Mama Diaries

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Which Right Turn?

Here's another story from my big move:

The first evening we arrived in Georgia, we couldn't stay in our house.  The movers were not going to deliver our belongings until the next day.  Which meant we had to stay in a hotel.  Fine.  After driving ten hours and finally seeing our new house (I had not been to Georgia, so this was the first time I got to see the house in person.) it was time to find the hotel.  It was about ten o'clock at night, and getting dark.

My daughter and I were in one car, and my husband, son, and dog were in the other.  I entered the address of the hotel into my Garmin and hoped for the best. 

Now if you're not familiar with Atlanta, Georgia, let me just tell you, the roads are nuts!  There are usually six lanes of heavy traffic, lots of people making U-turns, and a bazillion access ramps going all over the place.

I was fine on the freeway, but when it was time to get off, the problems started.

"Continue straight and then take the access ramp on the right," my Garmin said in her oh-so-friendly voice.

I peered at the access ramps ahead.  There were three.  One went right.  One when back right.  And one looked almost like a U-turn.  Which one?  I studied the Garmin map with my bleary eyes.  I'm directionally-challenged, so that little procedure was absolutely meaningless.  I guessed.  And of course I guessed wrong.

"Recalculating," the Garmin said.

I said a few choice words in my head.

I tried again.  This time I enlisted my daughter's help, because she's a lot smarter than I am when it comes to these things. 

"Which way?" I asked her when I was again faced with the access ramp challenge.

"I don't know," she said helpfully.

I guessed again.

"Recalculating."

I did a Mama growl.

"Just do it again.  The next one will be right," my daughter suggested.

"I'm not doing it again," I grumbled.  "I'm going a different way."

So that's what I did.  I randomly drove around while the stupid Garmin recalculated, and we finally arrived forty minutes later.  

I'm such a genius!

31 comments:

  1. LMAO that had to annoy, but funny now haha

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    1. It's always funny to look back on things like this!

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  2. Why is it the sat nav always sounds so smug?! Glad you finally reached your destination. Only had a brief stop over at Atlanta airport so haven't seen the roads!

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    1. Navigation is so smug because she's not behind the wheel! ;)

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  3. Funny, I can identify with that totally. I, too, am directionally challenged. . . Give me a landmark and say right or left, then I have a chance.

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  4. Aww! I do know how that is. My dad took the wrong ramp when we were heading up to NYC and stopping at a hotel in Newark, NJ. Unfortunately, that ramp didn't have a way to get back on the interstate. So we drove around for about an hour before I recognized some signs to get back on the interstate. We finally got back and found our hotel at the next exit. We didn't have GPS or smartphones to help us.

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    1. It's so frustrating when you're lost in an unfamiliar place - especially a big city!

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  5. Poor you. I don't have one of the gadgets but I've used my girl friends and like you, I looked at the map and went my own way. I hope you are enjoying your new home.

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  6. Lol! Completely identify with that. I did that many times in NZ. Taking wrong ramps and going so far before turning back.

    Nas

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  7. I passed through Atlanta when I was younger and remember it being packed. I couldn't imagine having to drive it. I am also directionally challenged.

    Charlotte is bad enough, lol.

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    1. Atlanta is definitely not the most enjoyable place to drive!

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  8. You poor thing. Atlanta roads and traffic aren't for the faint of heart.

    Now that you're here, if you have time look into going to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. There's a wonderful mosaiculture exhibit there until the end of October. I think you'd really like it.

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  9. Must have been tougher driving in a new place at night. It's hard enough during the day. The adventures of everyday in a new city, I love it!

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  10. There is nothing more frustrating to hear with a tired mind that, "Recalculating...". Glad you made it!

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    1. I am too! I thought I was going to end up in Texas. ;)

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  11. That'll teach that little machine a lesson... I've wanted to strangle that woman in the box many times with her not so helpful directions. And Atlanta ranks up there is Chicago as terrible places to have to drive through.

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    1. Ha! Yep. I was ready to strangle the woman in the box!

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  12. I've been gone for a while. Sorry to hear you're moving. I think you were just a few miles down the road from me.

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    1. Really? And I didn't get to meet you? Bummer! Glad you're back!

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  13. This is so funny as I recently had a similar experience.. the rerouting thing drives me nuts! Glad you made it there:)

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    1. I can't even tell you how many times I heard, "Recalculating"!

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  14. I'm just like you,Sherry. It's horrible when you're lost in a big, unfamiliar city. Yikes. You certainly have my sympathies. Glad you arrived safely.

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  15. I am so directionally challenged that I can't find my car in a parking lot. I get lost if I spin in a circle. The Garmin and I would not get along, either, apparently. ;)

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