Are there any other hardware stores, or stores like Wal-mart who sell everything, in your area?
Oh, so the T8 are the fatter bulbs, the T12's the skinnier ones? I just can't recall.. No that can't be right. I thought you could use the skinnier (has to be T8) bulbs in the T12 fixture, but not the T12 in the T8 fixture. Sorry that I wasn't any help.