IKEA, a closet, and a first

[wtg]

Haven't been to IKEA recently but am in the process of re-organizing my closet a bit. Getting rid of some clothes and finding a better way to store what I have. But first, the "first"...

I've always been cautious on escalators. The only nightmare I can remember having as a child is dreaming about falling down on an escalator and getting my clothes caught where the moving stairs disappear. Never happened, just a nightmare.

So I've been to IKEA many times. They have monster escalators (with glass panels on the sides) and glass elevators, which I also hate. Usually I take the elevator (relative terra firma, doncha know) but today decided to take the escalator. For whatever reason, as the escalator was moving upward with me on it, I started to have a panic attack. I was clutching the handrail with one hand and kept wanting to stretch out my other arm to grab the opposite handrail, but the escalator was quite wide and it would have been a reach even for someone with my long arms. I thought I might pass out before I got to the top, and with Mr wtg a couple of steps below me, I thought I might take him down, too. It finally got to the top, I stepped off without incident, and after I stopped shaking I found my way to the nearest elevator and went up the third floor. I've never had a panic attack in my life. Totally weird.

Back to shopping...went to get one of these:

And one of these to go on top of it:

Et voilà!

I still have to create a small shoe rack on the right side. I used to have one of those cubbyhole shoe cabinets, but I find it pretty useless, so I'll do something else.

Of course one can't go to IKEA without buying other stuff. We got a few jars of preserves (orange marmalade with elderflowers, raspberry/blueberry, and lingonberries). And a lazy susan for our kitchen table:

I'm still recovering from the escalator episode....

[Steve Miller]

Nice!

[Mik]

My daughter has that storage unit in some gray steel color. Very handy if you don't have a pantry.

[Jodi]

I’ve felt more unsteady on escalators lately. There are a massive set of long escalators out of the light rail station up to street level at Husky Stadium in Seattle - you can get there from the airport and Jr. picks me up. I’ve really had to hold the handrails to feel safe the last couple of trips.

[Mik]

I've noticed that a bit as well, probably because I'm not in and out of airports with escalators and moving walkways all the time.

I've also noticed that my sense of balance is much more reliant on visual. If I'm in the shower and my eyes are closed while shampooing or washing my face my balance is not great.

I think it's just that we live a lot longer now. That has happened very rapidly, and evolution has not caught up to better equip us for it.

[Steve Miller]

My problem with escalators is that I wear trifocals and really can’t focus on my feet. Ditto stairs.

Damn.

[wtg]

@Steve-Miller There are progressives that are basically quadfocals. Definity lens by Essilor.

I used to wear them and they are great. And expensive. But you could see the stairs!