Missed Turns & Traffic Snarl Ups

The best days are the ones that you end up checking off everything on the to-do list. It was one of those days where I had several sites to pass by. After the first site, which turned out fine, the second site had issues with the materials – tiles to be specific. I had to find more to finish the project. We have various sources of ceramics, ranging from Kijabe Street to Kiambu Road, to Mombasa Road. But today, this particular project had products sourced from UR Home on on Mombasa Road. You know you usually have many suppliers, depending on what the client wants in depending on what their designs are, so sometimes you don’t get everything from one shop. So now this time round the shop is on Mombasa Road and the site is at Kasarani. So the wall tiles for the kitchen had run short and we had to get them. And then also we did not have the granite top for the sink area. I had to get them as well.

Tiles,

The Construction Life…

I heavily rely on Google Maps for traffic updates and plotting my routes. Lately, accessing Mombasa Road has been a high risk sport, an adventure, it’s a very tricky affair. Recently we spent 4 hours in traffic to JKIA executed an installation for 2 hours and spent 3 hours on the way back. Crazy! Sometimes Google Maps won’t give me the exact route to follow but it helps in identifying the dense routes and then I can plan on which back routes and unofficial roads to use. Here I was in Kasarani and my intention was to use Enterprise Road from Donholm and then get to Mombasa Road. Without having to go through the traffic on Outering Road – past Donholm that is. However, I ended up missing my turn at Donholm. I had to go all the way to the North Airport Road and joined Mombasa Road at the City Cabanas.

The moment I passed that Donholm exit, I realized my day was out of plan. What was interesting is, after I recalibrated my prayers, solutions started arising at every hurdle. Like honestly. I’m just past the turn off from the bypass and I’ve joined Mombasa Road, now I have to go all the way past GM almost near Airtel, which I think is the new U-turn when you’re coming from Mombasa Road – These U-turns are always shifting. cause. The rope of traffic is crazy long! I’m not sure about the location of the U turn to access UR Home which is a little past the Imara Daima turn off, but then I’m in traffic for about 30 minutes and getting impatient because these materials had to be delivered to site. I spot a GSU officer and an employee of the expressway project manning an unofficial U-turn. There was a road block where selected vehicles were making a U turn. I think on these roads they have ensured that there is a place where the construction trucks can make a U-turn and then instead of going all the way, to decongest traffic the trucks that are building the expressway use these turns. Here I am intending to make a U turn at some point and then going back to the other lane so I decided why not try talking myself out of this traffic. I decided to introduce myself to the GSU officer and request him to make a U turn here. There were three cars ahead of me, the first car proceeds but the second car was waved on ahead and asked to use the U-turn with the rest of the motorists. I went ahead and talked to the officer. “Can I please make a U-turn here? I’m one of you and I’m short of time”. God’s favor just went ahead of me and I was given way. He waved me on even without asking questions. I get to the showroom alright. That name showroom would be choking me in a few moments.

I’m excited that I’m going to get the tiles that I wanted to get, and then I get back on site. UR Home has an amazing selection of tiles. They also have other household furnishings. Its a one stop furnishing shop. Like you can choose your sanitary fittings, get your furniture for the kitchen, dining room, living room, the bedroom, you get the drift. I picked the tiles and the granite tops I needed. As I was about to pay, the lady asks me if I knew where I would be picking them. “You’ll go to pick them at our warehouse at Syokimau“. I was in shock. Here I was thinking that I’ve saved a lot of time. I’ve made a U turn, saved myself like an hour to and from and then I just get that I’m supposed to get the tiles at Syokimau. I could carry the load because it was a small consignment. I was not pissed, I was just shocked. Syokimau caught me off-guard. I’m shocked now since it was a small consignment, I was not worried about the load. I had come with a small car, but for previous consignments we send the truck over because we had transport material for like 3 projects together. I decided to go by myself so that I could save time and let the truck run other errands. I tried not to express the shock. I understand when, a shop tells you they don’t have stock on site, they actually don’t have stock on site and I agreed. That is why the name “Showroom” is just that. I knew the Lord would get me out of this as well. The material would get to site on time.

After I made my purchase, I headed for Syokimau. Of course I checked Google Maps and figured that I’ll need a way out to get to Syokimau faster. The exact location of the warehouse is opposite the SGR station. He’s another thing. It’s been awhile since I was at Syokimau. To be exact I last visited the SGR station in December of 2018 – in a cab. So i couldn’t get myself there in 2021. But then, as I was browsing through the traffic options, “Why don’t I use the airport and use the road behind the ware houses?” But then I was skeptical because I thought the security checks would waste my time. But then I did not have an option I decided that would be the better option. You should have seen me turning off for the airport like I was about to take off. Also… it usually is very exciting for me anything planes and related. did the deed, security checks, and off I went around the roundabout then re-joined Mombasa Road on the other side and immediately turn left and then now from there the rest of it is history, so in fact I’ve even figured another shorter routes to the SGR because they don’t have to go all the way to Syokimau to make U-turns among trailers and the chaos related. The construction of the Expressway is causing nightmares on that highway. It’s so heavy, so heavy. I made it to the warehouses, got my tiles and left because it was way past lunchtime. I had my lunch around that area and I still made it back to Kasarani at the site on time. I did not delay the installers.

This was one of those days where you plan the day a certain way but it goes south. One site got to receive its materials on time but there were other errands that were not completed. There are days that go south from the get go and others just ride along peacefully and drop you off at some point and you have to try steer the day back into position. I really appreciate errand guys and the advent of taxi hailing apps. I would have loved to send one over to do this but considering the hustle of paying and moving from one desk to the other, they are usually not that patient, it isn’t part of their description. It would have taken longer and costed more. The most I could have done is have someone on that end to load the materials. I was in panic mode since a few minutes lost in a project easily turn into months worth of delays. For example, you find 30 minutes delay in a project means that by the end of the day. You have wasted almost a whole day because three or four other processes were waiting for the initial process to finish so that you can do it. But honestly, when I came back and sat down, I was just encouraged and the Holy Spirit was ministering to me and just showing me how we try so many times to do things by ourselves yet, we have the power of the Holy Spirit with which to consult him, to ask for directions, help. We receive ideas, we receive favor from people, like those security agents, that GSU officer, finding trucks waiting to load but your consignment is not delayed, open doors, clear traffic when you need it. More important is the peace when things go so south you cannot recover and you just let it go, without bashing self, or getting depressed over it. God opens doors for us in ways that we do not expect, and in ways that we cannot be able to open for ourselves. Most of the time I take it for granted but deep down, it gets to me that I couldn’t have done it by myself.

Missed Turns & Traffic Snarl Ups

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