Friday, December 26, 2008

Let me show you the way...

As the dust settles, we sit back and survey the damage.
Though we have picked up the wrapping paper, torn down the boxes and washed the good china, I am still finding bits of tape stuck to my socks, little plastic tags in the carpet, and dishes in the sofa.

I could bore you with all the toys given and squealed over.
But let's talk about MY new toy:












A Garmin nuvi 205. It's the only thing I asked for.
When I prepare to go off to a program, I have to look up the address and Google directions from RAPTOR to the program location. I then print out the directions and have to have them on the seat next to me as I navigate through Cincinnati.
A waste of paper and it's not safe to read something as you drive.

Geoff listens to me when I ask for something for Christmas, but it's not like he could have missed the hints.
"Geoff, did you know that GPS devices can talk to you?"

"Hey, Geoff! Target has Garmins on sale!"
I should have asked for a BirdJam-equipped iTouch. birdjam birdjam birdjam......Hi, Jay!

Well, my birthday is next Friday....
: )



When I opened it, I was so happy I kissed the box.

Yesterday morning, I went looking for an open Starbucks and used the Garmin. Even though I know the location of every Starbucks in a 20-mile radius.

It has a wonderfully calm, Sigourney Weaveresque voice.

You can either type in an address (I ADORE touchscreens!) or it can find something you are looking for. Food, ATM's, hospitals, parks, hotels, parking, attractions, auto repair....
You can enter coordinates...which will come in handy looking for that rare bird on the listserv when someone can only describe the location in coordinates. (That was an awkward sentence, but you know what I mean)
You can change the little icon that symbolizes your car....I changed mine to a bald eagle. It's very cool.

While playing with the Garmin, it struck me that a satellite way up in space (bloop! bloop!) knew exactly where I was. And I could tell it where I wanted to go, and it would help me get there. The technology of it all was just too much.

Here's a picture of my reaction.






17 comments:

Beth said...

I got one a month or so ago for an early Christmas present from my parents and will never go back to mapquest directions on the seat beside me.

Dawn Fine said...

Thats a great gift..We wouldnt be without ours now...Love it.

Anonymous said...

Lovely new toy. I was similarly subtle about my desired wish list item. I sent Greg almost twice weekly reviews of the Kindle. He caved under the pressure! :) Glad you and your family had a happy birthday!

Anonymous said...

err a happy Christmas. . . and I hope you have a happy birthday! Sheesh!

KGMom said...

Good for you--if anyone needs a GPS it's someone going everywhere giving talks.
And buying coffee.

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

OMG! Susan I got a Garmin too!! It'll be so cool for when I fly to Charleston then have to DRIVE to wherever it is we're going for the WV New River Birding and Nature Festival.

YOU my dear, will have no excuses for getting lost!

Dave Dorsey said...

Lucky girl! Love the photo.

Stacy Hurt said...

I have you on feed so I had to scroll to the bottom & then saw the pic; laughing my butt off. Thanks!

Kim said...

I got one of those for my mother last year and it was our saving grace in DC. It is going to save you a ton of time and aggravation.

I am so happy you got the gift you wanted.

NCmountainwoman said...

What a great gift! And you will not believe the number of cards you can get for various things such as hiking trails, etc. Hooray!

Kathi said...

You kissed the gift box but did you kiss the GIVER? Good job, Geoff, for guessing what Susan wanted and surprising her with it!

Hey, Susan, I saw an article in the newspaper about the upcoming Boar's Head Festival. The reporter raved about how they were going to have a "live hawk" at the event. I could hear you screaming: "Lucy is a FALCON, not a HAWK, you *#@!*! morons!"

~Kathi, wondering when we can used the Garmin to chase some rare bird that won't stick around until we can see it

Mel said...

LOL
You did like your present!!
Have fuuuun!!!

Joy said...

Good for you! And my b-day is post christmas too. Get ripped off much as a kid? ;) Happy Birthday!

Jayne said...

What a very cool gift! A friend had one on our way to a conference and we had a blast changing the voice speaking to different accents. Might need to put that on my birthday wish list... hmmmmm

Mary said...

Yes, for all the driving around you do, a GPS is the ticket! I'm glad Geoff listens.

We have a Tom Tom and Gina raved about it so much we gave her one for Christmas, a week too late, after she was lost in a bad part of uptown.

You'll love it!

MicheleRF said...

Congrats on the new Garmin. We love our GPS. I asked "Santa" for a wrist-worn GPS that I can wear into the woods and not get lost. He told me to go buy it myself because I would know better which one I really want. Guess I'll have to take him up on that.

Cindie Ulreich said...

I got one last year for Christmas...best gift ever. Her name is Carmen the Garmin. You can change her voice, too. Sometimes she speaks with a British accent, just for giggles.