The thing from IKEA

Four underwhelming semifinalists.

This article is correct: this has not been the most interesting World Cup.

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Yesterday, Mary and Mother went to an IKEA near Chicago. They ate the meatballs and came home with this thing:

(Photo by Edoarda)

(It has the same color as our curtains. Mary says this is our “accent” color.)

Mary and I assembled the thing in our living room, and then we wheeled it into the kitchen. We stood and looked at the thing. We wondered what to use it for:

• for holding books (specifically, cookbooks);
• for holding whatever other books I might happen to be carrying around the house;
• for holding Mary’s diabetes supplies (one shelf for her insulin bottles, another for her syringes, etc.);
• for holding Bianca (“We could wheel her around the house,” we said. Bianca grimaced and tried to escape down the stairs, but Mary picked her up and put her on top of the thing. Bianca immediately jumped off and ran away).

Unsure what to do with the thing, we went into the living room and lay on the couches. Bianca played with the packing debris. She was quite contented.

Presently Stephen came into the house and looked at the thing. “You could use it for holding books or medical supplies,” he said. “Or for this.” He picked up Bianca and put her on top of the thing. The cat jumped off and ran away.