In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best idea to head to the Hooksett Market Basket to do my pre-Thanksgiving grocery shopping. Roads weren't even that bad and I was driving cautiously, it was just bad luck that I hit some black ice on the bridge right 1/2 a mile before my exit. I was in the middle lane when it happened and my van slid hard into the guard rail in near the left lane and then I ricocheted back across the highway where I landed in the right lane facing diagonally as seen in the picture below. I hit the guard rail hard enough that my glasses flew off my face, but not so hard that any airbags deployed. The majority of the damage was to the tire - as you can see it's not supposed to bend that way! Because the tire was bent that way, I couldn't move. I was stuck where my van came to a stop. I called 911 and waited for a state trooper and tow truck to come rescue me. It was a bit unnerving to be stuck on a slippery road, but I was OK and that was all that mattered!
I'm thankful for so many things during this time of year, but today I am especially thankful that there was no one else around me when I slid (it could have been so much worse!), that I didn't suffer any injuries (other than being sore from where the seat-belt held me in place), and that I was alone in the van (the boys were in school), that my van wasn't totaled (I wasn't going that fast when I hit the rail) and I'm thankful for the willingness of a friend to drop everything if I needed anything. Looks like I'll be in a rental for an undetermined amount of time.
