When we moved to Pittsburgh, we noticed in increasing of argumentation occurring in one locale. Never since our first year, had we spoken to each other in such disrespectful ways. Our son in his car seat would overhear such phrases as, "Why don't you ever follow the directions I took the time to write down?" "If you know where you going, you drive!"
One night, we were so lost in the Squirrel Hill (we should have been in Oakland), that Brandon literally pulled the car over, got out of the car, and made me drive as we started saying naughty things at each other in on the side of the road. We felt like we belonged on Jerry Springer, were completely embarrassed that we had behaved this way, and said our apologies almost immediately (once we firgured out where to go, of course). We love you Pittsburgh, but your streets are horrible for our marriage. Couldn't you have been organized a little bit better?
Today, we bought a GPS. Yes, the cheapskate inside of me cringed at the idea as I can always just print directions out. But, familial bliss is much more important than money in the bank. Thank you 21st century technology for improving the quality of my life!
Researching technology can drive you mad. There are so many options out there with so many features. It is difficult to know what is really important to own and what you can do without. Opinion pages can be useful on websites, but honestly, there is always someone who hates whatever they bought while another is a raving lunatic about their love for their purchase. I wanted to buy this equipment for Father's Day for my hubby, but I wanted to get it a few days before since we are going to a friend's wedding in Indy this weekend and wanted to use the GPS then. Well, my indecisiveness overwhelmed me, so I cracked. Instead of surprising Brandon, I let him know my plan and asked him to help me pick out which one he wanted. After a day of deliberating, he decided he wanted this one: Garmin nüvi 205W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
. It is one of the simpler models out there, but we didn't want to over-invest since we may in the future purchase smart phones. Normally, we would just order from Amazon, but this time around we were nervous we would not get the item in time for the Indy wedding. So, we searched around and found that Best Buy had the equivalent system and price. I hate Best Buy. I would normally not give them my money because of a horrible experience with them about four years ago purchasing a laptop. If any other store had been selling this specific unit (rather than online), I would have gone there. But, beggars can't be choosers, so here we go, off to Best Buy.
Well, let me tell you that my "shopper beware" fears were justified, as when we went to the store, the price of the unit was literally $40 more dollars in the store than online. Now, we told the employee this information, and his response was "oh, you must be thinking of a different model." No, no we aren't. Brandon had them check the price online, and sure enough we were right. They then backed down and said they could offer us the internet price. So, we got the deal we wanted and we didn't have to wait for shipping. But, I just wanted to put this story out there. I had heard that the prices online were not always the same as in-store at Best Buy. Now, I know those rumors to be true. This is why I order so many items on Amazon.
So, there you go folks, a two-for-one story hour involving GPS. How invigorating. Do you have a GPS system that you are particularly fond of? Does road rage equate family time rage in your household too? Any positive/negative experiences about Best Buy or Amazon that you are just ripping at the seams to share?
3 comments:
We use a GPS system on Greg's iPhone. It works pretty well, but I don't like when I feel like he's paying more attention to the GPS than he is to actually driving the car. That drives me nuts!
I love Amazon. We have an Amazon Prime membership, and order a lot of stuff from them with the free two-day shipping we get with the membership. It works out really well, because sometimes Greg will work 6+ days in a row (with crazy hours to boot), and I realize that we need something within the next 1-2 days. Then I just find it on Amazon, and have it within two days time. Their prices are always great, too. Cheaper than Walmart even (we don't really shop at Walmart, though).
Nick got a GARMIN for Christmas last year, and it's priceless. I'm more of a nagivator/geography/directions person, and every time I'd say, "Okay, turn here" or "Go there," he'd say, "Are you sure?" So, to avoid further confrontation:), I purchased a GARMIN for him. It was one of the wisest purchases we've ever made, so glad to hear you've jumped on the band wagon, too!
Aaron and I pretty much only argue when it comes to driving and "who is the bed hog?" Funny! I will have to tell Aaron about Best Buy though, because he likes the store. However, we both do find them pricey and rarely buy anything from them.
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