The Long and Winding Road

Ah, yes. My surgery date is fast approaching for my total knee replacement on December 8th. Which means that all of the pre-op physical therapy appointments, pre-op surgery clinic appointments, examinations by anesthesia and my surgeon appointments, and joint replacement class appointments have all begun.

Today's appointment was located in the hospital where my surgery will be performed; which was kind of nice because it allowed me to become familiar with that hospital, having never been there before. And it was NOT nice because this hospital is located on the outer west fringes of the metro area, and I live on the east fringe. The traffic today was beyond awful, and if you've ever been through Portland, you know that because of the rivers and some 1000ft+ hills, getting across town isn't as easy as one may think. I looked at my maps app on my phone to check out the traffic situation as I was leaving and saw red red red everywhere at 9:45am. I was sure rush hour would have been over by then. I was so wrong....

I asked my phone for an alternate route for navigation, and I was off. I took bridges that I scarcely knew existed and maneuvered unbelievably winding roads. Goldie and I sped upward into lush green forests in the mist and rain.

In short -- I had absolutely no idea where I was for a majority of the trip.

So I followed my phone's instructions unquestioningly (even when it told me to make a U turn on a highway). How weird. But as the road became straight and dropped back down out of the woods, I found my bearings once again and with surprise saw the hospital smack dab in front of me.

Yay Google Maps! Yay for my brain, who showed up for duty this morning! I parked Goldie with relief and while checking in for my appointment, gave traffic as an excuse for being a few minutes late. After which I heard a chorus of agreement from several other patients standing nearby.

I was grateful that whatever had mucked up every highway in the general Portland vicinity had vanished by the time I pointed Goldie towards home.

As I was making my way through the rain on twisting roads through gorgeous scenery, I couldn't get this song out of my head. I'm such a child of the '70s. C'mon people. Hold those Bic lighters high and get 'em waving. Sing along with me: