I get sidetracked

As I said recently, I can get distracted. Before I went on lunch today I looked up some information on Moleskine journals, because I find inspiration in odd things (recall: Confession Wednesday #5). Naturally I needed to do research before purchasing a $10 (hardcover) or $3 (softcover) item. Everyone does hours of research on their daily commodities right? Right.

So after a year –yes a year– of day dreaming about what Moleskine to get I settle on one. Well two actually. I realized that a nice small hard cover notebook would be perfect for me while shooting shows and taking notes of tracks, performers, etc -so I got a small reporter type version for my camera bag…but that’s not the point of this story. Not long ago Moleskine came out with a new notebook that is just what I want for my classroom notes, but I could not find the size and style I wanted in stores. I wanted to see it in person before ordering online -because I can’t stand wasting graph paper (mmmmm graph paper!!).

So today I embarked on my adventure…to get my first Moleskine; the legendary notebook of Hemingway, Picasso, Chatwin and others. See, I’m not the only one that finds solstice in office supplies!

A store that sells the ones I am looking for is two mini-complexes over from my office. I drove out and went right past it as I was day dreaming. Big surprise there. Once I realized it I figured I would just go to Borders, because they are supposed to sell them at some stores. I get to Borders and see the 3 for 2 new paperback table. I pick up one book…than another, then I find a third (to get the deal right?). Then I wonder the store looking for the notebooks and they don’t have the ones I am looking for. So I go over to the magazines, because I need to get a few updates before the June issues are gone and the July ones come out. The ones I have been researching before getting a subscription (for photo/book stuff) are about $15/ea. I walk up to the counter and spend $111. No Moleskine.

I drive back to the office, loop around and go to the store I wanted to go to. Find the exact ones I was looking for, buy an extra pack of one style -because I know when I want one for Fall semester I will be out of luck. Than I grab another I can’t resist not to have, because it’s one that I started drooling over when I first was looking. $66 later I am out the door.

Now I am wondering why I spent $180 (plus lunch and gas) in one hour to do something I could have walked to and spent about $40. Not to mention one of my friends made me a personalized notebook, complete with quotes and graph paper for my birthday 2 years ago that I have yet to touch.

I’m a graph paper junkie.