Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Waiting for The One

I'm a big fan of This American Life, so it was with some irony that I remembered how I had enjoyed the episode "Cat and Mouse" a few weeks ago, as I now sat with my phone, waiting for the saleswoman to tell me that our couch's delivery date had been pushed back another month. "There's a fabric problem," she reports.

Looking For Loveseats In All The Wrong Places

David Segal

I've known Eric for just about 20 years. And for nearly the entire length of our friendship, he's been hunting quarry that everyone else cornered a long time ago, something nobody really thinks of as the sort of thing you hunt.

Eric

I've been looking for the right sofa for about 18 years.

David Segal

Yes, he said 18 years. And yes, he said sofa.


For the last three months, we've been using our outdoor chaise lounge as a sort of backless, uncomfortable couch, waiting and waiting as the promised "real deal" was put off further and further. At first, it was fun, in a sort of let's-pretend-we're-just-out-of-college way, but that quickly grew old.

Our son has claimed the best piece of existing furniture for himself, sort of like the dog that always knows which is the most expensive thing to shed on. Only with a 5 year old, it's juice and crumbs, instead of fur. On a red, modern, microsuede recliner. (It faces the TV.)

In the evening, a sort of subtle jostling for position happens as Bad Cohen and I negotiate who has more aches and pains, or had a harder day, and deserves the only piece of comfortable furniture.

Before we moved, we sold our ten-year-old couches, the ones that showed all the signs of early marriage (wine! candle wax! ) and parenthood (either you know what I'm talking about or you are not a parent - or maybe you have leather). We hauled them out to the driveway on the sunny day of our garage sale and watched people sitting on them. It's kind of weird to see people you don't know sitting on your couches. In your driveway.

Anyway, they sold fast, being large and comfortable, and we reasoned that without paying to ship them we were ahead on upgrading to something newer. We had no idea that we were so particular. Or that there would be a wait.

Turns out, when your tastes and your partner's are just different enough, you can't buy off the floor from a big retailer without someone feeling like they got screwed. Our final choice, which we both loved, was from a national chain that makes your furniture to order, in 8-12 weeks.

"Oh, I'm sure it will be only about 6 weeks," the saleswoman assured us, as the ink was drying on our signatures. She called back the next day to tell us it might be 10.

I am starting to feel a warm glow in my heart towards IKEA. Or maybe just Goodwill.


"What? What?!?"

6 Comments:

Anonymous Lgalaviz said...

Maybe you should just get more lawn furniture. Then, you can haul it out and watch people sit on it in your driveway, and it won't be so weird.

11/16/2011 7:25 AM  
Blogger VickiB said...

I remember not having a couch. It SUCKED. Why not try Overstock for all your other furniture? We are pretty happy with them and they have enough stuff to account for different tastes.

11/16/2011 7:36 AM  
Blogger Tzipporah said...

I like the lawn furniture idea, but soon it will snow here - a lot - so I think that's out.

Overstock is awesome, but BC didn't want to buy furniture online. (*don't get me started. he's a programmer. he's willing to buy everything else online. i don't get it either*)

At this point, we lose about $400 if we cancel the order, so I'm just crossing my fingers that it comes through before New Year's.

11/16/2011 11:21 AM  
Anonymous Chana said...

Tonight our fridge just started dripping water from the direction of the freezer, but nothing is wet in the freezer. Is that normal?

11/17/2011 8:42 PM  
Blogger The back of the hill said...

Is it there yet? Is it there yet? Is it there yet?

12/07/2011 4:37 PM  
Blogger Tzipporah said...

No, it's not here yet, and apparently we can't cancel. In the meantime, I've picked up a trashed loveseat with good lines from the curb and completely reupholstered it - totally stunning, for $200. Ugh. Now we'll have too MUCH furniture.

12/09/2011 10:37 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home