Ikea, you fierce and fickle mistress

Even though it requires a drive to Bloomington, I guess it's a shorter drive than to Chicago to get inexpensive functional Euro furniture. It's just that driving to Bloomington three times in one weekend is a little much when you've got work and homework coming out your ears.

I was on a quest for a desk. This semester is going to be fairly computer intensive and with the move into a bigger bedroom I figured it was time to upgrade from a bookshelf and bar stool. After some research I found a desktop for $30 and basically two saw-horse legs for $30 at Ikea. A $60 desk, not bad.

Not bad that is until I got home and discovered one set of legs was used, and the wood was drilled out too far, and the other set was cut wrong and didn't fit together. There went my goal of having a desk by noon. After work, I swung by Ikea to exchange the crappy trestles for four adjustable legs. Got home, realized one didn't have all the parts. Three functional legs--at least I was making progress, but it meant another trip down south...and some wine to dispel the rage.

This morning I decided to hit it right away to avoid the crowds. Luckily they gave me my missing parts with no problems. I thought I'd want nothing but to leave ASAP after three trips in two days but I was hungry and that 99-cent breakfast deserved an attempt.

My friend Megan met me there and while I was waiting for her I watched the entire Twin Cities demographics of young couples and hip elderly expatriates pour through the door and head straight to the breakfast line. Having partaken of the nightly manager's special numerous times on the days when I worked at both Lifetouch and the MOA I knew it was possible for a decent meal at the Ikea Cafe but I was still skeptical of price vs. quality. Scrambled eggs were involved, after all.

This post is so long and it's about Ikea. Seriously.

In the cafeteria line I opted for the "large" breakfast, consisting of bacon, eggs, potatoes and french toast sticks, for two dollars and added a cinnamon roll and coffee. Even with a tray full of food my total was only three dollars and some change. Totes awes.

The eggs were first. They seemed real, they looked real, they tasted real, so just like the hollow laminate desktop I bought, if they were imitation they did a pretty darn good job faking it. The rest of the food was actually better than McDonald's too--meaning I didn't hate myself afterward. For three dollars? Sold.

Still wish it hadn't taken three trips to get my desk assembled but hey, it's over. I'm going to ignore the rattle in one of the legs for as long as possible, or at least until I'm desperate enough for a $3 breakfast.

Now homework.