"The" Painting

When IKEA opened a couple years ago here in the Twin Cities, Molly and I, still in college, decided we had to check out this place. We strolled through the showroom, eyeing things left and right we just had to have, and then moved on to the marketplace, where you can grab all the things you saw and just had to have.

As we walked through the marketplace, that day three maybe three and half years ago, we were in the decorations section when I saw it: a black and white painting of Times Square. The only color in the entire painting was the yellow cabs. I had to have it. However, my wallet thought better. It was a bit too expensive for the poor college kid in me. Sadly, I left it.

Two weeks later, I decided I had made a bad decision and wanted to go back for it. So I did. Bad news: the black and white with yellow cabs Times Square painting was a Grand Opening special... it was gone. My heart was broken, dreams shattered.

Fast-forward to present. Searching online (read: wasting time at work) I was perusing IKEA.com when low-and-behold, there it was! The black and white with yellow cabs Times Square painting was showing on IKEA.com. My heart started to pound -- this was it -- I could finally top off my NYC-filled apartment with the painting I've regretted not purchasing for so long. It wasn't in stock. Awesome. Let down again.

Two weeks later, I check again. WOO HOO! In stock.

Ladies and gentlemen, behold the new painting above my couch:
(Just don't ask about the debacle of hanging it up...)