Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Ever had one of those weekends?

Ever had one of those weekends that you just couldn't wait to end?

Well, Ricki and I just had one. It started off great. Friday we went over to Mom's house and Ricki set up a computer that she had just rebuilt for Mom. We went to lunch with Mom and Sis and had fun. The weekend was starting off right.

Then Murphy's Law paid us a visit. Came home from Mom's, looking forward to watching some TV and relaxing. Turned on the TV and heard a pop and gone went the TV. My prized 55 inch wide screen HDTV bit the dust. It was 7 or 8 years old but still what a bummer. Went from a wide screen high def TV, to a narrow screen (7 inch) low def backup TV. Somehow movies just ain't the same. So time to shop for a new TV - not exactly what we were looking forward to.

Saturday we knew was going to be tough. One of my good friends lost his Mom last week. Her funeral was Saturday morning and to be held where she lived which is on the north side of LA about 150 miles from our house. So we set the alarm, got up early, and left the house at 6:30 in the AM so that we would arrive with time to spare for the mid-morning service. LA traffic was a breeze at that hour so driving was fine. The service was good, my friend gave a very touching eulogy.

And then came the drive home. We left there at about noon, LA traffic was horrendous. It took about 4.5 hours to drive home so we got home around 4:30.

But that wasn't the bad part. About 2 hours into the drive home we on the 405 freeway and driving through a less that nice (OK basically horrible) part of LA. This section of 405 doesn't have ANY median. The carpool lane (AKA Diamond Lane) is up against a concrete wall as is the slow lane. Basically this stretch of freeway is a wall - four lanes of traffic - and a wall. If your car breaks down on this stretch of freeway then you have no where to go. You will be stuck in a lane of traffic. Even if you get to an off ramp, well let's just say that this is not an area to linger around while contemplating your options unless you are packing serious heat. The weapon of choice in these parts are a Tec 9 or Uzi or the old reliable AK47. You better be able to spray some serious quantities of brass if it comes to a fire fight in these parts.

So here we are driving home from the funeral, minding our own business, enjoying life in the carpool lane - not quite the same as life in the fast lane but what the heck. Suddenly we hear a tremendous noise, it was so unbelievably loud that I said to Ricki "I think we've been shot at." A large hole was blown in the rear window and the entire window shattered. Pieces of glass were raining down into the rear hatch area. I asked Ricki is she was OK and she said yes, I said that I was OK. Ricki turned toward the backseat and looked at the window. I told her to look for a bullet path - I could tell that from the angle the window was hit that a bullet would have had to enter the car. After looking around she determined that no bullet had entered the car. Then while looking back she realized that we had just gone under a surface street overpass and that someone had thrown either a rock or brick off the overpass and that is what hit the car. Since there was no place to stop I just kept driving. The traffic was so bad, and nobody else in LA seemly cares what else is going on, so I couldn't get over to take an offramp for a mile or so down the road - - LA drivers are a rude bunch. By that point in time I just decided to drive the remaining two and a half hours home. All the way home glass was dropping into the rear hatch area of the car. By the time we got home we were somewhat frazzled. Several large and generously mixed Captian and Cokes were prepared and consumed.

Even if we had taken an offramp and called the Cops there wasn't much to be able to tell them. Something hit the rear window, we didn't know exactly what, someone threw it, we never got even the slightest glimpse of who - threfore we would not be able to provide any description. Given those circumstances and the fact that all my guns were at home (it never occured to me to bring guns to a funeral) I sure wasn't going to hang around in gangland LA waiting to file a police report. I'll file a report with the CHP but there won't be much to say, we never saw who threw what ever it was that they threw that hit us. Not much they can follow up on. Plus, LA Cops are too busy chasing down the serious offenses that are constantly occurring in the cesspool that is laughingly called the City of Angles. (Can you tell I hate LA?)

Anyway here's the damage....
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Fortunately neither Ricki nor I were hurt. For that I thank God. Had that brick or rock been thrown one tenth of a second sooner it would have hit the front windshield directly in front of the passenger seat where Ricki was sitting. To say the least that could have been very, very bad.

Yep all in all I'm very glad this weekend is over. Now we gotta go shop for a new TV.

Yeah, had a few weekends like that. It takes a few hours - days to finally realize just how much worse it could'a been. Then it all seems to be "not so bad after all".
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Very relieved to know that no personal harm came to my left coaster pals, JHAP and JWHAP.

Sorry to hear that, Jeff. Some people just don't have anything better to do. Ya know...everyone should have a pond...the world would be a better place.

Bummer man. But like you said all in all you were lucky nobody was hurt.

A dreadful day in the PRK.

Glad you two are alright.

Unbelievable luck I had today too, brand new tires on friday (20"s), blow-out today 4:20 p.m., ok, change tire right? Wrong, spare is wrong bolt pattern. What the **** is wrong with people these days? I know, no big deal right? I call roadside assistance, guess who comes out? Yep, same company that just spilled 10 gallons hydraulic fluid all over driveway 3 weeks ago. What a day! (the truck is new and still under warranty, thank God?) (yes, Ford put a spare on my new truck that didn't fit). Anyways, thanks for letting me vent, and JHAP, sorry to hear about YOUR weekend too, THANKFULLY NOONE WAS HURT! PLEASE GOD, let us have a 'good' week, I'm on vacation!

Man, that deserves a coupla Cpt./cokes. Sure glad ya'll came out unscathed. No way would I get off the 405 to inspect the damage near the Long Beach-Compton area. Or anywhere else in that madhouse for that matter. Good thing you got thru there early. I hated it every time I was there also. God bless you. One day, it'll all be a faint memory; another reason you got outta the area.

ROTFLOL. I'm dying here!

That's what I said too. Good grief, the car can be fixed --- us, not so easy to repair....

Glad everyone is ok. Getting a new windshield and TV is much better than having to go to another funeral because you stopped.

After reading the story, and having a deep, heartfelt shiver for your safety, I'm just sitting here dumbfounded. My brother lives in LA and often tells of similar stories.

I'm really glad you're all OK.

somehow i missed this yesterday....glad yer o.k. jeff and ricki.

i respect yer refrain.

Jeff,

Glad to hear you and the wife are O.K. Now that I met you and your wife at the convention I have faces to go with the name.

Did you find anything in the car? Maybe what ever it was bounced off after it did the damage?

Thank you all for the kind words. Fortunately after years of martial arts training and tournaments, I manage to stay calm, cool and collected in challenging situations. In this area of LA disgression is the better part of valor - unless a good old fashing rock and roll shoot out is your past time of choice. Although I would have loved to have forced some manners into the ignoramous that shattered our window, there is simply no way that I would endanger Ricki's life, or my own over broken glass. That is what insurance is for. Still, I can't help but hope that the perpetrator is in for some bad karma, some seriously bad karma.




No we never did Cecil. There was a scratch on the rear spoiler - it looks like the rock or brick or whatever hit the window and the rolled off the back of the car.

To say that we were lucky is an enormous understatement. Had the rock/brick hit the windshield I'm fairly certain that because of the angle it would have come right through. Ricki would have been seriously hurt. I thank God that didn't happen. If it hit on the top of the car instead of the rear windshield we would have been looking at a lot of body work. Strange enough but the fact that it hit the window and not the roof of the car will result in less repairs. We have good insurance but I'm sure that a $500 deductible will have to be paid. All in all we got off easy.

This event just reminds me of how much I hate the city and want to move up near DIED.

Green acres is the place for me.
Pond living is the life for me.
Land spreading out so far and wide,
Keep Southern California just give me that country side.

You have a great vacation 40! Take some photos and post 'em will ya?

I was perusing Google Earth last night, and casually zoomed in on a big city freeway. I was shocked by the mass of cars and humanity, and I quickly zoomed out and scrolled back to my home area. Glad it only took 5 seconds to get back "home" and pop a cold one. I think your experience would have made me want to crack a "big 40". Glad y'all are OK.

Glad everyone is OK

Jeff, I am glad you two survived the week end!

Where we live you can drive 20 country miles and not see another vehicle. The closest town (4 miles[4 minutes]) has 50 people. The closest city (15 miles [15 minutes]) has 4500 people. The closest Large city (40 miles [35 minutes]) has a population of 150,000.

As we have grown smarter with age we try to stay at home base on the weekends rather that face all that traffic! With a pond and 17 acres, it is easy to stay home

Dwight,

Same here. The incomes may be higher in the more populated areas but I'll take the country any day. I'd even be depressed if I had to live in a small town and didn't have my ponds.

Funny if I ever move after retirement it will be north NOT south. I was thinking the northwoods of Maine -- even Canada. The parents live in Florida when they are not living on my property in the summer and they can have it. I just don't see the appeal in the conjested area of Tampa/Clearwater/Largo.

Cecil, I hear you, friend!

We started building our retirement place 32 years ago and we are still here working on it!