It's been a long time since I had to make an insurance claim. I know, I write about the topic all of the time, but it hasn't been since 1985 that I had any firsthand experience with adjusters. Well that all changed a few weeks ago.

I was driving home from the office and this big semi approached, with smoke billowing out of his vertical stack. We were on a single-lane highway and all of the sudden, BAM! Something hit the glass in front of me and at first I thought it was a shot from a BB gun. But no, it was an exhausted stone from the vertical stack that did a number on my windshield.

So the next day I called my insurance company. What else does one do when they're left with a nasty (and I mean really nasty) gouge in their windshield. Now you know, this is not a major issue to insureds who have been involved in a serious accident. And I also know that my old 1995 Jeep is not a major priority to many…but it is to me, because it still runs fine (Thank you, Chrysler!).