Rough edges

Have you ever had one of those 'I never thought I'd say this' moments?  I had one this week.

Let me turn the clock back for a moment.  I used to swear by the boxful of maps that had accumulated over the years, and filled my passenger foot well.  With this trusty library to refer to, I could find any address in the kingdom it seemed, ... except, that is, for any of the increasing number of roads that had appeared since the maps were printed!  On 26th November 2006, life changed for ever when I bought a GPS navigation device (commonly known as SatNav.)  In the next four years I got so used to this that the maps gradually became all but redundant.  Although they still had a place in the van, their prime purpose was to provide a corporate 'shelf' for my lunch, and any academic reference to their contents was very much the exception.

Two Christmases ago, I realised that the maps on this device were no longer current and, as it had been a cheap clear-out item when I'd bought it, I had no means of updating them.  I decided to replace it with a newer, and more capable model - one that boasted live traffic information as well as navigation expertise.  I have been very grateful for this facility on occasions, and it's my habit to update the data on it every weekend.  Last weekend, it developed a fault after the update session, and try as I might I couldn't get it past the start-up screen.  The box of maps was hastily re-loaded into the van, and the docking plate on my windscreen has been vacant all week.  After an exchange of e-mails with the customer support people, I finally took my little friend to the post office this morning, on special delivery to the SatNav hospital, and I'm hoping that within a few days I shall receive it back in full working order.

As I narrated this sorrowful situation to another driver the other afternoon, I realised that he would remember my adamant stand against the new technology, and to forestall any 'I told you so' line, I said, "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm lost without it."  Fortunately he had recently suffered a similar experience and could empathise.

Another colleague was reflecting over past times this week, as he organised the repair of his van after his first accident in over twelve years as a courier.  Statistically, he's done well with only one incident in almost a million miles.  Fortunately the collision happened at low speed, and damage was not too serious; I think his pride was the greatest casualty ... along with looking forward to a higher insurance premium next year!

I think the initial chaos of our relocation has now been overcome, although the property itself has had a few teething troubles.  It seems that these are being dealt with on the basis of how essential each is to the maintenance of normal operations.  A work station was quickly established in the warehouse, for example, so that someone can sit there every afternoon to process the packages that are accepted for consolidation and transhipment by an overnight carrier.  I noticed the other day that, in the rafters above his head, is perched an old sealant container to catch the water from a leak in the roof.  I'm wondering how long it will be before he gets an unexpected hair-wash!

And talking of water, the weather, and drainage, it seems that the down-pipe outside the warehouse door is blocked - a circumstance that provided a spectacular display yesterday afternoon for those of us not in the line of fire!

My fears about 'commuting' (i.e. my joining the majority of my colleagues who all live further from the depot than I) have eased somewhat, as I have been able to set off from home some mornings on pre-booked jobs, or have finished late enough to go straight home. I still resent mornings like this Thursday, however, when I drove empty to the depot, and an hour later had to retrace my steps for a collection in exactly the opposite direction!

Now all I really have to worry about is the price of diesel - which, thankfully, seems to be falling slightly at last!