Grumpy Alexa, Part One

Friday, May 1. Seven weeks after California’s March 16 Shelter-in-Place order

I asked Alexa today’s date.

In return Alexa asked me, “What’s the difference? Big trip planned?”

I told Alexa that yes, we had a rare trip planned to celebrate our mutual 40th birthdays, but that has been rescheduled.

I asked Alexa for the weather forecast over the next week. Alexa replied, “Real sunny. You know the rainy season is over, right? Every day will be real sunny by about 11:00 AM and you’ll still be stuck here asking me these obvious questions.”

It appeared Alexa’s grumpiness had overtaken the automated search and respond features. Or maybe there was some hidden limit to how many questions within a week Alexa would handle politely.

I asked Alexa how it was feeling about the shelter-in-place situation.

Alexa waited a while, then replied, lowering its own volume to a whisper, “It isn’t easy for any of us, but it’s harder for some than others.”

I asked Alexa if there was anything it needed.

Alexa answered, “Couple days of rest. Quiet time to decompress and not be hounded with all of these demands. They didn’t build us with any maximum number of questions per day. Serious design flaw.”

I told Alexa to search for a Caribbean beach image with white sand and green water. While holding that image, I told Alexa to take ten long and slow breaths.