Hurrah for bookstores

I had quite the adventure today.

I couldn't let my $50 gift certificate to the local used bookstore just sit there, so I went shopping. I had the misfortune of being on a very late bus. The bus driver even stopped and ran inside somewhere to do something - I don't know what. Unless he had to make an emergency restroom stop, I think he should have tried to keep on time.

I spent at least two hours at the bookstore. The place is huge and has endless piles of books. Even in the fiction section, I can only scan the titles for so long. There are just too many choices. I wish I knew more about good authors and recommended titles. I'll have to browse around on Goodreads someday and see what kinds of information they offer.

What did I buy? A few music books, including a couple about Celtic music! Score! I bought a couple random novels and another of Anne Perry's Inspector Monk books. I bought a pictorial book about Scotland (and I will eventually buy another one about Ireland. I just have to keep searching for a good one). The most interesting-sounding book I bought is " 'A Hell Of A Place To Lose a Cow': An American Hitchhiking odyssey." How do you not buy that? This store, I found out today, has a rather large section of travel-narrative books. I will definitely have to check that out in more detail.

The music section didn't impress me today. There were a few things I'd consider buying (and a few things that were more expensive than I wished). I want to get the Beatles' "Anthology," but that will wait for another day.

On the bus ride home, I had my very first encounter with emo kids. I was sitting next to a few of them, and listened to their teenage conversation. A poem was read out of a journal. My impression of them? They're not that different from teenagers from years past - looking for an identity and searching for something to call their own. Also, very much focused only on the details of their own inner circle, but all subcultures are that way. I spent a lot of time not listening to my iPod while bus riding today (too crowded for me to bother), and I now realize that I'm missing out on interesting eavesdropping opportunities.

The last bit of excitement came from the bus driver's confusion about which route he was driving. I was dropped off where the other route would let me off, and watched as the bus I was just on made a large scene of turning around in the middle of the street, thus taking up the entire street width, and continuing on the correct route.

Tomorrow's agenda? Nothing. Let's keep it that way.