the wonderful world of Wally

and by wonderful i mean crappy. i went to Wal-mart at midnight in order to see if they carried a particular camcorder battery (which was imperative that i have since my procrastinating self needed it to record a video midterm due first thing in the morning.) anyhow, i call beforehand to see if they carry the correct one, but the uninformed associate who i speak with sounds typically inept and unaware. so i brave frost bite inducing weather in order to haul myself to the store in search of the battery. while there, i find the first Wal-mart qualified employee to show me where the camcorder batteries are located, and i'm pointed in the presumably right direction. when i get to where i am told the batteries live, i find three giant pallets of merchandise blocking my view. so i return to the afore mentioned employee and tell her my dilemma. she tells me that if the batteries are behind the pallets, there is 'nothing i can do. i can't move them.' i take this opportunity to sigh heavily in her direction and tell her to find someone who can because i called and was told i could come browse for the battery. i mention how the employee i spoke to on the phone made no mention of the giant mountains of unstocked merchandise i would have to see through in order to locate what i need. (besides, the x-ray vision glasses i ordered from the Archie comic book back cover haven't arrived yet so even if he had said something, i was plumb out of luck.) so she proceeds to go and peek around the merchandise as best as she can and points at the first thing she sees and asks me if it's what i need. i say, 'that's a rechargeable battery charger. i need a camcorder battery so, no, that's not what i need.' i make a mental note that this employee is either blind or illiterate. another associate walks by who seems a little more aware of his surroundings so my blind/illiterate helper asks for assistance. this new employee sheds some light on the entire situation and shows me where the batteries are really located. by this time, i've wasted about six hours of my life. i look through the batteries, and there is nothing even remotely resembling what i need. apparently, Wal-mart only stocks giant brick shaped batteries normally used in 80s era camcorder prototypes. i leave wishing i had just stayed at home in my toasty 90 degree apartment. damn.