Ikea

Even the most patient and even-tempered person will be ready to leave Ikea by the time he/she has made it through the maze of the store's floor plan. Don't misunderstand me; I love Ikea. But it really can wear you down. We don't have an Ikea in Jacksoville, but there is one in Orlando. I used to avoid Orlando as much as possible, but now that my son is living just ten miles north, I'm hear quite a bit. And really, if you're furnishing an apartment -- and you're a twenty-two-year-old gentleman -- there's no better place to find almost everything you need. Apart from his sofa, bed, television, and a few kitchen items, my son has bought everything in his apartment from Ikea -- and it looks great. He's keeping with a black and white theme, with a few touches of gray. His patience in assembling all the parts amazes me. I can do it, but not without a lot of cursing and throwing of objects.

I needed to pick up a few things for my house when we were at Ikea too; my bill was much lower than my son's, only thirteen dollars and change. I was disappointed by the paltry offerings in the window treatment section, so tomorrow I will have to do a little more shopping around. At least I found a rod and some cool finials. Now I just have to find something to hang from it. My son should have all he needs for his place now, and he starts his on-campus classes next Tuesday. This is the first time he's lived on his own, and I'm sure it's harder for me than for him to feel like he's ready.