Familia, and other things;)

So....

after obtaining financial freedom from the last string with the ex I started planning genealogy focused family trips via highways and byways. Wouldn't you know it? God had other plans for me...... Probably because I had to pay my federal and state income taxes:(

I got rear-ended at the OFF ramp near my home. Didn't see a vehicle when I looked in my rearview mirror. Ever the adrenaline junkie my thoughts immediately sprang to "OMG! a motorcycle went under my car!" SO I jumped out to inevitably try to drag the driver out before my car or the bike exploded. I had just filled my gas tank. Thank God this was not the case. I was hit by a 2008 Nissan Ultima. The driver was kind of dazed and I asked him if he was ok. He hit me hard enough to deploy his driver airbag. After a couple of minutes he answered he was ok. He crunched the front end of his car. But it was driveable enough to reverse onto the shoulder and out of the rest of the freeway maniacs making their ever-so-important need to beat every one else to the OFF ramp red light. (say that really fast 5x:) Good thing he is an EMT for Bernalillo County and had relatively good insurance.
Long story, short. My car was in the shop for a week on Progressive's dime. I had a rental, also on their dime. BUT-------they wouldn't fix the hydraulic lifts for my tailgate. The adjustor decided it was normal wear and tear. Huh?!?! It was working just fine before the "accident." I repealed and the Progressive "mediator" decided that he agreed with their adjustor. Reeeaaalllly? What a shock. So I had to shell out $160.00 to have the lifts replaced. The mechanic said the gate is heavier than any other ones he had repaired. I certainly couldn't hold it up long enough to load/unload.
Would I recommend Progressive? NO. In fact there is a New Mexico class action suit filed against them for misrepresenting minimal NM liability car insurance. Didn't read all the rhetoric. I'll stick with my company. Enough said....

In the meantime I continued in my passion of genealogy and made flight arrangements to visit my cousins in CA. What a blessing and natural high to spend a week with my rediscovered family. The flight from Albuquerque to Phoenix was short, but my connecting flight to Sacramento was almost as far as possible from where we landed. Minor detail 'cause I was so pumped to finally see my cousins after 30 years! WooHoo:)

The more you discover the more you realize how important it is to get everybody's memories of the same incident(s). Have notes on receipts, paper napkins, shopping lists and my checkbook register taken during the week long visit because my digital recorder was still on my dining table awaiting new batteries. Ergh! But..minor detail, no?
Jacqueline has been blessed with the talent of hospitality. And she is the spitting image of her mother who is my namesake.

More detail later.

May you be blessed with family, friends and anything else important in your life.

Praying for moisture with these new storms. I'm COLD.