So, the whole weekend was meant for lounging around; except for one little detail. I had to do a return at IKEA. In Schaumberg, IL. Before 9/5. I love going there, but it is 2 hours away, and the trip usually results in hours of wandering around the semi-disposable Swedish lawn furniture sold there. My refund was for $60. Almost worth it.

My theory was that $60 was a big enough credit to spend $60. I'd already paid it off the credit card. It was like free money.

I was going to drag J down there to see all of the wonderous junk there, but IKEA and men don't really go together. I'd made him come with me a couple of times, and he has the usual reaction. "When can we go home?" "What else do you need?" "Why are we here again?" It's the crowds. It's the disorienting swirl of commerce. It's the herdlike feeling of moving through the place It's uncomfortable for him. It's not just IKEA. It's all shopping really. I could spend days shopping. Not J.

Luckily, I found a couple of friends planning a trek there and arranged to ride along instead. J was relieved, to say the least.

So, at my normal wakeup time for a Monday, I got up, showered and kissed J goodbye, while he slept his Labor Day away.

We got on the road quickly, and their Garmin chattered as we headed down the interstate. We would be ready; an empty mini-van just waiting to be filled up. The second we dropped into IL, the roads became more patchwork, and construction shuttled us to another lane for 30 miles. When are they NOT working on the IL tollway? They had an iPass and I got to experience the magic of just holding it up to the window as we didn't even slow down to pass through. Maybe it is worth getting one...

We arrived just as IKEA was opening, and I'd gotten my return done in 20 minutes. $60 in free money! Woohoo!

I had loose plans. A bathmat. Towels. Something to hold said towels in the bathroom.

But you see...IKEA isn't like that. I immediately saw a huge cutting board The kind that can rest against the countertop edge and stay in place. $10! And of course, oil for the cutting board, because it was wood. And then napkins, and knives. A knife sharpener And candles and bamboo and glasses. This is how this sort of thing always happens. Go in with an idea and leave with 3x as much stuff. Soon, I was pushing a full cart and we still had one floor to go. And I had the stuff I came for too.

I found these great firm pillows and I was thrilled. So what if they were $20 each; they were firm! I could finally get rid of the pile of old pillows that I'd been using!

By the time it was time to check out, I'd conceded defeat. That $60 in free money was going to help but it wasn't going to be enough, and reluctantly I paid the balance. I'm not going to say how much, but it's a tidy sum when you think that the bulk of my items were under $10.

It wasn't like I needed a lot of this stuff, and I should probably pace IKEA visits for just that purpose. It always means hauling a lot of stuff home. Some stuff was needed, but a lot of it probably wasn't. It's just one of those places where the black hole of shopping can suck you in.

I was glad to return home to Wisconsin with my credit still intact. Once in a while, it's okay. Too much is too much.