Author Archives: David Crampton

Progress Report

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Over the past few days, I’ve taken a few surprise opportunities to write. Kids are back to school (two counties apart), as is the wife.  So, there’s a lot of driving, a lot of schedule craziness, and not a lot of ability to block out time for any one thing.

Luckily, I have a fantastic wife. She makes sure I get some time to myself whenever it’s possible.  I’ve made sure that once I’m done with my job hunting while I’m out, I’ve put pen to paper.

I’ve made some progress in The Glass Crown, and I’ve finished revising the second Adam’s Name piece.  Got it sent off to the Alpha Readers, too.  The first bit will take a lot longer to rewrite, but I’m in a Detroit mood, so it may see quite a bit of progress in the upcoming weeks.

After that, I’ll need to decide whether I want to try to publish them separately as short stories, together as a serial novella, or together as a novel.  Decisions, decisions.

Predictable AND Updated

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So, I had:
– ColecoVision
– Sega Dreamcast
– PlayStation 2

Now, add to the list:
– Super Nintendo Entertainment System

I’ve got quite a few games for the SNES, some PS1 and PS2 games for the PS2, and four or five games for the ColecoVision. That’s a big enough library to work through for a while. I would like to pick up something for the DreamCast, though. The local independent gaming store didn’t have HydroThunder… I wonder if the intertubes have it.

Probably fairly predictable

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TV/VCR combo with broken VCR – check.

Coleco Vision hooked to coax through adapter made by brother from twenty-five year old parts, powered up, and tested – check.

Video and stereo-to-mono y-adapter plugged into the front auxilliary port and into RCA/S-video switch box – check.

Sega Dreamcast plugged in, powered up, and tested – check.

PlayStation 2 plugged in, powered up, and tested – check.

And I thought getting rid of the SETI@Home graveyard would lessen the prevelance of ancient, and yet awesome, electronics in my basement cave.  Huh.  Now I’ve just got to get this SNES fixed…

Growing Up.

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Nikki: So you only have a few more Transformers until you’re done eBaying.

Dave: Well, no, because I have Matt’s stuff to put up, and the stuff that gave to me forever ago…

Nikki: I mean, you’re almost done with your stuff.

Dave: OH!  It’s an accomplishment, that’s what you mean!

Nikki: Yes.  Does it feel like growing up?

Dave: I dunno.  Does growing up feel like half painful and half I-don’t-know-what-the-hell-is-going-on?

Nikki: Yup.

Dave: Then yeah, it feels like growing up.

Banfield Veterinarians ripped us off.

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Re-posted from :

The Banfield veterinarians inside of the west side PetSmart ripped us off today. My wife took her cat in for a check-up, vaccinations, and to look at a cyst. As we are very mindful of our budget right now, she signed up for their year-long pseudo-insurance discount plan.

She got the estimate, okayed the prices for everything (signing that this was the case), and let them know to ONLY DO THE PROCEDURES THAT WERE COVERED BY THEIR DISCOUNT PLAN.

What did they do? Every single procedure that they had recommended, whether it was covered or not.

The woman repeated back to my wife that they were to only perform covered procedures. They had a twenty-minute conversation about what was and was not covered. And then they tried to say that by signing the pricing agreement, she was consenting to have all of the procedures done. As far as I understand it, it’s like getting a car worked on. You can agree to pricing all day long, but you need specific permission related to actually performing the work.

We paid for about $150 in procedures that we didn’t want. We had intended on getting these procedures done later, once we got used to and trusted these vets. Now we’re locked in to their year-long discount plan (with monthly dues).

Do not make the same mistake that we did. Do not give your business to Banfield Vets in the west side PetSmart.