Where the Rubber Meets the Side of my Car or As the Full Moon Rises

I knew it was a full moon.  Not only did I have that feeling settling deep within my soul, but I also keep a steady eye on the lunar phases as they affect the ebbs and flows of the tides.  Also, people tend to act more erratically when the moon is full.  More crimes are committed, more babies are born and the hair which is normally quite abundant all over my father's body tends to sprout at an even more alarming rate.  He also seems to have this innate need to go outside and howl at the moon, but that is a bit of a family secret that we don't usually discuss in public.  And as I was driving down to our beach home this afternoon I discovered, personally, as to how erratic the behavior of others can be when affected by the changing lunar cycle.  

See the photo above?  That is the passenger side of my car.  See that tire mark on the passenger side of my poor car?  That was not there when I serenely left to drive down to the beach today.  Nope, that was something that was added to my car as I was driving 70 miles an hour down the California freeway, minding my own business, while admiring the lovely yellow 1928 Ford antique vehicle that I was passing.  The beautiful, pristine antique vehicle which somehow swerved into my lane enough to have its tire tread make contact with my car causing a loud, jarring, scraping sound that scared the living heck out of me as I was only moments earlier, driving serenely down the freeway.  Of course, the immediate impact jarred me quickly out of my happy little world nearly sending my pounding heart jumping out onto the hood of my car, where I could easily observe it beating wildly.  But I quickly recovered, and after taking a quick physical inventory of both my own physical body, as well as Becca's(my ten year old dog), I told myself to handle things calmly as I flagged the gentleman who was driving the other car over to the side of the road.
I calmly asked him for his vehicle info and then gave him mine.  After evaluating the damage to my car(his was still pristine), we spoke a bit about his history.  A war veteran who was paralyzed on half of his body forty years ago.  A person who is unable to hear out of one ear.  A man on the way to a car show to display his 1928 Ford car which he has owned since he was a teenager.
I let him know that I would try to have my car detailed so that he wouldn't have to claim this on his insurance.  I took his information and then decided that since I had my camera in my car that I should take some photos, just in case.  The funny thing that I realized after showing these photos to Mark is that the gentleman is actually posing alongside his vehicle.  On the side of the freeway!  As other cars are whizzing by!  At 70-80 miles per hour!  After playing bumper cars with my poor, unsuspecting vehicle!  Does life really ever get more bizarre than this?  Truly.  
After arriving down at the beach, I decided that I needed to go to my happy place,
Where it is mostly safe and serene...
To watch the waves splash and retreat.  To stare at the infinite numbers of salt-water droplets colliding with the rocks.
Om.  Om.  Om...
But then I remembered that it is a 100% full moon tonight.  And the thought of my father with his out-of-control hair growth problem popped back into my mind.  And I thought about that incessant howling that I can hear even two hours away from him WITH ear-plugs in my ears.

So much for my happy place...

I hope you have a less interesting beginning to your weekend than I have!