OT: CBDs Was: Re: [LMB] Re: Lois-Bujold Digest, Vol 15, Issue 118

[Katrina Allis]

Of course, one reason Wellington does have a CBD is because that's where the
flat land is.  I tend to be amazed, when I see the city from the air, at the
amount of houses around.  Because from ground level, you see hills and trees
and the occasional building - except in the CBD where you see water and
builings and some trees (lots of pohutukawas).

Although I was reminded today why having a CBD can actually be quite
inconvenient.  Normally, I quite like the fact that work and shops and
Ministries and other useful things are all in the same area (1).

However, we have gas leaks.  This meant that the street my bus normally (2)
goes down was closed.  It also meant traffic was blocked up to the extent
that I was late by the time we passed that street and went down an alternate
route.  I was half an hour late to work, after having spent fifty minutes on
that bus.

Gas has been cut off to local businesses and resturants are having a big
problem.  We have no tap hot water in my building, but since there are zips,
we can still have tea (or coffee).  And potentially, things are going to be
like this for another couple of days.  I was somewhat disturbed to smell gas
outside a shoe store in the building next to mine.

Wellington isn't having very good luck lately.  If it isn't raining, it's
windy.  If it is raining, it's windy.  If it isn't windy or raining, water
gets into the gas mains, causing leaks and traffic chaos.

Ironic thing is, all the people at work who were caused great hassle by the
recent bad weather and ensuing slips hardly even noticed the fact that
connecting streets were closed.  I just love Wellington.

Katrina - week one of insane month, or week two if you count from the last
weekend in August

1) Yesterday, I had to take a document an the Authentication Unit to be
annatilised or something like that, a ten minute walk away.  Best of all,
they did it while I waited in about ten minutes, which was fantastic, since
it was urgent.

2) Not my *normal* normal bus, but the one after the one I usually catch.  I
was running late this morning, and decided that an extra five minutes was
necessary.  An hour or so later, I was rethinking that decision.

3) Although the recent rain which flooded my backyard (concrete retaining
wall half way up a hill, anyone?) and our access path (impassable for about
two metres) was surprising in that it wasn't also windy.
-- 
I have CDO.  It's like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, only in alphabetical
order as it should be.

Prayer, he suspected as he hoisted himself up and turned for the door, was
putting one foot in front of the other.  Moving all the same.
Lois McMaster Bujold, _Curse of Chalion_