We are scheduled to take our Baby Girl (our 2017 Buick Encore) to her check-up and annual inspection tomorrow. Is it possible to accomplish her check-up in Gloversville? No! Are these check-ups available in Fonda (not Henry, Jane, or Peter, but a small town in Upstate New York)? No! We must drive all the way to Albany for our sweet Baby Girl’s check-up. Inspection could be completed locally.
We have a choice! We could zip East over interstate 90, go through the toll booth, jump across several lanes while dodging monster eighteen wheelers to reach the exit to Adirondack Northway 87 before we find ourselves past it, and head to Central Avenue in Colonie (suburb of Albany where our car’s dealership and check-up station resides)… Or, we could plod more serenely, with a greater possibly our trip will be bloodless, to Albany via (what I call, ‘the back route’). It is so relaxing to drive east through the less busy Route 29 to Saratoga Springs, then take Adirondack Northway 87 South to Central Avenue in Colonie. No toll booths… No jumping across several lanes of congested traffic… Just less traffic… less hassle…
No matter which route we take, we (at least I don’t) no longer need our GPS (global positioning system). Because of my limited vision, I learn landmarks. Scott relies on ‘Mama’ (our GPS) and road signs. My landmarks are bigger and easier to spot and remember (I consider these challenges exercises to prevent Alzheimer’s). Therefore, I learn my way around by learning the location of buildings, parks, unusual apertures extending from the earth, or just memory.
Upon completion of Baby Girl’s check-up and inspection, we pull out of the car dealership’s driveway, turn right and turn directly onto Route 5 (another less traveled by-way) directly home. We have managed to turn a “fight the morning rush hour traffic drive” into an enjoyable easy peasy drive…
Of course there is one other factor we need to take into consideration. New York Spring… that impossible time of year when it is useless to guess whether our traveling conditions will be clear, rainy, snowing, icy, or a mixture of all the preceding… Being responsible road patrons, we check the weather forecast. They predict snow today. We had icy rain yesterday. Our appointment is for tomorrow, Wednesday morning. Icy rain, snow, not the best possible road conditions. We decide we might not know what the condition of the roads will be early in the morning.
Since we are retired, we have options. We cancel our appointment for tomorrow and re-schedule the maintenance check-up for next week when it is predicted to be sunny and warmer (we hope)…
