Typical Day
Dee sits up as her alarm goes off and swings her feet out of bed into her perfectly positioned bunny slippers. She doesn't need the lights to find her bathroom, because all of the furniture is logically laid out to maximize efficiency and convenience. While she brushes her teeth, Dee studies her shower curtain map of Zonestown to visualize the future location of the new downtown area. She resists the urge to take a highlighter to it, like her maps at work.
Dee's phone chimes as she's putting on her coat, and she opens a message from her intern, Manny DiPlanio. "Good morning, Miss Zion. I just spoke to the Water Wizard from Aquapalooza Water Park, and he wants to install a life-sized fiberglass whale in the parking lot. --M." Dee rubs the bridge of her nose, and types a response.
"Tell Mr. Wizard that he'd better scale down that whale, because land use codes won't let him block the lakeside view." Shaking her head, Dee grabs her tablet and heads out the door.
Dee is in her office updating the slideshow for the town hall meeting tonight when her desk phone rings. She sighs as she sees the caller ID and picks up the receiver.
"Dee? It's Walker Healy. You're gonna love this idea. How about we design the new downtown plaza in the shape of, drum roll please, a foot?"
"Shape of—I'm sorry, a what?"
"A human footprint, only visible from a satellite! We can put restaurants and vendor areas in each toe, with parking lots in between, and stick the playground in the middle of the sole. Every September we can have a "Fall In Arches" festival."
"Dr. Healy, I'm not sure if—"
"I understand. I mean, I'm not a landscape designer or anything. I just thought, you know, because the Podiatry School is contributing so much money towards the city's redevelopment project."
Dee grits her teeth. "I'm so glad you're taking an active role in our community project, Dr. Healy. I'll forward your idea to the planning commission. You have a nice day, now."
After she hangs up the phone, Dee adds Dr. Healy's suggestion to the community input document, right beneath his previous recommendation that the town headquarters be dubbed "Bunion Hall." It's definitely time for more coffee.
On her way to the break room, Dee pokes her head into her boss' office. Ray Gulayshen is comparing layout scenarios for the downtown area. Dee points to her favorite: a wagon wheel shape, designed to honor Zonetown's pioneer past, and its movement into the future.
"The Mayor really likes that one," Ray says. "It was a great idea, Zion. You ready for the Town Hall Meeting tonight?"
"Yep. I can't wait to show the public what we've got so far."
"That's the spirit. Oh, and make sure you bring your egg timer for the Q&A session. Old Man Johnson will go on for years if we let him."
That night, Dee is pleased to see that there are nearly fifty people filling the community room. It makes all the publicity and flyer posting worthwhile. Her presentation goes smoothly, and she can hear a few "oohs" and "ahs" from the crowd.
Retirement home resident Maury Trafiq asks a question about road congestion, and suggests a downtown donkey rental station. Dee smiles.
"That's a very creative solution, Mr. Trafiq, but I don't think that park maintenance will appreciate the cleanup."
The audience laughs, and Dee displays a bar graph of a recent transportation study, which indicates that residential traffic will not be affected.
Dee's primary school teacher, Martha Naychur, is next in line for the microphone.
"Deirdre Zion, you were always a bright kid, but this plan stinks. Just what is the city going to do about the Hairy-Whiskered Muskrat? That community center is going to land right in the middle of their migration route! Do you expect them to waddle over a mile of cement to find a mate?"
"Muskrats is good eatin'!" a voice drawls from the back of the room.
"Please wait your turn at the microphone, Mr. Walters," Dee says with a smile. She makes a mental note never to eat at his diner again.
Dee thanks Mrs. Naychur for her question, and tells her that an environmental consultant experienced in muskrat behavior recommended a special tunnel beneath the downtown area which will bring muskrats safely to the lake and back.
Overall, the crowd is excited about the new downtown. Boutique owner Cash Monet is there to represent the Chamber of Commerce, and members of the Mother's Club speak in favor of a playground with a diaper containment area.
After the last attendee leaves, Dee packs up the leftover cookies and coffee (Mmmm, breakfast) and heads for home. While dinner cooks, she opens her pet hamster's (Pierre) cage and puts him into his habitat. As Pierre climbs a ladder, Dee wonders if he would appreciate few more tunnels. She grabs her notebook, and starts graphing ideas for Hamstertown 2.0.