One of my recent CG’s has been Couch Gambler. A few weeks ago I decided to go ahead and invest in a new set of furniture for my family room. The old set was poorly made and badly abused. So I was very happy with my purchase which I made in a showroom here in Maryland. Some of the pieces weren’t available for immediate delivery, so I only took delivery of the couch – which was fortuitous.

The base of the lovely brown leather queen sleeper sofa was narrower than I realized in the showroom. Maybe the one in the showroom was more broken in. I am only 5’5”. When I sit on the couch, my feet touch the floor. In order for me to lie down on it, I have to keep straight so I don’t fall off.

As you know, my old couch was history: completely destroyed and hauled off with the garbage. So no going back there. I called the furniture store to see if I could pay to have them take it back and I could reselect another product. No! Against store policy. Sure enough, there it was in the fine print that I signed my name to. Damn! That couch wasn’t cheap. Thank goodness my creative walking partner, Anne, gave me some ideas that will save the couch involving pulling the cushions forward and inserting some foam pieces. I put the remaining furniture on hold until I can get back into the showroom to reconsider my selection.

In an effort to prevent you all from making the same expensive mistake, I have some advice for you. Take someone with you to buy the couch, preferably someone you would like to lie down on the couch with. Give the couch a test run with a few positions. If I had thought of it, I bet I could’ve asked the cute salesman if he would have accommodated me with a few test positions. Can you imagine?