Sunday, June 10, 2007

I'm so lost without you

I realize that many of you may think that I must be a navigational expert since I travel back and forth from Long Island, NY to rural Connecticut every week. I know this because of some of your comments.

Truth be told, I don't even know what direction I'm facing in most of the time.

Living on Long Island was easy. All the streets go east and west and north and south. The island is 20 miles by 80 miles. If you hit the water you've gone too far. No problem, just turn around.

And shopping, well, you could just about walk around the corner and get anything you need at a strip mall. And that doesn't mean strip as in 'bow-chicka-bow-bow'. It means strips of stores. I had to explain myself to you all because Capt's children were wide eyed the first time I told them I was taking them to a strip mall. Come to think of it, the boy was a bit disappointed when he learned he wasn't going to see what he thought he was.

Boys. Hmmmmm.

I am finding differences in some other things in CT as opposed to NY too. Take pizza for instance. In NY we ask for a pie. Here in CT no one knows what you are saying. Pies only have fruit in them. You can't ask for a slice either. They sell pizza by the size. And then they cut the round pizza into little squares....weird. And hero sandwiches are grinders. And, as my QFIL pointed out to me, in CT you don't get on a line, you get in a line.

Oh, the education I am getting. Knowledge is power.

Where was I going with all this? (See. I even get lost when I write.)

Oh yeah, my navigationally-challenged self.

Now that I live in a rural town, in order to get anywhere I must drive many miles. Many miles. And make lots of turns on windy roads. Roads that merge. And never end. And when I finally see a sign that makes sense, I'm already in Rhode Island or Boston.

I am afraid to go anywhere that I'm not absolutely sure how to get to and how to get back from.

You have to understand, there really aren't a lot of main highways around here, so it does get confusing for me.

Here's where I have been leading up to:

When I got here this weekend I got a very, very early birthday present from Capt. My birthday is in December. Maybe by the time my real birthday comes around he'll forget that he already got me something. Maybe I'll forget too.

Oh the possibilities!

This is what he got me.....a Tom-Tom.

It is amazing, yet freakish, at the same time.

It knows exactly where you are at all times and shows you very simply how to get anywhere. It is so easy to use and that's saying a lot because not only am I navigationally-challenged, I'm also electronically challenged. I just have to press the screen with my finger and point to the places I want to go.

And it shows you were the nearest restaurants are. And gas stations. And ice cream shops. And department stores. It also can let you know if there is traffic up ahead, though I haven't figured this feature out yet.

So a little while ago I went for a drive by myself without a care in the world. And when I got lost I just turned on TomTom and the oh so pleasant voice told me where to turn to get back home.

Capt always knows how to make my life easier.

Now they need to invent a devise that drives the car for me while I take a nap or do my nails. That would be really nice.

10 comments:

someone else said...

I totally understand about being navigationally challenged. I can get lost in a shopping mall. When someone gives me directions TO somewhere, I can follow them fine. But when it comes time to turn them around and go back the way I came -- forget it. I get confused.

Looney Mom™ said...

LOL! You crack me up chica! I'm glad you got something like that to keep you straight.

Strip mall... hee hee. I know what they are but I LOVED your explanation.

Sorry I've been scarce lately. I need to catch up...

Terri@SteelMagnolia said...

I am directionally challenged as well...
I always think east is to the right!!

Lala's world said...

that was cute! what a great gift.... I think I need to buy one for my hubby he is directionally challenged too!

Dawn said...

Such a great story. The only way I know where I am is when I can see the mountains to the west. I get so turned around in downtown Denver that it's scary.

What a change for you!

rena said...

Fun post - I tracked with you all the way. Great gift! Now, I'm still puzzling over getting "on" a line..huh? Here, we get in line. Wondering though - do you drive up to or over to Long Island - and once in Long Island, do you drive out to or down to CT?? Here we go over to the island, up the canyon, down to the states, and out to the prairies. Go figure.

Theresa said...

Morning Glory: Me too. I can follow the directions there, but going home I get sooo confused. And the funny thing is, I want to use the TomTom at the mall because I always forget what direction I was going before I go into a store.

Theresa said...

mugwumpmom: I never really thought about it before but we always say, "get on line" it's a NY thing.

As for "The Island", when I'm in CT I say that I'm going down to The Island. Or when I'm on LI I say I'm going up to CT. If I take a ferry it's 'over' to CT or LI. The town I live in in CT is up North from LI.

Going out to the praires sounds nice...like Little House on the Praire...my favorite show of all times

Monica said...

No, noooo! What the heck is going on down in your neck of CT? OK. My guess is it's rural and a lot of the people have been there a long time. I promise you, further up, people DO know what a strip mall is. Honest! LOL!

Now the hero vs. grinder? Well, in Philly, where I lived my late adolescence and teen years, a grinder is the norm there too but I think "sub" is more common over here. I actually first heard "sub" when I was in college in Virginia. It was a small town and Subway was coming in and citified me thought to myself, "A subway? In bumpkin land Virginia?" Then I found out.

Monica said...

Oh and the self-driving car? It's coming, it's coming! I saw them talking about it on the morning news one day. And I can't wait! And I'm a little scared! ;-)