If you recall, I issued a moratorium on book purchases only a few short days ago.

I’ve already failed…big time.

I had a meeting with the owner of Constellation Books yesterday – this was part meet and greet, part reconnaissance for me. As I am notorious for getting lost, even armed with map and GPS, I needed this dry-run so I could work out the kinks before my reading with other authors there on October 30.

(I did get lost, BTW – and that cost me nearly an extra hour in travel time to get there.)

The problem was not the bookstore…although I did order a book while I was there — but I’d already factored that into the moratorium.

The problem was the church yard sale I passed on my way to the bookstore. Have I admitted here yet that I’m seriously addicted to yard sales? Here goes:

Hello, my name is Kelly.
 
I salivate at the prospect of a good yard sale. I hyperventilate if it’s a multi-family or community affair.
 
If I’m driving, be a good sport and don’t complain when I stop. If you’re driving, you’d better pull over if you know what’s good for you.

Okay – I’m not that bad. I’ve been known to drive by tables filled with, ahem, junk. I do have my standards. Plus: I won’t stop if there isn’t a lot of stuff to look at. Otherwise, it’s just not worth my time.

But I digress.

So, I stopped at this church yard sale….and I nearly filled TWO shopping bags with books. They were mostly paperbacks, which means I fit quite a few into the two bags. I haven’t counted them. Suffice to say, it was a lot of books.

I’d like to think that this serious book acquisition is tempered by the fact that the books are mostly what I like to call disposable books: books I want to read, but (probably) won’t keep. I’ll donate them. In other words: they’re only temporary residents in the house.

Oh, and I picked up a several with someone else in mind (Hi, Sue!). I’ll hand those over the next time I see that someone. And since I didn’t get those for myself, I figure those don’t count.

Nonetheless, a major fail for me and my moratorium.

Anyone else have trouble sticking to this kind of “diet?”