices chilis and tomatoes. I tpically use the Rotel brand
4 garlic cloves

In a large crock pot, combine the meat pieces and canned chilis and tomatoes. Using the ribbon grater, grate your garlic cloves directly into the crock pot. Give it all a good stir to make sure the pieces of meat are well coated. Set the crock pot to low and allow to cook for at least 4 hours.

Once or twice during the cooking you can move the meat around, but it is not required.

Once the meat easily falls apart when moved, it is done and ready to eat. Traditionally you'd serve with tortilas, salsa, guac or avocados, lime, cilantro, jalapenos, hot sauce, sour cream and cheese. However, there is enough broth from this to literally have Carnitas Soup, which is exactly what I did today.

Enjoy!

Almost totally Paleo Clam Chowder

There is something uniquely satisfying about good soup. My favorite has always been clam chowder. Perhaps it is because whenever my grandpa made soup, or took me out to eat, clam chowder was the top pick. Today I was chilly all day. It just seemed natural that soup was in order.

I say this is "almost" Paleo because there is a small amount of flour and some red potatoes in it. While the cream and butter are not traditionally Paleo, most "Paleoists" agree that real butter and heavy cream are acceptable in moderation.

I had to pause while I was scarfing it down in order to take a picture. Sadly, my desire to consume the contents of the bowl got the better of me when it came to geting an attractive shot. Just trust me when I say it was nearly perfect....the clam flavor was subtle and the chowder was a perfectly creamy consistency without being too thick.

I will say once again how much I love my food processor. It made slicing the veggies so easy. Here is what you will need to make the chowder:

5 medium to large red potatoes, diced into about 1 inch cubes, skin left on

1 leek, sliced thin, use the entire base, and you can use the tops if you like

4-5 smaller carrots, sliced thin

1 bunch of celery, sliced thin, icluding the leafy tops

3 cloves of garlic, grated over the pot while cooking

About 3 tbsp. bacon drippings or butter

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

4 cans of diced clams

1 bottle of clam juice

heavy cream, I probably used about 1 1/2 to 2 cups, but you can adjust as needed.

Sea Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste.

I sliced the carrots, leek and celery in my food processor. In a large stock pot, melt the bacon drippings, or butter. Add in the carrots, leek and celery. You want to just sweat these out. Basically, you want the leek slices to separate and nearly fall apart.

Next, add in the garlic. When it comes to processing fresh garlic, I learned a really cool trick from Rachel Ray. Get what is called a ribbon grater (here's a link). Mine is a Medium and I got it at Walmart, and I will say it's on my list of kitchen "must haves." It's way easier than mincing and it releases more of the flavor into the dish and no chunks! Simply hold the ribbon grater over the pot while it's cooking and grate the garlic right into it! Give it a good hard tap or two and you should be left with little to no garlic on the grater - and if you are, it wipes off really easily resulting in very little wasted garlic. But you will have to get used to getting it on your fingers.

Add in the potatoes and stir well. At this point you want to add in the clam juice and the canned clams (NOT drained) and enough water to just BARELY come up to the top of the contents of the pan. Cover and bring to a boil.

While that is cooking, take a smaller sauce pan and melt the tablespoon of butter, and then reduce the heat and whisk in the flour. It should immediately become very thick - this is roux (pronounced "roo") and is the basis for all creamy sauces (and gravy without lumps). Add to this about a cup of heavy cream and whisk until it's thickened up.

When the potatoes are tender, pour in the cream roux and mix well. Add in additional cream if desired. Simmer over medium low heat, stirring regularly. The chowder should thicken nicely. Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste - it'll likely use more salt than you expect, just keep tasting until it's right. 

Since I'm not eating bread, I just ladled it into a bowl and tried to be patient until it was cool enough to eat... But, should you be so inclined you could serve this in a sour dough bread bowl and I'm sure a good food coma would follow. 

Kindle..... Nook.......Tablet... what to choose, what to choose...

For the last week I've struggled with my Kindle Touch. I got it for Christmas and initially was very excited about the prospect of having a bunch of books at my fingertips in a very condensed space.

Overall the experience was positive. The screen was easy to read, the device was easy to use, and really weighed no more than most paperback books. Battery life was impressive - I read voraciously and only had to charge it once.

However, I began to notice subtle things that I wished were different. While the e-Ink screen is fabulous for reading print (it's eerily like reading a hard copy book) it was nowhere near as good when you tried the "experimental" features - like web browsing. It was a neat idea, but really not all that enticing without color.

One of the biggest frustrations is that the pages in the books I read were not numbered. All that was displayed was a % of the book. Now this may not seem like a big deal....BUT, if you brush the screen it jumps MANY pages and you never know where you were because you could have been at 75% and you're now at 89%, but that could include a dozen pages or more in each 1% increment, depending on the length of the book. In the last book I read, I lost my place more than 10 times due to this "feature" and one of those times was when I set the book down, went to get a drink (or snack) and the kitten walked across the surface. Sure I should have put the screen saver on, but hey, I didn't realize that this would happen till after the fact. But more often than not, the edge of the blanket just brushed the screen... the eReader slipped off my lap or something equally accidental.

I began lamenting these issues and started wondering if I'd made the right decision in the Kindle Touch. I started reading about the other options. I knew I wanted an eReader with extra bells and whistles. And while I'd love a full-fledged tablet, what I found was the one I wanted was MUCH more expensive than the eReaders. I also didn't want to sacrifice screen size if I were getting a true tablet.

A 7" screen is great for an eReader. It keeps the device light enough that it's not a strain to hold it while you read, yet it's large enough to allow you to easily see what's in front of you. I would not however, want to watch many movies or play games of any significance (other than say Angry Birds or Solitaire) on a screen that small. I also would not want to tote around a 10" tablet just to read a book.

As far as features went, the options of a camera and microphone were pretty low on my list of considerations. My phone has a better camera than most of the low-priced tablets so why bother? I also knew that I wanted Android vs another OS. Additionally, as much as I've heard people rave about the iPad, the price is so far out of budget it's not even in the same zip code.

And that brought me to my next issue: price. I have a budget of $250 before I have to start tearing the couch apart looking for change. Since I knew I wanted a 10" tablet I first did my homework to see what the best bang for my buck was. What I found were LOTS of tablets under $250, but I also found lots of complaints about laggy response, freezing and other "issues" which I just really didn't want to have to deal with. As a result, it ruled out every 10" tablet for the price point. As a result, I ruled out "true" tablets.

That left me with the eReaders. When it comes to color there are basically three choices: Nook Color, Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. That's not to say there aren't a lot of other color eReaders out there. But what I saw in reviews made me run for the hills of either Amazon or B&N.

Every review I looked at said it was worth every penny to forego the Nook Color and get the Nook Tablet. I saw many reviews which compared the Nook Tablet to the Kindle Fire, even with the $50 price difference. I did more homework. I found that there was a small difference in screen appearance, with Nook coming out on top. Fire had more apps available, but Nook had a massively larger book collection, including the volume of free titles. Nook also beat out the Fire when it came to memory. While they both have the same processor, the Nook has 16GB memory to the Fire's 8GB and you can add 16GB more with an SD card. The Fire doesn't offer any expansion for memory.

While Amazon offers more videos and streaming, you have to pay $79/year for Prime membership. Since the point of the eReader for me is NOT watching movies etc, the Nook wins out here as well. Amazon Prime upgraded shipping didn't impress me - when I have ordered from Amazon the items arrive quick enough for me to be perfectly happy with standard "Super Saver" Shipping. Nook offers a really cool Read To Me feature, as well as the option to record my own voice reading a kid's book, which LD can then read along with later.

For what I'm going to be doing with it, the Nook Tablet was the clear winner.

But there's now icing on the cake for me - through our business we have B&N as a partner. This means we will earn a % back on all purchases made through them. This includes the Nook Tablet, eBooks, and any accessories I might decide I need down the road.

What did I take away from this? Do your homework. I can't say that enough. I heard really good things about the Kindle Touch and then when I got one, the things that bothered me were never anything I'd read about! So make sure you go hold the device if at all possible. Play around with it. Get to know it. Spend so much time there that the sales people wonder just how long you're staying. Ask a lot of questions. Read every review you can find.

Most importantly have in your mind two things: 1. How much you're willing to pay and 2. The purpose of the device. Price is easy. We all know what we're willing to (or able to) spend at a given time. Purpose however, can be a little more difficult. Look at what you get for your price point and then list off the top 6 things you MUST have, in order of importance. Then you can decide where you're willing to compromise and where you aren't. If you compromise because there are too many things you want but you can't afford the better model, you may find yourself with a bad case of buyer's remorse later, and often beyond the return window.

Happy New Year!

2011 was an interesting and eventful year for us. We got to spend lots of time with family, though it never seems enough.

Today Beth starts on her trek back to Colorado - see you in March Sweet Pea! Until then, We'll remember this:

This morning Dale took us to his office where we were given a tour of the inner workings of some of the paramedic rigs. While Beth was interested in seeing it all, she was not entirely enthusiastic about going IN any of them. LD on the other hand.... he was all over that!

Special thanks to Chris and Kevin for opening up shop and giving us an insider's view!

I put the camera in Dale's hands and had a rare opportunity to be an observer for a change.