I was excited all last week. On Sunday (a week ago) I saw (on Jessica Day George’s blog) an announcement for an Authorpalooza. There were 40-some-odd authors coming to a local bookstore to sign books, and I was determined to be there. I emailed friends and family to see if they wanted anything signed by any of the authors, and got their responses.
Anyway, yesterday (the exciting day of the mass-signing event) I left home for the bus stop. I was headed to some store I’d never visited, along a road I’d never traveled, but I had directions telling me which bus to take and for how long, and I was prepared.
Alas, I should have made sure I knew the way (I’d considered following the route at some point during the week, but never found time. After all, what could go wrong? This coming from one who got lost for half an hour after being dropped off across the street from her destination. You’d think I’d learn…). I left home 20 minutes early, to be sure to catch the bus. I walked to the bus stop in half the time I expected. Unfortunately, it was the wrong bus stop. That can’t be right, I thought, and checked again. I walked further along the street and came to another bus stop. My bus was not among the listed buses for the spot. Annoyed, I set back for home (and a computer), knowing that if I stayed, I’d not find the bus – but if I left, I couldn’t get back in time to catch it. I just love catch-22 situations, don’t you?
Long story short, I had been looking for my bus about 2 minutes away from the right stop. By the time I found the stop, I was 10 minutes too late for my bus, and the next one wouldn’t come for 2 hours. I decided buses weren’t worth the trouble and walked. How hard could the store be to find? It was somewhere along the same road I was already on, after all!
Forty minutes later, I made it. I found the store without any trouble, arrived right on time (I’d planned in time for delays, but I thought I’d have trouble after leaving the bus, not getting on!), and stayed for several hours. It was major fun. I bought a book, stood in line, discussed the merits of the Airbender cartoon series versus the movie and whether Artemis Fowl has an intellectual equal (no, I’ve not read the Atemis Fowl books, but my brother has. Okay, fine, I listened to that part of the conversation more than I participated. But it was fun, all the same.) and chatted with Brandon Mull, Jessica Day George, and Brandon Sanderson. Way cool.
When I was ready to leave, I stepped outside to find my bus stop. I’d planned ahead and had printed out a map from Google Maps, so I should have been able to find it without trouble, right? I wish…. I looked for a few minutes, realized that if the bus was coming, it would be late, and I’d seen no sign of any bus while waiting, and still had no clue where the promised bus stop was… and gave up. I walked the 40 minutes back. I looked at Google Map when I got home and realized, No wonder I’m so tired, and that walk took so long. That’s a 2.5-mile walk. One-way.
That’s right, I walked about 5 miles yesterday, to the store and back. It was worth it. I’d do it again.
But first, I’d pack a water bottle.