5/20/08

I got a comment from a customer t'other day ...

so lemme tell ya about him.

I got sent to the Troutdale airport to pick up a fella there late one night. I've never been to this 'port, barely even knew there WAS one so was unaware there is 2 separate entrances. I went with the address I was given by dispatch (which turns out is not what addr the cust gave, disp was less than helpful here) to the North Entrance. Wrong entrance. I call up dude from there and find out he's at the South Entrance and he gives me the address. I punch it into my handy-dandy GPS and off I go.

Driving. Driving. Looking ... wait ... one second ... this is ... ARGH! The address is bringing up frontage road on the other side of the freeway where the truck stop and whatnot are. Sheesh. I drive back around to the 'port (all one ways) and I finally find the S Entrance and the customer. At least he's easy on the eyes. ;o) He gets in and we're off to the Sandy Airport.

Now I did not know there was a 'port in Sandy, (it's a fairly small town on the way up Mt. Hood) much less two of 'em! Who'da thunk. We wander on out there and are chatting on the way, turns out the 2nd 'port is for private planes for the adventuresome types (cust is looking to be a hang glider).

We were chatting about this kinda stuff that I know pretty much nothing of as I'm atmospherically challenged, but I told him to check down at the McMinnville 'port as they have gliders you can rent so might point him in the right direction. (I know this 'cuz I bought an hour a few years back for a bf's bday after I saw the latest 'Thomas Crowne Affair'. I thought the movie was sexy and was trying to recreate the mood. The bf's vomit however ... not so sexy)

Trivia: across from this 'port there is also the museum that was built for the Spruce Goose. How many of you knew this big ol' girl ended up in lil ol' Oregon - other than Adena o'course?!

We finally make it to the 'port about 1/2 hr later, down some windy-ass road in the hills with no lights and trees everywhere. Hard to believe you can fly/land a plane out there but we find it. As he's getting out he asks for directions to get back to the freeway to get to way out N Ptld. I tell him and ask if he has a map. Nope, so I gave him my Thomas Guide (I have a couple - req. of the company) and then had to explain to him how to use it. I've never met anyone that has never seen/used one before. That was kinda fascinating. I 'splained how to use it and left him on his own, I would've had him follow me back but I had to go get someone down south.

I drove off and wasn't paying too much attention to the roadways and got lost. Sadly, my GPS doesn't help when I'm lost, it'll show me the road I'm on and connections but can't help me with the lost thing. If I'da had my Thomas Guide however ... :o)

Anyway. Lost. Me. On the back side of Mt Hood at 2a. And not ashamed to admit it. But, too damned stubborn to turn around. It was pretty entertaining, especially 1/2 an hour later when I ended up at Hwy 26 up near Welches. Way far away from where I was needing to be. Then had to haul ass down to West Linn to pick up the customer I came out to pick up to begin with.

I crack myself up sometimes. :o)

Anyone else have any lost stories?!

9 comments:

Rick said...

It's so very easy to get lost in the Pacific Northwest. Nothing but trees in every direction and the heavy overcast removes even the SUN, for navigational purposes. I got so lost returning from Microsoft one day, I ended up near Snoqualmie Summit, fifty miles and 5000 elevated feet in the WRONG direction.

Paradise Driver said...

To quote Daniel Boone:

"I ain't never been lost. A might confused for a couple o'days but never lost."

Anonymous said...

I got lost in a foreign country. Bus systems are quite confusing for me unless I am with someone who knows what they're doing. I'm from a smaller town, where they are non-existent. I took the wrong bus and ended up 5 miles in the wrong direction. I walked back... I still don't know how I did it.


Oh, and this is my first post :). I love your blog and your writing. I find your stories very interesting. I started my own blog, even though I know it won't be as interesting as yours. Keep on writing, I will keep reading.

-Jonathan

Catherine said...

I am so happy to hear a story with a handsome guy in it! <3

Anonymous said...

Once when I was a new driver my dad helped me get directions to my friend's house, which included driving in the dark on a highway. VERY SIMPLE. Unless you go the wrong way on the highway.

Thirty minutes down the road I call my dad (thank God for cellphones) and say I haven't see the exit. He asks what number exit I'm near and I tell him. Oh, I'm on SOUTH. I should be on *NORTH*....I'm also apparently in another CITY. THIRTY MINUTES SOUTH OF US.

Yeah, I get the stupid award for that one.

lyle said...

wow, that has to be the most random route ever driven. Troutdale Airport to Sandy Airport in the middle of the night.
Eerie.

adena said...

I was going to say, ME! Me!! I know about the Spruce Goose!

But, then you invalidated my entry. :)

Anonymous said...

I was driving a group of fellow students to Park City Utah for the Sundance Film Festival but I had never been there before. I had some maps and written directions but it was dark and I felt pretty confident that I had the route memorized. Well I missed the exit and kept going for a while. Then I asked one of the people in the van that had been there if things looked familiar and it we're headed the right way. He said yes so I kept driving.
About 45 minutes later I decided we should have made it by now and pull off to call another group that had arrived earlier in the day. They tell me I'm headed the right direction as well. So I get back on the freeway and take a look at the next exit and it turns out I've gone over 50 miles too far and crossed the border into Wyoming. It wasn't a complete loss though, we did get to make a stop and Liquor Store/Fireworks stand. Best combo ever. Of course the drinking didn't take place during or before any sort of driving.

John said...

Ya its really a fair city dude...
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john
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