Hello Friends and Family,
Link to this year's index by clicking here.
Quiet Week |
Unrelated to jury duty, I've been thinking about replacing our desk and secretary table where I do all my computer work. It's getting kind of shabby and not well suited for two computers and a printer (soon to be two printers). So after playing golf on Thursday, I decide to stop at Ikea and see what they might have. For those of you who do not have an Ikea near you and have not heard of these stores, I must provide a bit of background. I first learned of Ikea when someone told me "they are going to build an Ikea in Tempe". Of course, my response was, "what's an Ikea?" Then I got one of those looks like "what cave did you just crawl out of". So I learned that Ikea is a furniture store — but not just any furniture store. |
|
Finally, the big day came for their grand opening. I could not believe how many people showed up. There was a large contingent of police just to direct traffic. The parking lot overflowed and people were allowed to park in an adjoining field. Some tried to park at Lifetime Fitness but employees stood guard, turning away the Ikea customers. It was crazy! And not just that first day, but each weekend after that for months! Weekdays were slightly better but it was still full to bursting. One of my HP co-workers suggested we stop by at lunch time. Supposedly, their snack bar was pretty good, serving Swedish meatballs among other delicacies. However, we figured that we would have to walk there from HP because the traffic was still so bad — so we never made it. Over time, the crowds thinned out a bit — so, at least on weekdays, one might consider a visit. So it was with that history, that I went there for the first time. The entrance is a bit confusing. In one direction is a child care center. In another direction is the bank of cashiers. The remaining option was a pair of escalators going up to the second floor. Easy choice — second floor. I immediately found the snack bar, so I took a quick look at the menu for future reference. Then I walked into the sales area and immediately found the modular office furniture that I was interested in. A couple of brochures and a few questions answered by a sales associate — and I was on my way — that wasn't too bad. Uh, then I discovered that the sales floor is laid out like a maze. So I began walking, looking for exit signs, turning here, turning there. Before long I began to think, how would you get out of this place if there were a fire. Don't think about that, just keep going for the exit. Ah, there is an escalator leading downstairs to checkout. Home free. Oops, not really. More maze, more signs, more frustration. After what seemed like a couple hours, I finally spotted the checkout area that I had seen on my way in. Finally, out into the bright sunshine and on my way home — mission accomplished. And I will be back — but now I starting to learn what the Ikea experience is all about. |
Life is good.
Aloha,
B. David
P. S., All photos and text © B. David Cathell Photography, Inc. — www.bdavidcathell.com