Insurance

See this picture of the smiling man getting into a truck?

Now imagine that this truck is white. It is lying on the top of the cab, front end weighing down the teeter-totter, with its undersides exposed for all to see. Layer in the image of this man crawling out through the driver?s side window. You'll have to just use your minds eye to see his wife, still strapped to her seat, with her iPhone in hand making an unsuccessful call to 911 before crawling out herself. It's a rainy day; the ground is wet like it is today. But not. The ground is icy, although that was impossible to see on the country road headed into town. The white truck slid and swerved and caught a second patch of ice and spun. When its good tires hit the soft dirt they stopped sliding. But the physics of the top of the truck did not, and it rolled onto its back -- as you can see right there in your imaginary photograph.

Insurance #1: When the truck stopped and we did that quick self-evaluation that happens after falling and such, we were hanging upside-down from our seats. Seat belts tightened. Not a scratch. The man who stopped and helped us greatly said he hardly ever wears his seat belt. I said, "You will now."

Insurance #2: You know how for years you pay hundreds of dollars to the automobile insurance company and you imagine the CLS-Class Mercedes sedan with the heated steering wheel that the company executive just ordered over the phone on a credit card? Well, now imagine getting a check within a week for the full replacement value of the truck (including sales tax). No hassle. Just many years worth of paid bills back in your hand.

Picked up the new one today. We figured, "Ford Tough" really meant something when that Ranger kept our heads far from the ceiling below us. So, a new one, like the old one. But the back doors open. And it's black.