EKTORP

When we moved to SD, it was a great opportunity to get rid of all the hand me down, medium density fiberboard, cinder-block-and-2X4 furniture we had been carting around since undergrad. And so we did. As a result, we had very little in the way of home furnishings when we arrived here - but not to fear! Pie Girl soon made up for that with repeated trips to the local IKEA and our home is now more like a model showroom in one of the stores than an actual dwelling for human beings.

Among these furnishings is the cheapest couch known to man: the Ektorp. Many thought that the $500 barrier would never be broken for a three-person couch. But they should have known better than to use the word "can't" around Swedish furniture designers. In spite of its highly economical price, the Ektorp is reasonably well built and comfortable. It also has a companion chair, by the same name, designed to go with it. We did not buy said chair when we bought the couch. Needless to say, the couch just sort of moped around our house since we brought it home. We got the ottoman, which was some consolation - but Ektorp couch was not to be consoled.

Being addicted to Craigslist, Pie Girl found an Ektorp chair in good shape, not too far from us: in Temecula. The couch sat up in anticipation - would the triumvirate of couch, chair and ottoman be reunited at last? We cleaned out the car, made some measurements to ensure the chair would fit, and headed up to Temecula. We found our way without any troubles and easily loaded the chair into Grover, our trusty CR-V. Afterwards, we checked out a little of downtown Temecula, which seemed to be made up of a repeating chain of antique stores, souvenir shops, and wine outlets. We went to the local farmer's market and enjoyed the people-watching it offered, as well as all the free samples of fruits, cheeses, confections, and drinks. Afterwards, we headed east to see Palomar Mountain, which was only a few miles away.


Since there is no good way to convey what the road up the mountain was really like, you'll have to settle for how the road looked as projected on the GPS system:


Can't wait to come back here on the bike! As we make our way closer to the top, the fog just closes in around us and the ground is covered with snow.




I left my gimp suit at home, so, having no chains, we had to turn around at this point. We backtracked a few miles to a crossroads we had passed, and a restaurant called Mother's Kitchen. Pie Girl was reluctant to check it out, "It sounds like a place where everything comes with gravy." But I insisted. It turned out that it was a vegan paradise! Pie Girl enjoyed a grilled cheese while I had some veggie chili. Our bellies full, we set out looking for a way back down the mountain that would be less tortuous. By heading further east and then south, we would find just such a route - and it would take us past San Ysabel which has a Julian Pie Co.

Coming down out of the fog.

The view east of Palomar.

Ahhhh.... Ektorp.

Did I mention that our route home took us past a Julian Pie Co.?

We finally arrived back home and, after washing the slip cover and cushion covers, the Ektorp trio was happily reunited. Happiness and harmony reign supreme!