rss feedA Mother’s Day meal leads to, well, IKEA
Our bellies were full. We had perspired the requisite amount given the amount of chili and Sichuan peppercorns that hit our taste buds Saturday at Old Sichuan in Kent, Wash.
What could be better to cap off a small but early Mother’s Day celebratory lunch?
Why, a stop at IKEA, of course!
The great weather (meaning sunny) that started a few days ago in the Seattle area continued through Saturday.
It sent us to the big-box retail store in search of an inflatable or plastic swimming pool for children.
But there was one lesson from last year that I overlooked until we arrived: They don’t carry them – at least from what I could tell.
But IKEA had a wide assortment of what looked like sturdy umbrellas to shield the sun and its rays during the coming sunny (we hope) months in the Seattle area.
I thought it might be time to look for some giant sun protection.
The only catch (besides staying within a budget): Picking what you need can be confusing.
Here are some of the images that we saw – all the umbrellas are functional but making a final choice can produce a swirling headache.
A few, such as the large white one photographed above, are so large that when you stand under it, you feel like you’ve shrunk. Yes, there’s good shade potential.
Others, such as that small black umbrellas pictured above, offer protection for one person but might not be suitable for groups of people.
This large white umbrella offered plenty of shade and a stylish side-arm design – mirroring some of the modern lamps that IKEA sells. I stood and looked at this one for a few minutes because of the design.
IKEA even offers a nice grid complete with large bullets and the names of each umbrella and base.
The only catch with that the chart: Five of these umbrellas share the same two names, forcing the shopper (or at least me) to study the actual sizes and features.
All of this unintended umbrella gazing reminded me of the time, years ago, that I had to buy a new pillow – talk about confusing.
Years ago, I interviewed two owners about their coffeehouse in Seattle. The owners had to move to make way for a mixed-use development of retail and loft housing.
Their customers chatted with me about how the place served as the neighborhood’s living room. One woman even showed me her ceramic mug that she brings in to fill up on a regular basis.
She held that mug with pride. She beamed as she talked about the place and its coffee.
One owner, though, uttered a great sentence: “Coffee is coffee.”
That meant that they kept the coffee and prices they charged as basic as possible – a few dollars for good old-fashioned brew.
In this context, I wish that a pillow was a pillow.
As a kid, I probably never realized that there were probably various styles of pillows on the market.
But I thought they a person would just go to the store, buy a pillow, go home and use it to rest.
Years ago, after I moved to Seattle, I realized I needed new ones.
I went to IKEA and other retail stores in search of softness on which to lay my head.
My quick lesson: Too many choices (at least for me).
Here are some pillow signs and images that I saw over the weekend. They give you a sense of how buying a pillow perplexed me for a bit when I bought new ones years ago.
You get the idea. I did buy some pillows – I forgot exactly which type – after I moved to Seattle.
They work. So, I’m happy.
So, you get the idea when I spotted all these great sun umbrellas at IKEA.
Keep in mind, too, that we actually stopped at IKEA to look for a plastic or inflatable swimming pool.
My only thought is that if Objectified, a documentary about humans and design, is correct – that people put thought behind the products we see in stores and use in daily life – then why was I so overwhelmed by the range of umbrellas for sale at IKEA and how they were displayed?
Shouldn’t they have been arranged by how much coverage you need?
Or by how many people might use the umbrella?
Before we left, I spotted a $149 poster of a rope bridge – an image taken somewhere in the world.
I stopped, as did others, and I thought: Wow. If you’ve never had the chance to go traveling in other countries, you can buy this poster, hang it in your house and just pretend that you’re on some type of excellent adventure.
This world map was below it. The message was clear: The implied context is that you’re a world globe trotter, a person who treks to places that are hard to reach.
Really, you’re at IKEA – but that’s OK, you know. I’ve shopped at the store before and walked out with items I didn’t expect to purchase.
I also spotted some discounted items that had dropped to a jaw-dropping 25 cents.
And I thought: Wow (again). These items were probably made in large amounts (economy of scale of sorts) and possibly overseas. They were then likely loaded on cargo ships and transported by truck to this IKEA.
They didn’t sell at their original price. So, they are now sitting here for a fraction of the original amount.
U.S. News is correct: Irrational consumers are needed. Frugality, well, is another topic.
At that point, I realized that my family and I had to leave.
We needed fresh air. It was sunny outside. We had finished a delicious Mother’s Day lunch.
And one of the best things from Saturday (besides celebrating)?
We have leftover mapo tofu and other mouth-watering Sichuan-style food.
That includes this jelly-like dish with a spicy sauce.
Yum.
