(From Will) Okay, we have a second...

...not really, but I can't let this go on any further. It's Thursday and our last post was Sunday, mothers day. So:

I KNOW God has been with us all this week working in His strange and mysterious ways but I'll let you decide what He's up to.

First, Mothers day: Deanna had really been aching to go to the zoo so as her present I took her to Madison (WI) to the free zoo there. There's a bigger zoo in Milwaukee but that's farther away and costs money. We've been trying desperately to get ourselves in a position to go to Florida in July by trying to save money (like everyone else) and yet still have a fun time with the kids. Also, it would be a chance to try out our "new to us" van on the highway to see how it would be in July.

The Van rode and drove just fine and visibility is good. As long as you bother to use it. As I was driving the almost two hour drive to Madison, I was noticing a terribly dangerous trend in drivers today: Self-Centeredness. This is more than being inconsiderate but about being in the center of your own little world and not being concerned (enough) with what might be going on outside of what YOU are doing in YOUR own little world.

For example the number of people who don't think the sign that says "slower traffic keep right". Means them. I've talked to these people and I've been told they "...interpret that to mean anyone doing less than the speed limit." Last time I checked you were supposed to have the words "Honorable Judge" in front of your name if you're going to "interpret" the law. The signs says "SLOWER traffic keep right" That means if someone is going faster than you: YOU are SLOWER.

But I digress.

There was another occasion that brought home this point. I was in the right hand lane with the cruise control on. In the left lane but still behind me was an elderly man in a Lexus who was very slowly overtaking me. I didn't mind; until. We came up on an on ramp that had a steady stream of vehicles entering the interstate. The car in front of me wouldn't move over to the left lane (even though she could) to let the merging vehicles on. I was stuck with the elderly gentleman now on my side. This man "had it going on". He saw what was happening and hammered the gas to get out of mine and everyone else's way. I was then able to smoothly give lane to the other cars. He was watching what was going on. The girl in front wasn't or didn't care. Scary that. Here is the important part: The whole way there and while we were in Madison were constant, vibrant reminders to really be watching whats going on around you and in front of you.

We had a great time at the zoo. The weather was sunshiny yet cool: Perfect! We got nose to nose with large Tiger (with glass between thank you) and enjoyed the bears and all the other critters! We struggled to find a restaurant that wasn't packed slam full on mothers day but managed a fine meal at Cr@ckerb@rrel and then headed home.

The ride to Madison had made me hyper-vigilant on the way home and very good thing. The weekend of about 15 people were almost completely ruined.

I was in the right hand lane of the interstate with a semi some ways behind me and he had a small truck tailgating him badly. I commented on this to Deanna. Again, off my left rear corner panel I had a car who had been there for a while, sometimes gaining on me and sometimes not. In front of me 5 or 6 van lengths was another mini-van. As I was assessing all of this I noticed a ways up ahead two vans in the right side emergency lane.

They were parked on in front of the other but both were starting to move and merge into the right hand lane. MY right hand lane. The van in back pulled out first and was almost hit by the van in front as it pulled into our lane. Sounds bad right? How about this: The first van that is now fully in the right hand lane just stops! (??!!)

Well, I saw all this from far enough away that there should have been plenty of time to make the lane change. Here's were bad goes to worse to ridiculous:

Remember the Van in front of me? He has no reason he can't pull over into the left hand lane. I have that car on my left rear somewhere. I do a quick look over my shoulder to make sure it's safe and when my head comes back around the van in front IS JUST NOW REALIZING WHATS GOING ON! They panicked. They hit the brakes HARD. No steering, just stopping.

When my head came around from checking for a clear lane, all I could see was taillights that looked like they were only inches from my windshield.

Left turn Clyde.

I yanked the wheel hard! I can say that the van handles what Canadians call the "moose avoidance procedure" very well. The tires were screaming as I made the lane change, stomped on the accelerator, corrected and changed back into the right hand lane once past the "parked" vans on the right.

Next exit, I stopped for...er...gas. Yeah! Well, we did get...er buy gas. And we took a minute for our hearts to stop racing. My son utters the words: Nice driving dad. As I flushed with that praise I sent a loud prayer to God saying the same thing.

When I have a few more minutes we'll try to fill you in on all the other things going on right now but Jacob has a concert tonight so we have to get ready!

Numbers 6:24-28
Will