atlanta

I drove Gina to Atlanta Friday night for a lymphedema conference. We stayed over and I killed time driving around until she was through at 5:30. Gina wanted to take off early Saturday morning and come back that evening. The traffic in that town is terrible and I dreaded her making a venture like that by herself.

I have never changed my feelings toward Atlanta. I can't stand it. I really can't.  Whenever there, I want to get in and get out.  I realize there's all kinds of things to do there and the city never sleeps - but it's simply not my cup of tea.  I lived there for a few years while attending Art Institute of Atlanta back in the late eighties. The only time I didn't mind driving around Atlanta was during the evenings - when the traffic wasn't as hectic.

The roads are crazy in that town and every time I go back - it seems like the city picks up the highways and moves them around. While driving around today, I marveled at how many people lived in that town. There are almost as many people living in Atlanta than there are ants living in my back yard. So many people walking and driving to and fro, enjoying city life. It's simply not in my blood.

While killing time, I walked around Lenox Square Mall and ventured into one store. The mall hasn't changed much in these past twenty years. The Ruby Tuesday's is no longer there. That's where Dad and Mom would take me when they came to visit there art student son. The Ruby Tuesday's in Gadsden had not been built yet and Dad really took an immediate liking to it the first time I took him there.  It became the place we'd always go to when they drove out.

Strange being visited by ghosts in places that I wasn't looking for them.

The Phipp's Plaza is an upscale mall that is surreal to visit. It's so ritzy to walk through that it feels like walking aboard the Titanic. It's the prettiest mall I've ever been in - but again - I didn't venture in any stores. I was just trying to kill time until Gina was finished with her classes.

When I first moved to Atlanta - all the students were gathered in a Phipp's Plaza movie auditorium for a few hours of orientation. Every day we were allowed to use the parking deck there and lug our our heavy portfolio with drawing board and design tools to the institute about three blocks away. I don't know where the school is - it's moved somewhere else...or maybe the road moved.  Who knows.

I made some friends there in Atlanta but you can keep the place.  I really don't care to go back. If I do - I prefer not having to drive or navigate it. The only driving tip I can give you is if you get lost - just keep heading in one direction.  You'll eventually run into the perimeter.  I got lost today trying to get out. It took me an hour to find a 1-85 on ramp. Did I say that I hate Atlanta.

I will tell you that I do like the Wingate Inn chain. I wished that we had the money to stay there two nights. That way I could have dropped Gina off for at Piedmont Hospital for the meeting and then go back to the hotel to hide there for the rest of the day.  That's what I got to do last year. I don't care about being nomad in Atlanta for five hours.

You can't really just pull of the road and check out a store. You have to pay five dollars parking almost every time you stop you car. I drove around until I was fed up with the road blocks / construction work / and a wreck on Peachtree Street. After a few hours of nomading - I decided to go to the parking deck at the hospital and took a long nap.