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Sofas and Statements

The one thing I forgot to add last week; we went to IKEA immediately following the royal wedding.  After getting no sleep the night before and watching six hours of television before 10 am, we got in the car and drove to Swedish Overstimulationland.

We were going for a sofa for the teen room.  The old sofa had been hauled away, leaving us sofa-less, and we decided to purchase a sofa bed to accommodate overnight guests.

Do you know what it is like to try to make decisions on no sleep?  I ended up with an Ändlig knife set for $6.99.  What do knives have to do with sofas?  I don’t know, but they ended up in my bag because they seemed like a great idea at the time.

We ordered a beautiful grey sofa, and they delivered it mid-week.  We paid to have contractors set it up for us.  Best $30 we’ve ever spent.  They were finished in minutes and the whole thing feels solid.

The teen room is finally coming together.  We still need to spend tomorrow cleaning out a few more things, but by nightfall, the teen room will be totally teen-i-fied.  We’ll hang out down there watching movies, and I won’t think about all the baby toys that once filled the space.

*******

I have read every Listserve email.  Okay, maybe I skimmed a few, but I opened every single one, and I’ve been on since the first day.  (I also wrote about it over on BlogHer before it officially began.)

I’ve known the Listserve writer three times — though each time it was a surprise when I opened the email and realized who was speaking.  We also made a huge family decision about the twins’ education based on a Listserve letter, and it was so emotional for us that I became friends with the writer of that letter on Facebook.

In other words, The Listserve was a happy moment in my day.  (Or a challenging moment or a thought-provoking moment or an eye-rolling moment.)  And now it’s over.  The owners sent out a note this week that The Listserve was coming to an end.

I am relieved that I was never chosen because I didn’t want to write a letter.  Choosing your topic is daunting when you have a lot of things you’d like to say.  Actually, choosing the topic wasn’t difficult, but I didn’t know how I would write about my topic.  And now I won’t ever need to write the note.

So my topic would have been the letters IF and how they’ve popped up with different meaning at points in my life; from infertility to interactive fiction to what if.  So that’s the letter I’ll never write.

5 comments

1 Not My Lines Yet { 05.27.18 at 5:25 pm }

You are a courageous lady, braving Ikea in such a state. I fully refuse to go near that store without a week’s worth of spirtual and physical cleansing, a full survival kit, and a witnessed, notarized contract from DH that his only impulse purchase will be ligonberry jam!

Sounds like the ending of an era with the listserv, and those so often come with mixed feelings. Your letter sounds as though it would have been great – I’m sorry the world will miss it!

2 Cristy { 05.27.18 at 7:51 pm }

I snorting from the line “do you know what it’s like to make decisions on no sleep.” Sadly, I do. And my purchases have included a popsicle molds and a plush brown blanket. You’ll have to update us on the knives: were they worth it? Does this change strategy on making large purchase?

I need to explore the Listserve. Been on my to do list for some time.

3 Northern Star { 05.28.18 at 12:42 am }

Hahahahaha ya, I totally know what IKEA in no sleep is like. Overwhelming. I feel helpless and totally over-stimulated. This made me laugh!

4 Mali { 05.28.18 at 8:23 am }

I’m impressed you made a purchase. And isn’t Ikea one of those places where you always comes out if the store with at least one extra thing you didn’t intend buying when you went in?

I stopped the listerve last year before a long trip and forgot to start it again. I was getting a bit tired of all the 20-somethings who thought they knew what life was all about! I’m sorry you didn’t get to write your letter, I would gave liked to read it. You should write it anyway, here. (You write yours, I’ll write mine?)

5 Lori Lavender Luz { 05.28.18 at 3:09 pm }

I kinda wanna hang out in your teen room. I’d bring a lava lamp as a room warming gift.

I’d read that letter. IF you ever care to write it.

(c) 2006 Melissa S. Ford
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