Recliner Shopping with Pa Rock

 

by Pa Rock

Comfort-Seeking Creature

 
When I made my first visit to the orthopedist last week four days after breaking my left arm, I explained to the doctor that I was having trouble sleeping.   "Yes ,” he said, “that's normal.   Some of my patients say the only way they can get comfortable is by sitting in their recliners.   Some of them even sleep in their recliners.”  
 
But Pa Rock, alas, does not own a recliner.
 
That same afternoon I relocated to my son and daughter-in-law's home in the Kansas City area.   Once there I quickly discovered that I was still having trouble sleeping, so late one night I got out of bed and went and climbed into their recliner in the living room where I was able to get a small amount of sleep.  At that point I decided that it might be a good idea to look for a recliner – my first - to take back to West Plains with me when I eventually return home.
 
Two nights ago the kids took me shopping at the Nebraska Furniture Mart in Kansas City, Kansas.  It was much more than I was expecting!  I had done some basic research on-line before leaving home and learned that the store is huge, and that it has over a thousand recliners, so I had some idea of the daunting task that lay ahead.
 
Even with the preliminary visit to the store’s web page, I was still surprised by the actual size of the business enterprise.  The store that we were in was just about as large as the small city in southern Missouri that I call home, and it had just about as many pieces of furniture and appliances as are scattered throughout my entire community.
 
The broken arm kept me from being able to enjoy the full awesomeness of the recliners, but I was able to sample a few different types and make some decisions as to what I was looking for regarding recliner amenities.
 
I live in a house with a living room which has plenty of space, so getting a wall-hugging recliner was not a necessity, but I reasoned that I will one day probably live in smaller quarters and that it might be smart to get one that can be placed up against a wall.   So that became a requirement.   
 
Another equirement was that it have enough seating space to accommodate myself and my little dog, Rosie, because every time I sit down anywhere she wants to be right at my side.   Recliners come in a variety of styles.   Most are designed just for a single individual.  There are also double recliners connected together like a love seat, and even triple recliners connected together like a couch.  I was looking for a single, but the singles I tried weren't large enough to accommodate me and Rosie comfortably.   I quickly discovered that there is a variation called the recliner-and-a-half which is a single-seater with an extra-wide seat.   I tried out a couple of those and found that a fat-man's recliner would work very well for the pair of us.
 
A third requirement that I settled on was that the new recliner must be power-driven.   Of the few that I was able to try last night, the power models were clearly far superior in ease and comfort to the ones operated by hand.  My primary concern with power-driven recliners is that the power occasionally goes out in the area where I live when the hillbillies drive into power poles instead of deer, and I could imagine myself being stuck in a recliner when the power went out, especially if I had another broken arm.  I guess the safety plan there would be to always keep my phone with me when I recline!
 
Another important requirement for a recliner was that it be covered in a material that is durable and easy to clean.  I don't want one that will require constant vacuuming to remove dog hair, nor do I want a vinyl covering that Rosie's little claws could tear into.  I also did not Rosie having the opportunity to scratch or mar fine leather.   I found a few that I liked which were covered in a durable cloth material that looked nice and seemed rugged enough to handle our situation.
 
I discovered that cup holders are an important feature on recliners and every bit as useful there as they are in cars - so at least one cup holder became a must for my first recliner.
 
The final requirement was that whichever recliner I wound up selecting must be able to fit in the back of Tim and Erin's family war wagon.  I learned that most of the new recliners come in two major pieces and that they should fit into that particular type of vehicle.

And speaking of cars, the recliners at that particular mega-store began at $269 and went on up to about the price of a nice used car.
 
Tim and Erin had to do some shopping for other things while we were at Nebraska Furniture Mart so I took advantage of that time and explored the store beyond the recliner section.  One thing that I came across on the ground floor was a Sees Candy Store.   While exploring that business I discovered a stack of boxed peanut brittle which looked delicious.   I took a box off the stack and was headed to the register when I noted the price of $17.50 for ten ounces.  Needless to say that I put it back - and that I blame Trump!
 
So we did a lot of looking last night and I personally tried out several recliners, but I didn't pull the trigger and make a purchase.   Now that I have a general idea of what I am after, I will visit the store again before going back to West Plains, make a selection, and part with the cash.  Then, when I am safely back in the comfort of my own home, Rosie and I will spend as much time as we like snoozing in the recliner.
 
We will have arrived – but without the peanut brittle!