Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Meltdown in 5, 4, 3....


This morning I had to drive to downtown Detroit to attend a four hour orientation at Henry Ford Hospital's main campus. The HR guy told me to park at a different site called One Ford Place and showed me on a little map where to park and to expect a shuttle pick me up there and take me to main. Well, this morning in Michigan it was, of course, snowing and nasty. So I left early and actually had a fairly easy drive in. Got there early to wait for the shuttle which I saw in the distance but it never came to where I was instructed to park and wait. So I call the security office which informs me that the shuttle never, ever comes there! I move my car, walk to the building and wait for the shuttle. It comes, I get on and make it to the main campus. Now there's a new challenge, finding the classroom I'm supposed to be at. Ten more minutes of aimless wandering and I'm there. I rewarded myself with a bagel and a cup of coffee.
After the four hour orientation, I found my way back to the doors where the shuttle arrives semi-annually. Ahh, but a new twist! Not all shuttles go to One Ford Place where my car is parked! Well, I've no choice but to board the first available shuttle and spend several minutes gesturing wildly at a nice foreign man to ascertain whether he will take me anywhere near my car if I ride his shuttle. Yes, I held up the Henry Ford Health System shuttle service for several minutes but I got to my car.
Walk, walk, walk through the snow to my car. Get in, turn it on...low tire gauge light comes on. Fabulous! Get out, walk around, all the tires look low to me. But I do know this, I AIN'T CHANGING NO TIRE HERE! Well, I ain't changing no tire anywhere to be frank. So I prayed and put 'er in drive.
Pulling out of the parking lot I realized, I know how to get home from here but not how to get to my new facility (which is located in a different ghetto altogether.) I was feeling half creative and half panicked and so decided I could surely find my way with my GPS and my street smarts. Guess what? Yup! Lost in a very unsavory area for roughly twenty minutes. With a low tire gauge.
Turned around and turned off the GPS which at this point is instructing me to take several maneuvers which I swear to you would have simply driven me in concentric circles. Found my way back to One Ford Place and on to the Lodge Freeway headed toward my house. Low tire gauge continues to shine.
Found my way on to I94 headed toward my house still unsure how to get to my facility from there. Then I thought, well if this tire(s) is low now, it will likely be entirely flat when I leave work this evening. And with the class and my lunch time, there is now only about two hours or so left in my day. And my head REALLY hurts.
I called the office of the person facilitating my orientation, got her voice mail and told her all my woes concluding that I was heading home to fix my tire and that I'd see her in the morning.
Yes, I made it home. Got out, walked around the car. All four tires look exactly as they did an hour ago in the One Ford Place parking lot. Either perfectly fine or flat. Not sure which. I think the Mr. can take it from here.
As I finally turned into my subdivision with a sigh of relief, I realized I was humming a little tune..."Jesus Take The Wheel"; ha!
P.S.; The Lord may speak through burning bushes and donkeys but he does not live in my GPS.

Job 30:13 They break up my road;they succeed in destroying me—without anyone's helping them.

8 comments:

Mrs. Mac said...

Oh, sara, what exactly do you mean you 'held up the shuttle' ... that can be read a few different ways ;) ... I sure wouldn't want to be lost in a Detroit ghetto with low tire pressure ... glad Jesus took the wheel away from you and got you home in one piece.

Jada's Gigi said...

Yikes!! kinda scary dau if you ask me. My low air pressure alarm comes on when its very cold...the air in the tires has shrunk...they are just fine but need a little bit of air to get them back to perfect poundage..:) unless it warms up considerably. scared teh heck out of me the first time that alarm went off!

Just Me said...

P.S.; The Lord may speak through burning bushes and donkeys but he does not live in my GPS.
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LOL... I couldn't help but chuckle at that!!!! I have been to HF, NOT in a good neighborhood at any standard, but when we lived at selfridge we had no choice but for me to give birth there... and I did see worse neighborhoods :). We lived there so many years ago but that is one thing that sticks in my mind... the memories you just brought back to me... LOL

Pat said...

I'd rather be home sick then driving around with you today!! Glad you got home safely - are your tires low?

Louise said...

So glad you are safely home my dear friend.

Amrita said...

What an experience and a fine verse to match with it. LOL

Deb said...

My van says "check tires" every time I turn on the ignition.

I ignore it.

I'm probably riding around on the rims...

Next time you have to do all that driving - hire a cab - on the company dime.

Margie said...

It's called TPMS Tire Pressure Monitoring System, the change (lower) pressure could be due to the cold weather, that's why they were ALL low, not just one. The Mr. or daboyz can go put air in your tires. It's a great feature. That's your lesson for the day :)

Glad you made it home safe.