I Loveya, Ikea!

Stopped at Ikea on my way home from the Library Conference. I guess you could say it was a quick visit. Only took me three hours to get through the maze-cum-showroom they've crafted, and recently expanded. Hadn't gone in well over a year, and a good thing, too. No where else (except maybe Costco) can you get so much for so little, and still break the bank.

I still remember with fond irreverence the first time I went to Ikea alone. I was driving a Jetta at the time. A small one. I bought a wicker lounge chair. A crowd gathered around my car as I put the lounge chair into it-- and took it out--- and put it in from a different angle-- and took it out--- and put it in through a different door-- and took it out... I had to roll down one of the rear windows to get the doors closed once the chair was finally inside. Never underestimate a small-but-fiercely-determined woman. Never. (A few people actually clapped at my eventual success. I suspect I should have applied to Volkswagen for a grant at that point. I'd modeled each and every one of the car's many stowage and storage options in less than 15 minutes, and proven that the impossible could be done, if only you drove a Jetta! That has to be some sort of a record. And since it was in person, it was actually MORE EFFECTIVE than a TV ad. Man, I miss those butt-warmers!) Didn't even occur to me that buying a large, long, and unwieldy chair might not be a good idea when driving a compact car. And once the money's gone, there is no WAY whatever you bought is staying behind when you drive away!

Then there was the time my partner and I bought the king-sized bed frame and the two large bookshelves, among other treasures... we were driving his Jeep Cherokee for that one. We finally got everything loaded in, and then realized there was no room left for US! I ended up driving because I was shorter. Strangest reason to be picked to drive I've ever heard of... but you see, my head sort of fit under the bed frame, which was shoved precariously over the top of both front seats, and I could still sorta see out over the dashboard. I still don't know how my partner folded himself inside what was left of the passenger seat. At least we got all the doors and windows closed on that one! Come to think of it, everything we bought on that trip was bought to accommodate his 6'3" frame, and his 63 million books... and it all stayed with him after our divorce, too. He was just lucky to have me around, that's all! (There, you see? Another reason to love Ikea-- it helps me realize my own value!... riiiight.)

Well, on this trip, I only bought two small sets of shelves (much-needed!), and a ton of other little stuff. Things I could get into my car and then into my home without having to call for back-up. Plenty of room to spare in my nice roomy Honda CRV, too. And, now, plenty of empty space in my bank account. But, c'mon! Where else would you find stoneware spaghetti bowls for 59 cents?? And small pottery planters that were made with a hole so you could hang them up on a hook, out of the way, without the whole "swaying in the wind" of traditional hanging baskets... And... and... all that other random stuff I bought... What did I spend all that money on, again?

That's what I love about Ikea. There's always more stuff there that you really "need," and it's always available at a good price-- so long as you can haul it home yourself. That's also what I love about living several hours away from one of their stores these days. I can't casually stop by on a weekend anymore. Except, of course, for last weekend. Sigh.