The value of technology??

   We have made a significant upgrade in technology for the 2015 version of Teambunt's cross country journey.....a "smart phone".  Beth continues to use her 3 x 5 cards with hand written directions, turn arrows, and distance between turns to navigate across the country.  No maps, compass, or other directional aids....but now with a smartphone instead of a flip phone.  This system works!!!  Don't ask me how, but it does for her and that is what is important......a little hard to read when she takes off before light, the potential to get wet without the All-purpose ziplock bag, but hey....we have only had about 10 miles of rain so far.
  The smartphone for her takes Gr8 pictures, that are easier to upload to the blog.  For me...the great App to be used for this trip is:  Find my IPhone.  This is one h of an improvement over the call that comes in on occasion, "where am I?"
   Now at the press of a button, I can find where she is and the application lays over the top of TomTom maps and I can tell where she is at!  This is one heck of an improvement from trying to open a map application and scroll through the streets "where she was".  This was worth every Penney to me and solved a major problem......or so I thought
    When she calls I can locate her and tell her to turn left or right, or go North or South......unfortunately she has no idea where North or South are....(no compass) ....AND....I have no idea which way she is facing.....so if I say left, it might be actually a right turn, because she is facing the opposite direction that I am ASSUMING.   Well you say, look at the street signs....great idea if there are any, or look at the # on the buildings......doesn't work well in the dark....street signs either.....so it's a 50/50 shot and try to watch the blue dot move on the screen....and get her attention before she goes too far.....This app, has problems working when both phones are on, talking to each other, so She hangs up and goes ......assuming I am right.....keep in mind sometimes these calls are going on in the dark, or worse yet when we are in heavy traffic......like going downtown Pittsburgh.  Oh by the way did I say she makes turns by knowing distances....the IPhone App has no scale so I CANNOT tell her how far it is, and I cannot give her any indicator of what to look for either!
    OK....are you ready for the story of the day......we have had an unusually busy day......lots of traffic, wrong streets, no street signs, a flat tire, and it is getting on in the day.....13 calls to be specific....BEFORE we are getting into DOWNTOWNS Pittsburgh......lots and lots of bridges....Friday afternoon....Pirates are playing the Cardinals for first place....LOTS of traffic and coming into the "rough" area of Pittsburgh......I go ahead to where she will come across the 7th Street bridge across from Pnc Park and wait... Estimate is 10-15 minutes after I use the IPhone App......after 20 minutes, I find her near the water behind the downtown casino.....5 minutes away.....10 minutes later She is still there, but th App shows the time from 7 minutes ago, meaning it cannot find her, and puts out the location near the water again....remember this is TomTom maps, not Google Maps, which  DOES show bike paths....and there is no roadway to be seen......that is odd......I will call her......immediately goes to voicemail.....she knows not to turn off the phone...the App will not work....call again same thing......ping the App again...shows same spot now at 15 minutes......I turn off MY phone to reset all functions and wait for it too boot....she has not come across bridge either.....3 more calls go immediately to voicemail.....App says 38 minutes.....Problems!!!!!......surely she would CALL if there was one....if she could...13 times today....look again at App....right near the river.....Now......what would YOU do????
  I head across the river looking for her.....circle Heinz Field and PNC Park....Cardinals in town...every body hawking tickets...buying and selling going on with the "normal" street vendors.....I open the App.....circle into the rough area, and come out right in front of the casino...and it tells me the last transmission is behind the casino near the water.......so with the help of the ever present hyperventilating Jackson at my side, I go into the casino....with the car running outside for the air deprived dog....and ask to see a policeman.....can't do it....only the casino security force...after two people, I get to top dog who tells me that is a city problem, and to go outside and call 911.....so I did, to report a missing person, now 54 minutes overdue.....and I believe, has been taken and her phone thrown into the river.....because it went immediately to voicemail.....and surely she would have called by now...don't you think??
   After reporting the missing person, where last known location, explaining Find my IPhone App to emergency dispatcher, she says wait for an officer to appear.......and wait....and wait....dog has to pee, it's been awhile.....14 minutes later my phone rings with an odd number.....Guess who???....Guess where??......not happy...
   Waiting at the base of the 7th Street bridge, for over an hour, with no ability to call from her phone, she borrows some passerbys phone.......because....THE BATTERY WENT DEAD on her IPhone.....10 minutes from our rendezvous point.....she was taking pictures when it "went dead"
    Call back 911...re explain no need for help....thanks for the call...go back through ballpark traffic and waiting at the SAME location where I set for about 45 minutes.....END of Day...
    Long day, extended by 1 1/2 hours due to battery issue....Is this not the epitome of technology???
Dead person comes back to life....a little tired and very warmed up...and I am elated to give her a hug!!!.......and now she is carrying a memory stick and cable with her, the rest of the way