Crappy couple of days

Hi everyone,

First of all, I'm ill and had to stay home from work. My throat, nose, head, and ears all hurt, and I ache all over.

Secondly, there is an indefinite bus strike. Rory went out and waited for the bus, and was lucky enough to have a kind stranger pick him up and drive him into the city centre. Nik is planning on retrieving Rory and Sara tonight, but traffic is going to be a nightmare, and what about tomorrow?

I was feeling so impressed with the bus service, despite a mid-day 'stop work' every now and then. I just used them as an excuse to hang out around town for a few hours, and I didn't let them bother me. But this is something else entirely. Rory and I don't have a car or bikes (not that I'd feel comfortable biking in Wellington's streets anyways), and to walk to the city centre would take at least a few hours. We rely entirely on the bus system, and now they have decided to walk out.

I don't have sick or annual leave days yet. If I can't get to work, I don't get paid. To top things off, it is extremely windy (with a severe gale warning on) and not the right conditions for walking anywhere.

The bus drivers are looking for an 8% pay increase, and the company has offered them 7%. The average NZ increase was only 3.5%. I always try to be friendly toward the drivers, but it might be a little more difficult from now on.

This sucks.

Love, Ames