The Hunt for Joe's Crab Shack....Chapter 1

So we ended that crazy first day in Atlanta in the Tahoe looking for a Joe's Crab Shack. For months, they have been advertising locally and Todd has said how good the food looks. But...there aren't any ANY where near here (why do advertisers do that??). So...we looked it up before we left and yes, there were several Atlanta locations. But hey, in the age of Internet access and GPS, it never occurred to us to right down the information.

We struggled with Internet access that first day in the hotel...and so I decided to go old-fashioned. I pulled out the phone book on the closest area shelf and ripped out the page with Joe's on it...(hey who else is going to use that book in this day and age??)and figured I'd ask one of the desk employee for help. Yeah bad idea. The clerk was like um, I'm not from here and those kind of chain restaurants aren't downtown. The security guy tried to be helpful saying something like "Just get on 85 for like 30 minutes and you'll see it right there". So...I programmed an address into the Garmin...but I should've known something was up 'cause it sent me to an address one number away from what I punched in. I braved driving Atlanta highways (Todd was still sweating off his cocktails), nearly driving into a ditch once but other than that doing OK...and we ended up at a park. Yeah. Not right. Turns out that the phone book didn't specifically list towns. Or fully list them. I figured out another abbreviation ...one for Marietta, another suburb. We programmed that in. Oh, and we were almost out of gas. We stopped at a gas station, but it was closed. I didn't realize we didn't get gas...and when the chime started going off on our way to this new address, I panicked a little. Todd was like it's fine, it's fine, but all I could picture was me on the side of a major highway with two kids and Todd unable to drive...but he was right...

So we get off the highway and make a bad turn...get gas...then...we start searching for this elusive Joe's Crab Shack. And this time, we found it.
Dark.
Closed.
That's right ..closed...so I'm getting anxious...my kids are tired it's like 8pmish and now I'm driving in a strange city in the dark. And, for me, the ever present threat of having to whip it out for Abbey. So,of course, spousal bickering begins...we end up pulling into Red Lobster...I calm down...Todd sobers up and we laugh at ourselves later that night. Adam was tired so Todd let him sit in the booth and eat from his salad plate until his food. And when Abbey started crying, Todd rocked her and she was OK. Once again, I ask myself, why did I get so worried about nothing? When Todd tells me not to worry, I'm like how can I not? Then later, I'm like, you're right, what was I so worked up about? But don't tell him...he doesn't need to know I think he was right :)

Back to the hotel and finally, bedtime. Adam passed out and Abbey, too...and us as well!