Westercon in Tempe, AZ this past weekend was truly wonderful. My update would be more thorough but for almost having died yesterday on the way home. I’m not really sure what happened (you know the thing about short term memory not getting written when interrupted by serious enough trauma) except that I was headed home on AZ 71 when my car was struck by the trailer of an 18 wheeler headed in the opposite direction. The first thing I remember is the sense of my face being burned by the air bag, the windshield coming apart, and a sense that the car was spinning rapidly.
All the side curtain airbags deployed. It took about an hour to pry me out of the vehicle. My only injury–at least that has surfaced thus far–is a cracked/bruised rip and lots of bruises/cuts/sore achy stuff.
I got my first ever (and, I hope, last) ambulance ride, was treated, and released. BTW, at that hospital, released basically means being pitched out the door and being told “there is no taxi here, but the _____ hotel is right up the road, there.”
My eternal thanks to Arizona Department of Public Safety Officer R. Hover, Badge No. 10123 who called me after discharge to find me to return my CPAP machine, found me by the side of the road, and saw that I got to the hotel safely.
More when I am feeling better. Excuse the lack of further updates and convention news until then.
H. Paul Honsinger 
OMG! How glad I am you are all right. Please take care of yourself. Do you need help with anything? If I can help in anyway let me know. Do you need help with transportation back home? Also, did the hospital work you up for cardiac or pulmonary contusion? With your heart issues you need to be extra careful that you I’d have either type trauma. If you develop worse chest pain, shortness of breath , irregular heartbeat or dizziness/syncope or low BP make sure you call for help ASAP. I am a 40 yr critical care nurse.
Vicki, Thank you for your concern. I’m at home and all is well. My wife retrieved me from Parker this morning after a lovely stay in the newly-remodeled KOFA hotel. Actually, not bad for the kind of place that it was–clean, new furnishings, good TV, etc. A phone in the room would have been nice given that I had my phone but my charger was lost in the collision.
I received no appreciable workup for any cardiac or pulmonary issues, save that they connected me to an EKG for a while. I note and appreciate your expertise and surmise that there was no one of your level of training or expertise on site at the time, save that the ER doc seemed to have his act together. I have a good track record on knowing when to skedaddle to the hospital.
Really glad that you’re alright. A scary experience and one I also had when I was much younger except my hospital stay was much longer and I still suffer from the damage. Definitely a learning experience. Hope you get the rest of the way home me safely.
Gwen, I’m sorry about your earlier accident experience.
Fortunately, I am not suffering from any serious injury that I can discern. I am an exceptionally lucky man–plus the newer model Nissan Pathfinder apparently is very well designed in that department. I made it home this morning courtesy of my wife and her vehicle. Thanks for your concern and good wishes.
oh my goodness! Please take care of yourself! So glad you were not seriously hurt. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help. Depending on where you are in AZ, I have friends who may be able to help.
Karolyn, thank you for your concern and your offer. I don’t need any help right now. Between Kathy and I, we should be able to handle whatever needs to get done. The insurance co will get me set up with a rental tomorrow, I suspect.
OMG, Paul! You’re going to be sore for awhile but so thankful you were not badly injured. Too soon, but I’m betting that truck’s insurance company already has their checkbook out. Stay safe and feel better. Jim Caplan Franklin, Tennessee
James, we’ll see about the truck company. I have yet to see the official accident report to confirm my suspicions. It would be nice to get a new vehicle out of it. I’m not sure I would be eager to get a repaired incarnation of my current vehicle back–this is the third serious accident I’ve had in it (I didn’t cause any of them) and I’m starting to think that it has something against me.
Damn! So glad to hear that you are fine! That must be really scary. 😦
What color is your vehicle? I had a light silver-gray car that was in >10 accidents…never my fault and they all claimed “I never saw you”. Had it painted white and no more accidents. Mine were all being rear ended while stopped at a red light or stop sign. You are also correct Parker is a small town and doesn’t have the trauma experience of large city hospitals.
It is silver. Now that you mention it, I recall a car that I drove when I was in Law School that was kind of a rose-silver. I learned to avoid driving it in a certain kind of overcast weather around sunset or sunrise, as during those conditions people kept “trying” to run into me. I sold the thing after narrowly avoiding a collision with a Community Coffee delivery truck. My next vehicle was red. I’m thinking that my next vehicle is going to be some color other than silver. This is the third airbag deployment I’ve seen in just over a year, after going an entire lifetime without ever experiencing one. Those things burn, you know. And, thank you for your kind words and good wishes.
Omg, so glad you are okay…only thing I can say is immediately medical attention and documentation of accident, you know the steps for litigation to assess damages , I know from experience the lawyers I worked with didn’t heed their own advice, haha…
So glad you are okay and not because waiting to hear about Max and the rest. You were lucky! Someone is looking out for you. Hope all goes well on your way to a full recovery!
Hope you are feeling better!
I am, thank you.
damn, it’s great, you’re okay, sir. in the name of all your fans in Poland, we wish you quick and easy recovery!
Thank you very much. It’s always good to hear from my Polish fans, especially now that my work is published in your country and in your language.
i’d have to say: considering how good those books are, it was inevitable. polish science-ficiton fanbase may be small, but is fiercely loyal, and always starved for something new, and fresh. and we’re now busy bunch… our own writers awoke from long slumber giving us quite a lot books to read, our eastern neighbours (mainly from Russia) are also very active these days, and of course, US writers are not idle either.
but for me it’s just filling time waiting for next novel in “Man of War” cycle. i must admit, at one point i was so starved for next one, i started to think about fanfic-like side story to “Man of War” universe. something about cutting-edge tech warship, bionic augmentations, an scientists behind it stranded far from home, and in dire need to return back home with only copies of their work, while avoiding of falling in enemy hands…
and one more thing: after comparing the translation to originals, i can say it was done superbly. i’ve read all three books few times, and haven’t found even ONE error in translation.