PC

A good trip. We left early enough so that we could arrive at IKEA in time for the 9:30 ‘breakfast’ of a muffin and coffee in their cafeteria. It’s really a pleasant place to eat and cheap as well. Even cheaper now that the coffee is free! 2 cups of dark roasted Swedish coffee and 2 muffins was about $2.75.

At 10, we were allowed to enter the store and begin our quest. We’ve got this store figured out now and we use the discrete ‘crossovers’ to quickly move from section to section without following the arrows on the floor that guide the shopper from beginning to end. And of course we found some bargains. I could spend most of my IKEA time in their kitchen supply area and be happy.

Then it was time to checkout; Oh, oh! No check stands were open. None. All checkouts were the self operated style. You scan it, you bag it…you do it all. Well, we could make a point here and walk away from our shopping cart, or we could grit our teeth and just do it. We did. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. But that doesn’t mean I liked it. It took much longer and I got to experience some of that frustration I’ve seen in the store among the cashiers when the package won’t scan. And we ended up with a receipt that must have been 3 feet long. Every item must be scanned; no multipliers can be used.

My dislike of D-I-Y check out is more complex than I thought. I usually tell myself that I dislike it because it removes available work for a cashier. Someone loses a job and I’m a Friend of Labor! But I’m also an advocate of RFID shopping which would do the same thing; except the experience would be much better. No scanning, no stopping at the check stand at all, just pick up your receipt at the door as you exit. I guess I’m not the idealist that I wish I were.

And what did we buy? Kvartals, of course. We plan on getting rid of the vertical blinds in the family room and we didn’t want heavy looking drapes or frilly curtains in there. But… before I’m allowed to put them up, I’ve been tasked with painting the family room.

After picking up some supplies for the Plant Barn, we headed up I-80 to Auburn and a stop at In-N-Out for lunch. Then it was time for a frustrating drive down highway 49… following trucks that were traveling about 10 mph on the twisting road. But we got to Garden Valley and had a good time visiting with Zach, Michelle and Colum. Our great-grandson is close to 1 year old now and getting ready to walk in the next few months. Of course he is a brilliant baby, just like all of our grandchildren… notice how he has convinced his father to pick him up and carry him around.

On an entirely different note; it appears that the Republicans worst nightmares are about to come true. The economy is sinking along with their hopes of being reelected. And it’s about time; 7 years with this clown and his followers is more than enough. Although I’m sure that there will be a contingent of right wingnuts that will insist that it’s all Bill Clinton’s fault and all that we need to revive the economy is another big tax cut. Or maybe we should start World War IV? World War III isn’t going so well, so maybe we should just move on. Or; maybe it’s China’s fault. We all love to dump on China these days… while shopping at Wal*Mart. It makes sense to me, just blame Bill and China; it requires no thought and it’s politically correct. Among Republicans.