Days and nights at IKEA.

Back from the long road to Chi-town. I am filled with fire and might. Spent Sunday afternoon held up in a Radisson, biting my nails to the quick, as I watched one of the more agonizing baseball games of my life. But in the end…a victory – a sweet sweet victory. It felt very wrong to be watching the game in Schamberg Illinois and not Minnesota. But it was a whole lot better than Saturdays game, which I lost on the Radio just as we were speeding through Wisconsin Dells. In a desperate fit, we pulled off the highway into the Ho-Chunck Casino, where I was sure I would be able to find a television to catch the last four innings of the game. Unfortunately, I learned a very important lesson about sports and Wisconsin. That is, if there is a flunky Wisconsin Badger game being played in the home state, the entire state comes to a stand still to watch their fearless rodants play an amateur game of tossing the pig skin. Any attempt to turn a television to a far more important game being played on a national stage, is met with threats, fists and broken beer bottles.

Kicked out of the Ho-Chunk sports bar for even broaching the topic, and with no radio reception of any kind, still hours from the Illinois border, I knew I was doomed to miss the rest of the game. So i settled into a soiled plastic stool, ordered a Hienekin and set out on a mad gambling spree. At one point I was really up in my winnings but I got greedy, started making large bets, and lost the kitty. In the end I walked out up $1.75 to the positive.

But the Twins won the series, the Packers romped the Bears last night and I trust I can ride this wave to both the World Series and the SuperBowl. Stick with me baby and we’ll go far.

All day IKEA shopping Saturday was very successful. IKEA shopping is very odd in that it’s the only place I’ve shopped where everyone actually looks happy in their consuming. It’s more than just people getting four dollar lamps that actually look nice. The amenities for kids, hungry bellies, and design playgrounds for adults, make the crowded aisles and crying babies just disappear. It’s a good thing that I have to drive seven hours to get to an IKEA or I think I would have less dollars to spend gambling at the Ho-Chunck.