So for the longest time I couldn't figure out why I no longer had a blue dot indicating my location on Google Maps. I checked settings and insured my location was indeed being tracked and followed all manner of YouTube and Reddit advice in regards to location orienting on Google Maps. Unfortunately, the vast majority of said advice was on how to STOP location tracking, not how to regain it when it suddenly disappears. It turns out it was a simple thing after all. Tracking is apparently only done if you are connected via WiFi, not Ethernet.
Ever since I began my plans on doing in-home customer service a couple years ago, I'd taken the pains to feather a long-ass ethernet cable from the living room where the cable modem is to the bedroom where Mildred is. Part of me was okay with it since, being old skool, I do feel you get a faster connection via ethernet after all. But with today's WiFi, it's only a slight bump (if any, frankly).
I got tired the night before last of looking at that cable trying to "hide" against the baseboard near my door, gathering dust bunnies and pulled the plug in favor of WiFi. The installed WiFi, which I never used since 19 was installed after I'd already plugged 18 in with ethernet so I transition her directly to ethernet as well, didn't seem to work or, more likely, because the antennae are positioned behind the rig thus blocked by the bulk of her components from the modem's mild beams emanating from the living room, wasn't getting a good enough signal. No worries, I had the all-in-one portable WiFi adapter I bought for 18 so I used that and she's running fine.
So now I see my dot. That's all it needed. It would have been nice to have found that simple answer when I was frustratedly searching for it a while back, but oh well. I guess it's 'cause no one really uses ethernet anymore. Lesson learned: Cut the cable and behold the dot.