So, last night I decide to go to the League of Women Voters of Westchester and Rockland’s forum on the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor’s future at Kendal on Hudson, a very nice retirement community tucked into a bucolic section of Sleepy Hollow. On the way there, I turned too soon (and went right when I shoulda gone left) only figuring out my mistake when I was well into the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. My only consolation was, I’d heard much of the early information a few times, and Project Team leader Mike Anderson of the Department of Transportation arrived even later! He got lost too! That cheered me up for some reason — a DOT guy got more confused on the roads than I did! Of course, he charmed his way out of it after he walked in late (and smiled graciously when he found  Cheryl Winter Lewy, chair of the Westchester County Planning Board, giving his PowerPoint on the project.) Anderson, by way of apology, told the crowd, “Now I know why it took me so long to find the place. It’s such a lovely place and you want to keep it to yourselves.”

Well, the presentations were worthwhile, and the audience, mosty residents, asked some really great questions and made some spot-on statements. But, afterward, it only got worse. I turned the wrong way on Route 9 (again!) and found myself in Ossining. Nothing against Ossining, I just wanted to get home. So, I head south again, and by the time I get to the bridge, the Route 9 southbound entrance was closed for night construction. So I had to take the jughandle (eek, a Jersey flashback) to the Route 119 entrance the the highway. Then I got to wait. And wait. And wait. Then I pass the guy with a torch working on something in the superstructure area (and yes, I think all the traffic should be pushed over all the way, and for a long way before, to keep Thruway workers safe, for the record.) So, that “overnight construction” that is almost standard these days on the TZ added about 30 minutes to my wayward, far-flung trip.

All that to attend a meeting about the Tappan Zee Bridge. Sigh.