Whirlwind times and reinforcement contingencies

Whirlwind times these are. DH was away for work for 1 week, then home for a two days, then gone for another week, then home for a day and a half, then gone for another three days. Then, a day later I was gone for work! There was actually a point in there where we were both on the mainland for work, and didn't see each other. Mad? Yes.

I just returned home from a mainland trip. I went over Thursday night, worked all day Friday, had a relaxing evening by the fire with my in-laws visiting, then....then....today, I went to Ikea!! D.'s sister and I have been wanting to go to Ikea together for a while, and as luck had it she was available today. So, I introduced her to the full T. Ikea experience (This is the Ikea experience I was inducted to by Magnificent M. I can't help but think of her whenever I'm there...):

1) Make the "Whaaaaa!!!" sound as you spot the sleek blue and yellow building that holds so many wonderful things from the highway.
2) Start in the cafe, get a coffee...smell the cinammon buns so that you can start looking forward to one at the end of the trip.
3) Proceed up to the showroom (never skip the showroom).
4) Visit the couch you'll get when you have the room and the money.
5) Visit the various kitchens...decide which one is the one you'll get when you have your own house and the money to afford it.
6) Oooh and awww over various decorating ideas and specific items throughout the showroom.
7) After about an hour and a half of showroom browsing stop in the cafeteria for lunch. Of course, spend no more than 5.00 on a yummmy lunch.
8) Debate which items you will/will not purchase, what items will go together and fit in your rooms.
9) Refreshed, head down to the self-serve area.
10) Debate for ridiculous amounts of time what to buy. Go back and forth through the shortcuts to compare artwork with rugs, with lighting.
11) Once said debates are resolved, pick up various bits and pieces needed (serving spoon, candles, measuring spoons, kitchen sheers) for very very low prices :-).
12) Cart full, head to browse the "before you line up" area. Today I picked up Christmas ornaments, wrapping paper and gift tags.
13) Normally scope out the self-serve area, but we skipped this step today.
14) Line, up, mentally calculate the cost of the items in your cart, then decide what to take out and leave in the shopping bag bins by the till. Today, I was caught re-handed ditching items by an Ikea employee...she was nice about it though :-).
15) Pay, congratulate yourself on how full your cart is for such a reasonable price, and on NOT buying the various items you visited but resisted buying.
16) Purchase any 1-2 of the following from the cafe: Frozen yogurt, hot dog, or cinnamon bun. Today it was cinnamon bun.

Can you tell it's been a while since I've been to Ikea?? Lol. I managed, for a ridiculously low price, to purchase items for an almost complete living room makeover. No furniture, but all accents that will greatly improve the feel of the living room! My SIL was an incredibly good sport, and provided the necessary assurances that I "needed" various items, and suffered through my indecisiveness about what to purchase without giving even the slightest hint that she was becoming irritated with me (ANYone who has been with me at this shopping stage KNOWS how irritating my indecisiveness gets!!).

So, now to the reinforcement contingency: I am not allowing myself (and D. will hold me to it) to set up the new living room until I've finished marking the pile of exams that are still looming. I think I am now significantly motivated!

Tomorrow we have Church, and D's work Christmas party, so I won't have much time to mark, especially since I have two exams to write myself on Monday. So, Monday night, Tuesday, maybe Wednesday will be marking mania in and around my other work. Then I will get the room set up.

I will post pictures when it's done (before and after of course)!