TheBanyanTree: It's been a good day

[John Bailey]

Thursday December 11, 2003

IT'S BEEN A GOOD DAY

"We need some packing cases," Graham said late yesterday evening.

"Really? Already?"

"Yup. I need to pack up some stuff so I can get to other stuff so that I 
can do stuff."

I thought my way round this statement for a while. It does make sense but 
only if you've been there before. And we have. Many times.

"Okay," I said, sipping my bedtime Horlicks. "You'd better set your alarm 
for the morning, then."

"Whatever for?"

"We'll hop over to IKEA to get some packing cases."

"You're mad."

"Yes, I know, but I really, really fancy an IKEA breakfast plate, so..."

"Fair enough. IKEA it is, then."

And that explains how it was that, just past eleven o'clock this morning, I 
was sitting in the IKEA cafeteria in front of an empty IKEA breakfast plate 
wiped sparkling clean with an IKEA bread roll, sipping an IKEA coffee 
refill and, clearly, looking impossibly smug.

"You're looking pleased with yourself," Graham commented.

"I sure am. Can we go home now?"

"Don't be daft. We haven't done the shopping bit yet."

"Ah. Yes, there is that small detail. Not to worry, by the time we've done 
that I'll be just right for an IKEA Swedish meatball lunch."

"You do believe in looking after your tummy, don't you."

"I certainly do."

The shopping bit wasn't at all bad. We got the packing cases, of course, 
and stocked up on candles ready for the winter power cuts. In passing we 
picked up some small decorative items to aid in the dressing of the house 
when it goes on the market. Not an exciting shop, but effective and 
perfectly pleasant. The packing cases alone justified the trip, being 
strong, well-designed, and about half the price of an inferior product in 
our local stores.

And, of course, it all led up to an IKEA lunch. I looked dutifully at the 
salad bar, thought worse of it, and went for a hot lunch instead. Not long 
afterwards I was sitting over another wiped-clean plate and, probably, 
looking smug once more.

"You're looking pleased with yourself again," Graham commented with a neat 
circularity.

"I sure am. Now can we go home?"

Late in the evening we sat and watched Smilla's Sense of Snow[1] -- a 
brilliant movie adaptation of Peter Høeg's novel 'Miss Smilla's Feeling for 
Snow'.

"That was a really good movie," said Graham.

"It's been a good day altogether."

"I think so. Who's making the Horlicks, then?"

"You are. Dolly would never forgive me if I got up now."

"Can't argue with that."

It was good to be home.

--------------------------------------------

[1] See <http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0120152/> for IMB's page on this movie


--
John Bailey   Carmarthenshire, Wales
journal of a writing man
<http://www.oldgreypoet.com>