First try with goto gem mount, near disaster, advice please

I traded my Gibralter Alt-Az mount for a Celestron Advanced Series Goto GEM.
I thought it would be a smooth transition...I thought wrong. I had never
used a GEM before, but I assumed it would be easy to figure out. I flipped
through the manual, balanced the scope (TV102) and lined up both sticker
arrows on each axis. Since it's been cloudy, raining or snowing nonstop for
about 3 weeks, I decided to move the scope to the middle of my livingroom,
plug it in and fake it. I went through the config, choosing quick align (the
one where you just tell it lat, long, time and it doesn't ask for any star
alignment.

I hear the motor start ticking away and the controller says it's in tracking
mode. So far, so good. I decide to choose a planet. The only choice is
Saturn, so I choose it. The scope stays pointed parallel with the
northfacing axis and rotates down to the left (in RA, I think...If you were
standing directly north of the telescope facing the lens cap, it would start
making a circle 12, 1, 2, 3 o'clock while remaining parallel with the
north-south axis). I know Saturn can't be where the scope is pointing, so I
choose Messier and M1 is available. I choose it and the scope starts going
even further down, down, down (4 o'clock, 5 o'clock) until it is a couple of
inches from smashing into the tripod leg and I flip the power off.

Any ideas what went wrong? I'm going to set aside some time to read the
manual thoroughly, but if anyone can't point me in the right direction so I
can point my scope in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

Clear Skies,
Paul