Return Of Lake Geneva

Twice a year our offices like to get together. Christmas, cause gosh darn it it’s nice to drive to Wisconsin in December weather, and sometime during storm season (about now usually), we get together for a staff meeting followed by golf for the guys and spa for the girls*, then drinks at the clubhouse and a dinner cruse around the lake (which is often canceled due to weather). This is an enormous waste of time to me. Sure I like the posh little lakeside Inn I get to stay at the night before so I don’t arrive late to the meeting in the morning and I’m taking advantage of the free massage possibilities this year, but then I’d like to go home. I dislike driving, especially at night, and I don’t want to NOT drink at a “social” work function. I have to be social with people I see twice a year and have (as far as I have yet discovered) nothing in common with.


*I have always balked at the separation of the sexes in this manner but learned last year that I am in NO LEAGUE golf-wise with these men who make deals by playing golf 5 times a week.

So how is it takes me 4 hours to make a 2 hour drive?
Rain and Cubs games and darkness my old friend. Why I drove for 40 miles on a 2 lane road in the fogy pitch black country darkness is a mystery only Google maps can solve.
I have an odd directional threshold. I need to know how many miles to something (and watch the odometer) or I'll convince myself I've gone too far and need to turn around or stop for directions and be a mile or 30 yards from where my point of interest is. So this time I decide not to give into that feeling, knowing it's on the lake and if I stay on this road I will find the Inn. But, it gets creepy in the darkness of the low lying fogy lake area. I start looking at mailbox numbers. Going up, well that's good... then suddenly going down, that's bad.
I was not surprised to find I had missed my turn and was about to make a complete loop on lake shore drive (circles Lake Geneva) when I decided to call the inn. By the time I got there it was after 10pm and I was exhausted. I had dinner at the bar and unable to take advantage of the nice-view room other than to pass out.

I did the meeting, did the massage, and excused myself from the dinner. I decided not to take the damnable 2 lane road back so just followed signs that said to Chicago. Till HWY BB and WW split, and there was no sign and I had to get directions. The guy at the liquor store sent me back the way I came (to a 2 lane road) because it was rush hour and that would be faster "just look for 7 mile road and you'll see the sign for 94"
I drive and drive and drive and start to wonder why I'm driving west. Surely I need to be going east. I mean that would make more sense. Shush, calm down. Drive and Drive and Seriously I need to make sure I'm going the right way. I pull into a gas station. The guy tells me mile 7 road is in Wisconsin and I am now in Illinois (damn those 2 lane roads) and I need to go back the other way. Arrrgh! Wait no, if I'm in Illinois can I get to 94 from here?
Awww, sure it's 3 miles further down the road.
I need GPS.