I am sitting here contemplating the value of $12. I know that seems silly, but I am wondering if it is worth the aggravation that may ensue if the books I am considering ordering online don't arrive in time for class next week. Now I only have one class a week of each course I am taking, but figuring that, and about 16 weeks in the semester, I have the feeling I'll probably be doing reading from the first night. That being said, the people in the bookstore were pretty snotty today. I know I was rude in return (shouldn't do that) but I seriously started sweetly enough.
I HATE lying. This is just about the worst thing you can do to me. I take it as a personal afront that you think I am either too weak or too stupid to handle the truth. Let's clear that up: I'm neither. I am neither over-confident nor idiotic, so please treat me like the adult I am and tell me that you will not give me the ISBN codes because you don't want me to be able to go and get the book someplace else for cheaper. Do not tell me you do not have them, because they are imprinted on the stickers you have attached to the back of all of your used books. This is not a school for the blind (no offense intended to anyone who suffers from blindness). This is AMERICAN UNIVERSITY! Don't screw me around. Especially if you are the assistant manager - you are setting a bad example.
Out of principle, based on their behavior, I would normally shop someplace else. But like hundreds of colleges and universities across this great country, they have the monopoly on the textbook sales at the campus bookstore. Therefore I must resort to the internet (a tool I love, but don't entirely trust). All this leads me back to wondering how much my pride and $12 is really worth. Well, I can almost eliminate the pride - I could really care less what the bookstore clerks think of me.
Except ... they were the first other American students I've met, and I haven't made the best of impressions. I know I will do better in other situations, but I dislike how having my intelligence insulted turns me into quite a snotty witch (with a b). I mean, they shouldn't insult anything because, first of all I was a customer, and second of all I am a person - a person who was smart enough to get into this semi-private, incredibly well-ranked institution of higher learning. But I shouldn't retaliate in kind. It isn't nice. And I'd like to be nice. But when the clerk slid in, "The first day of class is mostly syllabuses anyway." Boy, I would have liked to wop him upside the head, or at least correct his grammar. I didn't look like a college freshman when I WAS a college freshman - thanks for the age reduction though.
In other less whiny news, I made baked salmon for dinner tonight. I was really happy with how it came out. It peeled right off of the skin and was not dry at all. It was a cooking accomplishment I will certainly try to repeat sometime. Oh, and Dana and I discovered some interesting things about the buses that run on our road (namely that one only operates until 9am and then again after 4pm!). We have now both submitted our photos for our student ID's courtesy of my digital camera. She managed one of the best head shots of me ever on her first try, so thanks roomie!
Also, I finished a very interesting pseudo-historical fiction novel, The Librarian today. It was written by Larry Beinhart, author of American Hero which became the Dustin Hoffman movie Wag the Dog. It definitely plays into the politics of our world right now and election year tactics for a presidential win. The end is a little easily fabricated and poorly closed up, but the story in general was good. It had a good mixture of characters you either love or love to hate and fictional counterparts that gave the distinct impression of being someone you might know... I would recommend it to anyone who likes politics, stories about librarians, or who wants to understand the workings (mind you this is the pseudo-history part) of the backers who so dilligently support people from their respective parties.
And now I am off to have some dessert, hang out in front of the television, and perhpas absorb some more random facts from the DC guide books during the commercials (why watch when you can read?). Missing all those great pillars in my support network here and abroad ... Love always, ~Heather
P.S. "The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation." ~Jacob Bronowski
The quote of the day seems pertinent once again. I will seize the world, or at least my textbooks, at the bookstore tomorrow. My contrition for using "zingers" on deserving, yet unsuspecting victims. $12. I'll save it with the Ride-On pass plan. Sigh. I don't think I'll ever escape myself; but I don't know that I'd want to anyway. ~Heather
P.P.S - And check out my roommate's blog (left column). Woman cracks me up ... the phone number will be coming out in email form soon. ~Heather
I HATE lying. This is just about the worst thing you can do to me. I take it as a personal afront that you think I am either too weak or too stupid to handle the truth. Let's clear that up: I'm neither. I am neither over-confident nor idiotic, so please treat me like the adult I am and tell me that you will not give me the ISBN codes because you don't want me to be able to go and get the book someplace else for cheaper. Do not tell me you do not have them, because they are imprinted on the stickers you have attached to the back of all of your used books. This is not a school for the blind (no offense intended to anyone who suffers from blindness). This is AMERICAN UNIVERSITY! Don't screw me around. Especially if you are the assistant manager - you are setting a bad example.
Out of principle, based on their behavior, I would normally shop someplace else. But like hundreds of colleges and universities across this great country, they have the monopoly on the textbook sales at the campus bookstore. Therefore I must resort to the internet (a tool I love, but don't entirely trust). All this leads me back to wondering how much my pride and $12 is really worth. Well, I can almost eliminate the pride - I could really care less what the bookstore clerks think of me.
Except ... they were the first other American students I've met, and I haven't made the best of impressions. I know I will do better in other situations, but I dislike how having my intelligence insulted turns me into quite a snotty witch (with a b). I mean, they shouldn't insult anything because, first of all I was a customer, and second of all I am a person - a person who was smart enough to get into this semi-private, incredibly well-ranked institution of higher learning. But I shouldn't retaliate in kind. It isn't nice. And I'd like to be nice. But when the clerk slid in, "The first day of class is mostly syllabuses anyway." Boy, I would have liked to wop him upside the head, or at least correct his grammar. I didn't look like a college freshman when I WAS a college freshman - thanks for the age reduction though.
In other less whiny news, I made baked salmon for dinner tonight. I was really happy with how it came out. It peeled right off of the skin and was not dry at all. It was a cooking accomplishment I will certainly try to repeat sometime. Oh, and Dana and I discovered some interesting things about the buses that run on our road (namely that one only operates until 9am and then again after 4pm!). We have now both submitted our photos for our student ID's courtesy of my digital camera. She managed one of the best head shots of me ever on her first try, so thanks roomie!Also, I finished a very interesting pseudo-historical fiction novel, The Librarian today. It was written by Larry Beinhart, author of American Hero which became the Dustin Hoffman movie Wag the Dog. It definitely plays into the politics of our world right now and election year tactics for a presidential win. The end is a little easily fabricated and poorly closed up, but the story in general was good. It had a good mixture of characters you either love or love to hate and fictional counterparts that gave the distinct impression of being someone you might know... I would recommend it to anyone who likes politics, stories about librarians, or who wants to understand the workings (mind you this is the pseudo-history part) of the backers who so dilligently support people from their respective parties.
And now I am off to have some dessert, hang out in front of the television, and perhpas absorb some more random facts from the DC guide books during the commercials (why watch when you can read?). Missing all those great pillars in my support network here and abroad ... Love always, ~Heather
P.S. "The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation." ~Jacob Bronowski
The quote of the day seems pertinent once again. I will seize the world, or at least my textbooks, at the bookstore tomorrow. My contrition for using "zingers" on deserving, yet unsuspecting victims. $12. I'll save it with the Ride-On pass plan. Sigh. I don't think I'll ever escape myself; but I don't know that I'd want to anyway. ~Heather
P.P.S - And check out my roommate's blog (left column). Woman cracks me up ... the phone number will be coming out in email form soon. ~Heather
Comments