Jeff wants to buy a bookshelf for the front room. He promises I can put my books in it. I'd be happy about that.

My books have been in boxes since the construction/remodel, more than two years now. I've rummaged through the storage containers many, many times, retrieving important or needed volumes and it's always fun, like "Christmas anytime." Like, "Oh, yeah, that book," or "Uh, I bought that one!" Alright, Christmas and a deficient memory.

Now, he's got impeccable taste in furniture, so he bought our bedroom stuff without much input from me. I saw the bed in a magazine ad. OK. He bought a lateral file cabinet for his office from Restoration Hardware, likes it, and wants to get the bookcase from them. I'm fine with the IKEA stuff we had in the old office. But not for downstairs, according to him.

So yesterday afternoon we drove over to the nearest Restoration Hardware showroom on Route 1 in Princeton. He was surprised that I knew how to get there. I drove straight there, no mis-turns, hesitations or assistance. Now the showroom is stunning. Everything looks good in there. They make bath towels look good, know what I mean?

He has a TV room to furnish, also, so he spent some time looking at the couches. He doesn't want leather. He wants "Army Duck" canvas. Probably in a mocha which is rather light. For mocha. Theirs was light.

While Jeff did that, I looked at foyer ceiling lights (or chandeliers). Since he's planning to take the floor lamps from the front room to his TV room, I'd replace them with something that coordinates with a new foyer light. But I didn't see anything I liked. And they didn't have much to choose from. I don't want fake candles or tiny shades. I gave up and Jeff showed me some bedroom furniture which had the same wood finish as the bookcase. The showroom didn't actually have any bookcases.

So, yeah, I liked it. He said the price was just marked down and he has a coupon. Of course, the front room isn't ready for it yet. We need to paint and change the carpet. And do something about the vaulted ceilings with molding. I hope he keeps the furniture that's in there because I like it. For sentimental reasons. But a comfortable chair would be a nice addition. This is the last room to do. It's funny because, when we moved in, I wanted to work on it first.

But I told him afterwards as we drove home, and I think he got mad at me, I told him that I couldn't see the people who could afford to shop in there actually bothering to shop in there. I suppose for one piece, like we're getting, it's alright. But I couldn't see doing an entire room. He probably thought to himself, "I just can't take her anywhere."