Piano: a happy ending

Guess what I'm thankful for today?

The piano is, at long last, esconced in one corner of our dining room. It is happy, I am happy, the Mister is happy.

This time, the placards reserving our space went up in the right sector of streetfront, but cars were still parked there last night at the appointed hour. I called the police but they were predictably slow to respond. Fortunately, our enterprising lift operater managed to squeeze the truck next to the minivan parked in the spot in front of our window and made it work, lifting the piano up and over the parking interloper.

It was quite difficult on the nerves to watch the piano be hoisted into the middle of nighttime traffic (it being dark already at 6 pm--we've done the daylight savings thing already here in Europe), then up through the air just perched on a little platform, not tied down by any means. And then to watch three men wobblingly balance it it half in the window and half out while they tried to maneuver it in. At that point I was as nervous about their backs and bones as I was about the piano.

But all backs, bones, and piano were all intact after the short interlude of its travels and I am simply happy to have the saga over with. Commence happy music now.

I am also thankful for the Mister's safe arrival from South America yesterday, an hour or two after the piano's arrival. Although it doesn't make as good a story, being in his arms again kind of trumps everything else.