Tuesday, October 26, 2010

How Did I Get Lost Again?

Two days in a row no less!

My brothers are known for going the long way around things to avoid a light or a stop sign. I'm usually all for the shortest distance is a straight line sort of driving route.

Well, my brother Mike talked me into going a different way he thought was faster. Albeit it's 1/2 mile longer but it's faster time wise. Ok, fine. I tried it. His way is going over East River Road in Elyria instead of going through downtown Elyria. I know downtown sucks because of all of the turns going through town and all of the lights, but c'mon. It's 1/2 mile shorter going through the lights!

A few months back, I tried his way and the construction had just gotten under way on East River Road. This road is totally torn up with new sewers going in on both sides of the road and I'm assuming a new road once the sewer work is done.

For whatever reason one morning, I had gone this way. They were allowing north bound traffic to come down but they had those of us that were south bound stopped and after waiting for what seemed like 10 minutes, people were just turning left at a road right there which I now know is Calann Drive. If you find it on this map, you see if you turn on Calann Drive you are in no man's land! You can get in to the subdivision but good luck finding your way back out again.




Finally, I quit waiting for nothing and turned left on Calann Drive. The two cars behind me decided to follow suit. I always assume cities/towns are laid out logically. That is one of the reasons I get lost a lot!

So, that day a few months ago, we had three of us trying to find our way around this construction tie up. The two behind me seemed very confident that I knew what I was doing! Little did they know!

I turned right, left, right, turned around. My two little buddies stuck with me. Finally, I put my hands up in surrender and pulled over, hoping one of them knew where they were. They BOTH pulled over behind me and threw their hands up too. No one was willing to take the lead! I finally remembered I had the Garmin in the car so I dug that out and booted it up. After driving aimlessly while it found the satellites, I finally found my way out and to a main road. I got a couple of beeps and waves from my fellow lost passengers and we all went on our merry way. What horse crap that neighborhood is!

I've been trying to stay away from the area, especially with the construction going on. But, once in awhile a girl is running late for work and we all know what a task master her boss is! Sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do!

Yesterday morning it happened to me again! I cut over East River Road. The north bound lane is totally closed and they are detoured around. But, the south bound lane seemed to be clear the entire way up. Big mistake. It wasn't.

Again, no damn signs warning a girl that the freakin' road is closed! They would let you sit there all day if you were dumb enough to do it! I am like four or five cars back in line stopped dead. I have no idea what's going on. Finally, one at a time, the other cars turn around and go north. I know they can't go far, they need to turn into that blasted subdivision with no exit and I do NOT want to do that. However, as soon as they move, I see the back hoe in the north bound lane DIGGING into the south bound lane. For real? This isn't considered a road closed? C'mon people! And all those union guys lolly gagging around never once thinking about letting people know they are not opening the road today. THAT is so frustrating.

So, I finally gave in and ended up turning on my road from hell, Calann Drive. I'm sure you people that live on Calann Drive are wonderful people! You just live in a very difficult subdivision!

Well, I drove in as far as the first stop sign. No one was behind me so I just stayed right there until I got my Garmin out and got it booted and linked up. When it finally tells me which way to turn, a car is coming in the distance. Now it's degrees of lateness, so I decided to just wait for him to go by before turning into the cross street. He goes by, I get behind him and I follow him.

I assume he knows where's he's going because every right, left, right, turnaround turn he took is exactly what the Garmin was telling me to do. Suddenly, he pulls to the right, bangs both hands on the steering wheel, throws his hands in the air with the universal "I have no idea what I'm doing" sign and waves me around! HA! I know that feeling! But, I have my Garmin on!

I motion for him to follow me and as I go by he gets in line behind me. Only a half a dozen or so more turns and we're back out onto a main road. I get another beep and wave and he goes one way as I go another.

You'd think this would be enough to cure me, wouldn't you? Being a glutton for punishment, I try it again this morning. This time, it's blocked WAY before the usual problem area. No way I'm fighting that again! I turned around and came back the way I came! As a side note, when you're going around the block, once you make three left turns, you should turn right to be back on the road you started on. As a public service announcement, if you make FOUR left turns, you need to go back around the same damn block you just went around. 'Nuff said.

Really. Someone needs to save me because I should not be allowed out on the streets by myself. For every one's own good, save me!
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