I Am Moving Up

We started a new audit this past Monday. I am now working right smack in the middle of downtown.

Since I am directionally challenged, Ron took a ride with me last Sunday so that I could make sure I could find my way to the new audit on Monday. Well, I kinda knew where the right building was, but I wanted to make sure I knew where the closest parking ramp was and how to get to the building from there.

This sounds like it should have been an easy Monday morning. I did a test run, so I knew where the parking ramp was, I knew which way to walk from the ramp to the audit, and I knew my contact's name. What could possibly have gone wrong?

Let's start with my parking ramp of choice. This ramp happens to be a designated ramp for one of the major hotels downtown. This ramp also accepts public parking. There are two entrance and two exit lanes at this ramp. I saw one entrance and exit ramp for card holders only. I went past that ramp to the next one which was marked for public access. How could I get into trouble here?

I did what most people would do. I pulled up to the gate and looked to the box on my left, assuming it would be where I get my ticket. But no. It was a machine for people with access cards. You insert your access card into this machine and the gate will open. Hello? If this is the public access lane, where the heck is that box? Now there is a freakin' line of cars behind me and I'm stuck between an SUV and a closed gate. This sucks. As I was starting to panic, I looked around. Here, the machine with the button that says "push here for card" is about five feet behind me. The SUV's bumper is a lot closer to me than that. With the card holder's access machine right next to me, there is no way I can open my door, get out of the car and walk the five feet back. We all need to back up. Finally, the idiot behind me realized he was behind a bigger idiot and backed up enough so that I could stretch farther than I ever thought I could and get my dang ticket. Finally, the offending gate opened.

I headed up the ramp, and up the ramp, and up the ramp. As long as I don't end up on the roof, I consider it a good parking spot. I found a good parking spot. I thought I would be a good girl and take the steps down, but the stairwell was really a frightening place. More lights not working than were working. I opted for safety, shut the door and headed for the elevator.

When the elevator gets to the ground floor, you walk out into a little foyer. The only place to go from there is out one of the double doors that goes to the street. I push on one door. Nothing. I push on the other, still nothing. I again look around. On the left is a sign that states I needed to push this button to open the door. Ok, I can do that. Button was pushed repeatedly but still, neither door would open. So now what am I supposed to do? I can see life passing me by on the street, and I'm stuck in a foyer. I see on the outside a sign that says you have to have a card to get back in this door. The only people with this card are people from the hotel that are allowed to park there or people that pay by the month. So, now I start thinking that if I ever get out of this foyer, how in the heck am I going to get back in? But, I digress.

Finally, some guy comes down the elevator, realizes I'm an idiot, and tells me the secret of getting out of the foyer. He told me to hold the button IN and then the door will open. Duh. Sure. Once you knew the secret, the door worked. Before I could ask him now how do I get back in after work, poof! He was gone. Oh well.

So, across the street and down the block and there I am. I had a few problems finding the correct door, but I finally made it. And believe it or not, right on time.

The day was pretty uneventful. The best part is that our office is on the 14th floor, where one wall is a window that looks out over the lake! Man, this must be how the other half lives. This sure makes up for the other audits where I'm stuck in a basement, or an outhouse. The only bad part about this is how hard it is to concentrate when I have this kind of view!

For the curious, I couldn't get into the same door of the parking ramp that I left from. I had to walk down the side street a bit to where I pulled in that morning. I asked the attendant at the exit booth how do I get back to the elevator. I had to walk down the ramp to the basement floor and get the elevator there. What a nightmare. Luckily, the next day I chose the ramp across the street from the first ramp. For $1.00 more a day, there were more lights, no confusing signs or boxes or gates, and many, many, many more lights that worked.

For now I'll have to fight the traffic in and out of downtown every day. At least I found a better parking ramp to park in. Life is good.