Comments on guardedly optimistic: ikea by southwest

Wow, that sounds like an experience that could mak...

2008-04-24T09:40:00.000-04:00

Wow, that sounds like an experience that could make the toughest of men cry.

I haven't had the emotional experiences of some who have replied. However, it can be rage-inducing when you spend two hours cruising through the showroom only to find that the ONE piece you needed was either out-of-stock or only one of the boxes needed was there...and it was damaged...

I love the outpouring of Ikea emotion.

2007-02-11T00:26:00.000-05:00

I love the outpouring of Ikea emotion.

i had my first panic attack in IKEA; screaming, c...

2007-02-08T12:05:00.000-05:00

i had my first panic attack in IKEA; screaming, crying, screaming, crying, screaming, crying. "how big is the average window?" my roommate was laughing. i watned to kill her. i wanted to kill everyone in the place. much like me, IKEA is not for everyone. it is certainly not for me.

Being married to a Swede who loves his Swedish foo...

2007-02-07T21:40:00.000-05:00

Being married to a Swede who loves his Swedish food requires has required numerous trips to IKEA throughout the years. On the flip side ----- Johan also hates IKEA for all the reasons you mentioned in your blog so I figured something HAD TO BE DONE!
One day I decided that I was fed up w/all the emotional turmoil around me in IKEA so did my research and found Swedish food shop in Norwalk, CT (and they ship non-refrigerated items). Now the IKEA problem is solved! I will NEVER go there for the rest of my life if I can help it! I hope you and Julia find a solution to your IKEA problem as well some day!
Jean

i like it when things are difficult for you.

2007-02-03T12:33:00.000-05:00

i like it when things are difficult for you.

Our first few months in New York were miserable fo...

2007-02-02T18:45:00.000-05:00

Our first few months in New York were miserable for me - I pined for San Francisco every day - and perhaps the culmination of that misery was a trip to the Elizabeth, NJ IKEA. We took the bus. And of course, as soon as we pulled into the vast, vast parking lot of the store, snow began falling heavily (and this was early APRIL). The usual nerve-ravaging, relationship-threatening, sanity-obliterating IKEA experience ensued, but as I was waiting for Kris in the meatball-and-ice cream area near the exit of the store, fighting tears while waiting for him to pay for our stuff, my cell phone rang. An unfamiliar 347-number popped up. I answered, trying not to sound weepy. It was Julia. It was the first time I'd ever spoken to her. She was responding to my Craiglist inquiry about the workshop. So, as much as I resent and despise IKEA, I also have an oddly soft spot for it in my mind, because it hosted that very first conversation, and just after that, we met you guys in person, and after that, New York wasn't so miserable anymore, and now it's three years later, and we haven't moved back to California.

What about those handy chapped/burned fingers you ...

2007-01-31T16:24:00.000-05:00

What about those handy chapped/burned fingers you get after 12 hours of building IKEA furniture with that horrible "IKEA Tool?"

The secret that nobody tells first time parents is...

2007-01-31T11:06:00.000-05:00

The secret that nobody tells first time parents is that you don't need that much stuff especially in the beginning. More than anything you'll just want to stock up on burp cloths and diapers... Maybe a good extra trashcan with a tight lid. Don't go overboard on the rest!

Just think, someday you can take this stuff to the...

2007-01-30T19:20:00.000-05:00

Just think, someday you can take this stuff to the Antiques Road Show and it'll all have been worth it.

I wish I knew you had entered your nesting phase. ...

2007-01-30T13:33:00.000-05:00

I wish I knew you had entered your nesting phase. My mom is selling her house & had an offer accepted on the co-op she wants to buy. At some point, I will be getting furniture from her house and getting rid of a dresser that was once in my nursery as a baby. I don't know if my method is worse than stealing from a storage facility, but if it wasn't for dead relatives, I'd have hardly any furniture at all.

You are a better person than I am. After my last (...

2007-01-29T18:47:00.000-05:00

You are a better person than I am. After my last (3rd in total) Ikea experience I officially ended business with the good people from Sweden. Once you have your wife crying to you, in front of a broken piece of Ikea furniture, screaming "AT LEAST YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR PANTS ARE!!!!", you decide the extra money is well worth it for already put together furniture. I wish you and your allen wrench all the best!!!!