I spent a good chunk of today sitting at Barnes & Nobles reading Chuck Klosterman’s new book Eating the Dinosaur (because, on principle, I don’t accept having to pay $25 for a book. It’s like paying $20 for a sandwich. Sure the sandwich may be delicious, but is it really worth that much money?). Unsurprisingly, the book is excellent and Klosterman is as insightful as always when dissecting modern pop cultural stuff like Garth Brooks/Chris Gaines and how they relate to being fake or authentic in the music industry.
However, while I was reading, I was also privy to one of the most boring, pointless conversations I have ever heard. The family behind me spent over half an hour discussing where they were going to eat after going shopping on Black Friday. They devoted an entire thirty minutes to arguing the pros and cons of Cracker Barrel vs. IHOP after a long day of shopping. While I have devoted half an hour to many pointless things (I still watch the Real World), I don’t think I have ever spent so long on something that will almost certainly not matter/change when you get to that point (which is still nearly three weeks away). And, why did this discussion have to occur when you’re sitting at Barnes & Nobles. This makes no sense. However, the obvious answer is Cracker Barrel.
This is also hilarious considering the close proximity of those two restaurants here in Wilmington. But you really wasted an opportunity here, Adrian. You could have simply turned around and said:
“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation; have you considered Saltworks II on Wrightsville? Its better than both of those places because they now have a TV inside!”
It might have worked.
