IKEA convert

Yesterday, I had my first IKEA shopping experience and, let me tell you, it was just as fabulous as I had hoped. That place is crazy huge! Crazy! When I first arrived with my mother at 1:30 p.m., I thought, "This is odd -- they have a cafeteria." By the time 4:30 rolled around, I completely understood why they had a cafeteria. You have to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner somewhere while your shopping.

I ended up buying a TV stand for my non-existent TV and two narrow bookshelves to stand beside it. The IKEA warehouse is insane though. My mom and I were unprepared for the heavy-duty lifting necessary to get the items in our cart and check out. I wish I had a videocamera to record the process for posterity. It was hilarious. My mom basically lined the cart up with the item and pulled it onto the cart. And then she kept trying to run into people with 400 pounds of yet-to-be-assembled furniture. My mom is typically crazy with a grocery cart, too. I have to keep my distance when I'm shopping with her.

I fell in love with IKEA. I can think of no better way to blow wads of cash.

*UPDATE*
IKEA is by far the most diverse place of commerce I've been in awhile. There people of all ages and races there. I saw some guy in a turban, a bunch of Germans, a few gay guys, really old couples, Spanish-speakers, and a bearded man who kept bumping into my mother.