Go buy a jeep wrangler

On our way to Oman, we were rear ended (we were almost at a dead stop approaching a clogged round about) by an 18-wheeled truck hauling a huge load of re-bar. We all walked away, and the husband managed to drive the jeep home. Even all the snorkel gear etc in the back survived. My dive camera, in a very hefty pelican case, looks like it survived. We can't get the camera case out because it's wedged in under what's left of the rear door. (It's now morning - camera case is out and obviously made it - but check out the Pelican case!) The accident happened, essentially, on highway out in the middle of the desert.

The husband was driving. I was very conservatively dressed (had my fave hiking head covering - 'shawla'). A local gentleman in very nice white native dress stopped and helped. Many many 'shokrans' and prayers for him and his family. The only way I could thank him was I gave him the whole box of pumpkin bread and pecan coffee cake I had just baked with a very tearful "Ramadan Kareem." The gentleman who stopped to help: He helped the husband speak with the police who only speak Arabic while the kids and I sat in his brand new air conditioned Cadillac SUV. The truck driver was found at fault, and I want another jeep. Some good buddies and former fellow co-workers of mine drove out to pick us up. The whole thing took hours - I have no idea how long. I was kinda in shock.

We folded down the back seat trying to get out the last duffel bag and the pelican case. The munchkins have special car booster seats with high head rests that are like racing seats - they kinda wrap around. I know those seats protected the heads of the kids.

When the accident happened, I think I blanked out for a few seconds - the world went black. None of us recall the actuality that we were pushed a full truck length and then some. Before I looked in the back seat, I knew the kids were ok because they were screaming - not moaning or silent.

Munchkin #1 has a bit of ache across the chest from the seat belt, my face/nose hurts from where my hardcover map book I was reading hit me, Munchkin #2 has a sore leg and waist from the seat belt (not sure about the leg - how she got that ache). The husband feels fine. He took his anger out this morning on the spare tire 'ripping' it off the back of the jeep to extract the pelican case and duffel bag.

We're probably going to get me a rental vehicle for the next month while we figure out what we're doing next. Neither of us thinks we should attempt to repair the old jeep. We both want something a touch bigger, but we still want a jeep (and I want a new Pelican case - the old one is too hard to get open - I have to stand on it). And, we still want to make the trip to Oman for snorkeling.

Peace.

Side note: my jeep left a 'jeep shaped' imprint on the front of the huge truck that hit us. You could especially see where the truck had hit the spare tire.