The Southside Connector Ruined My Life

We intended our first actual blog to be about alternative fuels, and the lack there of in Jacksonville, but I had such a traumatizing experience on the Southside Connector tonight, that I felt an angry rant was in order.






Tonight I decided to travel over to Regency to go see Scoop, because it's the only place that it's playing in town, which is a disgrace. When did Woody Allen become D-list to Will Farell and Ashanti?
I have always tried to shy away from the Southside Connector, because of the lack of exit signs, perpetual construction, and the fear of ending up in Mayport. But tonight I ignored my better judgment, and attempted to take the Southside Connector from Southside Blvd to the movie theater. I knew that I need to get off at Regency Square Blvd, so it was just a matter of spotting the exit. Almost immediately I saw a sign that read "Regency Square Blvd, Downtown", and logically assumed that the exit would put me on Regency Square Blvd towards downtown. I continued to drive looking for an exit that would take me in the opposite direction, but no such thing exists. The next exit was for the Trednick Parkway. I got off in fear of ending up having to go all the way to Mayport, and thankfully immediately recognized my surroundings.
I could see the movie theater in the distance, it was just a matter of figuring out how to get there. I'm a big fan of cutting through parking lots, and decided that Lowes wouldn't be offended if I took a detour through their back lot. After manipulating my way through the parkinglot, I ended up at an unfamiliar road. I took a shot in the dark and made a left turn, ending up at Monument. I hardly go to Arlington, so I was completely turned around, and figured I would press my luck yet again, and make a right. Luckly, I have good instincts, and I ended up at the mall. Reverting back to my "if all else fails attitude", I cut through the parking lot of the mall and found my way to the theater.
Scoop was hilarious, and eased most of my driving pains. And a trip to Sonic, following the movie, for a Brownie Blast Sundae, had me believing that my night was turing up. But I am yet still young, and quite naive. I still had to endure the ride home.
Being the naive and arrogant person that I am, I figured that I would have no troubles getting back to the Southside Connector, since I could just go back the way I came. Somehow I made a wrong turn, and ended up on Regency Square Blvd again, instead of on Trednick, but I assumed it didn't matter. I made a left turn onto Regency Square Blvd, and looked for the south ramp, but it was nowhere to be found. I don't know if there just isn't a south ramp yet, or if I didn't see it due to a lack of much needed lighting. Either way, I ended up on the Southside Connector, but going north. The next exit was Trednick, familiar territoy. Thankfully, there weren't any new detours and I was able to exit and get back onto the Southside Connector heading south. After much confusion, I was on my way back to Mandarin.
The moral of the story....Never take the Southside Connector. It's always better just to cut through parking lots.

-Mopey Mandarin