101 things about me

Thursday 3 April 2008

IKEA Madness...

We went to IKEA yesterday.

Madness. Pure utter madness. All of it. The store was filled with all the husbands and wives, mothers-in-law, children, babes in arms, couples and pensioners of Melbourne. If you live in the state of Victoria, I expect you may well have been there too. All carrying their bargains, all pushing loaded trolleys. All eyes glazed. Total madness.

Why did we go? I seem to remember a rush of blood to the head in the midst of a big clear-out and re-organise session. Necessity apparently. It couldn't wait apparently. It was a Wednesday and IKEA was intended to be a quick in and out shopping experience. Had I REMEMBERED it was school holidays I would have reconsidered. Seriously.

I live within 10 minutes of this furniture fun-park and generally I avoid it at all times of high traffic. I restrict any browsing to late shopping on a Thursday night. Generally there's me, the shelf stockers, a handful of couples and NO, I repeat NO, families. I kid you not people. THIS is the time to shop at IKEA. This is the time to avoid the queues at the cashier and the elbowed frenzy in the bargain centre. THIS is the time to avoid the madness. THIS is the time to browse without risk of pram damaged ankles, of deafness by shrieking child and Grannies taking too long in the bathrooms.

Now before you get upset all you bloggers with kids (and Grannies), I love kids and Grannies. Really I do. I just prefer not to have to tackle the hell of shopping with any that aren't related (and most of them too)!

And SO. Nearly one and a half hours after our arrival we made our escape. One shelving unit was our only purchase (I know, I know, I can barely believe it myself!) Today it will be delivered (it wouldn't fit in the Mini) and then comes the assembly. I have an allen key at the ready. Wish me luck.

To their credit, IKEA has it all. Did you know they make cars now too!

And they even supply the tools to assemble it! Gotta love that!

5 comments:

Malcolm Garth said...

Just let everyone know that our loungeroom looks a lot like the photo of the car in pieces. Just not as neat.

Visitors are excluded until late spring at least! :)

Lilli boo said...

I'm so glad I read your entry for today as I was planning to go to IKEA tommorrow! I can definitely wait...Even with your own kids it's sometimes trial and error..in fact now that I think about it 4 year old will be back at kindy too next week..win win situation..No offence taken by kids and grannies comment..giggled myself at that one!

Louise Dalton said...

Ahhhh Ikea.... There are a few things I might pick up if if I were not so, so, far away!
You are so right about going in the quiet times. School holidays + Ikea does not = a good shopping experience!

Anonymous said...

I'm due a visit to Ikea for something that I just can't live without any longer... now if I can just remember what it is...

Jo said...

I can never get in & out of IKEA quickly...even if I'm just going to browse & only get 2 items, I'm there hours. Well, and there's something about the place that throws people into manic-mode, especially the tots. I love kiddies but their strollers have a peculiar attraction to my achilles tendon :P