support your local

that's what we're supposed to do, you know.
buy locally, buy from your mom&pop neighborhood store - not from the behemoth big-box stores that are stealing business away, forcing shops to close.

well, i tried.
i needed a socket wrench set, so i went up the block to the local hardwear store.
now, i understand they are small and can't stock everything a person might need, but the only socket set they had was of the crappy variety. you know those crappy tools you can find at the dollar store or where-ever; they just fall apart or don't work for the job they are meant.
i must have gone to 4 or 5 other small, local hardware stores, finding the same crap in each one.

so now what, i ask?
i could have them order me a set, and wait a week until it comes in.
i could go online and order it from a (big-box) website like Amazon and have it in a day or two.
or i can just ride down to WalHomeLowesSears and have my choice of quality brands at a low price.

i went, i bought, and i feel bad.

but not as bad as either having crappy, unreliable tools or no tools at all.