Argh!

All I needed was 30 postcard stamps, so Jill can mail the invitations to her birthday BBQ. Follow this pain:

1. Try and remember how much a postcard stamp is worth
2. Go to machine located conventiently in lobby of work building
3. "See "$.23, bag of 5 for $1.15" (might be right..)
3. Realize you never knew how much a postcard stamp was worth in the first place.
4. Trudge two blocks to post office.
5. Look at long line and decide to try your luck on the slot, er, vending machines
6. See familiar "Postcard $.21 for $1.15" and toss $5 bill in machine
7. Assume that $5 is going to get you multiple packs of stamps in one go
8. Be wrong.
9. Make selection
10. Head satisfying "plink" of packet inside machine
11. Hear loud rattle as machine starts dispensing obsolete $1 Susan B nthony coins. (Not the pretty new gold ones)
12. Put more change in machine
13. Make same selection
14. Hear noises
15. Put more change in machine
16. See "no more left" message
17. Hit "coin return" button
18. See "must make purchase to receieve change"
19. Buy next cheapest thing (pack of 50 $.03 stamps.)
20. Reach into machine to pick up booty
21. Find out familiar "Postcard $.21 for $1.15" really meant postcards with stamp built in.
22. Tear hair out
23. Trudge back to work -- wait
24. Decide on way back not to waste all of this time, try machine in lobby
25. Purchase 7 packets of $.23 cent postcard stamps correctly and easily from machine in lobby
26. Realize you just bought one pack too many, or it gave you an extra one because it felt bad for you
27. Realize those postcards you got don't even have correct postage on them
28. Realize you now have a way to waste some of your $.03 stamps.
29. Remember that the Post Office is a government entity