Wherein Bry goes to the east county.

I decided to go out to Walmart in Clackamas today after work. I got off at 1pm so I knew I could get out there and then get home before too late.

I wanted to spend the gift card I got for Christmas on something useful, like a cast iron skillet. Once I got that in my head, I couldn't think of anything else. The one I wanted was not available online. Thus necessitating a trip to the store.

I've been a little spoiled lately because I walk to work and therefore only take the bus maybe ten minutes when I do take it (less than 2 miles to work). Or the express bus downtown (mostly business folk, less crazies) or the train to Beaverton for shopping (definately less crazies and more room to hide from them).

The closest Walmart is in Clackamas off of 82nd, a street known for its Asian restaurants, hookers and discount stores. It takes four buses and 90 minutes to get there.

It was a very long bus ride full of annoying and crazy people. Plus, I'm always amazed at how dirty Clackamas looks. Both in the air and the trash on the ground. And there is a constant feeling of despair in the air and on the faces of the other people.

I arrived at the store to find that they did not have the skillet I wanted instock. So I wandered around for about 30 minutes trying to decide if I wanted to get something different, spend more than planned on an in-stock skillet or order another skillet online.

I hate shopping. I suck at it. I can't even pick out shampoo without hours of indecision. If I don't have a list or a specific item in mind, I'm screwed. Everytime I picked out something new, I felt disappointed. Perhaps I should not have been shopping on an empty stomach with a caffeine deficiency.

I left the store without spending my gift card. Instead, I bought a bottle of laundry soap and some purple eyeliner. I could have bought both of these items for the same price a block from my apartment.

So I spent 90 minutes on the bus, an hour in the store, and another 90 minutes on the bus home with $6 of purchases to show for it.

I feel very depressed. As I was paying for my laundry soap and eyeliner (which will surely be a mistake), a woman got in line behind me. She said, within 90 seconds of standing near me, "I don't know why they gave me a gift card with a baby on it. They know all my children are dead."

I'm never leaving my house again.