I did foolishly decide to give my counter a full two swipes of finish, which tied the counter up for 16 hours. Then, of course, I decided to make some salted caramelized almonds (recipe below) as a hostess gift for a party that I got invited to - since it's a recipe that doesn't require any counter space. It's hard in France to bring wine to a nice party since usually the hostess or host has picked out wines. And bringing a bottle, I think, can make them feel like they have to serve it lest you feel slighted.
And I don't like bringing flowers either, because harried hosts (and hostesses) have to scramble to find a vase. And lastly, I don't live all that close to any exceptional chocolate shops (malheuresement!) – so I decided to stir up a batch of these nuts. They take just a few minutes of standing over the stove, which I was happy to do in a chill of winter.
Then I packed them into little bags, one for the folks having the party and the other, well, I haven't decided yet*. But at least my kitchen - and the counter - is, woefully, back to normale.
-David
*Actually, I ate them.