Buzzed driving is STILL drunk driving!

Another reason I detest drunk driving.... besides the obvious!  I got one of 'those' phone calls on April 9th.  The ones that you dread, hoping you never get and then praying like crazy that every person you love and cherish are okay and not injured!!!

We had dinner that night, with most of the family here and our missionaries and a friend's son, Arik, that just moved here from Arizona.  Thayne needed something from the shop and I thought we could just run there after everyone left.  But Wyatt, with his brand new learner's permit in his hand, asked, no, he BEGGED to get some night 'minutes' in.  He asked his dad if he could take Josh and run to the shop.  I didn't really want him to go, but mostly for selfish reasons, because Thayne had been really busy and I had several things I wanted to talk to him about, and running to the shop seemed like a nice time to do that.  Next thing I knew, I heard that they were leaving and taking the little kids.  I stopped them and told them I knew that the car seats were not in the car so they better not take the little boys.  The boys wanted to go with them, so they put the car seats in and left.  4 miles to the shop.  That's it.  4 miles there, and 4 miles home.  No problem.  No worries.  We make that trip numerous times a day.  Wyatt is a good driver, I wasn't really worried, yet I felt nervous.  But, I started cleaning the kitchen and didn't think another thing about it until my phone rang and I missed the call trying to get my hands dried.  As I was redialing Wyatt's number, Thayne's phone rang.  And I could tell by his voice that things were NOT okay!

Thayne and a couple of kids left immediately and Arik drove me a couple minutes behind them.  Wyatt had told us that everyone was okay, but that the car was totaled...  but still... my BABIES were in that car!  I NEEDED to see them and know that they were alright. 

We made it to the intersection and see a big, extended cab, older truck.  And my car.  Airbags had deployed.  Kids were out walking around but pretty upset.  Wyatt was in tears, sorry about my car.  I admit seeing my kids were fine, I did look at the car and think.... ARGH!!!!  But that's the after thought, knowing that everyone is just fine AND that it could have all been prevented!  You see, a man didn't just run the stop sign.... he sped up trying to get through it!  An older guy.  Thankfully Wyatt has great instincts and he slowed as much as possible and knew he needed to somehow turn into the wreck so that the damage wouldn't be any worse (to the kids in the car).  The police said if he hadn't done what he did, the man would have t-boned the kids and probably done devastating damage!  He would have hit right where Noah was, and likely the car seat wouldn't have prevented some serious injury.  After impact, Wyatt quickly kicked open the door, ran around to check on the babies, and then ran to check on the man who ran the stop sign.  He knocked on the window and gave the man a 'thumbs up' asking if he was okay.  The guy didn't get out but finally gave him a thumbs up and shook his head yes.  It seems when the police went to talk to him... he lit up a cigarette.  Interesting don't you think?  And then when Thayne went to talk to him, he also lit up another cigarette.  I wondered what in the world would make this man speed up at an intersection like he did, and asked if he was drinking.  The cop said he thought maybe he smelled something but he lit up a smoke and well, the cop didn't do anything.  Until the EMT's got there.  When the EMT checked him out, she came back to the cop and told him he better go check to see how much he had drank because he HAD been drinking.  It kind of bothers me that they didn't do things the right way in the first place, because if it goes to court, just the breathalyzer won't be admissible because they didn't do the field sobriety first!  However he blew just barely under the legal limit.  Which my son in law says they want to lower anyway!  Matt said that in the county he works in, they would have immediately arrested him because running the stop sign AND being barely below the legal limit proves he is impaired!   Not once did he try to check on the little kids, which is very telling to me.  Whether he felt embarrassed or if he was just too buzzed to care, I think it was pretty cowardly to behave that way!  Also, we had to wonder how much he really had to drink, because it is likely that he hadn't registered the actual blood alcohol level! 

Thankfully Arik was able to take the little boys home and got them settled watching a movie.  We had to wait for the EMT's to check Wyatt, Josh and Hyrum, because the airbags deployed and because Hyrum hit his eye pretty good on impact.  They checked out fine... well Hyrum got pretty serious whiplash and over a month later he is barely starting to feel relief, but it could have been SO MUCH WORSE!!!

I was counting my blessings and thanking our guardian angels.  Also, thanking our earthly angels who happened to be there at the exact moment.  Three of our friends who are nurses or work in the hospital were right there, and ran to offer help, but when they saw who it was, they stayed and comforted the kids until we got there.  So many tender mercies and small miracles.  So many blessings!

So what is it going to take to STOP drunk driving???  Why do people continue to do this?  What will be a tough enough consequence that people will just not do this anymore???  How many lives have to be touched by this?  It is bad enough that they get caught once, twice, but three, four and more times... how many times do they drive buzzed or drunk that they do NOT get caught!  Just STOP!!!  Do not let others get behind the wheel when they have been drinking, and for heaven's sake, if you are going to drink, let someone else drive!!!

Do you look away? Or take action?

Yesterday gave me a great opportunity to decide if I will take action, or look away.  I think far too many look away, decide not to get involved, or believe that there isn't anything you can really do to change the situation.  The result of that thinking?  Sometimes nothing.  Sometimes it's true, nothing really changes so everything stays the same... But sometimes it really matters that you stand firm and take action.  Maybe you won't see the results, maybe you will... but at least you know you did something!!!

Kailee and I took the little girls to town to babysit.  We were craving popcorn and hot tamales so we stopped at the theater to grab our treat, and were headed home.  A white jeep was in front of us and right before a stop light I see a woman climb over the seat and open a cooler.  I could not comprehend what in the world I was seeing, and asked Kailee, "ummm... is she naked???".....  She was BUCK NAKED, climbing over the seat, grabbing a beer from the cooler and swaying all over the seat as she tried to climb back.  The driver meanwhile is swaying across the lines, almost into oncoming traffic.  I am ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that the cars around them HAD to have seen her naked self climbing over the seat.  The windows were not really tinted and there was several vehicles, with children in them.  It was obvious they both had open beer cans in their hand, and that they were both intoxicated.  HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE before people learn to stop drinking and driving????  We just had an accident up the road from us that killed four people, including children, and alcohol was involved!!!  ENOUGH already!!!

Kailee grabbed my phone and called the police.  We continued to follow the jeep.  Naked woman was back and forth trying to get sat back down and they finally pulled into their driveway, under a carport.  Thank heavens for the carport.  An ice cream truck was right on the road by their trailer, with several little kids standing around.   The man got out first, with a beer in his left hand.  Kind of swayed but shut the door and went into the trailer.  The woman sat in the jeep a little longer than him.  When she got out she almost stumbled and fell.... yes STILL naked.  She stumbles to the porch, tries to put her leg over it and kind of flipped over (yes, it was hilarious watching, sorry!) and went into the trailer.  I backed the truck up and sat talking on the phone with the police when the man came out and looked at us.  He then gives me a thumbs up mouthing, "everything ok?".  I gave two thumbs up, with the police on the phone and smiled, thinking it would be way more ok when the cops got there!  Thankful we had popcorn and hot tamales to go with the show!

One officer finally showed up and we told him what was going on.  He told us that it was likely that nothing would be able to be done because they were home and that the people could lie about the whole situation, and we would have to decide if we wanted to do a citizen's arrest to cite them for open container.  I asked if there was anything to be done about her nakedness too! :)   We told him that we are sick and tired of the accidents caused by alcohol and YES we would sign and make a citizen's arrest!  He went to the front door and of course nobody answered.  We told him they went through the back door so he went around to that door.  He came back and told us that she was indeed drunk AND said that her husband was gone, and said that she was the one driving the jeep.  By then a second officer came.  The woman came outside, with what looked like a fresh shiner on her eye.  She sat on the step howling not to ruin their lives.  Begging us not to ruin her life.  I WAS DONE!  I asked her exactly how we would ruin her life?  I asked her if she had any idea how RUINED their life would be if her husband had killed somebody, including her because of his drunk driving.  I asked her how many other lives would be ruined because they were so irresponsible!  I told her that her husband was a coward by hiding and making her take the rap and maybe, just maybe if she tried to get some help maybe she could save herself and the lives of others!  She continued to cry.  The officer that had just showed up seemed to know this woman, and her husband, who happened to be on parole, with two prior felony DUI's!!!  I told the officers that if they looked in the back seat of the van they would see the cooler that she had gotten the bear from.  Sure enough, it was there.  Since the man was on parole and since they had probable cause they looked, and found the man hiding in the shed.  He did not want to cooperate, but ended up failing the field sobriety test, blew over the legal limit and his parole was revoked and he was arrested.   The poor wife was distraught and crying and screaming very loud not to take him away, that it would ruin their lives.  People.... this is his THIRD felony DUI.... ruin YOUR life???  I wanted to scream!!!  He has also, on several occasions, beaten the tar out of this woman, both before and after she married him!  She was crying that she would never see him again.  Kailee and I bust out laughing when the officer said to her,  "You can visit him in prison!!!"  :)   I told the cop I wished there was something to do to help her.  He explained that some people choose not to have help.  Seems this woman has had the opportunity to go to rehab, on the state tab, for months, only to go right back to this man.  Dysfunction at it's finest I suppose!  It made me sad, but it made me MAD!!!  Do NOT risk the lives of others because you choose to feed your addictions!!!!!

What amazed me most was that the officers kept asking us if we were sure we wanted to sign the complaint because you know, it would mean we would have to show up for court.  Did we want to have to do that?  To be inconvenienced???  Oh yes, we are SURE!!!  There are many times doing the RIGHT thing is not convenient, but we really MUST do it anyway!  He won't spend any time in prison.  The system is too backed up and too full.  But I sure hope that some day he learns the damage he has, and could cause if he continues in this way!  Maybe that woman will wake up and realize that she does not deserve to be abused!

The officers were telling us that our county has THE HIGHEST alcohol rates in the state.... above even Vegas!  They have no idea why, but they said that DUI's are happening daily and that we all need to keep a look out AND call in when we see drunk drivers... it might be a child next time!!!  The officer told us that one vagrant had a blood/oxygen level of 6.0.... SIX!!!  Not .06. 0r .6, but 6.0!  They said one time he had a 5.8 and an aneurysm... and lived!  UGH!!!

Stand up!!!  Take action.  If you see a drunk driver... call... wait for the police and make sure you press charges.  It may save a life!!!!

9 Months Ago

 I know I have so much to catch up on, and I am going to get around to it... someday!  Just not today!  I have had the hardest time keeping up with things like blogging, laundry, cleaning kids' bedrooms... little things, like that!!!  Mostly because of what I decided to do 9 months ago!

Nine months.  I was recently thinking about the fact that most of my adult life has been planning for the next nine months.  Most of the time those nine months resulted in counting little fingers and toes.  This time however, I mostly have been concentrating on the toes.  Foot zoning has become my new way of life!!!

I received my first foot zone a few years ago... and I LOVED it.  Then one of my best friend's took the classes and became a foot zoner, and I loved it more.  I wanted to take the classes so bad!!!  So when I got a call from Jeri asking if I could take part in the class they were having in Tooele, Thayne and I had a long talk, and while it would take a huge commitment, he told me I really should just do it!  So I did!

Every month, I packed up far too much stuff and headed to Utah for a weekend of learning amazing things, with amazing women.  I gained 4 new friends that will always mean so much to me.  Who become like family.  Who I am going to miss more than I ever thought possible.  More than that though, I learned a new way of thinking, and a new way of healing.  I feel like I was being spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically fed during our classes. It was incredible.  Our zone instructors, Jeri and Jaclyn, taught me so much.  They are the most wonderful women, who sacrificed so much to teach our classes. They taught me to trust myself and to believe that I could do this.  Nine months later, I am a foot zoner.  I love it.  I love helping others.  I love watching lives change, simply through the feet!  I love getting to be the tool to help others see that they can change their lives by letting go.  I love how it has blessed our family.  That alone would be enough... but it is so much more!!!  I am so excited to see where this will take us!  I am proud of myself, for making it through.  For not giving up when it became hard, and learning for myself that I can do things that I never believed possible.

I am grateful that each and every time I work on some one's feet, I think about the Savior washing the feet of the apostles, and I can see that person through the eyes of Him, and I learn to love others so much more. I did it! 

We were asked to give a final presentation, about anything we wanted.  I decided to do mine on questions.  Change your questions, change your life.  One question is, when you tell your life story, are you the victim, the survivor, or are you the superhero?  Everyone has a story... the women I got to spend the last 9 months with are superheroes!  I am determined to be the superhero when I tell my life story.  This class has given me so much, and I look forward to giving as much back as I possibly can.

Interested in what foot zoning is?  Check out www.wedofeet.net  There is nothing like it!!!