Sunday, March 19, 2006

WAY TO GO OHIO

Since moving to Indiana I have put in a considerable amount of windshield time. Either we are traveling back to Our Old Kentucky Home or heading to some new, always exotic location. It is some sort of phenomenon that so many major cities are only two to three hours away from Ft. Wayne!!

I traveled alone to meet my Sister, Omega, and her friends in Cleveland on Friday St. Patricks Day. We had  MAJOR  plans. The first of which, for me, was to get there.

Thank God that on the eighth day He created Map Quest. Map Quest has yet to fail me. I marvel each time I land at the correct destination in one piece. The trip to Cleveland was no different.

I started driving about an hour later than I wanted to leave, but all was cool. The sun was shining and I was stoked and excited. I had the tickets to the show we were seeing that night in the zipped pocket of my purse. I knew this for a certain fact. For two days I had worried that I was going to leave the tickets behind...or lose them. One of the various neuroses that I harbor in my otherwise perfect self.

One of the other neuroses (or maybe one and the same) is my obsessive compulsion to read the directions over and over until I have them memorized, then I fear I have memorized the wrong thing, so I look at them over and over again.

The Map Quest mile by mile instructions were laying on the passenger seat, under my magnifying glasses for quick reference.

And so I traveled from Indiana down Route 24 to meet up with I80/I90 East in Akron and then a straight shot into Cleveland.

Once I hit the Ohio Turnpike, I wanted to put the pedal to the metal. Anyone who has traveled Route 24 will understand. It is a connection from Ft. Wayne to the pathways of America. And it is a two laner. A miserable excruciating ride when you are behind semi trucks and too chicken to pass because your eyesight ain't what it use to be and God knows where you put your long distance glasses since the move last June!!!

Everyone that has ever traveled through Ohio knows this...there are cops everywhere on the Expressways and they mean business.

I was speeding along at a pleasant 75 passing everyone and knowing that I acting irresponsible and tempting the Speeding Ticket god's to zap me down. I was relieved that half way through the trip a SUV came speeding past me!!! Hurray!! I was just waiting for someone to do just that so I could catch a ride on their tail!

And so I did. I was reluctant to keep up with him at the 80mph clip he was zoned into. I just kept him in sight the entire last leg of the trip.

As I drew closer to Cleveland I had the incredible urge to re-read the Map Quest instructions again. Exit 141, I'm certain it has to be exit 141, but I will check just the same.

On go the glasses, I place the instructions on the center of the steering wheel and run my thumb down the side to find the line I am searching for....and then I see them! Two State cops sitting on the center mediums each pointed in an opposite direction. My stomach fell, my adrenaline began pumping and I quickly glanced at my speedometer.

Thank God my obsessive-compulsive behavior had caused me to slow down to under 70. I was safe!!!

But not the lead SUV. The police pulled out moments after I passed by and headed around me and in short time had the SUV pulled over.

I did feel bad for him. A ticket on St. Patrick's Day. Bad Luck. He must not be Irish.

But I am.

I obeyed the speed limits as I cruised into downtown Cleveland. Map Quest came through for me once again, and landed me right where I needed to be.

In the midst of the St. Patrick Day Parade in Cleveland.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You should do an ad for mapquest lol how they saved me from being lost and getting a ticket lOL speaking of ld places here in ky thats what my next entry will be about my old home place that East ky power robbed us of. btu the pics are georgous out muddy creek and red river road. I wnat to go back when the temps are warmer nd things budding more

Anonymous said...

Hope you now have some Italian luck upon your return! Happy St. Joseph's Day! Add a little red to your green today!
Loved the adventure,
Tess

Anonymous said...

I've had mixed luck with mapquest.  Seems it wants to route me from here to there via Idaho.
:)

I'm glad your luck was with you.  I know how the drivers fly in Ohio (and follow close).  It's hard NOT to speed excessively.

Anonymous said...

I definitely had my share of tickets in Ohio, and not always for speeding.  Come to think of it, that hasn't changed much since wemoved to AZ!

Karen

Anonymous said...

MapQuest has actually LIED to me, and more than once! Now I always check it with another source before I leave. Either that, or I assume I could end up any place having a new adventure. Glad yours got you where you were going!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

Whew!  My ocd has helped me the same way at times!  If I am 'planning' to speed on the freeway, I first finds me-self a "mouse"!  Yours came in the form of an SUV...Jae