Carnage

After playing tennis with DW, I was dressed and ready and knew if I took a nap or waited too long, I wouldn't be able to leave the apartment for the rest of the day. I knew I had to push through and do what was needed. It was "Twilight" that made me do it. I had to venture out. I was reading the second book way too quickly and realizing that I had to have the third ready in case I finished sooner rather than later. I ventured out... to Target. Big mistake.
The Burbank Empire Center was a nightmare. Cars everywhere, piling up in long lines along all the roads and the stores were full of people going in and out, lines that stretched across the store. Part of me wondered if I went in, would I be able to get out. To think, before I left, I was thinking it was a Friday afternoon and Christmas was officially over, how bad could it be. The answer was horrible. And the reason I was there, the last two books in the series, were all gone, except for copies of the ones I already had and one copy of "Eclipse." I thought I would show them, I wouldn't wait in line for just one of the books and would just go to another Target and get both.
Well, I went to another Target and it was worse. It was weird because at the moment I was there, it seemed like 90% of the billions of people in the store were waiting in line. I went to check the books, they had two copies of the fourth book and none of the third. I wasn't going to make the same mistake. I took one of the copies, which looked like it was in better shape than the other--which meant it looked like it fed on by vampires maybe three times instead of four--and waited in a shorter line in the back of the store.
It wasn't so bad. I had my iPod and try to focus on how funny it was that seemingly everyone was out of their house and shopping at the exact same time and what a mess everything was. I saw a lady muscling through the line and making loud comments about "Rude people on Christmas." I made it through and got in my car and drove for closer to home.
The drive was scary. Everyone was in a hurry and making crazy choices on the road. I tried not to get caught up in it. I listened to my radio and took deep breaths. I finally made it to Borders or Barnes and Nobel. I never know what Bookstar in Studio City really is and although they were out of the softcover of "Eclipse," they had plenty of the hardcover. Fine. I took it, I bought it. I picked up some milk at Vons and went to lock myself indoors. I would prefer to stay indoors reading the rest of the weekend, but I don't think I can get away with it.
I just hope next time I venture outside, it isn't anywhere near the madness of what it was today.