Like everyone else, we had a herd of people coming for
Thanksgiving.
This year, due to the new digs and therefore much less space, people came in waves. The first wave was the turkey and fixin’s crew, the second was the pie crew.
This year, due to the new digs and therefore much less space, people came in waves. The first wave was the turkey and fixin’s crew, the second was the pie crew.
Some had
never been here before, so in spite of this new world of GPS,
we sent out directions, just to play it safe.
That’s when I
noticed yet again the difference in the frames of reference for the two sexes.
I’m mostly
about landmarks, although not quite as bad as, “Turn left where that Ford
dealer used to be, just past the big oak tree.” Still, street names are
eluding me more and more these days, plus half the time I never noticed them in
the first place.
My directions
for newcomers is, “Stay to the right. We’re the first fire hydrant.”
With the male fondness for the
technical and cartographical, My Guy combined Google Earth and Photoshop and now sends
this out to incoming guests:
And yet, when my daughter arrived,
she pointed out that she found it to be impossible to read any of the house
numbers from the street. The was proved by my in-laws, who, peeking in a
window, spotted wall paper similar to ours and were halfway across the lawn
with their pumpkin bread when the startled faces inside told them they were at
the wrong house.
Oh I hear you. I don't navigate by street signs. And rarely remember them. My partner's sense of direction is woeful. I tend to go by numbers and obvious landmarks. As in turn left at the third street after the hospital (or fire-hydrant).
ReplyDeleteGlad they figured it out before they gave away that pumpkin bread to the wrong house! :-)
ReplyDeleteHilarious. You almost lost your pie, but made new friends.
ReplyDeleteI navigate by signs and numbers. It's the left brain thing. The year I started clerking for the township and the fire department, I pointed out street numbers are next to impossible to locate in a township, and the new firemen were navigating by "Turn left where that Ford dealer used to be, just past the big oak tree." That sold the trustees, and a stake with the number went into the corner of every lot. I helped coordinate the whole affair; it was quite a job. I suggested painting the numbers on curbs, but that brought down the room. We have no curbs in our township.
ReplyDeleteTalk about leaving your mark on a town. . ! That's what I call a remarkable legacy.
DeleteI get annoyed with house numbers that are hard to spot, but get absolutely furious in the city where business numbers are mostly non existent especially on older buildings. Newer office blocks have large numbers which at least makes it easy to spot you're going in the right or wrong direction, but some older streets are lined with little old offices and many of those have teeny tiny numbers right beside the entrance door, or none at all.
ReplyDeleteSee, I am much more a map and a street name person. Turn right on Main Street, then left on High Street -- that kind of thing. (Because I'm a guy, maybe?) It's a drag that your house numbers aren't more visible, though. Seems like the authorities might not like that for 911 purposes.
ReplyDeleteI use both, street names and landmarks. just yesterday I was giving someone directions to the post office...turn left at the third stop sign (if you hit Milam you went too far), take the first right.
ReplyDelete