IKEA - Ravenea Rivularis - Customer Service

Last weekend we went to IKEA to buy new sheets for the newly finished guest room and our bed. Those of you who have shopped at IKEA probably know that it's not the best place to go to if you are susceptible to the impulse buying bug! What else would explain why we left with more than our intended purchases and paying $200+? It's like going to COSTCO for just toilet paper, right?

I believe I've mentioned that one of David's obsessions is palms. We know have 5 in the ground in the front of the house and at least 19 or so in pots along the side and in the backyard. No matter where we go David points out palms and spouts out their Latin names. Or he plays my favorite guessing game, "Let me test you. Do you know the name of that palm over there?" I was being facetious when I said that I like the guessing game. I actually am bad with names, especially when it comes to Latin. But David loves to play the game with me. The subject of the guessing game can be Band Names from the 70's and 80's (Who's singing this song?), Palms, Movie Lines, etc. I usually try 2 guesses before I scream, "I DON'T KNOW tell me!"

So there we were in the basement bazaar of IKEA (which should be called "Impulse Buyers' Heaven") looking for the sheets when David spied a potted Majestic Palm or Ravenea Rivularis. It was only $14.00! How could we pass it up?

IKEA doesn't sell potting soil and David wanted to get the palm planted in the 2nd bedroom that evening. Thank goodness Longs Garden Center is open 24 hours -- a horticulturist's dream. Going to Longs is an experience. The store is gigantic and looks like it was built in the 70s. The Garden Center has a great variety of plants and garden supplies most of which are sold at good prices.

We were at Longs, if memory serves me correctly, at about 8:00 p.m. on July 3rd. The Garden Center's registers were closed leaving the Customer Service registers as the next closest to buy the potting soil. Ms. Longs Customer Service was not exuding a very happy demeanor. She was poised beyond the register with elbow on the counter and her head leaning on her hand She was clearly not happy working the evening of a Holiday weekend. David was blissful with anticipation of a palm entering the house and was not paying attention to Ms. Longs Customer Service. After about 5 minutes into the transaction Ms. Longs Customer Service blurts out, still with the side of her face propped up against her hand, "What's your screen say?" This was her subtle way to get David's attention to the card reader screen and not the conversation he was having with me.

Now that's customer service for ya.

Here's a picture of the Palm in our newly finished 2nd bedroom.

Freeway Porn

I was driving to work on Monday and almost got in a car accident. It wasn't because of a bad driver (although there are many on the road).

By the title of my post you might have concluded what it was that was close to causing a potential crash.



Now the reason I almost had the accident was because the above mentioned billboard can be seen as one comes off the upper deck of the Bay Bridge. Normally the billboard would be in full view. But that was not the case. There is construction on the bridge and the freeway median divider had a fence on top which obstructed the view of the construction and the above mentioned A&F Billboard so that all that could be seen was a bare torso down to the pubic bone.

I literally had to crane my neck and lift myself slightly from the car seat to check out if the model had pants on.

Wouldn't you do the same?

Come on admit it!