08.10Putting the “FUN” in FUrNiture!
I wish I could say I’ve been doing awesome and interesting things.
Instead, I have been up to my ears in house stuff, whether it’s our new house or our rental. For instance: I spent all day yesterday cleaning the house. I mean, all day. I stopped for lunch and dinner and finally kicked my feet up around 10pm. I probably inhaled enough Lysol to clean an entire third world country; my new signature fragrance is eau de bleach.
But our house is clean so that complete strangers can come in, judge our mess, and possibly rent the house once we’re out.
Saturday, we took my father-in-law’s truck to the mecca of household goods: IKEA. It’s the new Disney of Orlando: the happiest place on Earth and, five hours later, you wind up tired, cranky and broke.
(Yes, you heard right: five hours. Five hours! of battling crowds, screaming babies, rabid shoppers, and shopping carts that could not move in a straight line at all.)
However, we indulged in furniture, some cute accessories including a little plush rat, and, of course, Swedish meatballs.
(ALSO: why the hell are items in-store priced differently than online? The Expedit shelf I wanted is listed on the site as being $159 but in-store it’s $199. And nobody in a yellow shirt could explain it but if I try to order it online, they want about $149 in shipping. I have beef with you, IKEA! And it’s not the little round, cream-sauced kind either!)
And let me just say that, by the end of the trip, I was fully IKEAd out. My fun meter had expired and I was ready to get the hell outta there.
See?
Just. Like. Disney.
All they need are trams to wheel you out to your parking lot — and the IKEA parking lot really could use a system like that! — and possibly some college kids posing as beloved characters.
Imagine it! A dancing Malm bed to greet you, a Billy bookcase handing out sales flyers, and a Poang chair to pose with your kids!
I'll show you my bookcase from Ikea's as is section (so glad they opened one over here!) when you guys come to my housewarming dinner party!
And I look forward to seeing your Ikea goodness, too!
This shall happen! We will see each other again before either of us has children. So that's quite a cushion of time.
August 11th, 2009 at 2:43 am
I refuse to go to IKEA except on weekdays while everyone has to work. Even before I was laid off I would take extended lunches there to get my shopping done just to avoid the crowds.
August 11th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Are we going to get to see pictures of the new digs?
August 12th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
What REALLY sucks is that I'm freaking going to IKEA in Orlando on Sunday.
Dammit.
August 13th, 2009 at 2:41 am
I think that initial cleaning is a rite of passage for homeowners. You want to clean away the "ick" of the previous owners and feel like the only one who has ever sat on that toilet seat is YOU. Anyhow, glad you're through that and getting settled in!
Also- you totally nailed the IKEA experience. Katie & I took the kids to the one near us last winter. Within the first 20 minutes I was thinking to myself "this is awesome! We're going to come here all the time, even when we don't need to buy anything!". Then we shopped and went through hell (I mean- the checkout process), and on the way home we agreed we would NEVER return.
August 13th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
I LOOOOATHE IKEA.
Loathe.
With a hot, steamy passion.
August 17th, 2009 at 10:25 pm