Among my many errands this past weekend was a trip to my favorite donut place. Unfortunately, the parking lot was full. Thankfully, there was a space available just outside the lot. In positioning myself within the spot (and free of the 'no parking from here to corner' sign) I run into a snow bank. Not literally run into it, but I was very close.

A little too close, because when I pulled into traffic (and, weirdly enough, not the side streets), my car started to vibrate, almost like it was going to break down. I drove along to my other locations and, thankfully, it didn't give me too much trouble. I've been keeping my eye on it the last few days in those rare moments where I needed to go someplace. An errand today (on an unseasonably warm day) seemed to be just the thing to get the engine light off of my dashboard. Still, I should get the car looked at. It's pretty close to oil change time, anyway.

Compare this to around this time last year, back when I was working 10-hour days from Sunday to Wednesday at my data entry job. On Fridays, I was called in to work overtime for eight hours. That day, I suppose there were enough people to handle the overage, so I was sent home. (I should point out that, not a few days earlier, as I was driving to work, some moron was stopped right in the middle of the road and if I didn't swerve around them at the last minute, we'd probably both be dead. Needless to say, that sudden swerve robbed my car of being in a perfect drivable state.)

Following a delicious breakfast from IHOP (RIP Country Omelette), I decided to take my car in to be checked out. The brakes were a bit iffy; I couldn't slam down on them. Somehow, I get near the repair shop (a good twenty minute drive from my workplace). It's just a turn down one street and another turn onto a different street.

Then, the unthinkable happens: my brakes give out! The light ahead is red. There's a car in front of me, but I need to stop. I turn onto the sidewalk in the hope of avoiding an accident. Thankfully, there were no cars behind me, so I'm able to make the first turn. The next street is ahead, so I make that next turn. Things are going fine, then...another red light! Is this a joke?! Again, I can't stop, but, to my relief, there are no cars passing ahead. The light changes and I get my car to the shop.

Even a year later, I reflect on how lucky I was. If there was someone on the sidewalk, if there had been cars passing in those moments when I couldn't avoid them...I shudder to think what could've been.

Even a year later, it's one of the scariest things I've ever experienced.