I’d like to talk about a time last autumn when I found myself stuck indoors waiting for a new desk to be delivered. I’d just moved into an unfurnished flat and urgently needed a proper workstation so I could work from home comfortably, so I ordered a large wooden desk from an online furniture retailer.
The company had promised delivery between nine in the morning and one in the afternoon on a Saturday. Because it was a bulky item that required a signature, I couldn’t just ask a neighbour to take it in, so I cleared my entire morning schedule. However, midday came and went without any sign of the courier. When I checked the tracking link on my mobile phone, the status was frustratingly vague, simply stating the parcel was 'out for delivery'. I rang the customer support line, and after waiting in a queue for twenty minutes, I was told the driver had encountered heavy traffic and mechanical trouble with his van, so the delivery window was pushed back to the late afternoon.
While I was waiting, I couldn't really focus on anything productive. I tried reading and pottered around doing some household chores, but I felt completely tethered to the flat. Every time a lorry or van rumbled down the street, I found myself peering through the curtains to see if it was finally my delivery.
By the time the delivery van actually pulled up, around six in the evening, I felt quite annoyed about losing an entire weekend day just waiting around. That said, the driver was genuinely apologetic and even helped me carry the heavy flat-pack boxes up two flights of stairs, which took the edge off my frustration.