Winter 2004:
We were still fairly new to the Houston area, especially me when it came to getting around Houston. I was aware of the major freeways and had traveled on them as a passenger. As a driver, I pretty much stayed around the Sugar Land area and was quite comfortable getting around in Sugar Land. One rainy night Andy and I went to a basketball game downtown. I think we went with some of his co-workers (I can't remember - I have a horrible memory!). But the one thing I do remember is getting lost on the way home. Andy had been working on a client in downtown Houston and it didn't make sense to have him drive all the way home (a 45 minute drive if traffic is good), pick me up, and turn back around. So, I drove out to meet him and go to the b-ball game. Well, I got there just fine and enjoyed the game. I believe it was my first Rockets experience...
After the game we returned to the parking garage and I was going to follow Andy home. Like most downtowns, the streets are one-way in Houston. So, you don't exactly get back on the freeway the same way you got off it. And of course traffic was crazy, like it is after any type of event downtown. Needless to say, I lost Andy, probably getting through a red light or something, I don't remember. But suffice it to say, instead of getting on 59, I eventually ended up on 610. Luckily I knew I needed to go South, so that's what I did. Of course I'm crying and hysterical. Anyone who has driven through downtown Houston in the dark, by yourself, and is a woman - can hopefully understand. It's not like I exactly felt comfortable pulling into an extremely ghetto gas station to ask for directions. Eventually though, 610 (with is a big circle around the city), allows you to get on 59. So, I did get home. A little late and a little bit ruffled. Andy was worried, I think he had been home for 30 minutes before I got there. And of course, one of the first things I said to Andy was, "We're getting cell phones". You see, we were trying to be frugal and didn't really see the need for cell phones and the added cost. Let's just say, shortly after that we both had cell phones...
Winter 2008 (Last Night):
It was Enrichment and we were meeting at the temple. Great, haven't been since we've moved out here, so I was excited. Andy isn't working crazy hours and could be home in plenty of time. So, Andy printed me out maps to get to and from the temple and I was ready to go. I headed out around 6 pm and needed to be there for the 7:30 pm session, no problem. According to the maps, it's a 45-minute drive, so even with traffic I should be okay. Well, it took 30 minutes to get past the airport, which normally takes 10 minutes. So, traffic was crazy, but it eventually got better. I got off the freeway at the correct exit at 7 pm, no sweat. Well, let's just say I took a wrong turn. So, at 7:05 I'm calling Andy frantically telling him I'm lost and then tell him I have to go. I didn't have my hands-free device with me and it's nearly impossible to drive a stick shift and talk on the cell phone at the same time....
So, by the time I find a gas station to pull over in, I call Andy and it's 7:15. I tell him I'm just going to turn around and come back home. There's no way I'm going to make the 7:30 session. It's dark, rainy, and they really don't believe in readable street signs here. Andy was trying to get me to tell him where I was - I was on some street that started with a V..... It was about 12 letters long and I was in no mood to spell it out correctly to him, so I told him I'd see him around 8. I actually got home in 30 minutes (so, when there's no traffic a trip to the temple is pretty quick). By the time I got home I was calmed down and just wanted to see what I had done wrong. At a street (which was not labeled) I made a right instead of a left. When I called Andy at 7:05, I was only about 5 minutes away from the temple, just going the wrong direction. Needless to say, I survived. Andy was expecting to have me say, as soon as I got home, "We're getting a GPS-system". But I didn't, it actually hadn't even crossed my mind. What I had needed was some daylight, the streets to be labeled better, and a little co-pilot to read my map to me (well, I guess technically that's what a GPS-system does). Oh well, we live and learn and next time I head to the temple it should be a breeze! :)
The park was a nice place to walk through and enjoy the sun. Rachel enjoyed seeing all the dogs and the people running. Rachel isn't a big fan of swings, but it had been awhile and we don't have any swings at our neighborhood park, so we thought we'd try it out. Well, she started out good, but didn't last long.
Poor girl! She loved her baby swing, but I guess she just doesn't feel nearly as secure and comfy in toddler swings. It's funny what we consider a nice day here. When we left our house on Saturday morning it was only 36 degrees, but the sun was out! :) It probably reached 50 degrees later on that day. We definitely want to take some more trips to Vondelpark, especially once the trees have bloomed. After the park we walked through Amsterdam a bit to the American Book Store. We purchased a cute book for Rachel entitled The Cow Who Feel in the Canal. It will be a fun book to read to her once we are back in the U.S. and have to remind her about her life in Amsterdam. 
