Shouldn't someone specialize?

This year, one of my goals is topical gospel study wherein I will create resource sheets on every topic I study. Because this is patterned after a study program on my mission, I wanted to get a little half-sized binder, just like I had on my mission. Besides which, if I can tie any goal into making any sort of purchase, I'm more likely to do it.

Now, I knew that I wouldn't have the stationery selection that I had in wonderful Italy (praise the Europeans for their superior stationery!), but I figured that Staples would be the best choice for finding supplies. I mean, they specialize in this sort of thing, after all.

After work yesterday, I went over to Staples and went to their binder section. After slowly looking through everything they offered, I found one type of 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 binder. And it cost about $7. Though I was hoping to choose from at least two binders (they had one on the Internet that only cost about $3), I took the $7 binder, tucked it under my arm, and went searching for the other items for a half-sized binder. Next I found a package of 25 page protectors. Since 25 just happens to be the exact number of topics I plan to study, this worked out well for me, except that they cost another $7. Oh well. Can you really spend too much on the organization of your spiritual enlightenment?

Next I needed to find paper to go in my binder. Now, I'm really trying not to compare the US to Europe here, but I'd like to point out that Europe has an assortment of high quality, hole-punched paper that will fit a half-sized binder. At Staples, I could only find note pads that certainly weren't high quality paper and certainly weren't hole punched.

No matter, I thought. I'd go and look at their note cards because at least that way, I'd be using card stock, which would actually be quite nice.

I found their note cards section. The only 5 x 8 note cards were sold in packages of 500. They cost $8. Surely, though, at a store like Staples, there would be smaller packages.

A couple of employees saw me wandering around the aisles and must have noticed the bewildered look on my face because they asked me if I needed help. I must point out that at this point, I still thought that surely Staples had the paper and/or note cards I was looking for, but that I was simply looking in the wrong places.

"I have this binder here, and I was wondering if you have 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 paper to go in it," I said.

"We could cut paper to that size, but I don't know how much that will cost you," she said.

"Well, I'm looking for paper of this size that's already hole punched."

"Um... I don't really think that we have any."

"So you sell the binder, but you don't sell the paper that goes in the binder."

"Well, truckers are usually the only ones who buy those binders and they already have their own paper."

"Oh. I see. Okay. I'm not sure that makes sense, but maybe I can just use note cards. It's just that I can't find 8 x 5 note cards in any smaller quantity than 500."

"We definitely have note cards," she said, and led me back to where I'd been looking at the note cards. She then searched the wall (just as I had searched the wall two minutes earlier) and announced that no, they didn't sell 8 x 5 note cards in smaller quantities. "You see," she said, "people buy smaller note cards in smaller quantities, but people who buy 8 x 5 note cards like to buy a lot of them so that they don't have to come back and buy more."

At this point, I started to get an intense head ache. I realized that my trip to buy supplies for my gospel study was a bust, but at least I could get those stickers that go around hole punches to reinforce them because I've needed those for a while, and for heaven's sake, I was at Staples. So I asked her if she could please show me where I could find those stickers that go around hole punches to reinforce them. Her face lit up as she announced to me that they definitely had those.

She brought me to the correct aisle and proclaimed, "They even sell it in this kit that has everything you need!" On the wall was a kit that included a single-hole punch, and a little machine for putting on those stickers that go around hole punches to reinforce them. It cost $8. I swear I was about to cry. I turned to the girl and said, "I don't really need a whole kit. I just need a small package of reinforcements."

"I should tell my supervisor that we should sell those," she said.

And finally, to add insult to injury after injury after injury, I went to console myself by buying a package of SARASA Zebra pens. You know, I haven't found a place other than the BYU Bookstore (and the whole of Europe) to buy them singly, so I'd have to buy a whole package to get my beloved orange pen. And in the pen aisle, I found one package of SARASA Zebra pens. It didn't have orange.

I'm sure you'll understand, then, that I didn't purchase the half-sized binder or the page protectors. I simply didn't want to give Staples any of my money. I've decided that what I really need to do is find a store that specializes in office and home office supplies. Does anyone have any ideas?