Powell's

Oh yes, let's do!

Miss V has been on spring break this week, so on Wednesday we took advantage of this time to wander down to Portland to one of my favorite places (and now hers as well), Powell's City of Books.

The original Powell's takes up a full city block, and it is a mighty five-story brick temple serving the cult of bibliomania. It is a place of wonder and delight. Songs have probably been -- and will continue to be -- composed about the joy that is Powell's, and the happy penury it engenders in the hapless bibliophile. Suffice to say we spent far too much on books, ate some delicious noodles, then went back and spent even more too much on books, and when we could no longer justify spending any more we finally headed home. (I should also note that V had read all three of her manga selections before we stopped for dinner. That girl is a manga-crunching machine.)

(It isn't the same experience by any stretch, but Powell's Online does offer free shipping in the contiguous U.S. if you buy at least $50 worth of books. And you will... trust me, you will.)

What did we do today? Waited all afternoon for a courier service to arrive, only to call and be informed that they came yesterday while we were gone, EVEN THOUGH WE TOLD THEM WE WOULD BE GONE AND NOT TO COME ON THAT DAY.

Have I explained recently how much Comcast sucks? No? Here, let me get out the charts and graphs.