"I'm sure you're aware, but..."

So today a friend kindly inquired about my blog.  "I'm sure you're aware, but hasn't it been a while since you updated your blog?!?"

Yeah, I know...  I'm sorry.  :)

So here's a fun little story I've already shared with people, but I still think it's blog worthy!

Thursday I found myself driving in Downtown Salt Lake.  Ugh!  Not a favorite pastime for me!  I dread it and avoid Downtown like the plague.  However, there are those times that it is just inevitable.  And Thursday was one of those times.  I had to go down to the Social Security Administration to get a new SSN card.  -I'm still aggravated by this so I won't go into details on why!

So I got Downtown pretty easily and to the building I needed (or so I thought) without much stress.  So far so good.  Now it's time to park.  Oh my!

All I could find was meter parking on the street.  Which would have been fine if I had any change.  Unfortunately, I planned on paying for parking...with DOLLAR BILLS!!  Imagine that!  What was I thinking!?

So I turn into the building and find some parking but it's all permit parking.  I'll just go a bit further and see if I can find some regular parking. 

Soon, the drive turns into a one way road...and gets very scenic.  There are beautiful flower beds, fields of grass, park benches....hmm.  That's weird.  And since when have there ever been statues in a parking lot. 

It was about then that my eyes popped out of my head and my jaw dropped to the floor.  The horror on my face was undoubtedly priceless as I realized that I was not in any kind of parking lot but was actually driving along on the walking paths of the city building! 

Oh no!  What to do?  What to do!? 

I can't turn around.  It's definitely a "one way" road - for a car at least.  If I attempted at all to turn around I would have ruined a beautiful garden bed or hit a statue!

I hate Downtown!  I hate Downtown!!  Sweat started pooling up on my brow as I anxiously look around for some kind of out and to my dismay, I only find odd expressions on strangers faces as they exit the building.

My only option is to keep going.  Oh please help me! 

And then, there it is!  The small opening between two cars parked at meters on the street!

The only obstacle in my way is two nicely sized statues.

Can I do it?  Can I squeeze through?  What other options do I have?! 

So I squeeze my boat of a car through the statues with great success and jump the curb!  Yes!  I'm back on the road!!  Phew!

So I drive a few blocks, find an actual parking structure and walk back to the building only to find it is the wrong building. 

Luckily for me, the correct office was just across the street!

And I'm happy to report that after all that stress (and a little flirting - it's good to know, I still got it!) I walked out with a smile and a paper saying I'll be mailed my SSN card in 7-10 days!