Swedes & Instructions

BF, "Those Swedes have nothing on me!"

After BF finished installing the new bathtub, new toilet and floor tiles, I asked him to assemble the IKEA bathroom vanity for me.  

He opened the box and pulled everything out. 

TMF,"Wait, don't you want to use the instructions?"
BF, "Those Swedes have nothing on me!"
TMF raises an eyebrow, "Really?"
 His reference is towards IKEA's Swedish company heritage.

A few minutes pass...

TMF, "Um...are you sure you don't want the instructions?  Look!  You don't have to read anything, they only have pictures."

BF gives me the "Fool, please" look.

A few more minutes pass...

TMF, "Here look at these pictures."

BF finally relents and glances at the booklet I pushed towards him. 

He proceeds to have an unintelligible conversation with himself, the booklet and the unassembled vanity.  He also undid everything he did. 

You know he means business when there's a backwards cap.



IKEA: Round #2

BF, "The sink cabinet is too big."

TMF, "Are you serious?  We have to exchange it?"
BF, "It'll be a really tight fit if you don't."

TMF, "Can we go to IKEA together?  I can't move this stuff by myself."

BF, "I can't take off any time from work."

TMF, "WHAT?"

Thank goodness for friends who are involved in semi-long distant relationships.  My friend Courtney agreed to meet me at Orlando's IKEA while visiting her boyfriend.  Without her help, there was no way I could move the porcelain sink and its cabinet by myself.

I also want to thank BF's parents.  They let us keep the IKEA purchases in their storage shed.  Calvin was extremely helpful in transferring the larger sink/cabinet from the shed to the truck.   What can I say?  I am helpless when it comes to moving things. 

Just our luck, it was the windiest day of the year throughout the state of Florida.  

Through a lot of laughter, flying hair, flying tarps, pushing and pulling, we returned the larger sink/cabinet and purchased and loaded the smaller sink/cabinet in the truck.

Our crazy laughter drew the attention of a nearby amused shopper and she offered to snap a few pictures for us. 

Whew!  Afterwards, we headed towards the cafe for Swedish meatballs, stuffed salmon and lingonberry juice.

IKEA: Round #1

Back in December 2011, BF and I took our first shopping trip to IKEA.  Boy, we were in for a shock.

We learned IKEA keeps its prices and liability low by making their customers move the heavy stuff by themselves.  I burst out laughing when I saw the boxes that contained our Pax wardrobe frames.  

The boxes were taller than me!  Then they give you these tiny flatbed carts to maneuver through the European-style roundabout maze of fellow weekend shoppers.  

This was my first time physically breaking a sweat while pushing a shopping cart through a store.  Wide turns, many “I’m so sorry's,” and BF’s looks of death were given to make it to the finish line/cash register. 

It was a Tetris game to see how BF carefully positioned the precious IKEA items on the trailer and Blue’s truck bed.  Did I mention there were heavy thunderclouds viciously pushing their way towards the parking lot?  Did I mention I am completely hopeless when it comes to lifting furniture?  

Thanks to the kindness of a stranger, (A.K.A. fellow IKEA shopper and heavy lifter) all the items were carefully stowed in their correct positions and we were off to buy a plastic tarp.

I can’t wait to show you the IKEA items, but it’ll take a few more weeks before pictures appear. 

Sorry for the lack of real pictures.  During IKEA:  Round #1, I didn't think it was an appropriate time to snap pictures.  Lesson learned.