Close to Home

I'd like to blame it on Mommy brain...but I think I have to blame it on being plain old careless. I can honestly say I was well rested (the babe had just gotten some vaccine shots a few days earlier which had temporarily improved her sleeping abilities). I was returning home from picking up some stuff at my friend's place. It was about 5:50 pm. The alley was dark and I was perhaps going a tad too fast as I cruised into our parking spot. The babe was in the car with me and I should have been more careful. Hindsight is 20/20.

Mommy friends help out their Mommy friends. My bud had picked up some chicken and salmon for me at Costco earlier in the week. I was planning on picking it up on Thursday, but we had a snowy, icy, slushy day (rare here in DC). I decided it was a bit dicey and that I couldn't trust other drivers (after all, I'm Canadian and know how to handle winter conditions, right?). On Friday, I headed over to her place in the late afternoon. When offered the choice of a Guinness or a coffee, I chose coffee as I don't drink if I'll be driving (being a responsible Mommy and all).

Most accidents happen close to home. I understand why. I was practically in my spot when I pulled in too close to my neighbor's car. It was too late when I realized what was happening. The damage was done. In a panic I checked the cars out. I called my husband with tears streaming down my face and then made my way down the alley to notify my neighbor. He was great about it all. When my husband got home, he was also great about it all. I was the one who was not great about it all.

I beat myself up all weekend (and made my neighbor chocolate chip cookies). I have to be grateful no one was hurt. But feeling like an idiot and wishing you hadn't made such a dumb and expensive mistake is hard to swallow.

Today, I drove (carefully) to the suburbs and got an estimate on the damage to our car. The Honda guy quoted me a bit over $2,200. When he walked me to my car, he told me I could just buy some cleaner/scratch treatment and some spot paint and we'd be good to go. Perhaps he couldn't say that out loud in front of the other shop/sales folks? Whatever the reason, our cosmetic issues and small crack and dent are not as big a deal as I feared all weekend.

I am finally feeling OK. I spent an hour scrubbing the scratches off as the babe slept peacefully in her car seat this afternoon. My thumb is about to fall off and my wrist is not happy, but I gotta tell ya, the car looks almost as good as new. I've got my fingers crossed that we won't be hit hard by the neighbor's car repair bill (scratched bumper and cracked light), but I have to believe it'll be manageable. We'll find out in a few weeks when he returns from a road trip he already had planned.

So, I will not blame Mommy brain. I will take responsibility for my actions. And man oh man will I be extra careful parking in the back alley.