The shelving project in my bedroom continues after being temporarily shelved [rimshot!] and spending yet another $100 at IKEA for more vertical storage. This time, I picked up a CD tower and a short bookshelf; the CD tower is built and still empty, and the bookshelf has yet to be unboxed. With those pieces completed, I should now have enough storage space for the rest of my books, discs and other assorted tchotchkes that have accumulated in the most inconvenient spots in my room.

That more shelves lead to better organization is a good idea in theory, but I have yet to see it work out in practice.

The next thing to tackle is ridding myself of unwanted articles of clothing by donation, eBay or both.

Good and bad ideas elsewhere:

• Good idea: a Superman pillow for a kid to snuggle. Bad idea: a Superman pillow with a rather notable oral orifice for a kid to snuggle.
• Good idea: seating designed with cup holders. Possibly a bad idea: seating with ball holders. (It looks like I would pinch myself using said seat.)
• Good idea: preventing a cold. Bad idea: Using something that doesn’t really work after all — Airborne. (In the interest of full disclosure, I have taken Airborne and ultimately decided it just doesn’t work for me.)
• Good idea: Taking advantage of a great travel deal. Bad idea: Taking a bus for long distance travel. (I’ve had several rather unpleasant bus trips to and from NYC; I’ve pretty much sworn off them except in dire emergencies, otherwise to the train station I go.)

And here’s one I couldn’t decide if it was a good or bad idea: the possibility of a “Family Guy” spin-off series centered on Cleveland Brown. I find him to be among the least interesting characters on the show. But that’s just me.

Good thing for that 2-hour federal government delay this morning, my commute home last night was punctuated with slick patches of ice on the sidewalks and streets for the walking portions. (Office to boarding bus stop then alighting bus stop to home.) No doubt there were still some slick spots this morning, assuming I left at the time I’m supposed to.

I took advantage of the extra time to finish building the furniture I bought at IKEA on Monday night. Last night, I put together the two flaming red CD towers. This morning, I assembled the new bookshelf which was a feat unto itself.

In order to install the back panels to the CD towers per the instructions, I had to step into the hallway to slide them into the channels. This wasn’t difficult, just awkward. The bookcase though was a different problem. My doorway is too narrow to accommodate the width of the back panel. In order to install it, I had to leave off one of the sides of the bookcase, get the panel into the groove of the remaining side, then put the side back on, all the while lining up dowels, bolts and the panel to fit into their respective holes. Did I mention the panel was folded?

I managed to finally get it in and then I had to nail it in place, which not only presented its own set of problems, but also caused me to stretch muscles I forgot I had. But it’s done. Hallelujah!

Photos — and if I have time, a diagram — later.

Grapefeed seems to be quickly becoming the home of photographic toilet humor. A week ago, I brought you the bathroom voting booth. Today, I bring you a toilet at the IKEA store in College Park that’s for display use only. I made a pit stop there to pick up the long-needed second bookshelf for my bedroom. In the process, I also got two CD towers and several pillows to replace my old ones.

This photo begs the question, though: have the display toilets been used inappropriately?

PS: Don’t expect “Tuesday Toilet Titters” to be a regular feature here.

My copy of IKEA’s 2008 catalog arrive in the mail the other day. I swear it’s like getting porn – it makes for great bathroom reading, but instead of imagining myself lying on top of a hot, buff sweaty guy, I’m imagining myself lying on a sleek, modern and cushiony chaise lounge.

And then I imagine the hot/buff/sweaty guy feeding me grapes as I lay on it in repose.

I flip through this catalog and I feel myself getting poorer and poorer by the second. Already, I have my eye on a new television stand with adequate shelving for my existing accoutrements – the TiVo, the PlayStation 2, the vintage Super Nintendo, and the Dish Network box – and my future expansion (the ever elusive Wii).

And once again I’m overindulging my furniture fantasies. It’s not like I have my own place to furnish… yet.