Ikea is weapon free

Ikea is a weapon-free zone. I had to unstrap my revolver (ha ha) and put it in a locker before they'd let me in! Not a single gun-toting customer in the place and they are also famous for being the first retailer in the US to ban plastic bags. You cannot get one there. Bring your own reusable bag or buy one of theirs. You sure aren't getting a plastic bag to put your gun in!

Clever marketers - they serve a 99 cent breakfast on weekends to attract young families. I notice they also cater parties. Wouldn't that be tacky- having your wedding catered by IKEA? If you're Swedish I guess you'd love it. Personally I don't like mace in my meatballs.

Ikea wouldn't be a bad place to troll for second or third-hand husband if you were in the market. I saw a few disoriented older males walking around scratching their heads. They had the desperate, sweaty look of husbands or boy-friends recently ejected from the nest and forced to shop for household goods on their own. Because Ikea has a testosterony warehouse feel to it, I'm sure men feel more comfortable here than in estrogen-laden Bed, Bath and Beyond. 

Most of the Ikea furniture used to be fibreboard stuff with a veneer but I noticed that they do carry real wooden bookcases and other storage pieces now. They provide everything (pencils and graph paper) you need to plot out a storage arrangement and a handy guide to what's required for assembly. I went looking for paper towel holders, drawer liners and drawer dividers. But the real purpose of the trip was to purchase a piece of hardwood that can be used as a counter top in the garage. For about $100 they sell a 8 foot long piece of solid oak 1 and 1/2 inches thick that makes a perfect counter - can be sanded oiled etc. The counter on the island in the photo is an Ikea wood counter. Unfortunately, you have to lug the stuff out of the warehouse yourself. I couldn't manage the heavy carton, need Richard with me and we would have to take the truck to the store. It lost it's appeal.
If you've got a big unoccupied guy around with a truck and nothing to do, this is the best bargain I found during the whole remodel.

I came home with 2 rolls of drawer liner material, one plastic box for doo dads and 2- 99 cent chocolate bars. The chocolate bars were an impulse purchase. They were sitting by the check-out stand and the small treat eased the schmucky feeling I get from a wasted trip.