"LOST"

Have you ever parked your car in a very large garage and come out to get your car and you don't remember were it is? Hum it happened to me last Friday the 10Th of April.

Grandma goes to the big city of Spokane for a doctor appointment. My appointment was at 8 a.m. but I had to check in at 7:40. It's a 2 hour drive to Spokane from Clarkston so I left the day before, after work, to spent the night with my daughter so I would get to the doctor in plenty of time on Friday.

I got to my appointment early. As I parked my car the first two floors were doctors parking only and remembered with my afternoon appointment 2 months prior the parking places were few in number so I took pretty much the first spot above the doctors parking. As I got out of my car I noticed the numbers faintly on the ground for each parking space saw a 68 and thought I better remember that and my spot was 3 cars down 65. What I couldn't see was the letter in front but I was so preoccupied with finding the elevator to go to the dotors from there which was a short stair way across the upper floor to the elevator. I totally didn't pay attention to what floor I was parked on and didn't even think about it except how I got to the elevator.

The doctor appointment was slow in getting in which sort of irritated me because I had one of the first ones and thought that move would make my day at the doctor short and not a hour and half wait like the last time. (My husband went with me for my first appointment and said get an early appointment and the wait will not be so long. Ya right, I still had to ask the nurse if I somehow missed my call 30 minutes later.)

Anyway the appointment went well. The only good thing she couldn't believe how old I was...when she wanted to know how many children and how old my oldest child was. She asked my age and I told her, she then took a double look at my chart to verify my birth date and said " you look amazing." "Yes", I thanked her and said "just wished my parts were as wonderful sometimes."

I then proceeded back to my car. I got in the elevator and looked at all the buttons, hum, they read F,D,C,Basement. Oh no,I had no idea which floor to go on never paid attention. So I picked F and walked down the short stairway towards the side I parked my car and NO car. Hum what a country grandma to do? So I went back to the elevator, went to floor E did the same once again NO car. Hum no panic now, I parked above the doctor floor so it must be down more. I went to level D did the same thing no car, From there I decided to walk down to the next floor C...walked down around and knew that way I would eventually find my car. And I finally did!!! I was so happy. Seriously HAPPY!!!

Once I got into my car it took me awhile to get in the right direction going down out of that place. I finally saw daylight and told the guy at the ticket booth I got lost finding my car. He proceeded to tell me that as you go into the elevator building there is a box of tickets with numbers and each level is color coded so you can remember where your car is parked. Well, I never noticed this color code system, felt like a kid watching Sesame Street. He then preceded to tell me to take a color coded card so I wouldn't get lost again. Well if I had my way I would park outside never in that garage. In a big city it isn't an option. Next time I will pay attention to the colors,level....oh, there is also a west side and an east side (I never know which one is which east or west let alone south or north. I am in big trouble maybe I should just stay home!!)