Convenient Store?

I like being able to walk to places. Stores, restaurants, movie theatres, etc. This is a big reason for why we chose to live in the area we do.

One of the stores that, while not initially of concern to us, has recently featured much more prominently in our errands and our budget: the pet store.

We have a small pet store that is within easy walking distance. It's no mega-jumbo store with 50 different flavors of dog bones, but it has all the basics and a bit more.

On the other hand, we also have a mega-jumbo store in the area. It's much less convenient, though, being at least a 10-minute drive.

So it should be a simple matter: for all the basics, go to the small, local store. For anything they don't have, make the trek to the bigger store. Easy, right?

But of course, nothing in life is easy. And here's the dilemma: there's a supremely annoying sales clerk at the local store and she works all the time. Last night I stopped on the way to the movie theatre (see how convenient!) and tried to scuttle into an aisle out of sight. I hadn't seen her, so I didn't know for sure if she was there, but I knew I didn't want to risk it.

Unfortunately for me, it took a few minutes to find what I was looking for, and by then she'd pounced.

Not only does she give tons of unwanted advice, it's where it's coming from. It feels to me like it's not coming from a sense of generosity and love for animals. She gives advice because she likes to be right and tell others that they're wrong.

While I was at the register, being criticized for adopting a kitten that was too young, putting her food too close to the litter, etc., Keith and Mon hid out near the cat toys and snickered. Sure, it's funny when it's not happening to you.

So I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm lazy, and I hate running errands. When I'm home after work, I want to be home. (Unless I'm doing something fun, of course.) And the more time it takes us to go to the pet store, the less time we're actually spending with the pets. But that woman! Can. Not. Take. It. Which is more important: convenience or my sanity?