Road Monsters of Chateaufort

2/7/2015

Note to Self

Live to rise above and surpass everything past .. improve.

Leave a legacy of pride, honor and empowerment for others.

Be thankful we can be more tomorrow than we were today.

The past needn't be the now.

The future person is not relegated to being the previous person.

  We can transcend our past.

We can contribute positively to the future.

Leave the world enriched because we trod upon it ..
learned from our mistakes ..
  attempted being similar to that shining light ..

Creation

Facker
February 7, 2015

Tell me everyone,

if my philosophy above contains even a shred of truth .. and I believe it does ..

Why !?!

Why did the Road Monsters of Chateaufort spring from the depths of hell as I passed over them in my beautiful BMW rental last September? Did they not know it was me, the same person who penned the ethereally laced rhetoric above? Didn't they realize what a "special" guy I am as I proudly drove that beautiful white, leather appointed vehicle (did I mention it was a BMW .. ?) directly over the hard cold metal platforms of destruction lurking beneath the pavement?

Masters of Deception .. waiting especially for me ..

Special Me

Diabolically gauging the exact moment to lunge at ..

Special Me

"Merde !"

The metal serpent struck just as my shining status symbol straddled its lair ..

did I mention it was a beautiful white, leather clad BMW ?

"Sonofabitch !

After the shock

After the carcass of a once beautiful auto was replaced with an inferior model ..

what .. they didn't trust Special Me any longer?

After disparaging remarks by friends who couldn't control their laughter ..

Special Me returned to the scene of carnage & took a self portrait ..

A reminder to read "signs" ..

Hooray Special Me

____

This was just before

Special Me got an invoice for the most expensive car rental EVER !

And did I mention ..

It was a beautiful white, leather appointed BMW ?

sigh ..

Special Me ...

back to the drawing board ....

from Kauai to Paris .. and all places between

Aloha et Au revoir,
Bill

23 Comments

Dad

2/8/2015 01:53:59 am

I still cannot believe that happened to you - although I KNOW it did. What a great way to bring it all back to living life! And "yes" you did mention that it was a BMW. Good job.

Bill link

2/8/2015 02:25:59 am

I'll certainly never forget the feeling of that cylinder crashing into the undercarriage! Did I mention it was a beautiful white, leather clad BMW ? :-) Mahalo et Merci, Dad ... Thank you for reading and commenting, Bill .. (aka "Special Me" UNTIL being jolted back to reality by the Road Monsters of Chateaufort).

Sonja ten Hoorn

2/8/2015 05:07:38 am

Too funny, Bill! Why did that happen? Did you have to pay for it? Bummer. BTW; looking good in your reflected selfie! Skinny Man!
<3

Bill link

2/8/2015 05:15:16 am

Sonja! Oh yeah .. it happened. Oh yeah .. I paid .. and paid .. and paid .. Could have laid down just a few more Euros and bought the damned BMW! Mahalo for the compliment. Aloha !

Sally Silvia

2/8/2015 06:59:35 am

I had to laugh....had to. I know it isn't funny and I am really, really.....really sorry that it happened to 'special' YOU! And you are, no doubt about it....special that is. And you must admit, it makes for a very funny story about very special you and that very, very, very special white, leather appointed, white BMW!

Bill link

2/8/2015 07:24:27 am

Sally, I'm glad you laughed .. otherwise I fear this post would have completely missed the mark!

Mahalo & Merci, Love You .. Brother Bill

Gayle

2/8/2015 09:50:34 am

Oh Bill funny, expensive experience. I just kept thinking, oh man what a lucky guy to be driving a BMW in Patris. A dream too big for my bucket list. 😀

Bill link

2/8/2015 02:58:47 pm

Gayle .. May "Special Me" suggest to everyone it may be very wise to rent a small Citroen .. a very small Citroen with a corresponding replacement cost. Mahalo et Merci Gayle

Karen Cafarella

2/8/2015 10:23:20 am

I am still laughing, but also saying OUCH!! You very special BMW and very special you got a big surprise!!

Bill link

2/8/2015 03:01:38 pm

No Laughing allowed! Oh, okay .. just this once .. My "surprise" deserves it. :-) Mahalo et Merci Karen

Pat Cargill

2/8/2015 12:19:16 pm

Well, what kind of blankety-blank road IS THAT?! I would be in the stratosphere still, given that situation. Was it the place where you were to return your high-falutin' rental? Merde, indeed. Merde to the nth power.

As far as leaving the world a better place than we found it, we can hope so, do what we can. And as important, we can strive to be kind to ourselves and others when we fall short, as we tend to do. Your heart is obviously in the right place.

Bill link

2/8/2015 03:08:00 pm

We can all leave the world a better place, Pat, by going on a crusade against man-made road hazards .. and thank you for mentioning my heart, which I was able to retrieve from under the passengers seat just prior to making a hasty exit to safety of the outside world. Mahalo et Merci, Pat

Fred link

2/8/2015 10:12:54 pm

Reminds me of the time I drove into a parking garage with my bicycle on top of my car ...

Bill link

2/9/2015 02:14:13 am

Fred .. Ah, Yes .. we have a common shared feeling ! Mahalo et Merci, Bill

Debbie Ambrous link

2/9/2015 12:02:55 am

Shocker!! I had to go and find husband Jim in the yard to show this to him since he is the driver in France. Maybe it wasn't actually a good idea to alarm him with this driver's education for France. Whew!! I'm so sorry that happened to you. France does have some very interesting ways of slowing drivers down, like planters for flowers taking up half the street, but this one in your blog is unbelievable!

Bill link

2/9/2015 02:16:53 am

Debbie, It certainly makes one pay attention to signs in the future! I've never felt so stupid .. and I do pay very close attention to street signs in France now. Mahalo et Merci, Bill

maureen rose

2/9/2015 12:06:36 am

Bonjour, I have never read your blog but I have heard of you and your stories etc for a number of years. I do believe I have met you once. I am Danny's sister Maureen. Sally is my life sister and I love her and Jenny to pieces. I liked the prose, it is so similar to how I live my life, same kind of knowingness~~~ and the story about yu and your gorgeous care, I must say, like Sally, it cracked me up (but not in a mean way) It is a bad experience i am sure; but my imagination wants to respond to the "feeling" of you car being "lifted" like that--i still want to giggle--Sorry for your loss Bill---a beautiful car is definitely an expensive and pride biting experience. i look forward to more blogs of you now!

Bill link

2/9/2015 02:22:32 am

Maureen .. how very nice to hear from you. Danny was very special to me and I continually miss him. We have a beautiful orchid in our yard that is named in his honor and every time it blooms I have warm thoughts of Danny Boy. I am so happy to hear from you .. thank you for taking the time to comment here, I appreciated the comments from everyone more than I can say .. HOWEVER, please know there will be no further Auto Action Stories from France because I've decided to rent bicycles only in the future .. so go ahead, you and my little Sister .. laugh now! Mahalo et Merci Maureen

Bill link

2/10/2015 07:59:03 am

I was thrilled to get an email from Sue Meredith with the following:

"Hi—I cannot tell you how much I love your blogs. They inspire me, make me happy, make me really think. You are a beautiful and talented writer who can have me laughing with you—and crying too, as with the all too short saga of the beautiful white leather clad BMW!"

Everyone, will you please pardon my self indulgence regarding this beautiful message .. I want it to be here in the comments section, a part of all the incredible comments I've received over the last 4 years of writing for you in Kauai to Paris. Sue, thank you so very much .. you and many others who have taken the time to share a moment on my behalf are a blessing to me and the sole reason I continue to put pen to paper .. fingers to the keyboard .. and share my thoughts.

Mahalo Nui Loa et Merci Beaucoup to all of you.

Bill Facker

Cynthia Lewis

2/10/2015 12:01:20 pm

Good heavens! I'm surmising that the purpose of this "road monster" is to slow the speed of cars as they approach the sharp curve in the road just ahead. What a drastic, destructive measure to take when a simple "speed bump" would be adequate, you'd think. I,too, had a chuckle over the svelte leather appointed BMW. Remember: "Pride goeth before a fall" (of sorts). At least you didn't fall into a bear pit in your swanky BMW! I would be in need of reading your inspiring "Note To Self" several times over if what you experienced had happened to me!

Thanks for sharing and best wishes

Bill link

2/10/2015 02:18:53 pm

Cynthia .. so right you are .. sitting on the "high horse" is false, fun, and disastrous when we fall! Because of your reminder, I intend to go back and read "Note to Self" ...... one million times!

Mahalo et Merci, Cynthia
Bill

corine

2/13/2015 10:22:20 am

I feel bad to be laughing at your misfortune. What an great blog you have here. Kauai and Paris are two of my very favorite places in the world.

Bill link

2/13/2015 10:36:55 am

Corine .. please, feel very comfortable laughing .. everyone else has .. including yours truly ... once the angst began dissipating :-)

Mahalo et Merci for your comment!
Bill

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Bill Facker