Great Lakes and Random Thoughts About Gwen

I've moved on to Greenbay, Wisconsin tonight.  I spent most of the day going back and forth between Wisconsin and Michigan on a two lane highway.  It was very scenic, and the traffic was not very heavy either.  But I didn't feel real spunky, so I just drove and didn't stop to shoot much.  In fact, I opted to splurge on a motel room for the night just so I can rest a bit more.  Tomorrow, I have to decide if I want to brave Chicago traffic and plow right through the city or give it a wide berth.  Choices, choices.

One of the things that I've noticed on this trip is the number of blank billboards around this area.  Perhaps they are blank in other areas of the country too, but I haven't noticed them as much.  What does this mean?  The state of the economy is the first thing that comes to mind.  Maybe companies just can't afford to use that medium any more.  Although according to one of the signs, I could have it for a whole year for $3000.  That doesn't seem like too much, but that is for a very limited sight - available to only those who happen to be driving on that highway.  I suspect that a deeper reason is the changes in technology.

I'm using a Garmin GPS (Gwen) on this trip.  Despite being directed to a non-existent Starbucks in the parking lot of a church or being told to turn onto a one way street going the wrong way, I am truly amazing at the depth of information available at the touch of a button.  I've found campgrounds, actual Starbucks stores, gas, and food information that would have been almost impossible to gather on my own.  I also have an iPhone that provides additional resources such as weather information and the ability to call the numbers of the businesses who show up on my GPS - all while I'm moving down the road.  So, getting back to the billboards, perhaps this new wealth of electronic information is making the art and style of the billboard a thing of the past.  I have admit that I don't pay much attention to them now that I have these gadgets.

My GPS has been named Gwen because the voice sounds like that of a friend of my daughter's.  (I don't mean this in a disrespectful way real Gwen, it just sounds like you.)  Now Gwen reminds me when to turn and where, how far I have to go before I turn, what direction I have to turn, and kindly reminds me to try new options when I miss a turn - "Recalculating."  And sometimes, in frustration, I yell at her when I mess up.  No guilt blaming!  What better way to avoid taking responsibility for my actions than to blame an inanimate object.  Of course Gwen can't defend herself and yell back, or deliberately give me the wrong directions.  But what if she could?

I think that a snotty, sarcastic voice should be an option in upcoming versions of the software.  When you miss a turn, instead of saying "Recalculating," this new voice would say things like:
  "Weren't you listening?  I told you to turn!"
  "Now look what you've done.  I have to stop doing my nails (or circuits) so I can straighten you out."
Perhaps more extreme:
  "You idiot!  What are you thinking?!"
  "Did you get your license in a cereal box?"
  "Please stop and set me on the side of the road.  I'm too new to die."
For the actual voice, think of the most annoying person you've known, and ask them to record a voice sample for you.  I'm sure they'd just love to do that for you.  So on those long, lonely roads when you are trying to stay awake, just give Hazel or Herman a poke.

I drove through Spread Eagle, Wisconsin today.  No joke.  That is the name of the town.  There are lots of interesting and hard to pronounce names around here, but Spread Eagle?  That one I don't understand.  I kept looking for some poor soul strapped to a board all stretched out.  Didn't see one though.

In the campground this morning I saw a sign that said there were slow children playing there.  And I've seen this before in other places.  But I've never seen any slow children before.  I wonder why that is.

When I was growing up, our family played a game called "White Horse" whenever we were traveling.  It was always girls against the boys.  If you saw a white horse, you yelled out "White horse!"  (duh) before anyone else.  The object was to get more than the other team.   Spotting a cemetery would wipe out the opposing team's horses.  Seeing an old man with a long white beard was worth 25 points.  As my kids were growing up and we were traveling, we played it as well.  When Jean left for home, I believe she was ahead by one horse.  I counted only one white horse today, but saw 8 cemeteries.  I guess that makes me the winner for the day.