In the meantime, we had been trying a couple of short term adjustments - in anticipation of them being replaced - such as trying out a new breakfast bar area with a bit of worktop we bought locally via Ebay. We sold the table, as we didn't think we'd need it. Then this temporary fold up table came along, with the plan of it living under the worktop (where we had temporarily put a huge cupboard to store glass jars and butchery bits) when the kitchen was redone.
Fine when it was only going to be for a few weeks, less fine when it's now been many months and will likely be many months more.
The kitchen worktop space is even more crowded than usual, as we have 3 x 25l fermentation things of cider on the go.
And then I bought DH a couple of new knives, and that brought our attention to the mess that is the working breakfast bar. This is our original breakfast bar, where we sit to eat breakfast and dinner, where we prepare everything.
I came across an Ikea Hacker website, and saw something that looked like it could be a really neat solution, the lady called it her "Appliance Garage". http://www.ikeahackers.net/2013/03/kitchen-appliance-garage.html We measured and decided it wasn't quite going to work, and we looked for alternatives.
The next chunk of this tale is a dull story of discussions, Internet searches, and many many arguments as we tried to work out what to do. I'll fast forward over that part of today.
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...eventually we were standing in the kitchen with the knives on one worktop, the magnetic knife block lying sadly on the worktop, the utensils from the utensil rack strewn everywhere, and the utensil rack in pieces, and the wall looking quite sorry for itself.
The glass shelf, which is extremely useful but so high up that it - and anything on it - gets covered in crud - remained in place.
We discussed the optimum height of the mangnetic knife rack. "I need to think about it", I said.
And then I found a possible solution. I thought about it for a while, I searched on Ebay, but the answer was the same.
Ikea.
No day is a good day for Ikea, they are just different shades of bad. Saturday and Sunday are possibly the worst. So, it would have to be today, or it would be early next week.
The wreckage in the kitchen wouldn't wait until Monday.
No time of day is a good time of day for making that journey to Ikea, they are just different shades of bad. Having ruled out Saturday and Sunday, I decided that rush hour - any day - was a bad idea.
I looked at the clock. It was 1.30pm. If I left now, I'd be there by 2.15. If I ambled round the shop, I'd be leaving at 3.15, and home by 4. I put my boots on.
"Where are you off to?", DH asked in surprise.
"Ikea." I said, in that flat voice that one uses when talking about going to Ikea.
"What?!?!" He exclaimed, in a tone of voice that expressed a combination of shock, horror, surprise, admiration, and any other emotion one can thnink of. I think I would have got the same reaction if I'd say "I'm popping to my Mum's for a cup of tea". My mother lives 4 hours away.
I showed him what I was getting. "I'm going to get two", I said, "I'd rather buy two and have one too many, than buy one and have to go back for another."
"You can come if you like?", I asked, partially hoping he'd say yes, and partially hoping he'd say no.
.....
The run to Ikea was OK. I parked easily,. The shop was relatively empty. I toyed with the idea of going straight to the pickup area, as I knew what I wanted. But I couldn't help myself. I had to walk round the shop, just in case.
Of course the few people that were in there, were ambling around in groups across the whole of the walkway. I zoomed around, cutting corners to get past them. I stopped once when I saw that therewere some new doors for Billy; and again briefly at some new wardrobe doors.
I reached the kitchen area, slowed down a little to take in what they had to offer, and then stopped and spent a long time looking at one kitchen. This shocked me a bit as I did look in Ikea a year or so ago and didn't find a finish I liked. And I hadn't liked this one, back then. I stared at it, trying to work out why I liked it.
I spent a few minutes in the kitchen bits section, considering whether to buy some Grundtal things for the kitchen rail. I couldn't make my mind up. In the end, I picked them up anyway, as I didn't want to get home and kick myself for not getting them.
I reached the Marketplace and got a trolley to hold the items DH wanted. I found a useful clip-on light, at a bargain price, that would clip on to the music stand on Orla. And a bit further on, I found it's non-clip on but very adjustable brother version. I stood looking at the two packets, trying to work out which would offer the best solution. My brain was befuddled. "Better get it than go home and regret it" I thought.
Some square picture frames at a bargain price. Just what I wanted! Well, almost. I really wanted them a bit smaller. And I really wanted them in a pale woor finish, not white. But at that price - "I can paint them to match the wall".
I had to get help to find what I went in for, I hadn't seen them in the kitchen section. Turns out they and they were one of the things one has to order at a desk, pay for at the checkout, and then get from the collection point. The man typed in "1". "I need 2", I said. Somehow, I bought 3. I only needed one. But if I had to take things back, I might as well make it worth my while. And, or so I reasoned with myself, I have resisted buying new doors for a cabinet, and new doors for a wardrobe, and goodness knows what else. Ha. at least I hadn't bought any of the Ikea tat!
The queues at the cashiers were reasonable, and the cashier was a jolly chap. It did take a looooong time at the collection point. I had no idea what the time was.
I finally got outside and I was a little surprised that it was still light.
I had been in Ikea for nearly 2 hours.
Heaven knows how long I would have been in there if I had actually been looking at things.
