Hardware stores... Is it just me?

[Delphinus]

I dunno, I find myself looking for, say, a 1" 45 PVC bit and a 1x1x3/4" T (or whatever) and find myself having to buy half the bits at Home Depot, half the bits at Rona. Then discovering what I really wanted is a union (or whatever), but hey, I remember seeing one at the (insert "HD" or "Rona" here, depending on whether current position is "Rona" or "HD", respectively), so I go back, only to discover that the union that I saw was really only HALF of a union, who knows where the other half is, so I ask the dude with an apron, do you have any others of these (mood getting somewhat sour by this point), no, no idea sorry; well when will you get more in, not sure sorry but maybe next Wednesday? (mood getting somewhat more sour by this point) so I say, man, I should have just gone to Western Pump in the first place, but oh yeah they close at 5:00pm and it's now 7:30pm (mood VERY sour by this point). So the next day, I go to Western Pump at lunch break, grab $3.00 of PVC bits, then wait at the counter for 23 minutes while the person in line in front of me endlessly discusses pump options for their spa or whatever, and how do you solvent weld this piece to that piece, and, in my impatience I decide to wander the aisles looking for more interesting PVC bits (never in my life did I imagine I would ever say something like, "interesting PVC bits", thank you reefing hobby!!!), meanwhile, the guy endlessly discussing pump options has finished, and the other guy who was in the store has bellied-up to the bar so-to-speak, and I've just lost my spot in line. So I decide, no I will not let this happen again, I stand there stoicly waiting my turn this time. Pay for the $3.00 PVC bits (and take some small solace in the fact that I have a "customer account file" at this place despite never having spent more than $17 in a single shopping spree, they must just love me) and then when all said and done, head back to work, but 1/2 hour late now, so of course I can't stop somewhere and get a quick bite. So I work the afternoon away, kind of hungry. And by 2:30 I have to get a bag of chips to help alleviate the groanings of the tummy, despite me promising myself I was "not going to snack as much this year." At 4:30 I find myself wondering if Big Al's got a new shipment in.

Or is it just me for whom it's like this???