...and I saved $50!

Last night I spent 2 hours at Ikea. 1 in the store, 1 at the curb.
I have been eyeing up this in the Ikea catalog for a year. When I got my Christmas bonus – oh yeah, still not used to having an actual formal year-end review, let alone a BONUS - I decided this is what I’m buying for our “house” present this holiday. Big splurge. At long last the tv, cables, wires, dvds will be hidden away and I’ll have yet another piece of furniture to put a plant on. I just didn’t realize what an ordeal it would be.

Ikea is an hour away and I ended up shopping by myself as I was supposed to meet N, who then couldn’t meet up. Get there, walk through the furniture maze, find the spot in the wharehouse aisle for my center and the tag says it is indefinitely out-of-stock. Shit! I had it in my head that I needed it, and I wanted it for Christmas! For a moment I had that wild – just buy anything thought – which I curbed. So almost out the door, I walk into the “As-Is” room. Lo and behold there it sits. $50 bucks cheaper no less. I might’ve actually clapped my hands in glee. Nothing is better than buying something you really want – cheaper than you were willingly expecting to pay.

Only problem – it’s assembled. And 2” wider than any part of my suv. But I checked it out, and having a house of Ikea furniture I was sure I could disassemble it. I bought it, asked the two sullen 16 yr. olds working the warehouse to help me put it on a cart and asked to borrow a screwdriver. I wheel it out to the curb where it took me an hour to “disassemble”. It was going soooo well. I had everything but two sides off the base, when I finally realize the base is attached to the sides with metal rivets. No frickin way to remove them. I even tried to see of it would now somehow fit – not. even. close. Also, the sullen 16 yr olds are lingering yards away smoking, talking on cells finding much humor in all this. I mean really, who needs furniture this badly?! (me) So I decided to gently “break” part of the base off. The idea is running through my head that I just spent $200 on something I’m now breaking. I finally get it all in my truck. I was so worried about whether or not I ruined it – I stayed up ‘til 1 am putting it back together in our living room. (the repairs only took 4 nails and a touch of wood glue!) In the end I got what I wanted, it looks awesome and I saved $50! I rock.