June 21, 2007

Turn Left at Intersection

In April I went to Tennesee with my friend Ann Macela who writes romance with a dash of fantasy (magic and the like). We drove in her SUV, a Mercedes with built-in GPS navigation. I’d never really experienced GPS before and I fell in love. Her car was programmed with a female voice (who I affectionately called Brunhilda — hello, it was a German car) and it would cheerfully say, “Take next exit. Turn left at intersection.”

And if you went wrong… “Recalculating route.”

It was fabulous. I just kept thinking of all the times I’ve driven somewhere new by myself, with mapquest maps spread all over my lap, trying to drive and look and read at the same time.

So I came home and I mentioned this to my husband and waxed poetic about it for about a week.

On Tuesday, he arrived home with my own Brunhilda in a box. A GPS system. Mine has a boy voice (I think I can change that, but I don’t know) and it’s fabulous! Since I’m leaving for Schaumberg, IL tomorrow for a library event on Saturday (if you’re in the area, please come by the details are here), I’m very excited for… Rolf? Bob? Fernando? Whoever to tell me where to go and when to go there.

So, does anyone have a suggestion for a name for my Brunhilda (my car is, alas, not German)? And have you ever found a piece of technology that you were just dying to have?

  11 Responses to “Turn Left at Intersection”

1. On June 21st, 2007 at 6:35 am
   Robyn DeHart Says:
   

   My dad has one in his RAV4, whom he calls “Bossy” because she tells him what to do. He totally adores it and was so proud to show it off when they visited here in December. I’m sure you’ll love yours. As for names, how about Rothgar?

2. On June 21st, 2007 at 9:19 am
   brownone Says:
   

   We just got back from a trip to New York/Canada in my sister’s brand spankin new Honda Odyssey. All I can say is WOW! We were teasing my sister because besides his mini cooper, she now comes a distant fourth to the GPS system and their new baby. We call it his “girlfriend”. It was so funny because sometimes he wouldn’t listen to her when she would say exit and it would recalculate. We told him that soon she’s gonna say “will you listen to me..MORON…I said take exit NOOOWW!!??” in her digital voice. Isn’t technology cool? We told him to do Shana’s trick about asking for driving directions to England, but he wouldn’t do it…

3. On June 21st, 2007 at 11:36 am
   Shana Says:
   

   If it’s a really bossy voice, you could call it Adolf.

   The technology I’m dying to have is a Blackberry–or some way to access email remotely without dragging my laptop everywhere.

4. On June 21st, 2007 at 12:38 pm
   Jenna Petersen Says:
   

   It’s not a very bossy voice. Sort of mellow, actually. El Guapo says that to change the voice, he would have had to spend $200 more. So I have a boy voice and that’s okay. A girl voice (or a British accent) is not worth $200! LOL

   I’m going to Schaumberg tomorrow, so we’ll see if puts me in the middle of a corn field. If I don’t come back, you’ll know to blame it on… Bubba? Cornelious? Chuck? Winston?

5. On June 21st, 2007 at 1:01 pm
   Kathryn Smith Says:
   

   I think you should call him Dieter. Or Nigel.

   BTW, I saw on Neil Gaiman’s blog that he and his daughter are on the set of the new Hellboy movie. Are you excited?

6. On June 21st, 2007 at 1:05 pm
   Jenna Petersen Says:
   

   OMG Hellboy! I’m so excited for the second movie, I could hurl. I realllly hope that they get it as fabulously right as they did the first. That movie just makes me unnaturally happy. LOL

7. On June 21st, 2007 at 2:48 pm
   Buffie Says:
   

   Gee, Jenna, I haven’t experienced the GPS thing yet. But in my family, I’m the one who knows directions — and the dh was in the Boy Scouts for years and still can’t get the North, South, East, West thing right!!!!

   I’m sure that you are going to have a blast listing to it all day tomorrow. As for a name, that’s difficult — Drake, Chuck, Emberto, Thorne.

   PS — I got the package today. Thanks so much for the ARC and I am so looking forward to reading it!

8. On June 21st, 2007 at 5:10 pm
   Clarisse Says:
   

   Hmmm, Emberto? I would pay extra to get one with an Italian accent but I want it programmed to end each direction with the words “Cara Mia” (As in, “Turn left at the next light, Cara Mia” he purred.)

9. On June 21st, 2007 at 8:28 pm
   AndreaW Says:
   

   Congrats on your GPS, Jenna! It sounds extremely nice. *sigh* Maybe one day….

10. On June 21st, 2007 at 9:17 pm
    Shana Says:
    

    I like Dieter.

11. On June 27th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
    Ruby D Says:
    

    Remember in the movie ‘Quigley Down Under’ the heroine kept calling Tom Selleck by her husband’s name? Now ever time I hear the name, Roy, I visualize Tom Selleck……..

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