Wednesday, November 24, 2010
A trip to Ikea and a long wait on the M23.
Perhaps the urge to visit Ikea is out of my system for a while.
It is like visiting a far away land - not just because it is Swedish, but because it is outside my normal world.
So, what have we bought?
A few odds and ends of course.
The aim was to buy a chest of drawers to go along side my side of the bed.
The room is small and doesn't allow for much depth.
The CODs would have been too deep.
We have brought home the kit to make up what is basically a side board. It is quite long - a bit 1960s style.
We really have no idea how well it will fit.
One tiny little set of drawers will be abandoned.
I wanted to get a new mirror - I have one on a stand and it can be tilted according to the position you need. It is cheap and the wood is stained in something very dark. Ikea didn't have anything like I wanted.
Then we had a meal - I had the Swedish meatballs, lingonberry sauce and gravy this time - it is what the Ikea restaurant is famed for. It must have been on special offer - the 10 meatballs etc and potatoes cost £1.50.
We spent a long while over our meal watching people, drinking lots of tea and coffee - unlimited amounts available for the price.
We felt like the country bumpkins visiting the cosmopolitan, exciting world of Ikealand.
By the time we were ready to leave we were sure the A23 would be free of rush hour traffic. Local traffic reports always seem to mention how slow going it can be between Croydon and Purley at that time.
Yes, traffic was flowing freely.
Hooray - we would home in no time!
Wrong!
Of course having whizzed through the more urban driving we opted for the most direct route, down the motorway.
And then abruptly came to a halt.
Not creeping and crawling - a halt.
We were there for over an hour.
Traffic reports told of an overturned vehicle. Somebody's life had literally been turned upside down.
We could just be thankful that we were well, sitting in our car and enjoying Mike Harding introduce Folk on 2 and grinning at people alongside us.By the time we passed the scene of the accident, the occupants of any cars involved would have been in the East Surrey Hospital.....hopefully not anywhere worse. Road menders were resurfacing the road.
Eventually we were home - Swedish food that we bought has been stowed. The furniture is still in the car.
Bill will put it together tomorrow; oh for a Thai shop where the shop workers assemble the flat pack and then deliver the item.
So that was much of our day.
It is like visiting a far away land - not just because it is Swedish, but because it is outside my normal world.
So, what have we bought?
A few odds and ends of course.
The aim was to buy a chest of drawers to go along side my side of the bed.
The room is small and doesn't allow for much depth.
The CODs would have been too deep.
We have brought home the kit to make up what is basically a side board. It is quite long - a bit 1960s style.
We really have no idea how well it will fit.
One tiny little set of drawers will be abandoned.
I wanted to get a new mirror - I have one on a stand and it can be tilted according to the position you need. It is cheap and the wood is stained in something very dark. Ikea didn't have anything like I wanted.
Then we had a meal - I had the Swedish meatballs, lingonberry sauce and gravy this time - it is what the Ikea restaurant is famed for. It must have been on special offer - the 10 meatballs etc and potatoes cost £1.50.
We spent a long while over our meal watching people, drinking lots of tea and coffee - unlimited amounts available for the price.
We felt like the country bumpkins visiting the cosmopolitan, exciting world of Ikealand.
By the time we were ready to leave we were sure the A23 would be free of rush hour traffic. Local traffic reports always seem to mention how slow going it can be between Croydon and Purley at that time.
Yes, traffic was flowing freely.
Hooray - we would home in no time!
Wrong!
Of course having whizzed through the more urban driving we opted for the most direct route, down the motorway.
And then abruptly came to a halt.
Not creeping and crawling - a halt.
We were there for over an hour.
Traffic reports told of an overturned vehicle. Somebody's life had literally been turned upside down.
We could just be thankful that we were well, sitting in our car and enjoying Mike Harding introduce Folk on 2 and grinning at people alongside us.By the time we passed the scene of the accident, the occupants of any cars involved would have been in the East Surrey Hospital.....hopefully not anywhere worse. Road menders were resurfacing the road.
Eventually we were home - Swedish food that we bought has been stowed. The furniture is still in the car.
Bill will put it together tomorrow; oh for a Thai shop where the shop workers assemble the flat pack and then deliver the item.
So that was much of our day.
Labels: home and daily life
