ensam och övergiven

I've heard it is most hard being single around the holidays and at weddings. I've experienced that. Company Christmas parties are always a trying event to go to alone. However, I think the weekend after a break-up is probably more difficult...the moment you realize that you have nothing planned with your friends because you had gotten into the habit of spending almost every weekend with that guy. Even if you didn't do anything special with him, you knew that you had someone to be lazy with. That was one of the good things - you didn't have to plan - weekends are couple time.

All that being said, I have found yet another event that makes being alone feel lonely. Going to Ikea. To be more precise - going to Ikea on the 4th of July. Maybe it was because it was a holiday (see first point). But going to Ikea is not a holiday tradition in my family. Maybe it is for the Johannsons or Gustafssons. Whatever the reason, every young married couple, and some not so young, decided like me to go celebrate our nation's birthday by purchasing cube-shaped furniture in "easy to get home" boxes. Who said men don't like to shop? You couldn't tell by the number of family men there today. I guess it makes sense. Ikea's reasonable prices and modern furniture are a good pairing with young couples furnishing their first home or apartment, or new parents getting ideas for their nursery. And nothing like a day off in the middle of the work week draws busy husbands and wives to shop together.

Virginia isn't just for lovers - Ikea is too. The whole store concept practically screams the need to shop in pairs. Take for instance the convenient "self-serve" furniture area. Unless your self is a 6-foot Swedish man named Lars, the self-serve section is not that easy to maneuver. A kindly lady did help to me put the 2 boxes into my cart. For some reason my entertainment center required not 1 but 2 heavy boxes. Then, after checking out, comes the delima of how to put the 2 boxes into my car. Outside of the store, they have a loading dock, which your husband (or that seemed to be the designated driver) can drive your car to, and then supposedly there is help to load your car. I never saw anyone to help other than already claimed and married men. Besides, am I supposed to leave my 2 boxes there while I go get my car? I don't think so. I mean I got the last of the entertainment centers. Someone could slowly steal it from me.

I decide to take the cart to my car and attempt to load myself. While walking the trek back to my car (I parked in J lot), I noticed a kindly man helping a lady and her girls load something in her truck. He then moved on to go home with his lovely wife and kids. It seems that Ikea brings out the best in others. Except for me. It took me a few minutes to load these bad boys into my car, but no one stopped to help me. Don't cry for me, Argentina. I survived. Just a few scrapes and I'm sure I will be sore tomorrow. But I did manage it. On my own.

I can't decide if I should put it together now, or wait until I move. I want to see what it looks like, but I'm not sure if I have the patience right now to handle the assembly of 2 boxes. Or the room.

If you are dying to see what the 2.5 hour and $6 in tolls hassle was for, please click here:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10116910