So today we’ve had the Citylink tunnels closed due to a fatal crash, a gas leak in Malvern causing the suspension of Frankston and Dandenong trains, a big grass fire in Sunshine, and vomit-inducing fumes last night at a restaurant in Doncaster.

And I heard a truckload of (non-flammable, apparently) orange bottles spilled all over the Nepean Highway.

Did someone put a curse on the city or something?

Of course the problem with the tunnel and the ensuing traffic chaos is that we let (or even force, by not providing any alternative) so many people to travel by such a ludicrously inefficient (and vulnerable to accident) means in the first place.

Marita & Justine’s dog Maisie will occasionally get it into her head that she knows a complete stranger. “I know you!” she’ll think, and barrel up to them, tail wagging. “I like you! I know you! I do!” But she doesn’t.

I got a similar feeling yesterday, queuing up to buy some lunch. A man was waiting at the same place. He looked terribly familiar, but I don’t know where from. I couldn’t figure out if he was actually someone I know or have met, or some minor celebrity I might have seen on telly or on stage. Perhaps more likely the latter, as he didn’t notice me at all.

And of course, other than saying he’s very tall, with short cropped dark hair, and a roundish face, I can’t really describe him in any meaningful terms that would allow someone to work out who it was.

And no, I wasn’t willing to ask him who he was, or take a piccy with my phone camera. I keep thinking of Age Reporter Dan Silkstone, because he’s also very tall, but it’s not him. Maybe he is another media bloke I’ve met somewhere.

WAIT! WAIT! I think it was Dan Warne from Australian Personal Computer magazine. Maybe. Another Dan. Is he tall? He’s based in Sydney… why would he be in Australia On Collins in Melbourne buying lunch?