Saving a life (?)

I'm not sure if I actually saved a man's life this morning, but I definitely did help someone who otherwise likely would have waited a long, long time before receiving any help.

I was in my car in the parking lot at work this morning, napping. I'd gotten to work an hour early, gave Jen a ride in and her start time was an hour before mine today. She was sending me text messages which woke me up, but I was glad because I didn't set an alarm and was afraid of oversleeping. I was in the middle of responding to her when I heard a horrible, horrible crash that sounded real close by. I turned toward the direction of the sound and then I saw a white van speeding by lickety-split. I didn't have my glasses on at that point so all I could see was the vehicle was white and it was a van.

I decided to go investigate, because the sound I heard was that of 2 vehicles making impact. I actually heard two crashes, the bigger one of one car being hit by another at a high rate of speed and then a smaller one like a vehicle hitting something else - which turned out to be the pole holding up the ACE Hardware sign. And at that hour, just before 6:00 on a Sunday morning, there was nobody around for miles. First I saw the mangled car, it's lights still on, then I saw a body lying on the pavement next to the car. I grabbed my phone and dialed 911. Then I heard a man calling, "Help! Help! Help!" I pulled off the road and went up to the man who was laying on his back. By this time the 911 operator had patched me through to the ambulance. They asked me where I was located; somehow I had the presence of mind to get the address off the front of the ACE Hardware store we were in front of; somehow I had the presence of mind to tell them what street I was on, the gun range across the street, Escapades a couple doors down; they told me to tell him to lay still 'til they get there, and eventually we hung up, the promise of help on it's way. I held the man's hand to comfort him I guess. It was covered in gravel and debris.

I was so scared. I don't know how I gathered my wits about me to try to be strong for that guy. I asked him his name; I asked him which direction he was travelling, which turned out to be the opposite direction of the way his car was now pointing. His car was totalled. This type of thing never happens to me, and while I was happy to help I hope it doesn't happen again, at least not soon. Usually when this type of thing happens somebody's already called 911, somebody's already in the middle of helping. This time it was me.

Heckuva way to start the day. I am still bewildered by it all.

A Time for Everything

For some reason I've had the following passage from Ecclisiastes at the forefront of my mind, and resting on my heart; it applies to so many things in my life right now:

Ecclesiastes 3 (New International Version)

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

Happy Birthday Patrick Wilson

That's right - Patrick Wilson's birthday is today, July 3, so Happy Birthday to him!

What the heck is he in, you ask? Well, lots of things but the thing that made me notice him was his singing voice, namely in the movie version of Phantom of the Opera. I'm telling you, he could sing anything to me, anytime. :)

Only a man with a voice as awesome as Patrick Wilson's could make that hairstyle look good:


And now, a photographic tribute to the birthday boy ... :)

New Michael Jackson footage

Y'know, some reports right after he died a week ago (has it been a friggin' week already??) claimed that he was "frail" and just generally not looking too good, but after watching the round robin of old footage of Michael Jackson over the years that ensued in the wake of his death, I thought, he's always looked frail! Seriously - has anyone checked out the Thriller video recently??? He has always been unusually thin.

So click here to see this newly-released video of him rehearsing for the now infamous 50-date European tour that will never happen. It's 1:26 long, and I think it will put any doubts to rest as to his health before he died. He looks just fine to me.

Making things and stuff

There's crocheting and then there's making stuff - like, finished projects-type stuff. So far the only thing I'm doing is crocheting, like practicing stitches using a crochet needle and a ball of yarn. Yay, good for me, but still not quite doing what I WANT.

I want to make the Fuzzy Alien! (see post below) That is my first step. However, I'm missing a few items in order to craft it: I need Lion Brand Cotton-Ease Yarn in: Terracotta, Snow, and I need Bernat Bling-Bling in Moulin Rouge. I will also need the clay to make the eyes, the polyfill to stuff it with, and the right crochet hook, which I believe I may already have: it's a US size 1.

Hmmm ... well, well, well, it's probably a good thing I snatched up a roll of Bernat's Bling-Bling while I had the chance - seems it's discontinued now! *cries* ... but I'm not crying too long, mainly for the peeps who didn't get some while it was still being made. I, however, have some, enough to craft as many Fuzzy Aliens as I want!

Well, I hope I'm able to at least get the other yarn I need in order to start this thing. I also hope to make some of the projects on Howie Woo's blog, they are so dang CUTE!!!!

...

Dear Bernat,

Why, why, why would you discontinue your coolest yarns ever???