Domestic Mishaps with an almost Silver Lining

Today is really not shaping up to be a success. I was woken up in the early hours by the sound of water pouring into my flat. As far as I can tell an upstairs neighbour (flat 13, which seems appropriate) got drunk enough to somehow detach his toilet from its moorings. The inevitable result is that the flat above was flooded, and then mine. Unfortunately for me by the time the water had got through 2 floors it was really starting to spread so it came through all the light fittings in my bathroom and hallway.

A much better neighbour then the drunk in number 13 (who has dealt with this whole mess by panicking and doing nothing, followed by phoning his mum and dad to sort it out, and then apparently leaving almost immediately to go on holiday somewhere dry) went up, located the stop cock and turned it off.

It didn't get better when I phoned work to say I wouldn't be in because of mopping, trying to sort out insurance details, speaking to 2 different management companies, washing, and finding an electrician. It was 6.30 am, and if that's nobody's brightest or best hour I still don't think asking if I could make up the hours tomorrow, and if not tomorrow when, was the most helpful response.

My flat is slowly drying out, electricians came and checked everything was safe, though that turned out to be pre emptive. Enough more water has worked it's was into the bathroom light switch to set up a circuit that means the only way I can turn of the lights is at the fuse box, which means no lights at all. No lights at all are better than the alternative which is an unpleasant burning smell and, I assume, an attendant risk of electrocution. Hopefully that will dry out enough to be safe eventually.

I'm very tired, and very cross now, not having lights is a tremendous nuisance. A bath would help, but there's no hot water left because of all the washing, and no towels because they're all still wet, and I can't even go and tell off the hungover culprit because he's left the bloody country.

The sort of silver lining is that the copy of Jane Grigson's 'Food with the Famous' that I ordered to replace the first copy I ordered but that turned up falling apart, has finally arrived. This one is in the (very good) condition described. If I can calm down enough to read it, that will at least be something.