Bada Bing! (Or "A Friday Night in New Jersey")

 

Oh...New Jersey...

I tried to go get a desk again at Ikea.

Now, hear me out. I got a text alert that they had the legs to go with the tabletop that I like. A reasonably priced desk for my bedroom was exactly what I had in mind.

I decided to be spontaneous. After getting home from "Doubleheader," I told Sean about my crazy idea of just running to Paramus, NJ on a Friday night.

"Why not?" came the response. "We can go to Wawa and grab dinner."

Smart. Very smart.

I checked traffic.

I took a deep breath, knowing all too well that we'd hit some annoyances.

So we started. 

The headaches were minimal on the drive; mostly in Rockland County after crossing the bridge at Tappan Zee.

We arrived at Ikea on a mission. We would go straight to the home office area, review options, and get the number for the self-service bin to pick up the items and head out.

It was a perfect plan.

Except...you know what's coming.

No legs.

I stood there, stunned.

Then I began to seeth.

Sean was no better.

"You got a text that they had them. How were you supposed to know there'd be a rush on them? They owe you answers."

I looked at alternate options. Prices and aesthetics just didn't agree with me. Stubbornness? Sort of. But rationality also won.

Still, I consult people. A text to Susan. A moment with Sean and it was clear that I was walking away.

But before I left, I talked with Corey at the information desk. To say the least, he was understanding.

Sadly, that doesn't mean there was some kind of a hidden collection. There wasn't some great happy ending. When I told Corey we drove from Connecticut, he did what he could. From a customer service standpoint, that's a win.

We walked out empty-handed. While I was being diplomatic, Sean was mad. He wanted me to get the desk because he knows it's holding me up from truly taking the next step around the apartment. When I explained to him I just wanted to buy the desk and assemble it while watching the Rangers playoff game, he was even more bothered.

That made me feel good.

Let me pause here before we reach the denouement of our play for this evening. I'm dealing with a small space so that's an issue here. I've been offered other options but I have to be cognizant of the limitations. The thing to also keep in mind is that it gives me a story to tell.

Now, to that final act. We did drive down the road to Wawa and that's where I saw the stereotypical t-shirt in the photo atop the post. We each picked up dinner and made our way back to Mahopac, getting home before 9 p.m. All told, it wasn't a lot of time wasted, if it was even wasted at all.

And that's the thing. We both found ourselves thinking that, despite the idiocy of Ikea, we enjoyed our night out.

That's the takeaway. Making the best of whatever.

I'll take that.