Confession Mama: I Am No Evil Knievel

After my last trip to Glamis, I was in no hurry to go back, however my hubby thought I should give it another try. So, I agreed to go, on one condition: he arrange for me to have something to drive in the sand. I was not fond of always being a passenger. If I had my own toy to navigate, I might enjoy Glamis. Thus, he brought his brother's quad for me to ride. I was so excited and a little nervous as I had never really ridden a quad before.

The first day was a lot of fun. I didn't get to ride the quad but I did get to ride shot gun while Ricky drove the sand rail (Ricky's version of heaven)! Watching him have such a good time made me happy. We hung out with our good friends, ate a lot and rode through the dunes. I was sandy and gross which is not my cup of tea, but I could handle it for a day.

The next day we were planning one long ride which was a straight sandy road, no dunes to navigate through. This was going to be my chance to ride the quad. That morning Ricky took me out and taught me the basics. How hard could it be? It is a 400 pound machine on 4 wheels going down a straight sandy road...piece of cake. Ricky promised he would ride his dirt bike behind me so that I wouldn't feel any pressure to keep up with the rest of the group. But, I was determined not to be "that guy" that everyone feels like they have to slow down for. So, after about 10 minutes into the ride, I pumped that thing into third gear and determined to keep up with my friends in front of me. I did notice that the quad wasn't as steady as I assumed it would be. The sand would make it veer off to the right or to the left or I would feel the back end swing back and forth. But, I was not going to slow down.

I was riding along at around 35 mph when the front end veered over to the right and I noticed I was heading for a bush, that is the last thing I remember....

I woke up about 15 to 20 minutes later and I was in the back seat of a sand rail with Ricky sitting next to me and my friend Jen in front. I felt so tired and confused. I thought, I think I am dreaming that I am out in the desert. I know that we are supposed to go there this weekend with friends. I must be dreaming about our trip. Then, I closed my eyes and just heard people talking to me or about me. It was such a weird dream.

When I finally came to, I was in our friends' RV and I remembered where I was and I wondered how I got there. They explained everything to me and I asked the same questions over and over again and started to get a really bad headache.

Apparently, I had hit that bush, flew off the quad into the sand, and the quad rolled over me. I was unconscious for 2 to 3 minutes. Once I woke up, I was not really fully coherent for another 30 minutes or so. The only injuries that I sustained were a deep cut on my arm (which we cleaned and super glued together), major bruising on my leg from the weight of the quad rolling over me, and a concussion. God is good!

Looking back, I realize that I had no business riding a quad at 35 mph when I had no clue what I was doing. I also realize that my injuries could have been much worse; a more severe concussion, broken bones, or a snapped neck. I thank God for sparing me and my husband. My poor husband watched the whole thing happen. He was the first to get to me when I was on the ground and when I didn't wake up, he just about lost it. He felt so guilty for trying to prove to me that Glamis was fun! I also am so thankful for my awesome friends. They took such good care of me and their relatives who were there even prayed over me while I was unconscious.

This definitely made Ricky and I us appreciate each other more, and made me realize that no matter how hard I try, I will never be a cool mom! I have two toddlers at home who would rather have an alive and healthy mom rather than an Evil Knievel Mom! Here are some pics of my injuries and the trip.