August 22, 2019
Real time
This isn’t about an update as in it becoming GPS 4.1 but just a report on how well we are co-existing. I am pleased to report that so far things are going swimmingly (an odd word to express what it expresses but apparently with Old English roots). Yes, there have been a few hiccups but the good far outweighs the bad.
It is rather amusing to hear her pronounce street names here in Canada. The names are almost always French words and if you think my French is bad (trust me, it is) you should hear her struggle with it. Of course I chose “English” when doing the initial setup but most street names are comprised of a string of several French words and what she says doesn’t sound anywhere near what they look like, bless her little microchips.
Entering destinations is counter-intuitive and is something I hope I can change going forward but I dare not try to make any adjustments until I am at least 100 kilometers, oops, I mean miles, in to New York State early next week. If she starts speaking French now I’m screwed.
One thing she did which really blew me away…. I was in the parking lot of the venue I went to after aborting my visit to Parc National de Jacques-Cartier (which ISN’T a National Park) when I was near Québec City and she actually told me I was going the wrong way. In the PARKING LOT. And of course she was right!
Some dickhead had parked his or her vehicle right on the white line and after I had skillfully squeezed in to the narrow space which resulted (backwards, thank you very much, hold your applause, please)….
… I realized I could barely open my doors and was afraid they’d ding my car on the way out – especially if they were upset that I had parked that close. I took some photos, of their full license plate and BEFORE pictures of my car where their doors would hit, but as I was walking towards the venue entrance I realized there were lots of open spots further back in the lot. I knew I’d get ulcers worrying about it while visiting the venue and be looking at all the patrons there suspiciously (was it YOU sir, or perhaps YOU madam?) and wouldn’t enjoy my visit. Further, I knew I would be upset with myself if my fears were later realized since I now had control in de-escalating a potential confrontation so I decided to simply move my car. I took the “arrow” photo after I had moved my car to another spot and had been admonished by my new little friend. I still find it pretty étonnant (amazing) that she knew.
I can’t wait to hear her tackle the Parkway I live near in Durham, which is actually a derivation of an English family name, not just a random American English word. None of her predecessors could do it and I’ll report how well she does when I get home. I also want to see if she knows exactly which street I live on. Again, all the others have been wrong. My apartment is relatively new and so are the street names.
And not to worry, I will explain my sudden ability to write, if not speak, in tongues in a subsequent post, probably sooner rather than later. And I’ll have you know that in my unquenchable thirst for knowledge I learned “dickhead” from a mere child many years ago. Another story for another time, perhaps.
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