Fatal Rollover - Donner Pass Sept '08

Recently a video has been circulating around the internet about a fatal rollover in Donner's Pass in California. For those of you who are not familiar with Donner's Pass click here. For those who have driven through there, for a truck driver, this is one of the toughest stretches of highway anyone will ever drive. Recently there was a pretty bad accident, which was captured by a stationary camera in another semi. Contrary to the article below, it was not captured by a Wal-Mart driver, it was by a driver from CR England.

Fatality rollover on Donner Pass In Ca
Thursday, September 18, 2008
News: Big Rig rollover captured on video Footage of a double fatal big rig accident which Cal Fire crews worked Monday near Colfax captured by Wal Mart truck on-board video recorder...

By Jenna Nielsen, Journal Staff Writer

The body of a co-driver was extricated this morning by Cal Fire crews at the scene of Monday's big rig rollover crash near Colfax.The body of a second man was found underneath debris Tuesday morning at the accident site of a big rig rollover near Colfax Monday, officials reported.

The man, whose name is not being released pending notification of his family, was reportedly a passenger in the big rig, which rolled into a guard rail spilling its load of recylced plastic down the embankment near the Magra Road exit on westbound Interstate 80, California Highway Patrol officials reported.The driver, who was trapped inside of the trucks cab and was also killed in the accident, was reportedly going 70 mph and passing another truck in the fast lane when he lost control and slid down an embankment, said CHP Officer Rich Ruiz.

This morning, as the investigator was going over log books, (it was) determined there was possi-bly a co-driver involved, Ruiz said. Ruiz said investigators also have video footage of the accident, recorded by a device on a Wal-Mart truck, which the driver of the big rig was passing at the time of the accident.The driver of the WalMart truck was doing 55 mph, so we estimate the driver (of the big rig) was going 70 mph when he approached a curve and lost control.

You see in the video the trailer starts to fishtail. When the driver tries to correct, he is sent over the guardrail.Battalion Chief Jeff Brand of Cal Fire said crews located the co-driver under the debris and extricated him this morning. Brand said when the truck was overturned, the cab was torn off and wedged beneath the contents of the trailer and the trailer itself.

All westbound lanes were closed as a result of the accident, which occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m. All lanes were opened by approximately 7:45 p.m., California Highway Patrol officials said. Ruiz said the driver of big rig had only had his license for nine days.

If you look very close, first you will see a pickup truck (white) who crosses the line, then you will see the semi as it comes past the CR England. Pay particulary close attention to the rightside of the trailer...you will see a huge scrape at the tail end of the trailer. The 2nd truck actually hit the mirror of the CR England truck, and nearly pushed him into the guardrail (you will see how far over the white line he is just as the truck rolls). The co-driver was found the next morning beneath the wreckage.

All I have to say is SLOW DOWN!!!

J

Another year older

Yeah, its been awhile since I have posted. I havent had the spark I once had to write. I have been busy putting my life back together, and spending time with my kids, etc. So I write to you today a year older. Tomorrow, is the one year anniversary of my divorce, and yet it seems as if it has taken 5-10 years of my life away from me.


Had my best friend from New Mexico up for a visit (that's him in the Cheese Head). Took him around town to the area attractions like Lambeau Field, and the Atrium, and along Nicolet Drive (which runs right along the eastern short of the Bay of Green Bay). Had to stop by the Packer Pro Shop for a little bit of money spendage. Then we decided that day that we would take in a baseball game (Single-A down in Appleton). Weather changed a bit, and we didnt want to drive down there if it was going to rain, so we went to Stadium View (local watering hole, and also locale for some of my DJing gigs) for dinner and drinks before my very first AFL (Arena Football League) game.

The Green Bay Blizzard were playing the Lexington Horseman! WHAT A BLAST!!! This game went right down to the last play of the game, and GB lost by one point (final score picture at the right). However, if our kicker didn't suck so bad, he cost us 5 points by missing 2 extra points and a field goal...oh well! I still had fun :) It was $1 beer, hot dog, and soda night. How can you NOT have fun on Dollar Nights!!!

SO I thought I would post to let everyone know that YES, I am still around just trying to get my life back in order, get my mind back in order, and start writing again. I know the people at Thursday 13 are wondering where I went!

Have a great day!
J

New Banner

Just something quick -- thougth I would display some of the states I have called home :)

The pot calling the kettle black

Its funny when you think you have the power and determination to take on the world, sometimes you find out you cant even take on yourself. I have been dealing with that struggle for some time now. Today was one of those days.

Today would have been 7 years for me. 7 years married to someone I trusted. 7 years married to someone I loved. 7 years married to someone who I thought loved me too. Honestly, at this moment in time, it doesn't even matter any more. Those days are behind me.

All day I never even gave a 2nd thought to what today's date was. It wasn't until tonight while talking to a friend of mine that it dawned on me. At that one moment, I had that feeling of failure ... that feeling of self doubt and the the 100 "what-if" questions. I simply wasnt going to measure up to whatever it was she was looking for. No matter how hard I tried, it would never be enough.

So tonight, I tried to act like it didnt phase me --- the facade of the happy person when inside at that one moment, I was hurting. At that same moment, I was taken back to a conversation just yesterday with a friend of mine in which I said "...be true to yourself. I would rather be true to myself and miserable / blue / off / lethargic or whatever, than not true to myself, and wearing a happy façade knowing I am not happy at all." How dare I?! Here I am not even 24 hours later not being true to myself.

SO I picked my sorry butt up off the couch, and grabbed a card that my girl sent me for Sweetest Day...and that moment of my hurting went away, and that moment of my fake happiness was replaced by true happiness. Knowing that someone was out there thinking of me, and wanting to be with me, made that one moment disappear. I am in a much happier place. I am in a place where bad days are OK...little things matter and dont go unnoticed...I dont have to be someone I am not...I am loved for who I am...and that makes all the difference in the world!

When you are true to yourself, others will be too...you will be surprised who is standing there. When you are genuine, people may let you in to their circle of trust, where others may not be as fortunate.

J-Dawg

30 Days

I have been taking time away from here, for multiple reasons. First and foremost, for me. I have gone from wanting to write, to lately feeling like I need to write - like it is a chore. I never wanted this to be a chore, or something that I just HAD to do. I wanted this to be something I enjoyed. So the time away was good for me. 30 Days to be exact.

I have been taking time for me. I have taken time with my kids. I have taken time to have fun in life, and have a vacation of my own. I have taken time to love myself again, and in the process be loved back. I learned that you can't love anyone else until you learn to love yourself.

I have been busy with work, with new processes, and new challenges. Too bad, with all of this, there wasn't new money, but oh well! You can't have everything :)

I am very happy where I am with my life right now. I have my kids. I have a job that I like. I have someone who means alot to me, and I have been able, through all of this, to find the old me again. The Me that is fun-loving, happy, and ready to take on the world again. I thought I had lost the ability to love, the ability to live life to its fullest, and the ability to be happy.

I had just temporarily misplaced it.

So after much consideration about what to do with this place I call my internet home, I have made the decision to keep it up. I had been contemplating whether or not to take it down, but the only person I would be hurting would be myself. I would have no outlet for what is on my mind...well, I shouldnt say NO outlet, but you know what I mean. Plus, where would you go to find out that Dawn was probably having a coronary on the West Coast while her beloved Red Sox lost a 3-game series sweep at the hands of Satan's Minions/The Evil Empire/The Damn Yankees.

So with all of that being said, for those who have missed this little escape over here, I look forward to seeing you return here. For those that have never been here before, and you just stumbled onto this little neck of the woods, grab your helmet! :)

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!

J-Dawg

Loaded questions

I found this a few weeks back -- thought I would give it another shot:

Hypotheticals: If you were a nationality other than your own, which would you choose, why?
I would say Italian. That way, if the Sopranos ever came calling, I would be ready :)

Anything Goes: What is the most beautiful word you can think of?
KISMET (see this post to find out why)

No-Brainers: What two people would you most like to stand next to in a picture?
Joe Satriani and Lars Ulrich

Personals: What beverage do you find nauseating?
Grape soda, or anything made with tequilla -- I prefer my friends Jack and Jim from Tennessee thank you very much!

J-Dawg

Thursday Thirteen -- 08/02/07

Hello! Welcome to another edition of my Thursday 13 -- I have NO idea where my summer has gone. I have been so busy, I remember to do my Thursday 13 -- ON SUNDAY!!! So without further ado, I present to you 13 of my favorite quips/quotes/passages that I have found recently. Each of these has been a direct result of an inspiration:

1. "Life isn’t about the number of breaths you take; it’s the moments that take your breath away." ~From the movie Hitch
2. “The truest thing I know about relationships is that sometimes we don’t know anything at all. You can’t always get the one you want, and sometimes the one you get may not be the right one at all. But if you have hope, the universe has a funny way of showing exactly what you need. The challenge is to let yourself be alone til the right one shows up. But you can’t hide either. Heartbreak sucks. But not having heartbreak sucks more. The answers aren’t in a lecture or a book. But maybe if you get yourself happy, you’ll find the right one. I believe this, because I’m still an optimist. That’s the thing about love. If it were easy, everyone would have it.” ~From the show Men In Trees
3. "Life is a pure flame, and we live by an invisible sun within us." ~Sir Thomas Browne
4. "Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake."-Henry David Thoreau
5. "I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me. I'd like to be the help that you've been always glad to be; I'd like to mean as much to you each minute of the day, as you have meant to me along the way." - Edgar A. Guest
6. "A friend is someone who reaches for your hand, but touches your heart." ~Kathleen Grove
7. “The language of friendship is not words, but meanings.” ~Henry David Thoreau
8. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ~Leo Buscaqlia
9. “So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of what is being conveyed, to the whole of it, not the part of it.” ~Jiddu Krishnamurti
10. “Care is the ingredient that keeps true friendships alive despite separation, distance, or time.” ~Sara Paddison
11. "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. " ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
12. “If I had a star for every time you made me smile, I’d have a whole night’s sky in the palm of my hands.” ~Author unknown
13. "What your heart thinks is great, is great. The soul's emphasis is always right." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I know there were a couple repeats in there, but each of these passages has a special meaning for me. I hope these passages find as much meaning for you as they do me :) Have a wonderful week everyone!

J-Dawg

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