Because I'm worth it

Yes, I admit it. I was feeling rather sorry for myself yesterday. I don't think I'm one to wallow in misery for the most part, but I think I had solid reason for my wade through the shallow waters of woe. Still that's all in the past now. I skipped merrily off work early today (part of the reason why I put in such extreme hours yesterday - I finally finished at about 1am and started again at six) to witness the installation of my shiny new and much ballyhooed granite worktop. I didn't have a precise time for the delivery and installation - I was just told to expect it "early afternoon" so I arrived there at midday. And the countertop turned up at 3pm. If I were in being picky I'd describe 3pm as mid-afternoon, but since I was in a particularly good mood I let it pass without comment. And the reason for my elated disposition? It seems the mysterious magical elves who work on my flat in my absence have had a particularly busy couple of days. All the electrical work has now been completed and all my kitchen appliances are now fully functional. Words cannot begin to describe how I felt upon opening my fridge to discover the light inside blinking into life. And not just the appliances - all my lights turn on and off at the flick of a switch (well, all right, several switches, but you get the point). Flipping the lights on and off in their numerous combinations was indeed a landmark moment, like seeing the flooring laid, or the kitchen units installed - I've been a tad deprived of landmark moments of late, and this was most welcome.

But that wasn't all, no. The plasterer had also been by and the living room is very nearly finished, bar the decorating, and the pesky gas fire which remains adamantly uninstalled - but I'm not going to dwell on that. Next week I've been assured, although it seems an all too familiar refrain by now.

And then to cap the day off, there is now an ebony black granite countertop in my kitchen. One of the pleasing aspects of going through this whole process (and yes, despite what feels like constant carping on my part, there have been pleasing moments along the way) is that every once in a while, something gets fitted in my flat and actually surpasses my expectations. And yes, this is one of those. It's absolutely splendid - a thing of cold, black, magnificent beauty. I waited until the workmen had left and then pawed over it's seductive inky surface. Is there such a thing as furniture porn I wonder? Regardless, it more than made up for yesterday.

There's light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, I don't yet know where the tunnel leads, so whether that's a plus point remains to be seen...