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- Image by javYliz via Flickr
Monday was one of those days that I added another notch in the list of reasons I don’t love my mini-van. I think there are now 88 reasons. A few may be duplicates. I’m fairly sure this reason is. Why this time?
Because there’s no GPS.
Except I do have a GPS, kind of. The kids and I bought one for the Huz last year for Father’s Day. And he likes it okay. But 9 days out of 10, he leaves it in my minivan. I promise. Promise, Promise. Promise the GPS wasn’t a gift for me. No, really. At the time we gifted it, he was going to NJ for work a few times a week and traveling to other cities and the GPS was helpful. Or it was supposed to be. Additionally, we take a lot of roadtrips, so the GPS was meant for that. And the kids selected gifting it over other choices like a Satellite radio (sorry, hon. I know that’s what you really wanted.)
Its now in my car. Most of the time it stays there. Because even though I got a new car, we opted for one without a pre-installed GPS. Why spend the money, right?
See, I spend a lot of time in the car. Playdates, errands, t-ball, soccer… you know, mom things. And even though I have a fairly keen sense of direction, sometimes, I get lost picking up my kids at playdates. No. Really. Its happened more than once. And Google Maps? Hmmm. Not always right.
So, on Monday when I drove up to Classymommy‘s house for a playdate, I was so glad to have my husband’s GPS. Its still his, but it was, thank goodness, in my car. Luckily, the GPS is only a year old. But in a few years there are bound to be road changes. And I worry that maybe his GPS that I’m starting to rely on won’t always work so well for me.
Like last week when I was driving to the Please Touch Museum for another blogging event. I couldn’t get the GPS working for the first half of the time. And wouldn’t you know Google Maps had no knowledge that the name of the Please Touch Museum’s road changed?
The GPS finally came on and it did know where to take us, but someday, the software on my his GPS may be as out of date as Google Maps, and then what? Spend a few hundred dollars to buy a new one?
That’s what I thought. That we’d be gifting the Huz another GPS in a year or two–just what he doesn‘t want. But then I learned that you can update your maps through an online purchase.
Good to know.
What about you? Are you hopeless without your GPS? I really made it until 2009 without ever using one. Now I’m so glad that I have we gifted my husband one. It saves me time and again.
© 2010, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: lizanneh
June 17, 2010 at 10:55 am
I actually have great success using google maps with my iPhone, not because its directions are always right, but because (like a GPS), it can show me exactly where my car is, which can help me identify the route I actually wanted to take instead of the one google maps wants me to take. Even when I get lost, I can always find my way back, since I can identify where I am!
My housing development was built in 2004. It’s on google maps, but when I try to do directions to or from my address, sometimes I get error messages. So yes, getting updates is an issue, and things aren’t as current as you’d expect!
.-= Liz´s last blog ..Eat Local – Join a C.S.A. =-.
We actually have two – the built in one in our car and a portable one for times when we don’t have our car (walks in unfamiliar cities and rental cars). I wish we had the functionality of the portable in the built-in unit, since we are now totally dependent on it for the silliest things. All in all, the built-in one isn’t necessarily better, even though it’s got a huge display.
Twitter: justprecious
June 17, 2010 at 10:53 pm
so good to hear from you, Megs!! Hope you’re well.