Ikea Trip

This trip had been coming for a long time. All the excuses...we don't have time, we don't have space, our car is not big enough....had run out. Since moving into our new house, Rebecca was adamant about finally getting a real office. We now had the space, so she was going to make the time and reserve the work truck for hauling back the goods. I can't really argue with her. Her desks over our marriage have consisted of an old window on four Bed, Bath, and Beyond mini shelf things, a door on same shelf things, and finally my old desk. Having a good work environment is important and since she is full time at home, she needs to be super productive.

Having been several times before and being aware of the jokes about what this store can do to a marriage, we did not enter into the trip lightly. In my opinion there are only two ways to shop at/experience Ikea. You can either say we are going to run through to just see what is about and not buy anything (which is very difficult); or you can set aside a whole day and commit to getting through it section by section (also difficult). If you try to put a time limit on yourself and still shop the whole store, you'll never make it. One person will end up alone in the cafeteria knocking back some meatballs and the other may attempt to choke themselves with the complimentary tape measures. Limited time with seemingly endless decisions just don't go together.

We headed over to Atlanta on Labor Day in the work truck, enjoying the barely double digit MPGs. We got to the store about 11am eastern time. The store was a popular holiday destination. Without really any time limit other than driving back to Birmingham, we began to leisurely stroll through the store. Before we knew it a couple hours had passed. We realized we needed to solely focus on office furniture if we were going to get anything accomplished. So we went to the office section and selected a layout. A feature about Ikea furniture is that is interchangeable, but can also add to decision making. So rather than just get a regular desk, you can get just the desktop and use other furniture as the legs. So we decided on his and her desks using a combination of drawer case things and bookshelves as the legs. We also got some accessories to go on the walls. The only other major piece of furniture we got was a shoe holder to go by the front door. Four hours later we were finally set on what we wanted and made our way to the warehouse to pick it up. We get to the desktop section and they are out of the left hand side of our desk. Rebecca being physically exhausted and now somewhat defeated just sat on the ground. I checked with an employee and it would be two weeks before they had anymore. Not wanting another color and not having time to come back anytime soon, we just got two right handed desks and decided to flip one over. The bottom side has a slightly different finish and lots of holes for leg and brackets, but it would work for the time being.

Now 5 hours later, we had the truck loaded and empty stomachs. Knowing this is a common occurrence, the store has a cafeteria when you come in and a snack shop when you leave. This particular weekend they had a deal where if you spent $100 on furniture, you could get your meal in the cafeteria for free. I was in the mood for some Swedish meatballs and so it was an obvious choice for me. I called Brad, who now lives in Atlanta, to see if they wanted to meet us at the store. We had planned on going out to eat, but the price was right here. Brad and Lauren met us there and we all got our food for free. If ever in the situation again, there is no limit on how much food you get for free, so stock up on the prepackaged stuff. It was good to catch up as we reflected on the long day.

It was a successful trip. I'm very happy with how the office set-up has turned out. It is a more enjoyable place to work now, and we have more space in which to work. Here are some photos of the day and finished project.

Before we went into the store. Rebecca's caption on FB, was "Ikea, where marriages go to be tested"

Entering the warehouse

Just to give you an idea of "Assembly Required"

Finished Product

Shoe Holder Dresser

My half of the office.

Rebecca's Half.

Weekend in Tampa Bay

Wedding season has begun. Last weekend started a string of 7 weddings in 8 weeks. This weekend was our furthest ever. A family I knew from church back in the day contacted us about shooting their wedding in Tampa Bay. We were flattered at the offer and got their date locked in. The wedding was on a Friday so we scheduled to stay an extra day and make a very mini vacation out of it.

After doing the math I figured it would be cheaper to drive even though the 10 hours one way was not appealing. Rebecca was also afraid at the possibility of having to get her gear checked. Lost camera gear could not be an option. So to spice up the drive down a little bit a decided to set up the camera and do a time lapse. I know I've been a little time lapse heavy as of late, but I think they're fun. We set up the camera in the back seat on the tripod. Photos were taken every 60 seconds except for a few certain scenes that warranted being closer together. Rebecca will be adding some actual photos of our trip to her blog in the near future.

We drove down on Thursday and got there just before dark. We got some seafood at a local joint then went briefly to the beach. I don't think we've been to the beach since Matt's triathlon nearly two years ago. Josh and Lauren's wedding festivities began at one on Friday. They had the ceremony at a local botanical gardens which was really pretty. Everything went real well. Once again, I'll let Rebecca give a more detailed account of that day.

Saturday we had to cut back on our per diem since we had gone a little high the first two days. So we went to Chick-fil-a for lunch and used some coupons. We also had to go to the Apple Store because Rebecca's laptop had quit working. Since she had planned on working in the car on the way home we figured it would be best to go ahead and get it fixed. She needed a new battery and a new charger. Glad to have that taken care of we moved on to activities we couldn't actually do in Birmingham. Next stop was Ikea. The 3 hour maze of home furnishings was overwhelming as always. I calmed my nerves with some Swedish meatballs in the cafeteria. Keeping the per diem low. Rebecca got a few small things. I think she's set on some new office furniture, but we didn't have room in the car. Maybe it was just a secret ploy on Rebecca's part to go back? After leaving we went to the beach and got there just in time for it to start raining. A little ice cream helped to pass the time and got back out for the rain to pass and leave a beautiful sunset.

The drive back today seemed to drag on forever. Rebecca managed to squeeze in three naps. She'll probably stay up most of the night now.

Tub-O-Grub

Spring has come very quickly which has been great for business, but a tough transition from winter dormancy. Hopefully some of my Spring projects from work will make it up here. I just have to remember to take pictures while I'm there.

One purchase that had been on my mind for a while now, arrived in the mail this past week, thanks to some help from Tyler and his Costco membership. Rebecca and I had discussed occasionally the idea of storing some food. Once a common practice, it is now left to the 'prepper' realm. There's no need to store food when you have a grocery store within easy access. Having been near major natural disaster and visited areas soon after major disasters I don't think it is a total lost art. Not to mention the ever present threat of Thunderdome. If something were to happen or if times got to tough, I don't want to have to depend on the government to give me my daily bread, since it looks like that is where we're heading with every other aspect of our life. But that is a whole other blog post. We thought about having a rotating stock of canned goods in our garage, but it would probably just end up passing its expiration date. So as I searched for other options I came across this; a bucket of food built for emergencies. It contains 330 servings or enough for 1 person for 1 month, getting 2100 calories/day. So 15 days for the both of us eating healthily, or 30 days on a diet. Another nice feature is it has a 15 year shelf life, so no constant need for rotating stock. I wanted to try some of it, to see how edible it is, but unfortunately each food item is sealed together. So I didn't want to break a seal thus reducing the shelf life.

Rebecca of course shakes her head at my purchase, but I think it is a good thing to have on hand. Worst case scenario for the food/best case scenario for society, we never have to use it. If that is the case, then in 15 years we'll have a party and we can all partake of the food bucket. What a great way to spend my 42nd birthday. 

Little Lucy

Ever since a video chat last summer where we were surprised by the picture of the sonogram, we have been anticipating David and Emily's baby. Whenever the subject has been mentioned since then Rebecca's usual response is either "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" or "Widdle Wucy." Lucy Jean was born last Wednesday to some very proud parents. Once we got the call from David they were headed to the hospital, Rebecca and I tried finished up our work for the day and hit the road. Rebecca actually got to video chat with them when they got to the hospital and waiting for Lucy to come. They signed off to a crying Rebecca, who has a habit of getting more emotional for others big events over her own. We made it to Starkville a few hours after she was born. David and Emily appeared to be doing great when we arrived and said Lucy had come without any trouble. We got to go look at her through the glass in the nursery before we had to leave for the evening.

A trip to Starkville also meant we got to see some friends and spend some time with Mammie. We got to eat dinner with Brett and Megan. Mammie runs on college time so she always stays up late and therefore usually sleeps late. I hadn't seen her since Thanksgiving so it was great to spend some time with her. Rebecca and her also got to do a little shopping while I went up to campus to see Matt and the turf crew.

We then got to go back to the hospital to see Lucy one more time. This time she was in the room so we both got to hold her. I believe this was my first time to hold a newborn. The whole process is amazing to think about, but when you get to hold a new life it takes it to a whole new level. What an amazing gift from God. We are very excited for those two and know they will be fabulous parents.

Christmas

Merry Christmas!

A common topic during this time of year is Christmas traditions. We definitely have things we do every year, but lately our schedule is one thing that never seems to stay the same. Each year we have to rearrange how our families get together in order to maximize time together. This is getting more difficult as our families are expanding.

This year our schedule worked out to:

• Friday night: Rebecca and I open our gifts to each other
• Saturday morning: Rebecca and I with my parents
• Christmas afternoon: Rebecca and I with my parents, grandparents, and family from Minnesota
• Tomorrow evening: Rebecca and I with her parents in Jackson
• Tuesday evening: Rebecca and I with her extended family

It is a hectic schedule but I love every minute of it and look forward to it each year. I love seeing everyone, relaxing, exchanging gifts, eating, and so on. This year I decided to set up the camera and do a stop motion video of us opening presents. We've done two so far and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, but we'll continue to tweak them. The Christmas afternoon one we played toward the camera a little more. 

Saturday Morning

Untitled from Brett Long on Vimeo.

Christmas Afternoon

Christmas 2011 - Stop Motion 2 from Brett Long on Vimeo.

Mom requested the song.

DIY - Urban Garden Box

Rebecca often laments at her lack of a green thumb. She also accuses me of withholding my plant skills whenever another one of her poor species bites the dust. Maybe I'm not as forthright with tips as I should be, but its not on purpose. I guess its the same reason we don't have very many pictures of ourselves around the house.

So, as a way to redeem myself, I decided to build Rebecca an Urban Garden Box. Since we live in a condo, we have zero yard space and its hard for me to get fired up about stuff in pots. This planter would give her more room to experiment and conveniently located on our balcony. I also have had a desire to build something lately, so this gave me an excuse to use my tools. It also coincided with the weekend David and Emily were in town to visit with us for the weekend. So we deemed Saturday, "Project/Craft Day." David decided to make some cubbie hole shelves for the Lucy's soon to be room. Emily introduced Rebecca to Pinterest so they now have endless ideas for stuff.

David and I went to Lowes to get our supplies. The mitre saw was the only tool we had to borrow from my Dad. The weather was beautiful, so it was hard to beat getting to have a relaxed Saturday working on something you really enjoy. Both projects took us all day. We had to pause during the late afternoon for some Christmas photos at the request of our wives. I set up a TV in the garage so we were able to stay updated on football. I was super pleased with how both projects turned out with our limited carpentry knowledge. I think the shelves will look great in the nursery room. Hopefully the garden box will be just the right vessel to tap into Rebecca's master gardener desire.

Our work area.

The plywood base for my garden box.

The sides before they got cut.

The side boards after getting cut.

The sides put together.

A look at the underside of the box.

Adding drainage holes to the plywood.

The landscape fabric added to the bottom.

Adding some drip irrigation.

Finished product. The main line runs around the top with feeder lines ready to run to the middle.

All done.

Plans for David's project.

Calibrating the saw.

Ready to put the puzzle together.

 

The finishing touches.

All done.