How Gone is Gone?

Undergoing a large renovation is not for the shy. My whirpool was installed in the basement when there weren't any walls roughed in. IT passed inspection a day or two later. It sat there taunting me. Coaxing me. The builder has a key to my house; soundlessly letting himself in and out as his moonlighting schedule allows. The electrician pops in an out along the same lines. I just leave the door open for him when I suspect he's coming. So there goes your privacy. There goes your evening enjoyment of the whirlpool tub. Particularly when there were no walls or doors. Thankfully the plumber came in, did his job quickly and was away.

Are they gone? Are they gone for good? Maybe he just went back to his shop to get some tools???? Maybe a run out to A&W for a burger?? So you twiddle your thumbs and dare not plunge into the pool.

A neat new tracking tool has come to my attention recently. It combines the analytical skills of a GPS with the communication skills of a sat phone that loves Google Maps. You can press one button to instantly alert 911 to your tragedy and precise location. You can track your route and have several people around the globe log into their internet and actually see a sat image of where your are today. It's an incredible safety gadget for those of us who go beyond the normal limits of civilization, particularly alone.

One of the features is a little button that instantly sends out a text message or email saying :"Hey, I'm okay" attached to that is the wanderer's lat and long and a link to the applicable Google map. Very very cool. Slick. And for a safety nut, wellllllllllllll...........

So once you are hooked up to a person or a team of people, how gone is gone? When you can know the exact location of someone at all times, are they really away? Is the traveller isolated anymore? We'll see how this goes. Maybe the thrill of back country travel will taper? I hope not.

After a summer break from renovation, my builder dudes are back. Once again the risky business of whirlpool enjoyment. I'm not going to buy a Spot tracker for each of them, so I've decided that the pool is now open from 5 AM.