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?