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I took a closer look at the adapter from hell. Turns out it's the plastic casing near the tip of the adapter that's too thick. It's all scratched up from me fighting with it. TomTom said all of their adapters are the same size, so they wouldn't send me another type of adapter to try. I ordered a decent one from Amazon for $.

The unit continues to topple off the dash, so they're sending me a different kind of mount. They also sell a universal mount for $$, which will be my last attempt before I toss this on Kajiji (Canadian Craigslist) at a loss.

I had had baked beans for dinner, but I forewent foregoing dessert since my diet had ended.

According to this article http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2014/ … forgo.html
forgo, forgone, and forwent are not the same as forego, foregone, and forewent, but have evolved to the point where they are used synonymously.

I used a TomTom years ago and really liked it. When I moved back to Canada, I didn't have access to a computer and Staples was pushing Garmin, so I bought a decent-looking unit for $170 ($$). I was only planning to use its voice navigation to steer by, but the damned thing didn't speak much nor give nearly enough lead time before turns. I gave it to my brother to try and he punted it to his girlfriend after one roadtrip. It's on its way to becoming a doorstop.

My brother told me to use Google Maps on my phone, so I bought a battery upgrade kit for $80 ($) and replaced the old one. Made no difference at all. Battery life on the first-gen Moto G simply sucks. I use an old wi-fi only phone plan from my old US carrier, since it works here and only costs $10/mo. Without continuous data, I had to download the maps onto my phone. That's when I found out there's not enough storage on the phone. So much for that. If I upgrade the phone ($$$$), they charge more for the US plan ($$). And Canadian plans can best be described as $$$$$ (serious lack of free market here).

Next, I researched both GPS brands and found the TomTom GO 600 to be very highly rated, so I bought it for $300 ($$$$). It includes lane change guidance and warns you if you go over the posted speed limit (a must in a city filled with 24x7 30 km/h playground zones). After lots of trial and error, I finally got it installed on the far left of the dashboard, where it doesn't block my view. It remains to be seen how well the suction cup sticks to the mounting disk that you glue to the dashboard. That 3M glue is wicked! A better adapter and extra mounting disks for my next car ($BLING) run about $.

I wish I had bought the 5" model instead of the 6" as the latter is bulky when wrestling it out of the dash's corner. The unit is detailed enough that you can see entire stretches of major highways and exits on the screen well before you reach them (think Queens Long Island Expressway, but with fewer idiots). A quick glance at the screen and a few voice prompts ever km or so, and I'm all set. Now I'm ready to visit my doctor and grocery store 2 km away.

All total, about $600, which is a sizeable hunk of change. Still, the cost of a basic speeding ticket in a playground zone is about $300, not including the increase to your insurance rate. God forbid you lose your license in a city this sprawling. No Uber yet (soon), so taxis across town cost $$$$.

njc, have you ever wrestled with a cigarette lighter adapter? I installed a TomTom GPS device from Staples in my car and the adapter requires real force getting it in/out of the socket. I thought I was going rip a hole in the dash, I had to pull so hard. It's a 2006 Canadian Honda Accord, but these things are supposed to be a standard size in North America. No?  (I read online tonight to try turning the adapter as you pull. Haven't tried that yet.)

Thanks
Dirk

Could someone please critique the following paragraphs for me, especially the second. I've received feedback in the past of dumping too much information too soon. We're in Apollo's POV.

EDIT: I included paragraph breaks suggested by NJC.

The above is very early in the book, in chapter two, where we first meet Apollo. The fact that Caligula swears in Latin seems like the right place to mention that they (almost) always curse in Latin, and why.

Here, the fact that Apollo calls Caligula by the epithet coined by Nero seems like the right place to explain it. Each sentence builds on the previous one, ending with why Caligula is not the heir. I mention earlier in the chapter that Caligula is illegitimate, so it needs explaining somewhere, even though it's not critical to this scene. I'm using it flesh out an important piece of history.

Thoughts?

R2D Too

Technically, God won't battle Billie. Joseph will. And, if God is to be believed, Billie winds up there because Joseph sacrifices someone critical to his quest who could have warned him not to save Billie from the fire. The Bible varies as to whether the antichrist is one person or many. I'll probably refer to it in the singular, making it a more potent evil.

Regan claimed to be the devil, but reacted to tap water as if she was being burned by holy water. Not sure what to make of that.

I just watched the Exorcist for the first time in decades. Holy cow! I had to turn on the lights to finish watching it. This is a good night to reread the Gospels before bed.

Pfft. Conflict is for toddlers:

Billie seizes control over Joseph's body, turning his head until it's facing behind his body.
With furious effort and a roar, Joseph reasserts control. He jerks his head to face forward and his eyes go wide. He tells Andrew, I swear, if I hadn't stopped her, she would have twisted my head right off!

;-)

She'll be speaking Amerlish before you know it. Check her writing for the Oxford Comma.

Can I interest you in a gently used igloo? Doubles as a source of fresh water. Avoid the yellow parts.

Loose lass