Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Downtown
Yesterday I ventured into downtown St. Louis, Missouri to go to work. My previous digs were also in the city, but in an area called midtown, or the Central West End. I’m not sure where true downtown begins, but I was definitely in it.
It started with me putting the new address into my GPS in the car, only to be told that such an address did not exist. That did not bode well, I thought. But I can be as smart as the GPS so I entered the “Peabody Plaza parking garage”. Sister Bridgett, (the name I’ve given to the GPS lady because she is so strict and persistent), did recognize that location, so off I went. Most of my fast driving was on the almost 15 miles of Highway 64 leading into the heart of the city.
Nascar driving came to a halt when I exited 64 on to a street. One thing about downtown St. Louis is that the city planners love one-way streets. They are everywhere. Anyway, I was following directions as they were given to me by the Sister who lives in my dashboard. When the guidance system ended and my “destination was ahead” I did not see anything that resembled the biggest office building St. Louis City. But Sister Bridgett felt that she was done with her job so she signed off.
I knew the building is on 7th street and Market Street and so was I. I had been driving hunched over my steering wheel looking closely at each street sign, so I missed the fact that Peabody Plaza, as it is known, was directly ahead of me across Market Street. There was even a big sign for a parking garage, but it was titled “Kiener Plaza parking”. What do I know. It is a garage and it’s across the street from Peabody Plaza so in I went. I got a ticket, found a parking spot, and was generally pleased with myself. I hadn’t been in there long and was walking to find the exit to the street when I got completely turned around and realized there was no exit to be found.
Lost in a parking garage, I found my car and called my boss, Kim, praying that she was already there and could guide me to where I was really supposed to be. Fortunately she picked up on the first ring. She confirmed that I was in the wrong parking garage, told me she had wandered around herself before she found the right garage, and that other people were as befuddled as I was. That was comforting. A set of directions followed, accounting for all of the one way streets between me and my destination. I only wandered a few blocks before I got on the correct one way path and found the sign for Peabody parking.
In I went, feeling triumphant, and took a ticket and found a spot. I knew I was to check in with our receptionist. Miss Trish on the 11th floor. She is supremely organized and she had all the employees’ cards in little plastic sleeves. I get a name badge!! I also got a key card to our offices on the 12th floor, but Trish advised me that they hadn’t been activated yet so I was going to have to knock and hope that someone heard me.
A kind person heard my knocking and let me in. What greeted me was a huge expanse of offices and cubicles and floor to ceiling windows with stunning views of downtown, including my beloved Busch Stadium. I found my cubby. However, my files, my precious people, were nowhere to be found and so began a search of several dozen green plastic bins. The area is huge so it took some time before I found my people located as far away from my desk as they could be. But everyone was intact, neatly tucked inside their pendaflex files.
I got to work after I unpacked. However, I also joined the ranks of employees seemingly wandering aimlessly around the area looking for the printers and copy machines, the reams of paper they require, the mail room, and other essential things like the bathrooms and the future break room.
By some tech miracle my computer booted right up but is not yet attached to a printer. I’m hoping that today I can find a ream of paper to make copies that will allow me to do my work. I’m pretty sure I can find my office. Then there’s the matter of getting home. When I left yesterday the one way streets got me and for a while I was lost again. That won’t happen today!