The Navigators

I have three navigators. GPS, PJF and MAP. You are probably familiar with GPS but only I use the PJF with MAP.

What in heaven's name is he talking about you may ask? I shall answer.

We had four different destinations on Long Island today. Three on the outbound leg and one on the inbound. When you live in New Jersey a voyage to Long Island can be an adventure. Sometimes you make it, sometimes you don't. The same can be said for those venturing from Long Island to New Jersey. But that's several other stories.

We knew how to get to our first destination since we'd been there many times. No need for GPS now. However, from point one to point two required some celestial assistance. The GPS performed splendidly and we arrived without incident and on schedule.

Point three was some distance further east and although we had no specific street address, GPS got us to the neighborhood and we figured out the rest ourselves. Success swelling our heads, it was time for a coffee break. Found a Dunkin' Donuts nearby and relaxed.

The true test of GPS was next. How to get from point three to point four, some distance west. We had an idea of how we wanted to proceed but Marvelous Martha, today's name for Ms. GPS, had other ideas. We ignored her at the peril of constant “recalculatings.” The true test of her mettle came when we ran into an accident-caused traffic jam on the Southern State Parkway.

I took the first available exit and turned to my PJF who wielded her MAP to get us heading to our objective. All the time, MM was “recalculating” trying to get us back on the same highway we just ditched. It was definitely a test of wills in which the human bested the machine.

We arrived at point four safely and gave MM a rest on the way home since the return route to NJ is embedded in my DNA.

If you haven't figured it out, PJF is my wife and MAP is the map she keeps on her lap to guide us when we need it. Been using both long before and since GPS was born

I literally would be lost without the lap app.