You know how ‘a body in motion stays in motion’ and all that?  Well, my life has a slightly modified law which is, ‘once I mess something up it shall only get more messed up for the rest of the night’.  This is true when practicing my forms at Tae Kwon Do, it’s true of a bad run, and it’s true when I get lost.

It’s that last one that happened in such grand style Thursday night I have to tell you about it.

Lately my GPS has been acting weird and telling me that it has lost it’s power source and will turn off in 30 seconds every few minutes while I’m driving. Mind you, it’s plugged in at the time. Annoying but since I hold the GPS on my steering wheel while driving not a total disaster.

Thursday I was going to a restaurant in Tampa that I’d never been to before and since I was worried about my GPS I also used Google maps on my phone, which I never did before. I was pulling out of the parking lot at work and my GPS told me ‘turn right on Linebaugh’.  At the same time Google told me ‘turn left on Linebaugh’.  And so went the rest of the drive.  In spite of that I got there on time and with no problems (though I accidentally parked behind the restaurant and took a few minute to figure out where I was supposed to be). I knew I was using up an awful lot of luck right there.

So on to the Straz Center.  The person I was supposed to be following turned left, Google said turn right.  Quite the rebel, Google.  Turns out traffic was thick enough I finally turned right just to be able to pull out. Sorry for doubting you Google.  I found the place no problem, but I did go around the block 3 times finding the parking garage that was kind of in plain site.  All well and good.

Then I wanted to get home.  No matter how many times I typed my address into Google it said there was no such thing.  I figured out after I got home it was changing FL into flight instead of Florida. Yes, I turned off stupid spell correction immediately.  My evil cracked out GPS would not even turn on for the first time ever. I (in all my wisdom) decided screw it, I have to run into a freeway soon no matter what direction I go in, right?

Lets just pause here a moment for the photo prompt of the day.  Mystery. What? You don’t think this quick pic captures the meaning of mystery? Well read on fearless reader, read on.

Of course the first thing I did was turn the wrong way and go over a draw bridge. Fifty third u-turn of the night, many more to come. After passing several signs for the 275 south and none for the 275 N (home sweet home was north) I decided screw it, I’ll get on going south and then get off and back on going north.  Because there is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS a way to get right back on the freeway in the other direction.  Right?

Not so much.  I got off after going a wee bit out of the way (passing a couple of probably nice, probably drug dealers on really, really dark and decrepit streets) with no way home in site and now a good 5 miles further away.

I gave up and just started driving and because the streets in Florida are really, really weird I eventually ran back into the 275 and was able to get on the the right direction, I made it home and everything.

But it just goes to prove, mystery (like everything else) is defined by the moment.Oh yeah, in the name of full disclosure I also got lost in the (stupid) parking garage trying to find my car.

I am SO happy to be typing this at home.  🙂