+3

I got home from work last night to find a Royal Mail parcel collection notice on the floor just inside the front door. The only thing that I could think it could be was my Working Visa extension application, including passport, that I had sent off about 3 1/2 weeks ago. But, and this was a big BUT, that wasnt due for another couple of weeks. It couldn't be .... The collection notice had all the right boxes ticked - "Special Delivery", "Signature Required","Small Packet". "Small Packet" ruled out the occasional gig tickets that gets sent to my house instead of work. I didnt want to get my hopes up though. Why did I care so much ? For a start it costs £750 to apply, so failing to get the extension would be a costly exercise. Not to mention I would have to stop working. But, more importantly, my company weekend away is the last weekend of September and I had been more than a bit worried that I wouldnt get my passport back in time. I had been running scenarios through my mind in which I ran to the Post Office the morning of my flight for the weekend away to collect my passport before heading to the airport - and that was the "happy day" scenario. Cruelly I had to wait until this morning to find out what the parcel was. After getting out of bed like a kid at Christmas time and dashing down to the post office this morning I was relieved to find it was indeed my Working Visa extension reply - complete with a new stamp in my passport allowing me work until September 2011 ! What a relief ...