JUST A HIPPIE GYPSY

HIGHWAY STAR

There are a few things I am pretty good at. Having a great sense of direction is one that I am especially proud of. I recently read that women use a different method than men when it comes to getting around, namely, we use landmarks. I have to agree with that, because that is exactly what I do! Get me there once and I usually can get there again.

That is why I thought it was going to be no big deal for me to go back up North this week end going through Indianapolis. After all, I had returned that way heading to Louisville several weeks ago, so no big deal. HA!

I got lost. I somehow got in the wrong land and ended up heading towards St. Louis! I got turned around and then got on another wrong road! Drats! It was dark now, and I was in the middle of Indianapolis heading towards Chicago or Toledo! Just then Poo-Poo calls me on the cell phone. His advise is for me to pull over and get a hotel room, I am hopelessly lost and am going to end back up in Kentucky.

I managed to get off the Interstate, go down numerous roads to find a McDonald's, (they have the best bathrooms) and then locate a Krogers (to open up a map and have a look to see exactly where I had to go!). I am very good at reading maps, and very good at back tracking down numerous roads (landmarks, even in the dark) to return to the Interstate and alter my course.

A trip that should have taken maybe four and half hours took six. Poo-Poo will never let me forget it.

The only town I had extreme difficulty driving around, map or no map, was Boston. My sister, the world traveler asked this question, "ARE YOU CRAZY?". Poo-Poo and I drove up and down Soldiers Field Road for two hours looking for the Days Inn. We asked six people how to get there and received six different sets of directions. The last one went something like this, "Take the next road to your right, go over the rail road tracks, to the flashing light, go right, go three miles, take a left, go to the four way stop, take a left, go three blocks, then take a left. It should be at the end of the street." "Thanks" Joe says to him then drives off and says to me, "Did you get that?" No, I did not. Added to the fact that the man was more than likely of Arab descent and I could barely understand his accent. Yet, together we managed to piece together enough of what he said to find the right street.

I returned home today coming through Cincinnati. (I had to make a quick stop at Trader Joe's!). When I got within thirty minutes of home, I decided to take the back roads, the country roads for the remainder of the trip. It is much prettier than Interstate and I do not mind it as long as I am doing it during day light.

Five minutes from home, on a narrow pike, the type where when two cars meet each has to slow down and ease past each other, I was run off the road! They speeding yellow car did not slow down nor yield any of the road! My reflexes are good too, thank God, so I was off the road before it even registered that I was going to have a head on collision. I went through the field and then back on the pavement!

I could not believe it. How lucky am I? This road has fences on both sides, horse farms and mature trees lining the pavement. Not to mention the telephone poles. My guardian angel was with me that I was able to avoid all the usual dangers and land back on the pavement.

The yellow car never slowed. I wonder if they even looked in the rear view?

It's going to be a long time before I take that road again.