Good Finds and Better Deals July 10, 2004 - 1:47 p.m.

I'm spending the day cleaning. I've done all the dishes, including using Power Dissolve to get rid of some funk. I've completely cleaned the microwave, inside and out, including washing the turntable with the dishes. I even polished the fridge and microwave with the special stainless steel stuff. I've wiped down the stove and counters. I finally attacked the disgusting bathtub and all its unending soapscum. I don't care how often I clean the stuff, it just reappears. The whole bathroom took nearly an hour mostly because of the tub. I even wiped around the baseboards and the floor itself in there. Though it could still stand a good mopping. As could the kitchen. I don't know that I'll feel like mopping... because... well... I just don't think I care enough.

I even took our black cordless phone answering machine combo and cleaned it really well with alcohol.

Right now I'm letting Comet sit in the sink for a bit while I take a break. After my break, I don't know what I'll do aside from rinse the sink really well and maybe vacuum.

I can already feel my spine trying to rip its way out of my back. Since I pinched that nerve a few years ago when I was working at the bakery, my lower back occasionally gimps up on me. Complete spasms and inability to move. Sometimes it will even make me have jelly legs. Which is annoying as hell, but kind of funny too. It feels like there's not bones in the hip joint, so when I go to move my leg, it kind of wants to go its own direction. Thankfully, it's rare.

Anyhow, we went to the geek store last night so that Chris could play cards and I could pretend I was being social. I sit there for awhile while everyone else talks while they're playing, then I'll wander around the store. If I know the people, besides Chris, I might add a line or two to the conversation. Sometimes I'm talkative, sometimes I just observe.

Last night was mostly observing, but it was boring. So I looked at all the video games and movies. Saw a bunch of stuff I wanted. Saw a lot of movies I want to see and a lot of games I want to play five minutes of. Cause, let's face it; I start a game and never finish it. Then I wandered over to the tiny hardback book section.

Tiny section, not tiny books.

Hardback rocks the pants off paperback anyday. Apparently very few people know or care though. Hence the mass amount of paperbacks and the meager hardbacks. They only carry used books, afterall.

The hardbacks typically consist of beat up Stephen King books or something for Star Trek. There are other things like girly books or self help trash. A bunch of stuff I've never heard of, as well. On occasion they'll actually have something I want, but I end up not getting it because it's busted. I'm an elitist. I want my books to be in good shape. They don't have to be absolutely perfect, but I don't want anything that's been battered to death. I mean, really, what do these people do with these books?

So I'm browsing this short row of books when I come across Gregory Maguire's Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. It was the paperback version, but at hardback height so it wouldn't fit with the standard paperpbacks. Since enjoying Wicked I've wanted to read his other books, this one included. Obviously. I take it out and look at it, and there's nothing.

The spine isn't cracked. The edges aren't worn. The corners aren't creased. The pages aren't warped. There's no rips, dents, or discolorations. The cover isn't even the tiniest curled from reading. There isn't a single sign that says this is a used book. I've seen books on the shelf of Barnes & Noble that look worse than this book. From what I can gather, it was brand spankin' new, and someone didn't want it. Even if it may be new, they only sell used books, so it's classified as used. So it was marked for five dollars. That's ten dollars cheaper for a book in perfect condition.

Fuuuuuuck yeah! Right?

Chris says he has the money so I set it aside with his stuff. The night grows longer, people are playing their games and making their jokes. The store starts to close up. The register is counted and closed. The lights are turned out except over the playing tables. They're waiting for the last moves so that everyone can leave. Chris finishes his game and goes to put his stuff away, and we both realize we still haven't paid for the book. But everything's already shut down.

Shit.

Chris explains that I just wanted to get this book, so the worker (also a fellow role-player, EQ player, and friend of Chris') says 'Gimme three bucks'.

Woohooo!!

Chris looks in his wallet and only has two.

Well, shit again!

'That'll work.'

Woohoo again!!!

So I got a brand new book that I've wanted for awhile, in perfect condition, for only two dollars. I'll consider that lucky.

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