#simply because i've decided that spending time and effort on things that y'all don't want from me is not good

[banggyu0308]

gonna be honest w y'all in the tags of this one

[greentrickster]

Okay y'all, listen up, because this evening I went on an Odysseus-style odyssey, in that what was meant to be a quick jaunt with minimal difficulties turned into a multi-hour trip where I was thwarted every step of the way.

As all good disasters do, it started off well enough. My mom informed me that a local, extremely large booksale is on today and I decided to go, because yay, books!

Then my dad, who was in the same room at the time, generously pulled out his wallet, handed me some cash, and told me to go buy myself a book! So even better, free book(s) and no requirement to return the change! Jackpot! I drive to the booksale in high spirits! Arrive! Enter the building!

...

What the heck, why are there so few tables?! What has happened to this booksale, it's in an area the size of a full-sized basketball court and usually it's full of tables covered in books! There's maybe an eighth of that! It doesn't even have a sci-fi/fantasy section. It's, quite possibly, the most tragic I've ever seen this booksale look, and I'm unable to find anything to my taste there.

However, like Odysseus before me, I don't assume failure at the first hurdle - I was told to buy myself a book, but I was never told where I had to buy it! To the local bargain outlet, which has all sorts of delights to offer, including books, and I've found some good ones there before! Not tonight, apparently, but, like. It's happened.

So that's... less than fun.

Also, I'm starving at this point, because I left at five-ish and haven't had supper yet. So, since this place sells food, I grab a box of soft strawberry granola bars for $2, because my money tonight is for literature, not sustenance, and I'm not out yet! There's still Barnes & Noble, the local mega-chain bookstore, which I have mixed feelings about! But it's my last option at this point and, hey, graphic novels! Manga! All sorts of exciting new releases! I was just there a week or two ago and even wrote some titles down while I was there!

My friends, I walked all over that store and perused books for two hours, and I found nothing that sparked enough joy to accompany me home. I did find a couple with minor potential, and one that gave me heart palpitations and made me regret the choices that had led to this point in my life, but nothing I felt the desire to own, you know?

My feet hurt, because I wore the cheap sandals that are only good for short expeditions. It was late. I wanted to go home and get a mom hug to help with the trauma that came with the heart palpitations.

But I had no book.

I had not fulfilled my mission.

A state of events that was simply unacceptable.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned, it was also about eight at night and everywhere around me other than a few grocery stores tend to start rolling up the carpets within an hour or two. So, in an act that would make Odysseus proud, I rearranged my strategy! I would use the cash to buy the Christmas gift I've been meaning to get for my dad (I get my holiday shopping done early), then go home and buy a couple books I'd been eyeing on Amazon!

Books would be purchased!

Triumph would be had!

I got home and discovered, as Odysseus did, that not all was the pleasant peace I had left it in! Except instead of a bunch of entitled suitors trying to marry my wife and steal my throne, the internet had gone down five minutes before I opened the door.

I chose to do the mature thing in order to gain Athena's favour by screaming into a pillow. About twenty minutes later, the internet turned back on! Success!

I discover Amazon has upped the amount you need to spend to get free shipping from $25 to $35 as of September 8th, because they are an evil mega-corporation and not my friend! Rage!

However, still rich with Athena's blessing, and in dire need to prove that if Odysseus can do this then so can I, I made one last-ditch effort... and went and asked to use my parents' Prime account to get free shipping for my order.

And thus my books were finally ordered, and, like Odysseus, I am at last triumphant, but boy golly, that was 90% more effort than it needed to be, what the heck, what sort of sick, dystopian future am I living in that I finally have my own money to get books but can't guarantee the bookstore will have anything I want to buy?!?