If you are unaware, IKEA is coming to Cincinnati! Whoooootay whoooo!

I have been waiting for it’s grand opening with bated breath since hearing this wonderful news in summer 2006. I love IKEA. In fact most of my furniture is from the Chicago store. I made a grueling 24 hour round-trip there in 2001 and came back with an entire truckload of stuff. In fact I furnished my living room and bedroom (including couch, but sans mattresses and bed frame) for around $2,500. It’s definitely become one of my guilty pleasures. I have to hit IKEA anytime I’m in Chi-town visiting friends or in Phoenix visiting the fam. I’ve even called my stepmom and asked her to pick up items and ship them to me. I’ll admit that it’s not the highest quality around. But when your a single girl, affordable and stylish wins out every time. To have one just minutes from home may be a death wish for my checking account! I’ve been tracking the progress of the big, blue building for months… it’s just a couple of minutes from my dentist’s office. And what’s even more exciting is the announcement that the Cincinnati store is opening on March 12… which just happens to be my birthday!!! I might just have to party in the store.   

Some random thoughts and events from the last couple of days…

• I absolutely ADORE my friends. They are the best.
• I won $4 at Turfway Park last night. Not bad considering I only bet $1.
• I bet on horses based on their name.
• $1 beers are good, even if it’s crappy beer.
• Margaritas, particularly good ones, are the bomb.
• The Office and 30 Rock are absolutely hilarious. If you don’t watch them, you should start.
• I gave dollar tips to drag queens doing a charity show at a “country/western” gay bar. A country/western gay bar is a difficult concept to comprehend, unless you’re actually there. There was a big poster of Reba McIntire holding a bag of Fritos. That was pretty funny. But it would’ve been even funnier if she was eating them.
• Some of the drag queens had nicer legs than me. There’s something just not fair about that.
• I drove to work on a Saturday in 3″ of snow and freezing rain. When I was about halfway here, I decided that I might be retarded for doing so. But I was already halfway and I could use the extra cash. I got to work and there was an equally retarded co-worker here as well. He told me he did a “180″ on his way here. I’m thinking he is way more retarded than I am.
• Pumpkin donuts are yummy…especially when paired with a caramel latte.
• I like snow, but freezing rain and ice are not my friends.
• I still haven’t finished my Christmas shopping. I really need to get crack-a-lackin on that.
• The copier at work sounds like a helicopter. I’m convinced that one day it’s going take off and fly far, far away to “copier heaven.”
• I wish I could sleep past 9am.

We got our first snowfall of the season in Cincinnati this morning. It began before dawn and we had about 2″ of snow on the ground when I left for work (about 7:15am). Surprisingly, my commute wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated… although there were plenty of accidents everywhere else around the city.

Growing up, my family always purchased a live tree to decorate for Christmas. Many times we would purchase one from the local boy scouts, who sell trees on mall/grocery store parking lots as a fund raiser. Apparently this is a big fundraiser for them, so we were always happy to help them out, as I’m sure many families are at this time of year. Last night in Cincinnati, one of these boy scout fundraisers was robbed at gunpoint, scaring the Boy Scouts, their parents, and getting away with about $350. What a heart warming way to begin the Christmas season.

Check it out on wcpo.com.