Up and about early today, to IKEA for lighting and other stuff, mainly for Graham’s current project. It’s not much of a drive, along the motorway and into the back end of Cardiff. One day we’ll make the trip into the city itself, for the moment we weave our way through the big tin retail sheds you’ll find somewhere on the edge of every big town. And some not so big towns, too.
Breakfast was good, so good that I had two. Even Graham opted for a ‘breakfast extra’.
It would be easy to say that IKEA is a barometer of recession, but it’d be just a bit on the over-simple side. Sure, they’ve cut the level of lighting down, and the heating, and there were nowhere near so many customers as we’re used to, but the buying was serious stuff and I suspect that IKEA is doing pretty well, considering. As is most of the British economy. And speaking personally, I’m rather pleased by the reduced heating.
The roads aren’t quite so crowded, either, not even at ‘rush hour’.
For me, the change is a good one. I’m not so handy at crowds as I used to be. But even so, you can’t help but wonder where all those people have gone, what they’re doing.
Howsomever. We got all the stuff on our list, which is another strange sign of recession. You almost never exit IKEA with all the stuff you had on your list. We’d had our doubts about the lighting for the landing ceiling but in the event they were stacked high, and on special offer.
And then, home. I’d sort of planned to tank the car up on the way out of the Cardiff retail park, calling in at ASDA/Wal-Mart to get petrol at a good price. As it panned out, I found the level of fuel in the tank was sufficient to get us home, with careful driving. It would have been fine if I’d had the nerve to carry it through but I chickened out when the gauge went down to the last display ‘bar’ so we called in at a fuel station just inside the Neath boundary. The fuel was priced at 10p a litre more than I’d have had to pay at ASDA so I bought just £10 worth. Even at that, it restored the tank to a slightly higher level than when we set out on our trip so not a lot was lost overall.
Dolly was delighted to see us, perhaps having decided that we’d not be back until late afternoon. As it was, we were in good time for a simple lunch of bread and soup and a really satisfactory afternoon nap.
The ‘experts’ have changed their collective mind once more, deciding that an afternoon nap is good for brain power after all.
Sheesh!
I shall continue in my own sweet way, taking my retirement perks as I feel inclined. I’m worth it.
