2011 Ends with a crash & a bang

Well, I ended 2011 with a crash and a bang, literally. A deer decided to jump out at the side of my car, and my instant reflex was to swerve away from it. Big mistake. The next 3 seconds I remember in slow motion: the deer, the road, the feel of my car as it fishtailed, the wheel when it caught the side of the road, the flip, and then it was like in Willie Wonka when the boat is going and going and going, and then it stops, that fast. Bam, done, stop. And I'm hanging upside down, the windshield, which used to be about 2 feet from me (you sit smack in the middle of a VW New Beetle), is now about 6 inches from my face.

Thanks to my seat belt, German engineering, and luck, I walked away from it with just a few bumps and bruises. My Bella Bug was not so lucky ... may she rest in peace. I miss her. She was my favorite car EVER.

So, I'm carless for the time being. I thought about buying a bus pass, but they're $45! I can pretty much walk just about everywhere I need to go, but not necessarily to all of the places I want to go. I live 23 blocks from work, all uphill. Takes me 30 minutes to walk to work, and 40 minutes to walk home. I figure I'll split the difference - walk to work and take the bus home. It's light in the morning, and I'd rather not walk that far when it's dark. Fortunately we've had quite a mild winter thus far. If the weather changes, I may end up buying that bus pass.

My enforced exercise regimen for 2012, at least until I find another vehicle. But on the bright side, until I get a new car, I get to see this every morning on my walk to work: