Sunday, April 3, 2005

HIGHWAY STAR

There are a few things I am pretty good at. Having a great sense of direction is one that I am especially proud of. I read that women use a different method than men when it comes to getting around. We use landmarks. I have to agree because that is exactly what I do! Get me there once and I usually can get there again.

That is why I thought it was going to be no big deal for me to go back up North this week end going through Indianapolis. After all, I had returned using that way  heading to Louisville several weeks ago.

I got lost. I somehow got in the wrong lane and ended up heading towards St. Louis! I got turned around and then got on another wrong road! Drats! It was dark now, and I was in the middle of Indianapolis heading towards Chicago or Toledo! Just then Poo-Poo calls me on the cell phone. His advise is for me to "pull over and get a hotel room, you are hopelessly lost and are going to end back up in Kentucky."

I managed to get off the Interstate, go down numerous roads to find a McDonald's, (they have the best bathrooms) and then locate a Krogers (to open up a map and have a look to see exactly where I had to go!). I am very good at reading maps, and very good at back tracking down numerous roads (landmarks, even in the dark) to return to the Interstate and alter my course.

A trip that should have taken maybe four and half hours took six. Poo-Poo will never let me forget it.

The only town I had extreme difficulty driving around, map or no map, was Boston. My sister, the world traveler asked this question, "ARE YOU CRAZY?". Poo-Poo and I drove up and down Soldiers Field Road for two hours looking for the Days Inn. We asked six people how to get there and received six different sets of directions. The last one went something like this, "Take the next road to your right, go over the rail road tracks, to the flashing light, go right, go three miles, take a left, go to the four way stop, take a left, go three blocks, then take a left. It should be at the end of the street." "Thanks" Joe says to him then drives off and says to me, "Did you get that?" No, I did not. Added to the fact that the man was more than likely of Arab descent and I could barely understand his accent. Yet, together we managed to piece together enough of what he said to find the right street.

I returned home today coming through Cincinnati. (I had to make a quick stop at Trader Joe's!). When I got within thirty minutes of home, I decided to take the back roads, the country roads for the remainder of the trip. It is much prettier than Interstate and I do not mind it as long as I am doing it during day light.

Five minutes from home, on a narrow pike, the type where when two cars meet each has to slow down and ease past each other, I was run off the road! The speeding yellow car did not slow down nor yield any of the road! My reflexes are good too, thank God, so I was off the road before it even registered that I was going to have a head on collision. I went through the field and then back on the pavement!

I could not believe it. How lucky am I? This road has fences on both sides, horse farms and mature trees lining the pavement. Not to mention the telephone poles. My guardian angel was with me that I was able to avoid all the usual dangers and land back on the pavement.

The yellow car never slowed. I wonder if they even looked in the rear view?

It's going to be a long time before I take that road again.

   

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess sometimes the road less traveled is NOT the one to take. I know what you mean about Indianappolis. I used to get lost there all the time, when we lived in Illinois and traveled back to KY. Your direction story is funny. I always try to find a fat person and they will give me directions by the way of restaurants. Works for me!!!   Anne

Anonymous said...

Whew, that was a close call. Glad your guardian angel was on her toes.

Anonymous said...

Wow !  I'm glad you're ok. That sounds like it could of been really bad.  The force was with you !

NJLB

http://journals.aol.com/njlittlebear/MyBigFatGeekLife

Anonymous said...

Looks like your "road trip" karma was a little off kilter this trip.  And, yes, I think I would stay off that last road for awhile.  Lisa  :-]

Anonymous said...

OH man i bet you were very uneasy. I hate being usure in the dark.

Anonymous said...

Boy-oh-boy! I can relate to this entry. We used to go to Michigan from Florida and have to go through dreaded Indiannapolis, IA!!! Whoever designed that freaking cloverleaf there: may he rot in hell. I invariably get lost in that section of the interstate year after year. I am glad my MIL moved here in Florida. Glad you are OK. And yes, the northern drivers are very different from southern drivers. Do not want to offend all notherners but I had seen very rude nothern drivers on my trek up there.

Anonymous said...

okay i'm going to giveit up. i t is my deepest darkest secret that I have Interstate phobia. i dont' know why I have developed this fear after driving for over 30 years with no problems,but i cringe whenever I have to get on an Interstate. I feel claustroophobic, ike I ica'nt stop or get off. i have had this problem for about 3 years now. It often takes me an absurdly long time to get anywhere.
I said all that to say this... I can truly relate to your driving misadventure!
Glad you are home safe!
Marti

Anonymous said...

I was right there with you when you were run off the road by the creepy yellow car. Wow! You tell a good story. Glad to hear you're safe.  

Anonymous said...

I've been meaning to purchase a compass, for I now have N,E,S & W down pact - provided I know what direction I am going in - in the first place.  But as far as having a sense of direction - forget it.  None of the women in my family have it.  I routinely get lost, expect it, so now I just take enough money to make sure I don't run out of gas.

Anonymous said...

Glad you are home safe once again.  I remember doing a stunt like that when I went from SF to Seattle - I had done the trip before and I never have problems if I've done it once before. Guess, it happens!

Monica
http://journals.aol.com/photographybymon/Mamarazzi/
http://journals.aol.com/sonensmilinmon/SmilinMonsAdventures/

Anonymous said...

I am th eworst at directions, even with directions!  Seriously, I am glad youare back home, safe and sound...JAE

Anonymous said...

I freely admit that I have no sense of direction whatsoever. I get lost every where. Luckily I am very skilled at reading maps. I am the type who needs directions not just to where I am going, but how to get back. It's pitiful. I need to download a GPS into my brain somehow. I would have been in Idaho if I were you, lol. I always find my way, but it can be quite convoluted. I am glad you found your way :)
xoxo

Anonymous said...

I am the navigator in this household too. I almost never get lost. There was the time that I was really too tired to drive, wasn't paying attention, and accidentally took an off-ramp off 84 and ended up in downtown Hartford CT. NOT fun. But I eventually found the interstate again. Then there was the time I thought I remembered the back way to my parents house (I hadn't actually driven it for like 6 years) and I missed a turn somewhere and ended up on a different local route that took me way out of my way. LOL Oh well. MOST of the time I get us there. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Wow...you are brave.  I always attempt things, but I need detailed directions and NOT a map.  I still get lost.  

Anonymous said...

Thank God You are okay. Those back country roads can be hairy!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a memorable trip! Thank goodness you got home safely! Luckily I have a great sense of direction and very seldom get lost (of course, I AM hopelessly lost in Texas - - but that's another story entirely!). I guess there are rotten drivers everywhere. The place that scared me the most for bad drivers (next to TX) is Oklahoma City. Many of them look like they're under sixteen, and they are so reckless & agressive that it's enough to intimidate even me!!

Anonymous said...

Welcome to my world. I get lost in the neighborhood I have lived in since I was three years old. In nursing school my  class mates knicknamed me "Directions" whichever way I said to go it was the opposite. I know the stress you must have been feelings. Sucks.

Anonymous said...

That was you, Mary? Soooooorrrryy.

Anonymous said...

I didnt know Trader Joes existed in the midwest !  I thought it was purely a west coast store.  just the other day, i was telling someone about trader joes.  ( here in florida, they do not exist )  but in Cali, they do.  

will be in cincinnati myself next week for about 10 days while my daughter goes to the shriners burn hospital for children.

i know men that have driven to the wrong state before !  :P

Anonymous said...

My mom pulls out of a parking lot the wrong way...in her OWN CITY...she has a terrible sense of direction...but she freely admits it so we let her off easy.  My brother, however, boasts on his directional smarts, so when he was driving us home to Louisville from Chicago one night and we ended up much closer to Wisconsin than we should have been (!) ... well, we'll never let him forget it!  Sometimes, things just don't go right...

But in your case, even though you got lost, etc., at the end of the weekend you got ran off the road, and were able to get back on the road, uninjured, didn't hit anything...wow...maybe everything went right there!