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Let Me Show You the Waze

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I was watching Chicago Med the other day (what can I say? I enjoy the three Chicagos, Med, PD and especially Fire).  Anyway, Dr. Crockett Marcel uses this AI O.R. 2.0.  It is a very advanced way of doing surgery.  The 2.0 is programmed to let you know when you can or cannot do something, give you best options, or even let you know if you are too tired to operate.  They had this very weird scenario where, to save a hand until it can be reconnected (due to infection), they do what is called ectopic banking, which is basically to plant an amputated member onto another part of the body (in this case, the hand to the leg) to keep it properly perfused and prevent the member from dying until it can be reattached.  The 2.0 has no record of how to do this but it can keep tabs on the perfusion.

After they successfully do this operation (of course), Crockett then chooses to use a regular OR for some other procedure.  When asked why? He responds:  “Do you ever go anywhere without using your GPS?”  The person responds, “No, why should I?  It’s there, might as well use it.”  His answer to that is:  “Well, I have the need to make sure I can still find my way without this type of technology.”

This brought me to a discussion with B about the very same thing.  How once upon a time, I would have just looked up the road to take (or asked directions) and taken it.  I could possibly hit construction detours, but hey, I would have figured it out in the end.  Now? I use the damn thing to go to places I know off by heart!  Why?  Simply to see if there is traffic to avoid.  It’s a good justification, right?  Maybe…

Besides the traffic pitfalls to avoid (or the least painful ones), Waze (I choose over Google Maps) gives me some interesting routes.  It rarely screws up, either.

I have used it almost every day since Monday, visiting my daughter at the clinic where she is recuperating from elective surgery.  What you might not be able to see on the image at left is that where she is, is at the very top part of the island of Montreal.  You see I have to cross one bridge, drive across and through to the other side.  So far to the “top” that it is right beside one of the many bridges to cross over into the Island of Laval.  There are a few options to cross but all depend on which way the traffic stalls.  Ugh.

What does not help is visiting hours at the centre are from 2 pm to 8 pm. I figure most of her friends would only be able to visit after work so I leave the evenings for them (we can only visit one at a time, anyway).

Wednesday, I took pity on her and brought her a good pillow.  I figured I’d get there for 2 and leave by 3:30, latest, getting just the beginning of traffic. HAH! Jokes on me.

Well now, while the drive took me almost an hour, it was a surprising and rather enjoyable one.  Instead of sending me over to the Champlain bridge, or to the tunnel (which I avoid like the plague since they are redoing the damn thing), it took me to the Jacques-Cartier bridge.  Hmmm.  This meant going through boroughs and along streets I was not expecting (nor familiar with, at least not this far north).

 

It took everything in my power NOT to pull over and take a bunch of pictures.  Though I will admit to taking quick pics at stop signs and stop lights… ahem.

I am determined, now, to take a day (I would have today but with yesterday’s snowfall?  The street, and especially parking, will be hell.

See that slushy mess?  And the ploughs pass when they do and you get snowed in. It’s gross and unpleasant.  I shall see what the deal is shortly!

Now I just have to remember where I saw the following mural – taken through my dirty window while at a red light (I’m not that foolish!)

Maybe GPS is not so bad after all, eh?

 

 

 

100 thoughts on “Let Me Show You the Waze”

  2. I was surprised to see this post, as I assumed you’d be driving and/or visiting. GPS is definitely useful!
    And I would never say anything about the shows you watch–I still love Grey’s Anatomy and all the Shonda shows. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  4. That’s a long drive in slushy conditions. You got some great photos along the way. Resa is going to go Lady Gaga over that mural. GPS = Got Put Somewhere. Usually that somewhere is where you need to be.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. First, hope your daughter is having an uneventful recuperation and that everything went textbook.

    GPS! Get People Somewhere. I am a full-fledged dinosaur. I have never used GPS. Don’t even know how to use it. I know. My bad!

    LOVE the mural. And I love that first building. Gotta tell ya Dale, your slush is just as ugly as ours! Nasty stuff.

    Also love Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, but Chicago Med….not so much. I liked Grey’s Anatomy in the beginning, but after the characters Izzy and George departed, the show was over for me.

    Gilmore Girls was great!

    Enjoy your sightseeing tours with or without your GPS. You provided me with a grand tour and I never had to wade through that #&/8§£{} slush!

    Hoping you have a terrific weekend!
    Ginger

    Liked by 2 people

    • First off, her surgery was textbook perfect and now is the hard part.

      That is so funny! Even my mother has used GPS! 😉

      Isn’t it great? I have to go back because that is only a part of it. The slush was just nasty.

      I love Chicago Fire, Like PD and put up with Med – but can’t give it up in case there is something that ties the three…

      I never watched both Grey’s nor Gilmore Girls!

      So glad you enjoyed my tour slushing through the muck.

      Thank you, Ginger. I wish for you a wonderful weekend, too!

      Like

    • Thanks. That mural – must go back to capture it all. I have been to Chicago and I would love to go back. And I imagine it must be a pain when you live in the area!

      Like

    • It’s pretty good. It’s better than in the first years. I feel they finally came into their own. They are still not on par with Fire, though. Haha! You are, aren’t you! It’s cool. Must go back…

      Liked by 1 person

  11. It seems your GPS app knows when you need to take a scenic route. I only use it in unfamiliar cities. There have been studies that show certain parts of your brain either don’t de skip or atrophy if you aren’t using them for things like route-finding. I don’t doubt the TV doctor was doing exactly the right thing. I used to memorize all kinds of addresses and phone numbers. Can’t do it now, even when I want to!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Smart of you. I should just take a look-see to give me an idea of the best route, then turn it off! I do believe that our brains must be used to be kept in good shape. Same here..I knew everyone’s phone number. Sigh. I have a friend who still does that (learn phone numbers off by heart) – smart of him.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I’m a wanderer by nature. When I go on road trips, I’ll take the slow roads and explore. Even if I’m heading to a particular place, I’ll often wander until I find it. My husband used to want me to stop and ask directions (pre-GPS days). I’d say, I like seeing what all is here – I’ll get there in due time!

        Liked by 1 person

  12. At 1st I wasn’t even going to read this, as I had no idea what you were talking about. Don’t forget, I have no TV and wd never know about any of the shows you wrote about. Then it got interesting. GPS …. gosh! Where to start. Yesterday, when I visited my 99+yr old auntie, I wanted to ‘visit’ the address of a new doctor I’m due to see early April. It was impossible. The street on GPS and in real life seems to meander through the whole place. I caught # 4-11, later on I got, on twisted roads, to 20-40, but I never found #71, where ‘there are 4 parking slots in front of the cabinet’…. I then decided to take the train and put on my walking gear 🤣

    Liked by 1 person

    • You funny birdie. I’m very glad I piqued your interest enough to keep reading!
      That sucks – when the GPS can’t find the place. Or the place is just plain confusing. Sometimes the addresses are inside a courtyard and you’re at the right place but you just can’t see it (wouldn’t it be nice if the “voice” told you that?) Walking gear is a great option. 😉😘

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Sounds like an adventurous trip, but with great crops! Agree with Tim, Resa will go wild with your murals!!!
    On GPS, the times I had voice on, it made me want to smash my phone, sent me via the weirdest routes [sometimes longest!]. Needless to say, I hate the damn thing. I prefer to just have the map on my screen with no designated destination.
    All the best to your daughter! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

    Liked by 2 people

    • It was a wonderful one. That mural – I must re-find it to take it in its entirety. I guess not all GPS are on the same level. And hey, not a tool for all, eh?
      Thank you. Ariel is doing great. Mornings are tough but the rest of the day is good. Slow and steady. xoxoxo

      Like

  15. I like what you did here.

    Jacques-Cartier bridge is my favorite to cross over to Montréal Island. When the neighborhoods where one lands on the Montréal side I always thought was very special. My father owned a 5 unit building around there. Each unit had its own entrance. And after helping renovate one of the units there I asked if I could rent there. For reasons better not to share here, he said no. But he offered any unit in any of his other buildings.

    I also love Jacques-Cartier bridge for the Fish market right under it on the Montréal side. They had all sorts of fresh fish. And there was a Portuguese older man there that cleaned the fish and prepped it they way you want it. This man had lots of stories to tell, and recipes to share.

    Thank you for the trip down memory lane ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  16. GPS and AI can be fantastic, but…a friend recently had a tumor removed using AI. All was well, except that the machine had found a new tumor and removed that and not the one that was planned, so a second surgery using the surgeon’s own eyes and hands!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. I LOVE WAZE and so appreciate the update on road conditions (watch out…obstacle reported ahead…etc.). I tend to avoid driving in this pothole hell-hole most of the time but whenever I go visit my Dad 115 miles away, it’s so valuable. Plus it keeps me informed on speed limit changes which also is helpful for those highway billboards with a state patrolman hiding nearby waiting for the maniacs that have taken over the roadways. And sometimes, those proverbial detours from what we might think is the best way really make for some serendipitous encounters. Bravo.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I am with you, Monika. Waze does it for me all the time. I don’t like Google Maps at all. I love the police ahead and the fact that with a touch of a button, I can let them know that they are gone or still there, keeping it updated. It’s so practical.
      And the best part is the detours I am made to take which let me discover a whole new world!
      Glad you agree 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      • Delays are sometimes inserted into our lives for a good reason. 😉 I still have a difficult time figuring out which button to use for responding on my new-ish car. It’s such an upgrade from my old analog car I’m still trying to figure out the interactive screen which is the only thing I’m not crazy about. I think I’d love it if it were a touch screen rather than using the console control button but it’s a small concession getting me from Point A to Point B safely and on time. You’re so right…Google maps ain’t for me either. I’d rather run into a ditch than use it!

        Liked by 1 person

        • Yes, they are. I truly believe that.
          Bummer yours is not touch-screen (Mine is too old for that. I do have Google Maps which you do touch screen to enter the info of where you are going before you leave, but it’s the one downloaded from a file so, no updates which means basically useless. I never do use it.)
          Eventually, when this car dies (in no rush for it to), I shall surely get a more advanced one 😉 I’ve had this one since April 2015. I switched Mick’s F-150 for it after he died.

          Liked by 1 person

  18. Carplay is the one feature I’m not crazy about on my 2021 model but it’s light years ahead of the nearly 20 year old car that was traded in. I went from an abacus to a super computer and am still floating with joy. The fact that I no longer have to shift gears is still the best upgrade I ever could have hoped for, particularly in the stop and go traffic that has gripped Denver. No more Popeye legs for this chickadee. 🤣

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’ve never heard of Carplay (so there is that!)
      And, much as I enjoyed a stick shift, I am past that now. Especially in traffic. Ugh and UGH. Love that Popeye legs!
      And good for you, Monika. It’s so nice to upgrade!

      Liked by 1 person

  19. I loved the old car but it was a tiny thing and seeing around traffic was next to impossible with all the SUVs on the road so I joined the small SUV contingent. It gets surprisingly good mileage and is tall enough to see what’s ahead for the most part. Carplay works by connecting to your smartphone via Bluetooth or USB, and is mirrored on your car’s infotainment screen. You can navigate the functions the same way you would normally use your infotainment system – via touchscreen, buttons, rotary dial (which is what I have 😕), or trackpad. It works for both Apple and Android devices.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. I’ve never heard of Waze but then I’m indifferent to GPS in general. I don’t dislike it, but don’t use it often, figuring getting lost is part of the adventure. On the other hand if I have to get to somewhere at an appointed time I adore it. I’m fickle, aren’t I?

    Liked by 1 person

    • It’s better than Google Maps. And is very practical when there is construction all over the damn place (and you don’t live there so you don’t know where). I love to get lost too (just not in non-moving traffic jams) so I absolutely understand you. I wouldn’t call it fickle, I’d call it reasoned 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Q

    The GPS has its place, the same way most technology has its place. But it shouldn’t be something that replaces, not ever. Okay, I say this while being completely beholden to the thing whenever I go somewhere that is unfamiliar, so yanno . . . I have already crossed into that dark passage that Bradbury warned us about back in the day. And from here, it’s basically on to the fiery pits of our doom!

    But until such time . . . it has its place. And it can be a genuine help. And it can actually be fun too. So why not?

    B

    Liked by 1 person

  23. She is the master (or is it mistress?) of doing this. Another swisher shot for Dale.

    I am familiar with that episode of CM. I once had a mechanic put twice the correct amount of oil in my car because (he said) our computer is “never wrong.” Neither he nor his boss believed the dip stick. I asked him if he knew what gigo meant. He did not.

    I love tech because med tech (and this thing I am using now) has done so much for me. GPS and moving map displays are wonderful, but that tech has displaced my former profession. Shoot down all the fecking satellites and no GPS and no one knows how to read a map, if there are any. And you ground the every plane in the air force.

    Well done, Dale. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Oh you!

      It was a good’un. That is rather interesting. How can you get twice the amount you need without spilling over?

      Tech is great. But let’s face it. The human factor is still needed. I don’t know many who still understand maps. It’s a sad state of affairs. I like to think of “Hidden Figures” where Katherine Johnson’s use of “old” mathematical equations are what were needed to figure out things. We have to keep that in mind. We need to use our minds.

      Thank you, Bill.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Thank you for the tour! I’d love to see that mural. Eh, I remember the days when I printed out maps before a business trip and tried to memorize as much of the route as possible. The NAV maps we have in our Prius are old, not a good thing in an Etch a Sketch state like Florida 😉 We could get them updated but it would cost $$$ so we use our phones when necessary. The traffic info was a necessity when we used to drive to South Florida to visit family. Always some construction or accident backing up traffic.

    I hope your daughter has a swift and uneventful recovery. And how kind of you to give evenings to her friends. You’re a sweet mom 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • My pleasure, Marie! I’ve definitely got to go back and get it all. Oh my gosh. Were you ever a member of AAA? They would print out the Triptiks of whatever trip. Same as the ones in my car. I refuse to pay for an update when I can easily get Waze on my phone. Even if I drive down to the States, it still works without using up my data. And yeah, it’s great to help you navigate construction (which is a NIGHTMARE in Montreal).

      She is doing fantabulously well. And I got screwed the other night because two of her friends showed up not long after me, so… I left. Now, I’m contemplating if I go today or tomorrow since Tuesday she’s coming home with me to recuperate.

      Liked by 1 person

  25. GPS has its values. Hope you do find the street art again! Maybe more? Usually if there is one work, there is another close by. (Around a corner, down the alley, between buildings that have some space)

    Anyway, hope all is well with your daughter!
    Best! ⚡️💥

    Liked by 1 person

    • GPS definitely has it’s benefits. And I am fairly certain I know where it is. It’s the whole width of the building (at least) and I could have maybe opened my door, stood up and maybe captured it all before the lights changed… or not!

      All is well. She is healing. It’s a painful thing. But it will get better. 🧚‍♀️🌟

      Like

  26. Love it. Though as a walker & rider of buses, I don’t need or use GPS. I use a map, and every time I thank my father for teaching me to map read, the military way
    BTW, hope your daughter makes speedy recovery from the op, and I’m sorry to hear about that. My love to you

    Liked by 1 person

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