Bumper cars pack a wallop, so slow down

Don't ever volunteer to be the middle of an SUV sandwich.

Especially if one of those SUV drivers doesn't realize the other one is stopped and is headed full tilt for it.

Owie.

And, especially, not when driving your son and daughter-in-law's car in between those two SUV's.

Double owie.

One of my colleagues guessed my recent crushing experience would become column fodder, and he was right. It was not, though, as he suggested, the result of me hitting a pothole en route to checking out a new restaurant.

Nor, as another speculated, did it happen on Randall Road where the lines sometimes blur.

It was, however, due, in part, to a traffic crunch -- literally. Unfortunately for me, the driver of the Ford Explorer didn't realize the Chevy Tahoe had slammed to a stop in front of my Nissan Altima as traffic backed up on southbound Route 31 just north of the Route 72 intersection's left-turn lane in West Dundee, near the Toys R Us.

She definitely knew it after her car turned mine -- ummmm … my son and his wife's car -- into an accordion.

A couple of airbags and an ambulance ride later, and I'm feeling pretty lucky it wasn't a lot worse.

Bumper tears

I write this not to whine -- not that I haven't done plenty of that -- but to suggest ever so meekly that folks slow down. The whole "hot rod on your tail," morning rush routine can turn nasty in a split second. I can vouch for that.

About that dance

I also tell you of my crash to explain why I dropped the ball on a couple of your requests for column topics last week. If I didn't get to yours, please remind me.

Just stay away from my bumper.

And I mainly tell you so I can blame a goof on pain and trauma to my Swiss cheese brain. That monthly dance at the Dundee Township Senior Center is Friday, May 9, not this Friday. I apologize, but you dancing fools will have to wait a little longer. Those pain pills were stronger than I thought.

Thank you much!

I'd sure like to say a special thank you to West Dundee paramedics and police officers for their quick and kind help. And to Sherman Hospital's ER folks, who were truly wonderful. It was my family's second visit to Sherman in recent weeks and we have been very impressed with the care from every single member of Sherman's staff.

Cutting to the chase

Talk about caring -- you folks are terrific! You turned out en masse to help the friends and family of Troy Oates of Genoa raise about $4,600 for the injured electrician's family at last Sunday's cut-a-thon at Salon 37 in Algonquin. Nicely done, and they are very grateful.

If you missed out and would still like to help the young father who is off work for six months to a year as he rehabs from a snowmobile accident, just stop by the salon and make a donation. They'll get it to him.

Artsy part

Bjana Lunde asked me to let you know you can get a good look at Community Unit School District 300 middle and high school student artwork from now through May 7 at Spring Hill Mall. You'll find everything from two-dimensional drawings to three-dimensional jewelry. Check it out.

Good wishes

If you'd like to send a card to Algonquin Police Chief Russ Laine, who is in intensive care at Sherman Hospital, you can send it care of the village, 2200 Harnish Drive, Algonquin, IL 60102. They'll make sure he gets them.

No words

My heart goes out to the Glauner family, of Algonquin, which lost a home and two dogs, a bird and a hamster to a fire Monday. My neighborhood knows well the sadness of lost homes and lost pets after two different house fires took quite a toll in recent years. It is particularly difficult to cope with such grief when you've also lost the place you call home. Sometimes there really are no words … .