Horror Upon Horrors

So last night, I'm sitting around after work and I realized...

I had gone the entire summer without going to the bookstore.
Um, Amy? Are you still with us? Earth to Amy...GO TO THE BOOKSTORE.

Bookstores are dangerous for me.
I love them.
Yes.
More than I love the Mac Store.
I could literally spend hours upon hours wandering through the aisles.
Aside from paying off school and copious amounts of travel and a pony (duh) a bookstore is where I could and would single-handedly blow my huge jackpot lottery winnings, if I were to ever win them. And then I'd be on one of those shows, about people's lives that are destroyed by winning the lottery and it would cut to me in my giant library a la Beauty and the Beast sailing around the room a moving ladder, my hair mussed, my glasses askew, hopped up on espresso to keep myself awake to read all I can.

Anyway. Last night, I went to the bookstore.
Oh, happy day.

I am a tactile person.
This is me in a bookstore:

Circle a table of books.
Circle again.
Run my hands over the covers.
Pick up a book that looks interesting.
Turn it over.
Put it down.
Pick up another. Look it over. Put it down.
Pick up a book I want to read.
Carry it with me.
Circle another table. Pick up another book I want to read. Carry it with me.
Walk around the store.
Poke at things.
Walk around the store.
Read some kids books.
(Namely, Pigeon Wants A Puppy)
(Get to the ending where pigeon decides he doesn't want a puppy)
(Pigeon Wants A Walrus)
(Get angry that the pigeon doesn't want a puppy)
(Put the book back, muttering under my breath, "Pigeons are dumb.")
Walk around the store some more.
Circle the table of books again.
Pick up a book.
Put it back down.
Walk around the store.
OH
MY
GOD
NOTEBOOKS
I love notebooks I love notebooks I love notebooks
Pick up each one and flip through the pages.
Admire the pretty ones.
Pick up one and almost decided to get it.
It is wide ruled.
Who does that?
Put it back.
More notebooks notebooks notebooks
Spend a large amount of time just looking a notebooks.
Drool a little.
Walk around the store.
Circle table of books.
Find more books I want to read.
Stare at all I have.
Read the first page of each to decide.
Put book A and B back.
Keep book C.
See a book that looks interesting.
Pick it up.
It becomes book D.
Pick up book A again.
?
Pick up book B again.
?
Put back book C.
Put back book B.
A & D are from the buy one get one half off shelf.
Oo. E is also on the buy one get one half off shelf.
?
Put back E.
Settle on A & D.
Go to get in line.
Change my mind.
Feel guilty.
Put back book A and decide to just get book D.
Get in line.
OH
MY
GOD
NOTEBOOKS
NOTEBOOKS IN THE 50% off box.
Get out of line,
Contemplate.
Contemplate.
I have lots of notebooks at home.
But this one is fresh.
Contemplate.
Contemplate.
Force myself.
Force myself.
Walk away.
Back in line.
Stare straight ahead.
No more distractions.


Finally, I get up to the cashier and pay. She goes, "You finally found something you wanted to read, huh?" I was like, "Yeah." She's like, "I saw you circling."
WELL DUH.
CIRCLING IS THE BEST PART OF BOOK BUYING.
I love circling. I love looking through books. I love finding something I didn't expect, taking it home and either finding out it's amazing or that it blows chunks and I can't get past page 3.
I hardly ever go into a bookstore knowing what I want to come out with and the times I do go in knowing what I want to get, I usually come out with something completely different.

I love books.