Bang! A4 battery explodes

[Bruce Bell]

Pressed the clutch, hit the ignition an BANG! Thought I'd been shot. You
wouldn't believe the devastation of the battery. Pieces parts everywhere.
Car is a '98 a4 2.8q. I sure hope this is a unique experience and that the
rest of the electrical system survives. My son tells me that after I
disconnected the ground wire for more than 15 minutes the radio won't work
without the codes I don't have. Do I have any other surprises to which I
should look forward?

Bruce