West Coast Bella’s Dischord

There’s a bit of a spat going on between two important members of the West Coast Bella team.

Heather and Gary (our Garmin GPS, so named before we realized she has a lady voice) are not getting along very well right now.

Heather has a few gripes with Gary.  First, Heather finds it very unhelpful when Gary tells us to “proceed to the highlighted route”.  If we knew where the heck we were supposed to be going, aka, the highlighted route, we wouldn’t have been asking Gary for help.  I have to say, I consider that a fairly valid point.

Next, Heather thinks that Gary needs to work on her enunciation, her pronunciation, and her emphasis on certain words.  For instance, today, when Gary wanted us to take Washington 202 East, it came out of Gary sounding like “two-oh-tuhwee”, all one word.  I was able to understand Gary because I had the luxury of looking at her screen and knowing what she was trying to say, but Heather, being the driver, was much less certain where the heck she was supposed to be going until I could translate.  Gary does also often choose odd words to emphasize.  For instance, you would hope the emphasis in the direction ‘stay left on WA 202 E’ would be on LEFT and EAST.  Gary has been known to emphasize much less important words, like WASHINGTON.  Thanks Gar, we’re aware of what state we’re in.  Again, I think the point goes to Heather on this one.

Heather also disagrees with some of the decisions Gary makes in directing us.  To get to the house we’re staying at here in Seattle, she insists on taking us down a small, residential street, one block past but parallel to a much bigger street with two lanes each way and stoplights at intersections that also intersects with the street we live on.  Heather’s point is again, well taken.

But fourth, and perhaps what has most raised Heather’s ire, is the fact that Gary has been, of late, taking a really long time to find herself every time we turn her on.  She has this annoying habit of pretending like she doesn’t remember where she is, even though she directed us to exactly where we’re sitting.  And she usually shows us sitting right there, at the right intersection, but she blinks a question mark, as though she’s not sure if we’re still there, or have somehow moved her to somewhere else without letting her know we’ve moved.  She has no reason to be lost, and in fact isn’t lost, but still can’t find herself and takes ages to ‘acquire satellites’.  Heather’s displeasure with this annoying new habit of Gary’s caused her to exclaim today, when I asked if Gary needed to be charged: “no more food for you!  You’re getting fat and lazy!”

I’m not ready to throw the towel in on Gary yet.  She may have her flaws, but she hasn’t led us astray yet, and I’m still glad to have her, funky routes, odd word emphasis and all!  Plus, it makes for good entertainment for me, with Heather muttering away, while Gary chirps on happily, or at least blinks a friendly red question mark!