Thanksgiving night, November 27, '08
I was on a Civil War battlefied, where a skirmish had just ended. Confederate General Robert E. Lee was posing for a photographer; Lee had his arm around a life-size cardboard cutout of Union General Grant. The photographer had the full 19th-century setup: the big, bulky camera, a wooden tripod, etc. I approached General Lee and said, "While we're at it, you should have your picture taken with General ___ [who is down the hill from us]." Lee said, "That's a good idea."
*****
I wish I could remember the other general that I mentioned to Lee, but I can't. I should keep a pad of paper next to the bedside table.
This dream may have been influenced by the three different desserts that I ate at Thanksgiving dinner, but a few other things filtered in. First of all, we had supper at our neighbors' house, and we were joined by a full-size cardboard cutout of President-elect Barack Obama. Aside from that, my wife and I were recently rearranging some of our bookshelves, and she commented on the number of Civil War books that we own. In fact, I had a pretty terrifying dream a few weeks ago that I was a Confederate soldier in the midst of battle, surrounded by Union forces on both sides. I was cognizant of the fact that I was shooting and killing people indiscriminately -- not because I had any beef with them as individuals, but simply because I was trying to survive. Pretty disturbing stuff.
Finally, a few weeks ago I was reading a book by Brian Lamb of C-Span called "Life Stories." It's a collection of interviews from his "Book Notes" program, in which he interviewed authors who had written biographies of famous Americans. The point is to whet one's appetite to seek out the full-length bios and learn more about these fascinating people. Anyway, I learned that while General Lee was a man of average height, say, 5'10, he had tiny feet. His boots were size 4, which equates to a modern size 6. Mabye that bit of trivia mixed with the cardboard cutout of Obama to make this dream. How odd.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Copernicus / Taxi
Friday night, November 14, 2008
Dream 1: Copernicus
I was concerned about possibly being laid off from my job, and was trying to figure out what to do about my future. I needed some advice, so I decided to go and talk with a local priest. He was the principal of a Catholic school in town, and both he and the school had a good reputation. I arrived at the school, took a seat outside his office and waited for my turn to see him. The walls outside his corner office seemed to be made of painted cinderblocks, and contained large photos of the priest speaking at a graduation ceremony; he was a Caucasian man, probably in his late 30s, with black hair, and he was a little shorter than I am. Truth be told, he reminded me a little of Tige Andrews from "The Mod Squad." Another wall contained his resume, painted in large black letters, in case anyone wanted to know.
As I waited in line, two women sat to my right. One of them leaned over and said, "Excuse me, do you know how to spell Copernicus?" I spelled it out for her, and she was quite impressed. She smiled, shook her head and said, "Wow. That's amazing."
Dream 2: Taxi
My wife, our friend Arina and I were in our blue 2007 Honda Fit, and were heading out to get breakfast at a local restaurant. The Fit in the dream was identical to the real thing except for one thing; the Fit in the dream had Internet access, and allowed me to type on the right front door.
I pulled over to the curb because I had an e-mail that I just had to type, and it was going to take a while. My wife and our friend were not amused, so they got out and took a walk around some sort of outdoor craft fair, or festival. I typed and typed and lost track of time. Finally, I came to my senses and drove around looking for the other two; I was getting really hungry. By that point the weather was warm, and I happened to have the windows down, so as I approached them I heard my wife say,
"This is ridiculous. We should just go home and get something to eat." I stopped right next to the curb where they were standing and my wife said sarcastically, "Our taxi's here." She and Arina got in -- Arina in the front, my wife in the back. To my surprise, two other large women filed into the back seat as well. I leaned over to Arina and said out of the corner of my mouth, "Who are those people?" She shrugged: "I don't know!" but laughed -- she thought it was hilarious. Apparently the other women heard my wife's comment, and thought I really was driving a taxi, and my wife didn't try to disabuse them of this notion. My penance was to have to drive the strangers to their destinations, with Arina laughing the whole way.
*****
Dream 1: Copernicus
I knew that Copernicus was a renowned scientist of the Renaissance, but had no idea that he was also a Catholic cleric. That's interesting.
My wife and I began watching "Spartacus" on Netflix DVD last night. I wonder if I thought of Copernicus because so many people in that film had somewhat similar names: Spartacus, Crassus, Gracchus, Batiatus, Glabrus, etc.
Dream 1: Copernicus
I was concerned about possibly being laid off from my job, and was trying to figure out what to do about my future. I needed some advice, so I decided to go and talk with a local priest. He was the principal of a Catholic school in town, and both he and the school had a good reputation. I arrived at the school, took a seat outside his office and waited for my turn to see him. The walls outside his corner office seemed to be made of painted cinderblocks, and contained large photos of the priest speaking at a graduation ceremony; he was a Caucasian man, probably in his late 30s, with black hair, and he was a little shorter than I am. Truth be told, he reminded me a little of Tige Andrews from "The Mod Squad." Another wall contained his resume, painted in large black letters, in case anyone wanted to know.
As I waited in line, two women sat to my right. One of them leaned over and said, "Excuse me, do you know how to spell Copernicus?" I spelled it out for her, and she was quite impressed. She smiled, shook her head and said, "Wow. That's amazing."
Dream 2: Taxi
My wife, our friend Arina and I were in our blue 2007 Honda Fit, and were heading out to get breakfast at a local restaurant. The Fit in the dream was identical to the real thing except for one thing; the Fit in the dream had Internet access, and allowed me to type on the right front door.
I pulled over to the curb because I had an e-mail that I just had to type, and it was going to take a while. My wife and our friend were not amused, so they got out and took a walk around some sort of outdoor craft fair, or festival. I typed and typed and lost track of time. Finally, I came to my senses and drove around looking for the other two; I was getting really hungry. By that point the weather was warm, and I happened to have the windows down, so as I approached them I heard my wife say,
"This is ridiculous. We should just go home and get something to eat." I stopped right next to the curb where they were standing and my wife said sarcastically, "Our taxi's here." She and Arina got in -- Arina in the front, my wife in the back. To my surprise, two other large women filed into the back seat as well. I leaned over to Arina and said out of the corner of my mouth, "Who are those people?" She shrugged: "I don't know!" but laughed -- she thought it was hilarious. Apparently the other women heard my wife's comment, and thought I really was driving a taxi, and my wife didn't try to disabuse them of this notion. My penance was to have to drive the strangers to their destinations, with Arina laughing the whole way.
*****
Dream 1: Copernicus
I knew that Copernicus was a renowned scientist of the Renaissance, but had no idea that he was also a Catholic cleric. That's interesting.
My wife and I began watching "Spartacus" on Netflix DVD last night. I wonder if I thought of Copernicus because so many people in that film had somewhat similar names: Spartacus, Crassus, Gracchus, Batiatus, Glabrus, etc.
The Chop
Sunday night, 8/3/08, in Maine
It was the present day, and I was in a western mining town, where archaeologists were excavating an old graveyard. I saw a few guys moving old coffins and stuff. The top layer of ground was littered with coal. I had my ax with me, so I thought I'd help out. I swung it over my head and into the ground -- "THUNK!" It hit something hard. I called out, "I've got something!" and several guys came running. I lifted up a cool old tombstone, made of wood. After the excitement of that abated, I looked down where I was digging and was horrified. Yeesh. I saw two open coffins with skeletons in them. One was laid out vertically at my left. The occupant was still wearing some 19th century clothes, but he was a bleached white skeleton. The same was true for another burial at my right. Furthermore, the man to my left had a big hole in the back of his skull. I wondered, "Was the poor fellow shot, or did I do that (with my ax)?"
It was the present day, and I was in a western mining town, where archaeologists were excavating an old graveyard. I saw a few guys moving old coffins and stuff. The top layer of ground was littered with coal. I had my ax with me, so I thought I'd help out. I swung it over my head and into the ground -- "THUNK!" It hit something hard. I called out, "I've got something!" and several guys came running. I lifted up a cool old tombstone, made of wood. After the excitement of that abated, I looked down where I was digging and was horrified. Yeesh. I saw two open coffins with skeletons in them. One was laid out vertically at my left. The occupant was still wearing some 19th century clothes, but he was a bleached white skeleton. The same was true for another burial at my right. Furthermore, the man to my left had a big hole in the back of his skull. I wondered, "Was the poor fellow shot, or did I do that (with my ax)?"
Friday, August 15, 2008
The Mood Strikes
Wednesday night, July 30, 2008, in Maine
The Andy Griffith Show's Aunt Bee was marrying some young stud with black hair. He was under the impression that he was supposed to make some speech outside, behind the church, when I realized that everyone was inside, waiting to begin; we were holding up the proceedings. We entered the back of the church and ran full speed down long corridors before the groom entered the church itself, and sprinted down the aisle (from the altar to the front entrance), all the while to the applause of the guests. He entered a room where Aunt Bee was and shut the door, but he must have asked her to have sex with him then and there, because I heard her say in an embarrassed voice, "Jeffrey! On a Saturday?!"
*****
The Andy Griffith Show's Aunt Bee was marrying some young stud with black hair. He was under the impression that he was supposed to make some speech outside, behind the church, when I realized that everyone was inside, waiting to begin; we were holding up the proceedings. We entered the back of the church and ran full speed down long corridors before the groom entered the church itself, and sprinted down the aisle (from the altar to the front entrance), all the while to the applause of the guests. He entered a room where Aunt Bee was and shut the door, but he must have asked her to have sex with him then and there, because I heard her say in an embarrassed voice, "Jeffrey! On a Saturday?!"
*****
In & Out / Castles Made of Sand / Thugs
Monday night, July 28, in Maine
Dream 1: In & Out
The Police were playing an arena show on their current reunion tour, and they had asked me to join them for the evening. I think I was the second guitarist. When the show ended, I glanced over at Sting and said, "No encore?" He said, "No, that's it." I followed them down a corridor to their dressing room, where I saw lots of fresh meat and fish laid out for them on the counters, resting on tin foil. I was impressed, and exclaimed, "Look at this!" Then I noticed my boss, Jennie S., standing and waiting for the band.
Dream 2: Castles Made of Sand
I was making a sand castle at the beach, and was digging a hole underneath that got deeper and deeper. As I did so, I had an idea: maybe sand castles could be used as forts for our military personnel. Tom Brokaw heard about my plan, and came out with a camera crew, to test the walls of my creation for durability.
Dream 3: Thugs
I was preparing for another card game in my parents' basement, and a few friends had already arrived. Suddenly, a 1950s-era Frank Sinatra strolled in through the basement door, with one of his tough guys -- apparently he was Sinatra's bodyguard. This guy was a real goon, right out of 1940s mob movie central casting. Frank's appearance turned me off, and I said, "I don't feel like playing." I turned around and placed an L.P. on my stereo. Sinatra was annoyed, but he got the hint. He said, "O.K., we'll only play ONE HAND." Everyone sat down at the table as Frank dealt the cards.
*****
Dream 1: In & Out
The Police were playing an arena show on their current reunion tour, and they had asked me to join them for the evening. I think I was the second guitarist. When the show ended, I glanced over at Sting and said, "No encore?" He said, "No, that's it." I followed them down a corridor to their dressing room, where I saw lots of fresh meat and fish laid out for them on the counters, resting on tin foil. I was impressed, and exclaimed, "Look at this!" Then I noticed my boss, Jennie S., standing and waiting for the band.
Dream 2: Castles Made of Sand
I was making a sand castle at the beach, and was digging a hole underneath that got deeper and deeper. As I did so, I had an idea: maybe sand castles could be used as forts for our military personnel. Tom Brokaw heard about my plan, and came out with a camera crew, to test the walls of my creation for durability.
Dream 3: Thugs
I was preparing for another card game in my parents' basement, and a few friends had already arrived. Suddenly, a 1950s-era Frank Sinatra strolled in through the basement door, with one of his tough guys -- apparently he was Sinatra's bodyguard. This guy was a real goon, right out of 1940s mob movie central casting. Frank's appearance turned me off, and I said, "I don't feel like playing." I turned around and placed an L.P. on my stereo. Sinatra was annoyed, but he got the hint. He said, "O.K., we'll only play ONE HAND." Everyone sat down at the table as Frank dealt the cards.
*****
Ill Gotten Gains
Wednesday night, July 22
Some pretty rough-looking characters were involved in a poker game, and there was a lot of money on the table. One of them, Robert De Niro, turned out to be an undercover cop, who busted the rest. At the end of the day, he wasn't much better than the other guys; I saw him grab fistfuls of cash and stuff them between the buttons of his long, black winter coat.
*****
Some pretty rough-looking characters were involved in a poker game, and there was a lot of money on the table. One of them, Robert De Niro, turned out to be an undercover cop, who busted the rest. At the end of the day, he wasn't much better than the other guys; I saw him grab fistfuls of cash and stuff them between the buttons of his long, black winter coat.
*****
Designing Woman
Tuesday night, July 21
I'd heard that my old friend Denise was working at a business in Falls Church, so I thought I'd look her up. I walked in and said, "Is Denise P. here?" She said, "Yes, she works here; she designs couches." She wasn't in at the moment.
*****
I think Denise has a new last name, hence the P. I still haven't seen her since she was 18. She turned 40 last May.
I'd heard that my old friend Denise was working at a business in Falls Church, so I thought I'd look her up. I walked in and said, "Is Denise P. here?" She said, "Yes, she works here; she designs couches." She wasn't in at the moment.
*****
I think Denise has a new last name, hence the P. I still haven't seen her since she was 18. She turned 40 last May.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Pink House
Sunday night, July 19
It was wintertime, and I was in Summerville, South Carolina. There was no snow of course, but it was plenty cold, particulary because it was nighttime. I was staring up at my aunt's large house, still clad in boards, still standing at the end of South Magnolia Street, as it has since the 1840s. Its appearance had recently changed a great deal. No longer was the home painted white with the familiar black shutters; now it was painted a garish hot pink, with purple shutters. My aunt still lived there, but most of the building had been converted to a hotel. As I pondered all of this, a fast, nearly frozen stream rushed along nearby, practically under my feet.
I went inside, and the place was brimming with noise and confusion. Many of my cousins and other family members were there for a family wedding, and I wasn't sure where I was supposed to be, or what was happening next. Several of them passed by me near the concierge desk. They were all dressed in black formal attire, and were apparently heading out for a celebratory dinner or some other important event that I should attend, if I only knew what or where it was. I looked down and noticed that although I had the proper black pants and sport coat, I was wearing a loose, short-sleeved cotton button-down shirt made in India, which (to me, anyway) was dyed a very pleasing light aqua color. Right shirt; wrong occasion.
Suddenly everyone else had walked out the door, and I didn't know what to do next. I didn't know where to go to catch them, and I didn't know my room number at the hotel. I decided to walk around to the other side of the house (on the main floor) and sat down to collect my thoughts. My dad found me there and sat down across from me. He had a stern look on his face, and demanded to know why I wasn't where I was supposed to be, with the rest of the family.
*****
Dad was thinner in this dream; more reminiscent of the way he looked in early 1960s. In fact, it's odd that I dream of Dad appearing in a way that I don't remember at all, at least not consciously. (Then again, maybe that's the point. In dreams, one's subconscious comes out to play.) Dad was beginning to put on some weight by 1966 or so, and got much heavier after he quit smoking in the early 1970s. My brother Jimmie would have much stronger memories of a thinner Dad.
By the way, I love that aqua shirt. I wore it the other night while my wife and I strolled around the neighborhood.
It was wintertime, and I was in Summerville, South Carolina. There was no snow of course, but it was plenty cold, particulary because it was nighttime. I was staring up at my aunt's large house, still clad in boards, still standing at the end of South Magnolia Street, as it has since the 1840s. Its appearance had recently changed a great deal. No longer was the home painted white with the familiar black shutters; now it was painted a garish hot pink, with purple shutters. My aunt still lived there, but most of the building had been converted to a hotel. As I pondered all of this, a fast, nearly frozen stream rushed along nearby, practically under my feet.
I went inside, and the place was brimming with noise and confusion. Many of my cousins and other family members were there for a family wedding, and I wasn't sure where I was supposed to be, or what was happening next. Several of them passed by me near the concierge desk. They were all dressed in black formal attire, and were apparently heading out for a celebratory dinner or some other important event that I should attend, if I only knew what or where it was. I looked down and noticed that although I had the proper black pants and sport coat, I was wearing a loose, short-sleeved cotton button-down shirt made in India, which (to me, anyway) was dyed a very pleasing light aqua color. Right shirt; wrong occasion.
Suddenly everyone else had walked out the door, and I didn't know what to do next. I didn't know where to go to catch them, and I didn't know my room number at the hotel. I decided to walk around to the other side of the house (on the main floor) and sat down to collect my thoughts. My dad found me there and sat down across from me. He had a stern look on his face, and demanded to know why I wasn't where I was supposed to be, with the rest of the family.
*****
Dad was thinner in this dream; more reminiscent of the way he looked in early 1960s. In fact, it's odd that I dream of Dad appearing in a way that I don't remember at all, at least not consciously. (Then again, maybe that's the point. In dreams, one's subconscious comes out to play.) Dad was beginning to put on some weight by 1966 or so, and got much heavier after he quit smoking in the early 1970s. My brother Jimmie would have much stronger memories of a thinner Dad.
By the way, I love that aqua shirt. I wore it the other night while my wife and I strolled around the neighborhood.
Black and White World
Friday night, July 17
My brother Jimmie was staying in my old bedroom and Mom and Dad's house, and I went up there to visit him. In fact, his bed occupied the same space mine did, long ago. As I approached him, I noticed that he'd set up his stuff, just so, and there were a few surprises. I began to notice several black and white pictures in black frames. They weren't photographs; instead, they appeared to be silhouettes -- some of which Jimmie had made. I was intrigued. The first one I noticed was a picture of a hand, rendered in black, on a stark white background. I said, "I really like this." He said, "I made it." Looking around, I saw another neat picture, this one a very dark brown image of a coffee cup, and a few rings or spills for good measure. I asked him if he'd made that one, too. He said that he hadn't; he thought he'd seen it in a magazine. In fact, he didn't know where he'd gotten it, but he'd found it somewhere along the way, and kept it.
*****
Jimmie always had a good eye, and experimented with photography starting back when he was quite young. I especially like some of his black and white work.
And I've often clipped images that I really liked from magazines. I still find them filed away, years after the fact.
My brother Jimmie was staying in my old bedroom and Mom and Dad's house, and I went up there to visit him. In fact, his bed occupied the same space mine did, long ago. As I approached him, I noticed that he'd set up his stuff, just so, and there were a few surprises. I began to notice several black and white pictures in black frames. They weren't photographs; instead, they appeared to be silhouettes -- some of which Jimmie had made. I was intrigued. The first one I noticed was a picture of a hand, rendered in black, on a stark white background. I said, "I really like this." He said, "I made it." Looking around, I saw another neat picture, this one a very dark brown image of a coffee cup, and a few rings or spills for good measure. I asked him if he'd made that one, too. He said that he hadn't; he thought he'd seen it in a magazine. In fact, he didn't know where he'd gotten it, but he'd found it somewhere along the way, and kept it.
*****
Jimmie always had a good eye, and experimented with photography starting back when he was quite young. I especially like some of his black and white work.
And I've often clipped images that I really liked from magazines. I still find them filed away, years after the fact.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Pool / It's Just a Haircut
Monday night, 7/14/08
Dream 1: The Pool
My employer had embarked on a new money-making venture, assuming co-ownership of an amusement park and encouraging trade groups to spend time and money there. They had placed one of their managers, Shannon F., in charge. My wife and I went to check it out one day. I saw a large swimming pool, deep on the side to our far left, shallow to our right. We stood on the edge, next to a sliding board that deposited revelers directly into the water. A row of booths stood across from us on the other side of the pool, where vendors sold trinkets, T-shirts and food, and many more rides were back behind us. Some of my coworkers and some old friends of mine were milling about. I saw Shannon walk past me and say to someone, "We've had about 50 groups in already." My wife and I proceeded toward the shallow part of the pool, and got in at the far right edge, enough to get our feet wet. We, and a few other adults, were wearing plastic shoes -- the type that they sometimes sell at your fancy-shmancy upscale groceries. Anyway, as we walked over, I noticed that a familiar song was being piped through the sound system. It was a tune by ABBA, but it was a contemporary cover by a young country singer. When we got into the shallow water, our friend (and real estate agent) Kelly K. was standing to our right. She was wearing a light brown T-shirt with the "shadow" of an oval sticker on the top right. It appeared that she might have worn a name tag there long ago. I glanced around and noticed Jennifer A., a coworker who had actually just left my employer. I began to think to myself, "I wonder how many of these people I'll never see again?" when my wife broke the silence. She turned to me and said, "You can go look for any Hot Wheels you don't have, but there's NO WAY..." (meaning that if I happened to find late 60s or early 70s originals, if they were selling for outrageous prices, that expenditure would not be covered in, or sanctioned from, our family budget).
Dream 2: It's Just a Haircut
Johnny Cash was dead, but his wife, June, still owned their property, and had developed much of it into a theme park. There was a large central lake for swimming and boat rides, as well as a picnic area and all sorts of trains, large and small. I noticed that she had sold some land off to our left, behind the lake, where a tract of townhouses had been erected recently.
I was visiting the park with my brother Andrew, my friend Steve S., and Steve's son, Nicky. Nick was about 10 years old, and he was a free spirit. He had a pretty wild head of brown hair, and he had actually started sprouting the wisps of a beard. he needed a haircut. It would be my job to chase him down and hold him, while my brother did the deed. I saw Drew checking his scissors in the sunlight, no doubt making sure that they were sharp and ready.
Soon the chase was on, but before long I could tell that Nick didn't think it was fun, or funny. He was very upset; not angry, but distraught, and he wanted to talk about it. His dad wasn't around, but I sat down facing him, and listened to his story. Andrew sat at my right. At one point someone behind us started playing some familiar Beach Boys recordings, and Drew was distracted. He turned around and said, "Yeah -- that's good!" I motioned for him to pay attention, but soon we were interrupted again, when we had to move to make way for a caravan of miniature cars that was passing through. One of them was being driven by a cat.
Nicky explained that he didn't want a haircut because he already had a tough enough time fitting in with the kids at school. Some of his friends drank alcohol, and it made him uncomfortable, so he was already estranged because of that. A haircut would only make matters worse.
*****
Dream 2: It's Just a Haircut
I last saw Nick when he was probably about 6. I'm not sure how old he is now. I like him a lot, but know next to nothing about him these days. I have corresponded with his dad, Steve, a little in the past week, so that's undoubtedly why Steve and Nick showed up here. Johnny & June Cash used to own a large house on a lake in Hendersonville, TN, but never developed it into a park. In fact, June died shortly before Johnny did; about 5 years ago now.
By the way, I'm the one who needs the haircut.
Dream 1: The Pool
My employer had embarked on a new money-making venture, assuming co-ownership of an amusement park and encouraging trade groups to spend time and money there. They had placed one of their managers, Shannon F., in charge. My wife and I went to check it out one day. I saw a large swimming pool, deep on the side to our far left, shallow to our right. We stood on the edge, next to a sliding board that deposited revelers directly into the water. A row of booths stood across from us on the other side of the pool, where vendors sold trinkets, T-shirts and food, and many more rides were back behind us. Some of my coworkers and some old friends of mine were milling about. I saw Shannon walk past me and say to someone, "We've had about 50 groups in already." My wife and I proceeded toward the shallow part of the pool, and got in at the far right edge, enough to get our feet wet. We, and a few other adults, were wearing plastic shoes -- the type that they sometimes sell at your fancy-shmancy upscale groceries. Anyway, as we walked over, I noticed that a familiar song was being piped through the sound system. It was a tune by ABBA, but it was a contemporary cover by a young country singer. When we got into the shallow water, our friend (and real estate agent) Kelly K. was standing to our right. She was wearing a light brown T-shirt with the "shadow" of an oval sticker on the top right. It appeared that she might have worn a name tag there long ago. I glanced around and noticed Jennifer A., a coworker who had actually just left my employer. I began to think to myself, "I wonder how many of these people I'll never see again?" when my wife broke the silence. She turned to me and said, "You can go look for any Hot Wheels you don't have, but there's NO WAY..." (meaning that if I happened to find late 60s or early 70s originals, if they were selling for outrageous prices, that expenditure would not be covered in, or sanctioned from, our family budget).
Dream 2: It's Just a Haircut
Johnny Cash was dead, but his wife, June, still owned their property, and had developed much of it into a theme park. There was a large central lake for swimming and boat rides, as well as a picnic area and all sorts of trains, large and small. I noticed that she had sold some land off to our left, behind the lake, where a tract of townhouses had been erected recently.
I was visiting the park with my brother Andrew, my friend Steve S., and Steve's son, Nicky. Nick was about 10 years old, and he was a free spirit. He had a pretty wild head of brown hair, and he had actually started sprouting the wisps of a beard. he needed a haircut. It would be my job to chase him down and hold him, while my brother did the deed. I saw Drew checking his scissors in the sunlight, no doubt making sure that they were sharp and ready.
Soon the chase was on, but before long I could tell that Nick didn't think it was fun, or funny. He was very upset; not angry, but distraught, and he wanted to talk about it. His dad wasn't around, but I sat down facing him, and listened to his story. Andrew sat at my right. At one point someone behind us started playing some familiar Beach Boys recordings, and Drew was distracted. He turned around and said, "Yeah -- that's good!" I motioned for him to pay attention, but soon we were interrupted again, when we had to move to make way for a caravan of miniature cars that was passing through. One of them was being driven by a cat.
Nicky explained that he didn't want a haircut because he already had a tough enough time fitting in with the kids at school. Some of his friends drank alcohol, and it made him uncomfortable, so he was already estranged because of that. A haircut would only make matters worse.
*****
Dream 2: It's Just a Haircut
I last saw Nick when he was probably about 6. I'm not sure how old he is now. I like him a lot, but know next to nothing about him these days. I have corresponded with his dad, Steve, a little in the past week, so that's undoubtedly why Steve and Nick showed up here. Johnny & June Cash used to own a large house on a lake in Hendersonville, TN, but never developed it into a park. In fact, June died shortly before Johnny did; about 5 years ago now.
By the way, I'm the one who needs the haircut.
Coach?
Friday night, 7/11/08
I was walking around in my house, but it didn't resemble any place where I've actually lived. Somehow I had an uneasy feeling, as if I was being watched. I peered through the blinds on a window in the front room, and was shocked by what I saw: a full marching band and football team (all in uniforms) were standing on my street, looking at me, and waiting for orders. I decided I'd better get dressed and go out to see them.
By the time I opened the door it was getting dark outside, and the street was deserted. I guessed that they'd all headed off to the stadium. I hopped in my car and headed downtown, but soon got lost in a maze of over- and underpasses, ending up on a dead-end street in a bad neighborhood. I got out of my car and walked up a hill in someone's yard in order to get my bearings, and got dirt all over my pointy black boots.
*****
I hate complicated highway systems. I suspect that I might have thought of overpasses and underpasses because I recently read about a new 30-year plan for yet another revitalization of the area around the Mall in Washington, D.C. (The plan included dramatic change of the crappy highway system that cuts off the Kennedy Center from most local traffic.) I'm all for many of the changes, including the push to relocate the FBI and tear down their monstrously ugly headquarters, but in the end, I could only imagine what such expenditures could do for other parts of the District that really need the money.
I wore those black boots on my wedding day in 2001. I still take them out of the closet on rare occasions.
I was walking around in my house, but it didn't resemble any place where I've actually lived. Somehow I had an uneasy feeling, as if I was being watched. I peered through the blinds on a window in the front room, and was shocked by what I saw: a full marching band and football team (all in uniforms) were standing on my street, looking at me, and waiting for orders. I decided I'd better get dressed and go out to see them.
By the time I opened the door it was getting dark outside, and the street was deserted. I guessed that they'd all headed off to the stadium. I hopped in my car and headed downtown, but soon got lost in a maze of over- and underpasses, ending up on a dead-end street in a bad neighborhood. I got out of my car and walked up a hill in someone's yard in order to get my bearings, and got dirt all over my pointy black boots.
*****
I hate complicated highway systems. I suspect that I might have thought of overpasses and underpasses because I recently read about a new 30-year plan for yet another revitalization of the area around the Mall in Washington, D.C. (The plan included dramatic change of the crappy highway system that cuts off the Kennedy Center from most local traffic.) I'm all for many of the changes, including the push to relocate the FBI and tear down their monstrously ugly headquarters, but in the end, I could only imagine what such expenditures could do for other parts of the District that really need the money.
I wore those black boots on my wedding day in 2001. I still take them out of the closet on rare occasions.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Aftermath
Tuesday night
David Letterman really believed in a member of his show's staff, and encouraged him to run for public office. In fact, he was so impressed by the young man that he volunteered to be his campaign manager, and worked like a dog to get him elected. Unfortunately, on election day, things didn't go as planned, and Dave's candidate lost. Dave and his friend sat together on a couch, both in shirt sleeves, slacks and loosened ties. Both were in a daze. They passed a bottle of wine between them and wondered what went wrong.
*****
I'm reading Barack Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope," and recently finished a chapter titled "Politics," in which he describes an unsuccessful race for the U.S. House of Representatives in which everything that could go wrong did.
David Letterman really believed in a member of his show's staff, and encouraged him to run for public office. In fact, he was so impressed by the young man that he volunteered to be his campaign manager, and worked like a dog to get him elected. Unfortunately, on election day, things didn't go as planned, and Dave's candidate lost. Dave and his friend sat together on a couch, both in shirt sleeves, slacks and loosened ties. Both were in a daze. They passed a bottle of wine between them and wondered what went wrong.
*****
I'm reading Barack Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope," and recently finished a chapter titled "Politics," in which he describes an unsuccessful race for the U.S. House of Representatives in which everything that could go wrong did.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Gesture / Wedding Plans
Tuesday night
Dream 1: Gesture
My brother Andrew and I were living together, and one of our friends, a guy who was about our age, was visiting us, and his family was there, too. They were Jewish. The friend and Andrew were playing a game of Ping-Pong, and the rest of us were watching. At one point Andrew got pissed off about how the game was going, so he looked at the friend and made a dismissive gesture: he took his right hand, splayed out his fingers, curled it under his chin (palm-side down) and then flicked it at his guest. The guy at the other end of the table took it all in stride, as a typical "psych out" move, but his family was horrified and offended; they thought it was an anti-Jewish attack. Seeing this, I tried to intervene, but muddied things further. I said, "No, that's not what he meant at all! We're Catholic!" This information seemed to prove the father's point. He said, "You're Catholic?!" He stood up, ready to leave, along with his wife and younger children. I immediately backpedaled. I said, "Well, we were raised Catholic..."
Dream 2: Wedding Plans
I was hanging out at the apartment of an old friend of mine, a woman with a Hispanic surname. She and her long-time partner, Jodie Foster, had finally decided to tie the knot, and she was busy with preparations. We discussed how the big step would change their lives.
*****
DISCLAIMER: Dream 2 is not fact; it is fiction. It's only a dream. I have no knowledge of Ms. Foster's personal life, and don't have any interest in it.
Dream 1:
Actually, I think that the gesture in question is of Italian origin. I must have seen it in many movies and TV shows, notably "Moonstruck."
Dream 2:
Now I guess I've hit the lesbian story trifecta.
*****
Today marks a year since I began typing up my daily dreams (for the second time). It's been interesting, but it is hard work keeping up with it day after day. I'll keep the blog up and running, but I intend to slow down, and make occasional posts from now on, when I have dreams that I find particularly interesting or strange. In the meantime, I've gone back and compiled some data about my dreams of the past year.
Below is a list of the Top 10 people who showed up most frequently, or regularly, in my dreams over the past 12 months. (I didn't count every dream in which these folks appeared, but rather, counted how many months in which these people showed up at least once.)
1. Andrew C. (12 months out of 12)
2. My wife (11/12)
3. Dad C. (9/12)
3. Mom C. (9/12)
4. Jimmie C. (8/12)
5. Bruce Springsteen (7/12)
5. Eddie M. (7/12)
5. Gordon S. (7/12)
6. Jennie S. (current boss) (6/12)
6. Preston W. (6/12)
7. Brent L. (5/12)
7. Ed B. (5/12)
7. Rod S. (old boss) (5/12)
None of this surprises me all that much. These are the people that I think about the most, anyway. I do wish I could knock those managers out of my sleeping moments. On the other hand, I am a little surprised that I dreamed about Frank Sinatra in 3 out of the past 12 months...
Dream 1: Gesture
My brother Andrew and I were living together, and one of our friends, a guy who was about our age, was visiting us, and his family was there, too. They were Jewish. The friend and Andrew were playing a game of Ping-Pong, and the rest of us were watching. At one point Andrew got pissed off about how the game was going, so he looked at the friend and made a dismissive gesture: he took his right hand, splayed out his fingers, curled it under his chin (palm-side down) and then flicked it at his guest. The guy at the other end of the table took it all in stride, as a typical "psych out" move, but his family was horrified and offended; they thought it was an anti-Jewish attack. Seeing this, I tried to intervene, but muddied things further. I said, "No, that's not what he meant at all! We're Catholic!" This information seemed to prove the father's point. He said, "You're Catholic?!" He stood up, ready to leave, along with his wife and younger children. I immediately backpedaled. I said, "Well, we were raised Catholic..."
Dream 2: Wedding Plans
I was hanging out at the apartment of an old friend of mine, a woman with a Hispanic surname. She and her long-time partner, Jodie Foster, had finally decided to tie the knot, and she was busy with preparations. We discussed how the big step would change their lives.
*****
DISCLAIMER: Dream 2 is not fact; it is fiction. It's only a dream. I have no knowledge of Ms. Foster's personal life, and don't have any interest in it.
Dream 1:
Actually, I think that the gesture in question is of Italian origin. I must have seen it in many movies and TV shows, notably "Moonstruck."
Dream 2:
Now I guess I've hit the lesbian story trifecta.
*****
Today marks a year since I began typing up my daily dreams (for the second time). It's been interesting, but it is hard work keeping up with it day after day. I'll keep the blog up and running, but I intend to slow down, and make occasional posts from now on, when I have dreams that I find particularly interesting or strange. In the meantime, I've gone back and compiled some data about my dreams of the past year.
Below is a list of the Top 10 people who showed up most frequently, or regularly, in my dreams over the past 12 months. (I didn't count every dream in which these folks appeared, but rather, counted how many months in which these people showed up at least once.)
1. Andrew C. (12 months out of 12)
2. My wife (11/12)
3. Dad C. (9/12)
3. Mom C. (9/12)
4. Jimmie C. (8/12)
5. Bruce Springsteen (7/12)
5. Eddie M. (7/12)
5. Gordon S. (7/12)
6. Jennie S. (current boss) (6/12)
6. Preston W. (6/12)
7. Brent L. (5/12)
7. Ed B. (5/12)
7. Rod S. (old boss) (5/12)
None of this surprises me all that much. These are the people that I think about the most, anyway. I do wish I could knock those managers out of my sleeping moments. On the other hand, I am a little surprised that I dreamed about Frank Sinatra in 3 out of the past 12 months...
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Simply Appalling
Monday night, June 30
Actor Adam Sandler was being filmed having sex with a large rodent. It appeared to be a beaver, and the poor creature was on top. By that I mean the beaver, not Sandler.
*****
DISCLAIMER: This event did not happen; it's a strange dream that I had -- nothing more. I'm sure that Mr. Sandler is a very nice person who never abuses any quadrupeds.
This morning my wife asked me if I had any dreams, and I made the mistake of telling her about this one. I'm not sure she's over it yet. What could account for a dream that is so vile and strange? All I can figure is that I cooked up this scene as a quick sight gag in one of Sandler's silly movies. One can imagine his character sitting around a table playing cards with the guys, who are all bragging about their sexual exploits. When it becomes Sandler's turn, he says, "Boy, did I have a beaver last night!" (Cut to the shot of Sandler and an actual beaver.)
Comedy is not pretty, as Steve Martin said long ago.
Many years ago, some time in the early 1980s, I was watching TV late at night, and came across the documentary "This Is Elvis." I was very amused when Elvis was filmed while sitting with members of his entourage in the back of a limo, and the King was overheard (on network TV) saying, "I was buried in a beaver last night!" Suddenly he noticed that he was being filmed, and immediately began singing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." That Elvis. What a card.
*****
June 2008 Dream Roundup
Family and Friends:
Andrew C.
Arina H.
Brent L.
Dad C.
Ed B.
Eddie M. (someone called out to him in "The Party's Over")
Mom C.
Stuart R.
Tracy M.
Acquaintances and Coworkers:
Christy J.
Duncan S.
Jennie S.
Rod S.
Celebrities
Andy Griffith (as Sheriff Andy Taylor)
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Don Knotts (as Deputy Barney Fife)
The Edge (of U2)
Frances Bavier (as Aunt Bee)
Frankenstein (I'd just seen the classic 1930s movie in "Sympathy for the Monster")
Hal Holbrook
Jack Lemmon
The Jackson 5 (one of their albums was seen in "Cleanup Time"
Laura Bush
Paul Giamatti
Ronnie Howard (as Opie Taylor)
Sarah Jessica Parker
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (one of their albums was seen in "Cleanup Time")
Steve Martin
Walter Matthau
Actor Adam Sandler was being filmed having sex with a large rodent. It appeared to be a beaver, and the poor creature was on top. By that I mean the beaver, not Sandler.
*****
DISCLAIMER: This event did not happen; it's a strange dream that I had -- nothing more. I'm sure that Mr. Sandler is a very nice person who never abuses any quadrupeds.
This morning my wife asked me if I had any dreams, and I made the mistake of telling her about this one. I'm not sure she's over it yet. What could account for a dream that is so vile and strange? All I can figure is that I cooked up this scene as a quick sight gag in one of Sandler's silly movies. One can imagine his character sitting around a table playing cards with the guys, who are all bragging about their sexual exploits. When it becomes Sandler's turn, he says, "Boy, did I have a beaver last night!" (Cut to the shot of Sandler and an actual beaver.)
Comedy is not pretty, as Steve Martin said long ago.
Many years ago, some time in the early 1980s, I was watching TV late at night, and came across the documentary "This Is Elvis." I was very amused when Elvis was filmed while sitting with members of his entourage in the back of a limo, and the King was overheard (on network TV) saying, "I was buried in a beaver last night!" Suddenly he noticed that he was being filmed, and immediately began singing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." That Elvis. What a card.
*****
June 2008 Dream Roundup
Family and Friends:
Andrew C.
Arina H.
Brent L.
Dad C.
Ed B.
Eddie M. (someone called out to him in "The Party's Over")
Mom C.
Stuart R.
Tracy M.
Acquaintances and Coworkers:
Christy J.
Duncan S.
Jennie S.
Rod S.
Celebrities
Andy Griffith (as Sheriff Andy Taylor)
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Don Knotts (as Deputy Barney Fife)
The Edge (of U2)
Frances Bavier (as Aunt Bee)
Frankenstein (I'd just seen the classic 1930s movie in "Sympathy for the Monster")
Hal Holbrook
Jack Lemmon
The Jackson 5 (one of their albums was seen in "Cleanup Time"
Laura Bush
Paul Giamatti
Ronnie Howard (as Opie Taylor)
Sarah Jessica Parker
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (one of their albums was seen in "Cleanup Time")
Steve Martin
Walter Matthau
That's Not Allowed / Actors' Studio?
Saturday night, June 28
Dream 1: That's Not Allowed
A scandal had broken out at the U.N. in New York. A woman who was a high official there was found to be in a relationship with the organization's spokeswoman, (Sarah Jessica Parker) which was against the rules. As this story was breaking, old school friend Brent L. was over at my mom and dad's house. He was filling out a job application as Mom supervised.
Dream 2: Actors' Studio?
I was attending an acting seminar at my old elementary school, Jamestown, and it was the present day. Several famous thespians sat in a row in the middle of the multi-purpose room, and talked about their experiences, including Hal Holbrook and Paul Giamatti.
*****
Dream 1:
This must be lesbian week in Dream Blog land.
Dream 1: That's Not Allowed
A scandal had broken out at the U.N. in New York. A woman who was a high official there was found to be in a relationship with the organization's spokeswoman, (Sarah Jessica Parker) which was against the rules. As this story was breaking, old school friend Brent L. was over at my mom and dad's house. He was filling out a job application as Mom supervised.
Dream 2: Actors' Studio?
I was attending an acting seminar at my old elementary school, Jamestown, and it was the present day. Several famous thespians sat in a row in the middle of the multi-purpose room, and talked about their experiences, including Hal Holbrook and Paul Giamatti.
*****
Dream 1:
This must be lesbian week in Dream Blog land.
Special Edition
Thursday night, June 26
I was shopping for DVDs, and I picked up a copy of "Unforgiven," but I already had a special edition of that one, so I put it back. Next, I came across a movie I hadn't seen before. It was a multi-disc set, housed in a special sleeve, and was the story of two women in their 70s -- lifelong friends, who had both longed for love, but never married. In their twilight years they finally realized that the thing they had been searching for all their lives was each other. It was apparently a serious, touching story, but the leads were played by Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. In drag, of course.
*****
I was shopping for DVDs, and I picked up a copy of "Unforgiven," but I already had a special edition of that one, so I put it back. Next, I came across a movie I hadn't seen before. It was a multi-disc set, housed in a special sleeve, and was the story of two women in their 70s -- lifelong friends, who had both longed for love, but never married. In their twilight years they finally realized that the thing they had been searching for all their lives was each other. It was apparently a serious, touching story, but the leads were played by Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. In drag, of course.
*****
Sunday, June 29, 2008
High and Inside / Searching in Vain / Tutorial
Monday night, June 23
Dream 1: High and Inside
I was doing my flying thing again, this time inside a very large retail store; in particular, I was hovering near the ceiling, and passed a pretty cool toy helicopter which was sharing my airspace. All in all, I was pretty pleased with myself, and with the whole experience. Gradually I floated down to the floor, and passed my old VP, Rod S., who was helping a customer behind a counter, off to my right. I didn't speak to him. I kept walking, and turned a corner to my right, where I saw my old friend Stuart R., and my old boss, Christy J. They worked at the store, too, and were both behind another counter in the right-hand corner. Christy recognized me and said, "Boy, you get up early!" (The store had just opened.)
Dream 2: Searching in Vain
I was wandering around and around the grounds of a country club (seemingly modeled after Arlington's Knights of Columbus grounds, but much larger) and I was looking for my dad. I was a little exasperated, because we were supposed to meet there. He was nowhere to be found, so eventually I gave up.
Dream 3: Tutorial
U2's guitarist The Edge was sitting next to me, showing me one of his prized guitars. He played some licks and made some interesting sounds, and said that his guitar was the 2nd most effective instrument ever.
*****
Dream 1, High and Inside: This store seemed like a gigantic version of the Evans Distributors and Jewelers catalog showroom where I worked on Glebe Road in Arlington, back in 1981.
Dream 2, Searching in Vain: I know exactly where my dad is, but I often feel that I'm still searching for the dad that I wish I had. I called him on Father's Day, and he put me on the speaker phone, because my twin brother was there. I was in the middle of a sentence when Dad called out, "Well, thank you for calling." I guess a TV show was more important than talking to his son on Father's Day. I don't think that that type of uncaring rudeness is easily explained away. It hurts.
Dream 3, Tutorial: I wonder what Edge thought that his most effective instrument was?
Dream 1: High and Inside
I was doing my flying thing again, this time inside a very large retail store; in particular, I was hovering near the ceiling, and passed a pretty cool toy helicopter which was sharing my airspace. All in all, I was pretty pleased with myself, and with the whole experience. Gradually I floated down to the floor, and passed my old VP, Rod S., who was helping a customer behind a counter, off to my right. I didn't speak to him. I kept walking, and turned a corner to my right, where I saw my old friend Stuart R., and my old boss, Christy J. They worked at the store, too, and were both behind another counter in the right-hand corner. Christy recognized me and said, "Boy, you get up early!" (The store had just opened.)
Dream 2: Searching in Vain
I was wandering around and around the grounds of a country club (seemingly modeled after Arlington's Knights of Columbus grounds, but much larger) and I was looking for my dad. I was a little exasperated, because we were supposed to meet there. He was nowhere to be found, so eventually I gave up.
Dream 3: Tutorial
U2's guitarist The Edge was sitting next to me, showing me one of his prized guitars. He played some licks and made some interesting sounds, and said that his guitar was the 2nd most effective instrument ever.
*****
Dream 1, High and Inside: This store seemed like a gigantic version of the Evans Distributors and Jewelers catalog showroom where I worked on Glebe Road in Arlington, back in 1981.
Dream 2, Searching in Vain: I know exactly where my dad is, but I often feel that I'm still searching for the dad that I wish I had. I called him on Father's Day, and he put me on the speaker phone, because my twin brother was there. I was in the middle of a sentence when Dad called out, "Well, thank you for calling." I guess a TV show was more important than talking to his son on Father's Day. I don't think that that type of uncaring rudeness is easily explained away. It hurts.
Dream 3, Tutorial: I wonder what Edge thought that his most effective instrument was?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Arina Rock
Thursday night, June 19
I'd been watching some rock videos on my computer and was shocked when I stumbled across one featuring my friend and coworker, Arina H. I didn't even know she was in a band, much less one that rocked with this kind of punky attitude. Even better, they had a sly sense of humor. Arina was the lead singer, and she and the rest of her group were all dressed head to toe in red white and blue, and were rocking out in front of Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. At the end of the clip, the group huddled together for a close-up. All of the band members were shown wearing colorful veils over their faces, making fun of Americans' fear of Muslims. A short time later, I heard that Arina and her band were going to be performing for everyone at the office, and I was really, really looking forward to it. Just before show time, my hopes were dashed. Arina came up to me and said, "We go on at 2:00. You're covering for me [at my desk]." I'd have to miss the show. To make matters worse, my boss Christy called me into her office and chewed me out for something I'd done wrong.
*****
Arina and I have never worked together; she works where my wife does, and is a good friend of ours. She's from Eastern Europe. I have no idea if she ever sings or if she plays any instruments; I'll have to ask her about that.
Christy was my boss at the foundation that I left in 2005. Or, should I say, the foundation that left me. I liked working for her. She may have chewed me out a couple of times in the 7 or 8 years we worked together.
There are feelings of resentment bubbling up in this dream; not against Arina or Christy, but general feelings of extreme annoyance at having the type of job in which I have little or no backup, and have to make sure that my position is covered before I can get any time off to do anything else. I asked for Christmas week off 8 months in advance, and I've yet to get confirmation. I've got seniority over almost everyone in my position at work, and yet my boss is not confirming that I'll have the time off. It annoys the shit out of me. That's what this dream is really about -- the possibility of missing something that I really want to do because of inadequate "coverage" at work.
I'd been watching some rock videos on my computer and was shocked when I stumbled across one featuring my friend and coworker, Arina H. I didn't even know she was in a band, much less one that rocked with this kind of punky attitude. Even better, they had a sly sense of humor. Arina was the lead singer, and she and the rest of her group were all dressed head to toe in red white and blue, and were rocking out in front of Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. At the end of the clip, the group huddled together for a close-up. All of the band members were shown wearing colorful veils over their faces, making fun of Americans' fear of Muslims. A short time later, I heard that Arina and her band were going to be performing for everyone at the office, and I was really, really looking forward to it. Just before show time, my hopes were dashed. Arina came up to me and said, "We go on at 2:00. You're covering for me [at my desk]." I'd have to miss the show. To make matters worse, my boss Christy called me into her office and chewed me out for something I'd done wrong.
*****
Arina and I have never worked together; she works where my wife does, and is a good friend of ours. She's from Eastern Europe. I have no idea if she ever sings or if she plays any instruments; I'll have to ask her about that.
Christy was my boss at the foundation that I left in 2005. Or, should I say, the foundation that left me. I liked working for her. She may have chewed me out a couple of times in the 7 or 8 years we worked together.
There are feelings of resentment bubbling up in this dream; not against Arina or Christy, but general feelings of extreme annoyance at having the type of job in which I have little or no backup, and have to make sure that my position is covered before I can get any time off to do anything else. I asked for Christmas week off 8 months in advance, and I've yet to get confirmation. I've got seniority over almost everyone in my position at work, and yet my boss is not confirming that I'll have the time off. It annoys the shit out of me. That's what this dream is really about -- the possibility of missing something that I really want to do because of inadequate "coverage" at work.
The Party's Over / Sympathy for the Monster
Monday night, June 16
Dream 1: The Party's Over
I was in my 20s again. The Super Bowl had been moved to Paris, and somehow several of my old guy friends and I had scored tickets and flown over for the festivities. After the game I was walking back from the stadium toward our hotel. I thought about all of the things I wanted to see and other avenues that I might wander, but it was late at night and I was walking by myself, so I decided to play it safe for the moment and head straight back to our room. Maybe I'd be able to do some sight-seeing in the morning. Once I got there, a party was going on, and the guys had asked some women to join us. I was thinking of ordering some champagne and asking one of the women if she'd like to try some when the phone rang unexpectedly. One of the guys answered, said a few words, and then he called out, "Hey Eddie... [our boss] has taken a turn for the worse!"
Dream 2: Sympathy for the Monster
I was at the home of a friend or acquaintance, and was walking down a large stairway, toward the main floor. Near the bottom of the stairs I came across a large slow, or semi-retarded man. I'd met him before, so I struck up a conversation. I told him that I'd been watching the classic movie "Frankenstein." He thought for a moment and, looking down, he said sadly, "Maybe he's my brother."
*****
Dream 2: Sympathy for the Monster
It occurs to me that the slow man's comment can be taken in different ways. Is he showing sympathy toward the monster because he, like Frankenstein's creation, has been feared and misunderstood his entire life? Or does his comment mean that he loathes himself, and considers himself to be a monster, too -- someone who feels that he's the ultimate outsider, who will never fit into "normal" society?
There's something deep going on in this one.
Dream 1: The Party's Over
I was in my 20s again. The Super Bowl had been moved to Paris, and somehow several of my old guy friends and I had scored tickets and flown over for the festivities. After the game I was walking back from the stadium toward our hotel. I thought about all of the things I wanted to see and other avenues that I might wander, but it was late at night and I was walking by myself, so I decided to play it safe for the moment and head straight back to our room. Maybe I'd be able to do some sight-seeing in the morning. Once I got there, a party was going on, and the guys had asked some women to join us. I was thinking of ordering some champagne and asking one of the women if she'd like to try some when the phone rang unexpectedly. One of the guys answered, said a few words, and then he called out, "Hey Eddie... [our boss] has taken a turn for the worse!"
Dream 2: Sympathy for the Monster
I was at the home of a friend or acquaintance, and was walking down a large stairway, toward the main floor. Near the bottom of the stairs I came across a large slow, or semi-retarded man. I'd met him before, so I struck up a conversation. I told him that I'd been watching the classic movie "Frankenstein." He thought for a moment and, looking down, he said sadly, "Maybe he's my brother."
*****
Dream 2: Sympathy for the Monster
It occurs to me that the slow man's comment can be taken in different ways. Is he showing sympathy toward the monster because he, like Frankenstein's creation, has been feared and misunderstood his entire life? Or does his comment mean that he loathes himself, and considers himself to be a monster, too -- someone who feels that he's the ultimate outsider, who will never fit into "normal" society?
There's something deep going on in this one.
Hello, Old Friend
Sunday night, June 15
Ed B. came over to my parents' house, and Mom led him upstairs to my room. He was wearing some type of off-white jacket; he looked a little like Jim Fowler -- you know, one of those folks who was always bringing animals onto "The Tonight Show." I heard some people coming up the stairs, so I walked out of my bedroom to the landing to see who was there. Ed saw me and said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and gave me a big hug. I responded, "Well, Happy (belated) Birthday to You!" Mom liked Ed, and looked up at him and smiled. She said, "I remember when you had blue hair!" At that point Dad walked up the stairs, passed behind the group and went into their bedroom. He didn't greet Ed; I don't think he liked Ed's earrings.
*****
I don't know if Dad ever commented on Ed's earrings, but I do recall that my friend Brud once attended one of my (our -- I'm a twin) birthday parties, and wore an earring that dangled prominently. Dad didn't like that a bit, and said so.
I also don't recall ever hearing that Ed went through a blue hair phase, but it wouldn't surprise me.
Ed and Mom seem to get along smashingly in my dreams. (See "The Objector," April 23rd.)
Ed B. came over to my parents' house, and Mom led him upstairs to my room. He was wearing some type of off-white jacket; he looked a little like Jim Fowler -- you know, one of those folks who was always bringing animals onto "The Tonight Show." I heard some people coming up the stairs, so I walked out of my bedroom to the landing to see who was there. Ed saw me and said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and gave me a big hug. I responded, "Well, Happy (belated) Birthday to You!" Mom liked Ed, and looked up at him and smiled. She said, "I remember when you had blue hair!" At that point Dad walked up the stairs, passed behind the group and went into their bedroom. He didn't greet Ed; I don't think he liked Ed's earrings.
*****
I don't know if Dad ever commented on Ed's earrings, but I do recall that my friend Brud once attended one of my (our -- I'm a twin) birthday parties, and wore an earring that dangled prominently. Dad didn't like that a bit, and said so.
I also don't recall ever hearing that Ed went through a blue hair phase, but it wouldn't surprise me.
Ed and Mom seem to get along smashingly in my dreams. (See "The Objector," April 23rd.)
Confrontation
Saturday night, June 14
I was a detective, on vacation, and I had a bad cold, which made me pretty miserable. My time off was coming to an end, but I was still sick, so I tried several times to call in to my boss, but I could never seem to remember the number exactly. Finally it got to be after 11 a.m., so I gave up trying. I'd explain it to her later. It didn't really matter, because soon I was working a case anyway.
Somehow I'd found out that a man and his family -- who were also staying at my hotel -- had stolen $400,000, and were on the run in their minivan. I walked around the building, looking for clues. On the surface, they seemed to be a normal, nice, middle class family. They were black; the father was a little overweight and balding; the mother resembled Michelle Obama, and their only child was a studious boy, about 13 years of age, who wore glasses.
Later in the day I found the family in question out in the parking lot, and confronted them. I didn't want anyone to get hurt -- myself, especially -- but wanted to talk with them, and try to reason with them as I blocked their attempt to make their getaway. I said, "In today's economy, do you really think $400,000 will make that much of a difference (and will be worth being on the run all the time)?" The wife said, "Hell, yeah! My husband just got a new set of tires for my car!"
*****
The man in this dream is modeled after a neighbor who came by our house during the recent neighborhood yard sale.
I was a detective, on vacation, and I had a bad cold, which made me pretty miserable. My time off was coming to an end, but I was still sick, so I tried several times to call in to my boss, but I could never seem to remember the number exactly. Finally it got to be after 11 a.m., so I gave up trying. I'd explain it to her later. It didn't really matter, because soon I was working a case anyway.
Somehow I'd found out that a man and his family -- who were also staying at my hotel -- had stolen $400,000, and were on the run in their minivan. I walked around the building, looking for clues. On the surface, they seemed to be a normal, nice, middle class family. They were black; the father was a little overweight and balding; the mother resembled Michelle Obama, and their only child was a studious boy, about 13 years of age, who wore glasses.
Later in the day I found the family in question out in the parking lot, and confronted them. I didn't want anyone to get hurt -- myself, especially -- but wanted to talk with them, and try to reason with them as I blocked their attempt to make their getaway. I said, "In today's economy, do you really think $400,000 will make that much of a difference (and will be worth being on the run all the time)?" The wife said, "Hell, yeah! My husband just got a new set of tires for my car!"
*****
The man in this dream is modeled after a neighbor who came by our house during the recent neighborhood yard sale.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Crusaders
Friday night, June 13
Laura Bush and I flew up to a floating space station that was part of a Star Wars-like anti-nuclear apparatus. Laura was a closet liberal, and she was looking forward to arriving and announcing to the world that she had convinced the commanders of the station to deactivate the system, or at least their part of it. When we arrived, we were sorely disappointed to find out that she didn't have nearly the clout that we thought she had; the commanders wouldn't budge.
*****
Laura Bush and I flew up to a floating space station that was part of a Star Wars-like anti-nuclear apparatus. Laura was a closet liberal, and she was looking forward to arriving and announcing to the world that she had convinced the commanders of the station to deactivate the system, or at least their part of it. When we arrived, we were sorely disappointed to find out that she didn't have nearly the clout that we thought she had; the commanders wouldn't budge.
*****
Making Plans
Thursday night, June 12
I was living in a group house in Falls Church, VA, but I'd had about enough of that arrangement; it was time to move out. After all, people's clothes were piled up all over the place; in some cases, they were several feet deep. I wanted a place of my own; an apartment with clean white walls, peace and quiet, and a pool, too.
On moving day I went out for a late afternoon lunch with my brother Andrew. Having accomplished this goal, I told him about another; I was thinking of asking out my coworker, Tracy M. Drew said, "You're crazy. She's engaged!"
*****
I've been thinking about joining a pool here in Nashville, and have looked into some alternatives. The heat's been getting to me.
Tracy M. is a coworker of mine, and she's a really cool person. She got engaged about two weeks ago, and says that my wife and I will be receiving an invitation to join her and her fiance on their happy occasion.
I was living in a group house in Falls Church, VA, but I'd had about enough of that arrangement; it was time to move out. After all, people's clothes were piled up all over the place; in some cases, they were several feet deep. I wanted a place of my own; an apartment with clean white walls, peace and quiet, and a pool, too.
On moving day I went out for a late afternoon lunch with my brother Andrew. Having accomplished this goal, I told him about another; I was thinking of asking out my coworker, Tracy M. Drew said, "You're crazy. She's engaged!"
*****
I've been thinking about joining a pool here in Nashville, and have looked into some alternatives. The heat's been getting to me.
Tracy M. is a coworker of mine, and she's a really cool person. She got engaged about two weeks ago, and says that my wife and I will be receiving an invitation to join her and her fiance on their happy occasion.
Crash
Monday night, June 9
Comedian Steve Martin owned a big, old red convertible with long tail fins and white trim. It was a beauty, and he cherished it, so he didn't want anyone to fool around with it. One day he drove his girlfriend to the store, leaving the car in the middle of the lane of a crowded parking lot; he'd be right back. He warned his girlfriend to look out for the car, and walked in to buy something. As soon as he did so, she giggled and slid over into the driver's seat. She figured that she'd play a trick on Steve, by driving away from the storefront. She threw the car into reverse, and attempted a three-point turn; in her haste, she whipped the wheel around and slammed into a line of cars: CRUNCH.
*****
Comedian Steve Martin owned a big, old red convertible with long tail fins and white trim. It was a beauty, and he cherished it, so he didn't want anyone to fool around with it. One day he drove his girlfriend to the store, leaving the car in the middle of the lane of a crowded parking lot; he'd be right back. He warned his girlfriend to look out for the car, and walked in to buy something. As soon as he did so, she giggled and slid over into the driver's seat. She figured that she'd play a trick on Steve, by driving away from the storefront. She threw the car into reverse, and attempted a three-point turn; in her haste, she whipped the wheel around and slammed into a line of cars: CRUNCH.
*****
Jumping the Gun / Dark Skies
Sunday night, June 8
Dream 1: Jumping the Gun
I was about to go out on stage to play a concert with the E Street Band. We were all behind the curtain; Bruce was front and center, and I was the last person on the right, with my electric guitar strapped on, and at the ready. Unfortunately, in my eagerness to get started, I jumped through the curtain ahead of time, and began playing the introduction to "Prove It All Night" in my lame, one-string way. Only then did I realize that the rest of the band had not joined me. Feeling incredibly embarrassed, I slunk back behind the curtain, where Bruce and the entire band were staring at me. Not only had I jumped the gun, but I had begun playing a song of my own choosing. Bruce looked at me with a mixture of anger and humor. Instead of yelling at me, he thought for a second, and came up with an idea. He said, "OK, each of you can pick any one of our songs, and we'll play it tonight." I thought to myself, "If I knew he was going to do that, I'd have picked something else!"
Dream 2: Dark Skies
I was living in a townhouse community in Falls Church, Virginia, and I had joined a number of neighbors outside who were looking up at ominous black clouds. Suddenly someone called out, "A Twister!" I said, "I've got to go get my cat!" and ran toward my door.
*****
Dream 1: Jumping the Gun
Off the top of my head, I might request "The Price You Pay," from "The River."
Dream 2: Dark Skies
Back when I lived on Hyson Lane in Falls Church, I found a black and white kitten one time, hanging out in a large bush next to our front steps. I named him "Munchkin," and kept him in the basement for a few days, until a neighbor happened to come by, describing the cat, and asking me if I'd seen him. (Munchkin had no tag when I found him.) I gave him back, of course. I've got some photos of him in one of my photo albums. They've been kept in storage ever since I came to Nashville -- almost 7 years ago now. Hard to believe.
Dream 1: Jumping the Gun
I was about to go out on stage to play a concert with the E Street Band. We were all behind the curtain; Bruce was front and center, and I was the last person on the right, with my electric guitar strapped on, and at the ready. Unfortunately, in my eagerness to get started, I jumped through the curtain ahead of time, and began playing the introduction to "Prove It All Night" in my lame, one-string way. Only then did I realize that the rest of the band had not joined me. Feeling incredibly embarrassed, I slunk back behind the curtain, where Bruce and the entire band were staring at me. Not only had I jumped the gun, but I had begun playing a song of my own choosing. Bruce looked at me with a mixture of anger and humor. Instead of yelling at me, he thought for a second, and came up with an idea. He said, "OK, each of you can pick any one of our songs, and we'll play it tonight." I thought to myself, "If I knew he was going to do that, I'd have picked something else!"
Dream 2: Dark Skies
I was living in a townhouse community in Falls Church, Virginia, and I had joined a number of neighbors outside who were looking up at ominous black clouds. Suddenly someone called out, "A Twister!" I said, "I've got to go get my cat!" and ran toward my door.
*****
Dream 1: Jumping the Gun
Off the top of my head, I might request "The Price You Pay," from "The River."
Dream 2: Dark Skies
Back when I lived on Hyson Lane in Falls Church, I found a black and white kitten one time, hanging out in a large bush next to our front steps. I named him "Munchkin," and kept him in the basement for a few days, until a neighbor happened to come by, describing the cat, and asking me if I'd seen him. (Munchkin had no tag when I found him.) I gave him back, of course. I've got some photos of him in one of my photo albums. They've been kept in storage ever since I came to Nashville -- almost 7 years ago now. Hard to believe.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Way Back When
Wednesday night
I was walking to my apartment with an acquaintance, and was telling him about my past. We crossed a parking lot, and for a time walked only on small concrete dividers between the parking spaces, which had been painted bright yellow. I said, "The only roommate I ever had was Duncan S." He said, "Duncan?! He's been around forever!" I continued, "I used to have lots of friends, but they all got married, moved out to the suburbs, or moved [farther] away..."
*****
Duncan was one of my first roommates, at a townhouse in Falls Church, VA, but I had many more after that. Some were real characters.
Once upon a time, when my friends and I were all still single, there was always someone to call to get together for dinner out, a movie, a game night, etc. I'm glad I'm married, but I do miss those days and those people sometimes.
I was walking to my apartment with an acquaintance, and was telling him about my past. We crossed a parking lot, and for a time walked only on small concrete dividers between the parking spaces, which had been painted bright yellow. I said, "The only roommate I ever had was Duncan S." He said, "Duncan?! He's been around forever!" I continued, "I used to have lots of friends, but they all got married, moved out to the suburbs, or moved [farther] away..."
*****
Duncan was one of my first roommates, at a townhouse in Falls Church, VA, but I had many more after that. Some were real characters.
Once upon a time, when my friends and I were all still single, there was always someone to call to get together for dinner out, a movie, a game night, etc. I'm glad I'm married, but I do miss those days and those people sometimes.
Clean Up Time
Tuesday night
I was cleaning up my boss'es large office, straightening up a glass curio shelf that stood in front of her large desk. The shelf contained many vintage plastic Halloween candy containers and lanterns, in orange and black, dating back to the 1940s or 1950s. Next, I moved behind her desk, and made two neat stacks of her record albums, leaning them against the wall. One stack had a Jackson 5 album in front, the other displayed an LP by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. The sound quality of the records wasn't perfect, but the nostalgia more than made up for it. My boss walked in with another manager, and the two women complimented me on the job I was doing, remarking that the place hadn't looked that good in ages. At that point I happened to look out through a window, to an adjacent swimming pool. I saw a cat, standing on his hind legs, balancing on a yellow volley ball, cleverly riding it back and forth, back and forth, between the edge of the pool (to his right) and the edge of the patio (to his left). I called out, "Look At That!" My boss looked outside and smiled, but expressed no surprise. She said, "Oh. He does that alot."
*****
The vintage orange and black Halloween collectibles are mine, as were the albums, once upon a time. I don't have my LPs any more.
I was cleaning up my boss'es large office, straightening up a glass curio shelf that stood in front of her large desk. The shelf contained many vintage plastic Halloween candy containers and lanterns, in orange and black, dating back to the 1940s or 1950s. Next, I moved behind her desk, and made two neat stacks of her record albums, leaning them against the wall. One stack had a Jackson 5 album in front, the other displayed an LP by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. The sound quality of the records wasn't perfect, but the nostalgia more than made up for it. My boss walked in with another manager, and the two women complimented me on the job I was doing, remarking that the place hadn't looked that good in ages. At that point I happened to look out through a window, to an adjacent swimming pool. I saw a cat, standing on his hind legs, balancing on a yellow volley ball, cleverly riding it back and forth, back and forth, between the edge of the pool (to his right) and the edge of the patio (to his left). I called out, "Look At That!" My boss looked outside and smiled, but expressed no surprise. She said, "Oh. He does that alot."
*****
The vintage orange and black Halloween collectibles are mine, as were the albums, once upon a time. I don't have my LPs any more.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Try Something Else
Monday night
Sheriff Andy Taylor noticed that his deputy, Barney Fife, was in a rut, so he suggested that Barney take up an extracurricular activity. Barney decided to write stories for the local paper in his spare time. Finally the day arrived when everyone would get to read his first stories in print. Andy and his family gathered around on the porch, and they and Barney each eagerly read their own copies. Soon their expressions changed; Barney was a terrible reporter. His stories were awful. Even Aunt Bee and Opie couldn't believe what they were reading, and rolled their eyes. Worst of all, Barney had talked Andy into being photographed in convict's overalls, complete with serial number, and this picture was splashed on the back page with the headline, "Sheriff Taylor as prisoner." The article was meant to be informative, to explain what it was liked to be a "guest" in the Mayberry jail, but it completely backfired; it made the sheriff look like an idiot.
*****
Barney was never a reporter in any "Griffith" episodes I've seen, but Opie wrote, printed and sold a juicy gossip column about the neighbors in an episode from season five called "Opie's Newspaper." It aired for the first time on March 22, 1965.
Sheriff Andy Taylor noticed that his deputy, Barney Fife, was in a rut, so he suggested that Barney take up an extracurricular activity. Barney decided to write stories for the local paper in his spare time. Finally the day arrived when everyone would get to read his first stories in print. Andy and his family gathered around on the porch, and they and Barney each eagerly read their own copies. Soon their expressions changed; Barney was a terrible reporter. His stories were awful. Even Aunt Bee and Opie couldn't believe what they were reading, and rolled their eyes. Worst of all, Barney had talked Andy into being photographed in convict's overalls, complete with serial number, and this picture was splashed on the back page with the headline, "Sheriff Taylor as prisoner." The article was meant to be informative, to explain what it was liked to be a "guest" in the Mayberry jail, but it completely backfired; it made the sheriff look like an idiot.
*****
Barney was never a reporter in any "Griffith" episodes I've seen, but Opie wrote, printed and sold a juicy gossip column about the neighbors in an episode from season five called "Opie's Newspaper." It aired for the first time on March 22, 1965.
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Enforcer
Sunday night
I had some sort of a management position at a college, and happened to overhear a male graduate student say, in an offhand way, that he had cheated on his final pre-graduation exam. It was my responsibility to lay down the law. I pulled up a chair, faced him in his, and informed him that he had rendered his entire college career null and void. He seemed disgusted, but with me, not his own actions, and said, Give me a break!" He didn't think what he had done was all that serious, or even out of the ordinary. I said, "Hey, I've cheated before, and I've lied to my parents, but you learn [that it's not the thing to do]."
*****
I suppose that I did teach myself to lie when I was young, mainly as a way to avoid getting in trouble, or yelled at, or maybe as a way to avoid hurting others' feelings. It became almost reflexive -- "My report card? Uh, well, they did hand them out, but they didn't give me mine because I have an overdue book at the library, and I don't know where it is." I didn't lie all the time, but developed a bad habit -- again, to avoid being yelled at -- of telling people what they wanted to hear, as opposed to the truth, particularly over the phone. "Have you taken the trash out yet?" Sure I have! This habit was hard to un-learn, and carried over into my work-life, particularly when I had hard-ass bosses that scared me. "That project? Oh, it's just-about done." (I hadn't started it yet.) The "little lie" can become so ingrained, so much of a daily habit, that one doesn't even think of it anymore. I suppose that few guys will truthfully answer when a wife asks, "Do I look fat in this outfit?" but clothing issues aside, I learned that what my wife expects from me, more than anything else, is honesty. That means that I need to tell her the truth even when I know that she won't like it, and that I, in turn, won't like the response. It's still better than the reflexive lie. I suppose that it doesn't make any difference, but I'd like to point out that I would only lie to my wife about the most idiotic things, after procrastinating and not doing the chores that I'd agreed to do. It's not like I was lying about having a harem on the side, or something. Anyway, so that's my screed about lying. I'm sure that I taught myself to lie when I was very young, out of fear. I don't need to fear my spouse. A marriage should be quite the opposite thing entirely. That's a simple thought, but it took me years to learn it.
Now, as for cheating: I suppose that I shouldn't see lying and cheating as two completely separate things, but I do. Right or wrong, I assume that almost everyone lies from time to time, at least to get themselves out of hot water. But to me, cheating has always seemed to be a mark of the truly screwed-up person; particularly adults who cheat. And I'm not talking about cheating in the adultery sense of the word; I'm talking about cheating at board games, and card games; cheating when it really should not matter. I've caught one adult friend, a woman, cheating at Trivial Pursuit -- she turned the card over and whispered the answers to her teammate -- she also made very public bets and refused to pay when she was wrong. I've also known one guy in the 21-year history of our poker tournament who knowingly cheated by staying in match-the-pot games when he didn't have enough money to cover his loss if he had been beaten. (He admitted this later.) He doesn't play with us any more. Again, maybe I shouldn't draw such a distinction between the liar and the cheater, but I truly see the adult cheater as a pathetic person -- one to be pitied but loathed. (Can you pity and loathe someone at the same time? Probably not. OK, just loathed.) My friend Preston often refers to "the sanctity of the game," no matter what we're playing -- Monopoly, tennis, what have you. He jokes about it, but he's serious, too, and I'm on his wavelength. I don't want to play with anyone who needs to win so badly that he or she will do anything in order to make himself or herself look good. To me that's a sign of a deep flaw, and a sign of a person to be avoided. And I worry sometimes, because I catch my nieces and nephews cheating at games every now and then. One claims that her baseball team has 2 outs when she knows full well that they've had 3; another tries to distract people who have landed on his space in Monopoly, and takes wads of other players' cash when they are not looking. My wife thinks that this is a natural byproduct of growing up in a very competitive family of 8 children, and that they will grow out of it. I hope so. It's definitely uncool.
I can't ever remember purposefully cheating at a game. I'm sure that I must have, long ago, but I don't remember. I determined when I was very young that there's no honor and there's fun in winning if you cheat. The fun comes from honest competition. Otherwise, what's the point?
*****
May 2008 Dream Roundup
Family and Friends:
My wife
My father-in-law (he was played by actor Seymour Cassell in "Bad Vacation")
Andrew C.
Barbara S.
Brent L. (sent gifts to Denis G.'s family in "R.I.P.")
Dad C.
Dawn C. (she had made the Xmas stockings in "Bad Christmas")
Denis G.
Eddie M.
Edie S.
Gordon S.
Jarratt S.
Jim B.
Jimmie C.
Linda S.
Mandy H.
Mike K.
Mom C.
Preston W.
Scotty S.
"Sis" (Dad's sister; my aunt)
Stacy L. (sent gifts to Denis G.'s family in "R.I.P.")
Acquaintances & coworkers:
Jason E.
Jennie S.
Jessica M.
Maliha M.
Celebrities:
Bono
Carl Childers (I owned a "Carl suit" in "Christmas with Carl")
Charles Dana Gibson (trees in "Memory Garden" resembled his art)
Frank Sinatra
George Harrision
Harrison Ford
Indiana Jones (that was the movie playing in "Torn")
Julia Roberts
Mick Jagger (I spoke of my friendship with him in "Mentor")
Nat King Cole
The Pretenders
Seymour Cassell (he played my father-in-law in "Bad Vacation")
Ted Cassidy
Tim Burton
The Washington Redskins
Willie Mays
I had some sort of a management position at a college, and happened to overhear a male graduate student say, in an offhand way, that he had cheated on his final pre-graduation exam. It was my responsibility to lay down the law. I pulled up a chair, faced him in his, and informed him that he had rendered his entire college career null and void. He seemed disgusted, but with me, not his own actions, and said, Give me a break!" He didn't think what he had done was all that serious, or even out of the ordinary. I said, "Hey, I've cheated before, and I've lied to my parents, but you learn [that it's not the thing to do]."
*****
I suppose that I did teach myself to lie when I was young, mainly as a way to avoid getting in trouble, or yelled at, or maybe as a way to avoid hurting others' feelings. It became almost reflexive -- "My report card? Uh, well, they did hand them out, but they didn't give me mine because I have an overdue book at the library, and I don't know where it is." I didn't lie all the time, but developed a bad habit -- again, to avoid being yelled at -- of telling people what they wanted to hear, as opposed to the truth, particularly over the phone. "Have you taken the trash out yet?" Sure I have! This habit was hard to un-learn, and carried over into my work-life, particularly when I had hard-ass bosses that scared me. "That project? Oh, it's just-about done." (I hadn't started it yet.) The "little lie" can become so ingrained, so much of a daily habit, that one doesn't even think of it anymore. I suppose that few guys will truthfully answer when a wife asks, "Do I look fat in this outfit?" but clothing issues aside, I learned that what my wife expects from me, more than anything else, is honesty. That means that I need to tell her the truth even when I know that she won't like it, and that I, in turn, won't like the response. It's still better than the reflexive lie. I suppose that it doesn't make any difference, but I'd like to point out that I would only lie to my wife about the most idiotic things, after procrastinating and not doing the chores that I'd agreed to do. It's not like I was lying about having a harem on the side, or something. Anyway, so that's my screed about lying. I'm sure that I taught myself to lie when I was very young, out of fear. I don't need to fear my spouse. A marriage should be quite the opposite thing entirely. That's a simple thought, but it took me years to learn it.
Now, as for cheating: I suppose that I shouldn't see lying and cheating as two completely separate things, but I do. Right or wrong, I assume that almost everyone lies from time to time, at least to get themselves out of hot water. But to me, cheating has always seemed to be a mark of the truly screwed-up person; particularly adults who cheat. And I'm not talking about cheating in the adultery sense of the word; I'm talking about cheating at board games, and card games; cheating when it really should not matter. I've caught one adult friend, a woman, cheating at Trivial Pursuit -- she turned the card over and whispered the answers to her teammate -- she also made very public bets and refused to pay when she was wrong. I've also known one guy in the 21-year history of our poker tournament who knowingly cheated by staying in match-the-pot games when he didn't have enough money to cover his loss if he had been beaten. (He admitted this later.) He doesn't play with us any more. Again, maybe I shouldn't draw such a distinction between the liar and the cheater, but I truly see the adult cheater as a pathetic person -- one to be pitied but loathed. (Can you pity and loathe someone at the same time? Probably not. OK, just loathed.) My friend Preston often refers to "the sanctity of the game," no matter what we're playing -- Monopoly, tennis, what have you. He jokes about it, but he's serious, too, and I'm on his wavelength. I don't want to play with anyone who needs to win so badly that he or she will do anything in order to make himself or herself look good. To me that's a sign of a deep flaw, and a sign of a person to be avoided. And I worry sometimes, because I catch my nieces and nephews cheating at games every now and then. One claims that her baseball team has 2 outs when she knows full well that they've had 3; another tries to distract people who have landed on his space in Monopoly, and takes wads of other players' cash when they are not looking. My wife thinks that this is a natural byproduct of growing up in a very competitive family of 8 children, and that they will grow out of it. I hope so. It's definitely uncool.
I can't ever remember purposefully cheating at a game. I'm sure that I must have, long ago, but I don't remember. I determined when I was very young that there's no honor and there's fun in winning if you cheat. The fun comes from honest competition. Otherwise, what's the point?
*****
May 2008 Dream Roundup
Family and Friends:
My wife
My father-in-law (he was played by actor Seymour Cassell in "Bad Vacation")
Andrew C.
Barbara S.
Brent L. (sent gifts to Denis G.'s family in "R.I.P.")
Dad C.
Dawn C. (she had made the Xmas stockings in "Bad Christmas")
Denis G.
Eddie M.
Edie S.
Gordon S.
Jarratt S.
Jim B.
Jimmie C.
Linda S.
Mandy H.
Mike K.
Mom C.
Preston W.
Scotty S.
"Sis" (Dad's sister; my aunt)
Stacy L. (sent gifts to Denis G.'s family in "R.I.P.")
Acquaintances & coworkers:
Jason E.
Jennie S.
Jessica M.
Maliha M.
Celebrities:
Bono
Carl Childers (I owned a "Carl suit" in "Christmas with Carl")
Charles Dana Gibson (trees in "Memory Garden" resembled his art)
Frank Sinatra
George Harrision
Harrison Ford
Indiana Jones (that was the movie playing in "Torn")
Julia Roberts
Mick Jagger (I spoke of my friendship with him in "Mentor")
Nat King Cole
The Pretenders
Seymour Cassell (he played my father-in-law in "Bad Vacation")
Ted Cassidy
Tim Burton
The Washington Redskins
Willie Mays
Thursday, May 29, 2008
My Wife's Favorite Dream Ever / Things Have Changed / Mentor
Wednesday night
Dream 1: My Wife's Favorite Dream Ever
My brother Andrew and I were both stressed out about our jobs, so I told him that I'd been to a small shopping center recently, and had seen a sign on a brick wall for "Feel Good Massage." I figured that that would help us relax, so he and I went back there to check it out. A slick black dude walked us back out into the middle of the parking lot, and placed us in the front seat of a rusted 1970s car. He rubbed Andrew's shoulders a bit, then, for effect, he lit the top and bottom of the car on fire, and calmly walked away. I turned to Drew and said, "I didn't even get a massage!" Drew said, "I did." I said, "Well, I didn't get SHIT, and now THIS CAR'S GONNA BLOW UP!" At that moment the burning car began to roll backward with us in it. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" It made several 360s in the parking lot, scaring us to death -- I thought it might bash through the front window of another business. It finally stopped just before doing so, but was blocking the entrance to someone else's store.
Dream 2: Things Have Changed
I went over to my friend Jarratt's house; he hadn't been around in awhile, so I wanted to catch up with him, and he wanted to know what had been happening in his absence. I took him over to the townhouse where I rented a room on Hyson Lane in Falls Church. I used to have the large basement room to myself, but no longer; now that room had turned into a business, and my desk was right next to my boss, Jennie S.'s desk. No matter what I did, I couldn't escape work.
Dream 3: Mentor
I was walking and talking with a friend; we both had bicycles. We were about to enter a building, so we were carrying our bikes up the steps. The friend was asking me about my friendship with Mick Jagger, about how we used to carouse and date so many different women. I explained how I'd taken Jagger under my wing: "Somebody had to show him the ropes." I was kidding. I think.
*****
Dream 1: My Wife's Favorite Dream Ever
My wife said that this dream perfectly captures my brother and me, and our "retardedness." She says that we should film ourselves acting this one out, and post it to You Tube.
We watched "The Bourne Ultimatum" the other night, and one of the extras showed Damon learning how to drive a police car and hit the pedals just so to make it spin out. My wife suggests that that's why the car in this dream was making circles in the parking lot.
Dream 2: Things Have Changed
My friend Jarratt died at age 27 in September of 1991. It's hard to believe that almost 17 years have passed.
My job is so stressful that I do sometimes feel that I can't escape it; there's so much to remember, so much to worry about...
Dream 3: Mentor
I finally got off my rear end and took my bike into the shop this past week, to get it road-ready again. It had been in our basement for about five years. The guy at the bike shop said that it was in remarkably good shape, but went on to explain how bike technology had completely changed since I'd bought my Giant Rincon (sort of a street bike / mountain bike hybrid). For instance, my bike is made of steel, but new bikes are much lighter. Also, many new bikes come with shocks, but mine doesn't have those. Anyway, all I needed was a couple of new tubes, so I got off easy. I'm picking it up on Friday, so take that, oil companies.
Dream 1: My Wife's Favorite Dream Ever
My brother Andrew and I were both stressed out about our jobs, so I told him that I'd been to a small shopping center recently, and had seen a sign on a brick wall for "Feel Good Massage." I figured that that would help us relax, so he and I went back there to check it out. A slick black dude walked us back out into the middle of the parking lot, and placed us in the front seat of a rusted 1970s car. He rubbed Andrew's shoulders a bit, then, for effect, he lit the top and bottom of the car on fire, and calmly walked away. I turned to Drew and said, "I didn't even get a massage!" Drew said, "I did." I said, "Well, I didn't get SHIT, and now THIS CAR'S GONNA BLOW UP!" At that moment the burning car began to roll backward with us in it. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" It made several 360s in the parking lot, scaring us to death -- I thought it might bash through the front window of another business. It finally stopped just before doing so, but was blocking the entrance to someone else's store.
Dream 2: Things Have Changed
I went over to my friend Jarratt's house; he hadn't been around in awhile, so I wanted to catch up with him, and he wanted to know what had been happening in his absence. I took him over to the townhouse where I rented a room on Hyson Lane in Falls Church. I used to have the large basement room to myself, but no longer; now that room had turned into a business, and my desk was right next to my boss, Jennie S.'s desk. No matter what I did, I couldn't escape work.
Dream 3: Mentor
I was walking and talking with a friend; we both had bicycles. We were about to enter a building, so we were carrying our bikes up the steps. The friend was asking me about my friendship with Mick Jagger, about how we used to carouse and date so many different women. I explained how I'd taken Jagger under my wing: "Somebody had to show him the ropes." I was kidding. I think.
*****
Dream 1: My Wife's Favorite Dream Ever
My wife said that this dream perfectly captures my brother and me, and our "retardedness." She says that we should film ourselves acting this one out, and post it to You Tube.
We watched "The Bourne Ultimatum" the other night, and one of the extras showed Damon learning how to drive a police car and hit the pedals just so to make it spin out. My wife suggests that that's why the car in this dream was making circles in the parking lot.
Dream 2: Things Have Changed
My friend Jarratt died at age 27 in September of 1991. It's hard to believe that almost 17 years have passed.
My job is so stressful that I do sometimes feel that I can't escape it; there's so much to remember, so much to worry about...
Dream 3: Mentor
I finally got off my rear end and took my bike into the shop this past week, to get it road-ready again. It had been in our basement for about five years. The guy at the bike shop said that it was in remarkably good shape, but went on to explain how bike technology had completely changed since I'd bought my Giant Rincon (sort of a street bike / mountain bike hybrid). For instance, my bike is made of steel, but new bikes are much lighter. Also, many new bikes come with shocks, but mine doesn't have those. Anyway, all I needed was a couple of new tubes, so I got off easy. I'm picking it up on Friday, so take that, oil companies.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Get On With It!
Monday night
I had discovered a tape recording of my parents' wedding ceremony, and was listening to it, and suddenly there they were, in their 30s again, getting married before me. In this case, the ceremony was taking place in front of the home they would buy the next year, 3374 N. Dinwiddie Street. Also, my mom wasn't wearing a long white wedding dress; she was wearing a nice dark skirt, matching jacket and a dark hat. Dad wore a light gray suit.
As the ceremony progressed, one of the guests who was seated on the lawn behind my parents started yelling and interrupting the proceedings. It was my aunt, Dad's sister. She was in a good mood, but she was trying to hurry everyone along. She called out, "Has he kissed her yet?! Kiss Her!" Mom and Dad were flustered and embarrassed, and finally decided to give in and kiss each other, thus ending the ceremony prematurely. They turned and walked down the sidewalk and I could see that my mom wasn't too happy about the interruption. They hadn't even gotten to their vows. I said to Mom, "He didn't even declare you man and wife!" Mom replied, "It was awful."
A few minutes later Mom had changed to her older self, as I last knew her, and she and I were walking along Dinwiddie Street, talking. The wedding guests had disappeared, but there were some neighbors around, doing their thing. Mom moved a little slower than I remembered, and her face had a little bit of a tan, but other than that, it was the same ol'Mom. I also knew that she was gone and that no one could see her but me, so the neighbors would think that I was crazy for talking to myself, but I didn't care. It sure seemed real to me. I said to Mom, "So, when I'm dead, can I hang out with you?" She thought a minute and said, "That would be nice."
*****
No recordings exist of my parents' wedding, but I have seen some photographs. They weren't married in Arlington; their ceremony was held at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., on March 30, 1957, at 3 p.m. The Reverend Peter Maher presided.
Nobody interrupted their wedding ceremony, either, especially "Sis." This dream came from the fact that Sis was somewhat involved in pushing us to change plans for our wedding reception. She wanted to get on the road back to South Carolina, so one or more of her children approached us and sort of strong-armed us to cut the cake at that moment, so they could then say their goodbyes and hit the road. I haven't seen my aunt since. That's not the only reason -- we moved to Tennessee shortly after the wedding, so if we travel, we're either going home to Virginia, or taking a vacation to a new place. We only have so much vacation time, and South Carolina has never fit into our plans.
I think that my parents' outfits in this dream came from a photo I'd seen of them on an Easter Sunday in the 1950s. I haven't seen many pictures of my mom wearing hats, but she did on special occasions back in those days.
By the way, an odd coincidence occurred to me this morning, concerning Mom and her life at 3374 N. Dinwiddie. She moved into the house when she was 33, and left it for the last time when she was 74...
I had discovered a tape recording of my parents' wedding ceremony, and was listening to it, and suddenly there they were, in their 30s again, getting married before me. In this case, the ceremony was taking place in front of the home they would buy the next year, 3374 N. Dinwiddie Street. Also, my mom wasn't wearing a long white wedding dress; she was wearing a nice dark skirt, matching jacket and a dark hat. Dad wore a light gray suit.
As the ceremony progressed, one of the guests who was seated on the lawn behind my parents started yelling and interrupting the proceedings. It was my aunt, Dad's sister. She was in a good mood, but she was trying to hurry everyone along. She called out, "Has he kissed her yet?! Kiss Her!" Mom and Dad were flustered and embarrassed, and finally decided to give in and kiss each other, thus ending the ceremony prematurely. They turned and walked down the sidewalk and I could see that my mom wasn't too happy about the interruption. They hadn't even gotten to their vows. I said to Mom, "He didn't even declare you man and wife!" Mom replied, "It was awful."
A few minutes later Mom had changed to her older self, as I last knew her, and she and I were walking along Dinwiddie Street, talking. The wedding guests had disappeared, but there were some neighbors around, doing their thing. Mom moved a little slower than I remembered, and her face had a little bit of a tan, but other than that, it was the same ol'Mom. I also knew that she was gone and that no one could see her but me, so the neighbors would think that I was crazy for talking to myself, but I didn't care. It sure seemed real to me. I said to Mom, "So, when I'm dead, can I hang out with you?" She thought a minute and said, "That would be nice."
*****
No recordings exist of my parents' wedding, but I have seen some photographs. They weren't married in Arlington; their ceremony was held at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., on March 30, 1957, at 3 p.m. The Reverend Peter Maher presided.
Nobody interrupted their wedding ceremony, either, especially "Sis." This dream came from the fact that Sis was somewhat involved in pushing us to change plans for our wedding reception. She wanted to get on the road back to South Carolina, so one or more of her children approached us and sort of strong-armed us to cut the cake at that moment, so they could then say their goodbyes and hit the road. I haven't seen my aunt since. That's not the only reason -- we moved to Tennessee shortly after the wedding, so if we travel, we're either going home to Virginia, or taking a vacation to a new place. We only have so much vacation time, and South Carolina has never fit into our plans.
I think that my parents' outfits in this dream came from a photo I'd seen of them on an Easter Sunday in the 1950s. I haven't seen many pictures of my mom wearing hats, but she did on special occasions back in those days.
By the way, an odd coincidence occurred to me this morning, concerning Mom and her life at 3374 N. Dinwiddie. She moved into the house when she was 33, and left it for the last time when she was 74...
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Originals / Night of the Mutant Cats
Monday night
Dream 1: The Originals
The Pretenders had released their first album, and were about to appear on the Tonight Show. They were nice enough to invite their original (pre-Chrissie Hynde) lead singer (another woman) and the guy who was their guitarist before James Honeyman-Scott, to watch the performance. I met those two in the Green Room. I asked the singer, "What are you doing now?" She said she was fortunate to have grown up in Nashville, so she had connections in the music business, and was working on her own material.
Dream 2: Night of the Mutant Cats
It was Halloween night, and a band of mutant ghost cats was roaming around. They were still cats, all right, but they could walk on their hind legs at will, and had some type of pointy protrusions sticking out of their bulked-up bodies, albeit covered in fur. They looked as if they were normal black cats who had survived some nuclear fallout, and were pissed off about it. Anyway, they were locating and entering houses where kids had mistreated their pets. I saw them crawl through an open window and find a nice-looking golden retriever; they fed Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to it. The idea was that the dog would die and join the mutant band, and that would teach those kids a lesson.
*****
Dream 1: The Originals
These earlier band members are figments of my imagination.
Dream 2: Night of the Mutant Cats
My wife often reminds me not to leave any chocolate out, whether it's ice cream in a bowl, or cake frosting on a plate; if our cat got into it, she'd get very sick.
Dream 1: The Originals
The Pretenders had released their first album, and were about to appear on the Tonight Show. They were nice enough to invite their original (pre-Chrissie Hynde) lead singer (another woman) and the guy who was their guitarist before James Honeyman-Scott, to watch the performance. I met those two in the Green Room. I asked the singer, "What are you doing now?" She said she was fortunate to have grown up in Nashville, so she had connections in the music business, and was working on her own material.
Dream 2: Night of the Mutant Cats
It was Halloween night, and a band of mutant ghost cats was roaming around. They were still cats, all right, but they could walk on their hind legs at will, and had some type of pointy protrusions sticking out of their bulked-up bodies, albeit covered in fur. They looked as if they were normal black cats who had survived some nuclear fallout, and were pissed off about it. Anyway, they were locating and entering houses where kids had mistreated their pets. I saw them crawl through an open window and find a nice-looking golden retriever; they fed Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to it. The idea was that the dog would die and join the mutant band, and that would teach those kids a lesson.
*****
Dream 1: The Originals
These earlier band members are figments of my imagination.
Dream 2: Night of the Mutant Cats
My wife often reminds me not to leave any chocolate out, whether it's ice cream in a bowl, or cake frosting on a plate; if our cat got into it, she'd get very sick.
Down to the Wire
Sunday night
My brother Andrew and I were watching the Super Bowl. The game was in its final seconds, and the Redskins were losing. They were kicking off, and decided to try the onside kick trick. They lined up, kicked the ball the requisite number of yards, and pounced on it, so it was their ball again. That was great, but Drew was still nervous. He said, "I don't like this; it's still 57 to 51, so they will still need to score a touchdown."
*****
That was quite the defensive battle.
My brother Andrew and I were watching the Super Bowl. The game was in its final seconds, and the Redskins were losing. They were kicking off, and decided to try the onside kick trick. They lined up, kicked the ball the requisite number of yards, and pounced on it, so it was their ball again. That was great, but Drew was still nervous. He said, "I don't like this; it's still 57 to 51, so they will still need to score a touchdown."
*****
That was quite the defensive battle.
In Search of an Exit
Saturday night
My wife and our friends Steve and Kristin S. were all in a car, driving around a cul-de-sac. I was on foot, watching them. They were smiling and encouraging me, trying to show me the way out.
*****
I'm not quite sure why I couldn't find it myself, unless this is just a BIG METAPHOR for something...
My wife and our friends Steve and Kristin S. were all in a car, driving around a cul-de-sac. I was on foot, watching them. They were smiling and encouraging me, trying to show me the way out.
*****
I'm not quite sure why I couldn't find it myself, unless this is just a BIG METAPHOR for something...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Ogling
Friday night
Some strange sort of sex party was going on in a large hotel suite. Young women in various states of dress and undress were standing around -- some appeared to be wearing black and white uniforms, as if they were maids -- others wore next to nothing. Actor Ted Cassidy strolled through the room, admiring the women, as if he was on a shopping excursion in a grocery store. He was fully clothed, and wore a white tuxedo jacket over black pants. He could be heard expressing his appreciation in short hums: "Hmmm. HMMMM. HMMMM!"
*****
Creepy. This dream may have been inspired by a film I watched on DVD the other night, "American Gangster." Denzel Washington's character set up a drug factory of sorts in an apartment building. A suite of rooms was crammed with people who cut, weighed and packaged heroin. Many of the women who worked in the factory did so in the nude, so they couldn't steal anything.
Ted Cassidy played Ruk in a Star Trek episode called "What Little Girls Are Made Of," but was most famous as Lurch in the Addams Family TV show. And no, he was not that "Jaws" guy with the shiny teeth in the James Bond films. I thought he was, too, but that was Richard Kiel, another gigantic dude.
Some strange sort of sex party was going on in a large hotel suite. Young women in various states of dress and undress were standing around -- some appeared to be wearing black and white uniforms, as if they were maids -- others wore next to nothing. Actor Ted Cassidy strolled through the room, admiring the women, as if he was on a shopping excursion in a grocery store. He was fully clothed, and wore a white tuxedo jacket over black pants. He could be heard expressing his appreciation in short hums: "Hmmm. HMMMM. HMMMM!"
*****
Creepy. This dream may have been inspired by a film I watched on DVD the other night, "American Gangster." Denzel Washington's character set up a drug factory of sorts in an apartment building. A suite of rooms was crammed with people who cut, weighed and packaged heroin. Many of the women who worked in the factory did so in the nude, so they couldn't steal anything.
Ted Cassidy played Ruk in a Star Trek episode called "What Little Girls Are Made Of," but was most famous as Lurch in the Addams Family TV show. And no, he was not that "Jaws" guy with the shiny teeth in the James Bond films. I thought he was, too, but that was Richard Kiel, another gigantic dude.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Man with a Plan / R.I.P.
Wednesday night
Dream 1: Man with a Plan
Julia Roberts came to see Harrison Ford to get him to draw up plans for a large house being constructed for Roberts and her boyfriend. Feeling nostalgic, she brought with her a portrait of herself with Ford, painted many years ago, when the two of them starred in a movie. Soon it became apparent that she'd had feelings for Ford ever since. Ford came up with a plan -- he'd design a house that was so sleek and modern that there would be no way the boyfriend would like it; he'd leave Roberts and then Julia and Harrison could be together.
Dream 2: R.I.P.
I found out that one of my oldest friends, Denis G., had died. Shortly thereafter, I visited another friend, Preston, at his house, and hung out for awhile, watching TV, listening to music, the usual stuff. I'd brought a gift with me for Denis'es family, but when I took off, I left it at Preston's. I headed over to Mom and Dad's neighborhood, with the intention of calling on Denis'es parents, at their home. (Denis grew up on 34th Street, but in this dream, their house was at the corner of Dinwiddie and Dickerson, on the point.) Anyway, I went to the bereaved family's home, to see what I could do. I had parked my car and walked down the steep hill into their backyard when I saw a delivery truck pull up on Dinwiddie. Word had gotten out about the tragedy, so a man was dropping off flowers, fruit baskets and cards from other friends, including Brent and Stacy L. I took charge of these items and was about to walk up the back steps to the house when I realized that I wasn't wearing a shirt, so I figured that it might not be appropriate. I turned to my coworker, Jason, who also happened to be on the scene, and asked him to carry the deliveries inside; then I proceeded to call Preston, and asked him to bring me the gift I'd left at his place.
*****
We'll be seeing the new Indiana Jones movie this weekend. Last night I was reading about the U.S. premiere, held at Magic Johnson's theater complex in Harlem, New York. I don't believe that Harrison Ford and Julia Roberts have ever appeared in the same film. Ford is a carpenter; that's how he supported himself between "American Graffiti" and "Star Wars."
Denis'es family's house in this dream actually belonged to a girl who lived in my neighborhood, Cathy C., and her family. I think she was a contemporary of my big brother, Jimmie. She may have babysat for me once or twice. I have fond memories of that hill in their backyard. We spent many happy hours sledding there.
I think I met Denis when I was about 3. He and his family moved out of our neighborhood when he was a teenager, but they remained in Arlington. As far as I know, Denis, his wife and kids still live in Arlington, and all are alive and well.
Dream 1: Man with a Plan
Julia Roberts came to see Harrison Ford to get him to draw up plans for a large house being constructed for Roberts and her boyfriend. Feeling nostalgic, she brought with her a portrait of herself with Ford, painted many years ago, when the two of them starred in a movie. Soon it became apparent that she'd had feelings for Ford ever since. Ford came up with a plan -- he'd design a house that was so sleek and modern that there would be no way the boyfriend would like it; he'd leave Roberts and then Julia and Harrison could be together.
Dream 2: R.I.P.
I found out that one of my oldest friends, Denis G., had died. Shortly thereafter, I visited another friend, Preston, at his house, and hung out for awhile, watching TV, listening to music, the usual stuff. I'd brought a gift with me for Denis'es family, but when I took off, I left it at Preston's. I headed over to Mom and Dad's neighborhood, with the intention of calling on Denis'es parents, at their home. (Denis grew up on 34th Street, but in this dream, their house was at the corner of Dinwiddie and Dickerson, on the point.) Anyway, I went to the bereaved family's home, to see what I could do. I had parked my car and walked down the steep hill into their backyard when I saw a delivery truck pull up on Dinwiddie. Word had gotten out about the tragedy, so a man was dropping off flowers, fruit baskets and cards from other friends, including Brent and Stacy L. I took charge of these items and was about to walk up the back steps to the house when I realized that I wasn't wearing a shirt, so I figured that it might not be appropriate. I turned to my coworker, Jason, who also happened to be on the scene, and asked him to carry the deliveries inside; then I proceeded to call Preston, and asked him to bring me the gift I'd left at his place.
*****
We'll be seeing the new Indiana Jones movie this weekend. Last night I was reading about the U.S. premiere, held at Magic Johnson's theater complex in Harlem, New York. I don't believe that Harrison Ford and Julia Roberts have ever appeared in the same film. Ford is a carpenter; that's how he supported himself between "American Graffiti" and "Star Wars."
Denis'es family's house in this dream actually belonged to a girl who lived in my neighborhood, Cathy C., and her family. I think she was a contemporary of my big brother, Jimmie. She may have babysat for me once or twice. I have fond memories of that hill in their backyard. We spent many happy hours sledding there.
I think I met Denis when I was about 3. He and his family moved out of our neighborhood when he was a teenager, but they remained in Arlington. As far as I know, Denis, his wife and kids still live in Arlington, and all are alive and well.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Save the Date
I was dating a blonde, and she was a bad dame, which had its up and down sides. In fact, she was so bad, she had been sentenced to jail for 18 years. This dream opened in a small courthouse, or police station. It was nighttime, and the place was deserted. My gal pal was about to begin her sentence, but apparently the guard had taken pity on us, and took a hike. We stood outside her cell, and were making out furiously -- her back was to the bars. I was kissing her neck and making suggestions that I need not repeat here. Anyway, it turned out that I was allowed to visit her once a year. In the midst of our passion, she said, "You could see me [every] December 16th!" I said, "Uh, I don't think my [future] wife would like that very much!"
*****
Kinky, but pretty funny. This story seems ripped from a trashy 1950s novel, or from one of the film noirs of that era that I love.
The dialog, if not the actual scene, could have been inspired by Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor in "The Maltese Falcon," or maybe Ed MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in "Double Indemnity."
It's too bad that the dream ended without a few more lines of tough talk; something like, "You got yourself into this, baby, and you're gonna' take the rap, not me. Good luck, sweetheart -- I'm gettin' on with my life!"
*****
Kinky, but pretty funny. This story seems ripped from a trashy 1950s novel, or from one of the film noirs of that era that I love.
The dialog, if not the actual scene, could have been inspired by Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor in "The Maltese Falcon," or maybe Ed MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in "Double Indemnity."
It's too bad that the dream ended without a few more lines of tough talk; something like, "You got yourself into this, baby, and you're gonna' take the rap, not me. Good luck, sweetheart -- I'm gettin' on with my life!"
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Babysitter
Monday night
I was attending a house party; most of the guests were coworkers, but I saw my friend Mike K. walk in and wave when he saw me. It was a pretty laid back affair. My coworker Jessica M. was there with her daughter, Maliha, who is 2. I offered to watch Maliha for awhile so Jessica could mingle with guests in the dining room, so Jess walked off as Maliha sat on my knee. At first she was facing toward the front, looking around the room. I would whisper, "What do you see?" and she would tell me. At one point something scared her -- probably too many people or too much commotion -- and she started to get upset, so I picked her up, turned her around and gave her a hug, and she was OK. She wasn't crying anymore, but as she looked up at me, I noticed that small bumps had begun to appear all over her face. They weren't red, just bumps. I became alarmed that she was having an allergic reaction to something she was eating. I thought about calling out to Jessica, but thought that she wouldn't hear me over everyone else's conversation, so I dialed her up on my cell phone. Jessica came back soon enough, but didn't seem overly concerned. In fact, she hardly took notice of the situation, saying something like, "Oh, it's all right," and spent more time investigating what was in a closet over to our right. Fortunately, the bumps disappeared after a few minutes.
*****
I've never met Maliha, but have seen several pictures of her. She's a very pretty little girl.
This dream is not based in reality; if anything was happening to her child, I'm sure Jessica would respond immediately, and run over anyone who was in her way. This dream came from conversations Jessica and I have had about Maliha's day care -- about how often the other kids there are sick, and about how many of them have allergies to certain foods that we took for granted when we were kids (peanut butter, etc.).
I was attending a house party; most of the guests were coworkers, but I saw my friend Mike K. walk in and wave when he saw me. It was a pretty laid back affair. My coworker Jessica M. was there with her daughter, Maliha, who is 2. I offered to watch Maliha for awhile so Jessica could mingle with guests in the dining room, so Jess walked off as Maliha sat on my knee. At first she was facing toward the front, looking around the room. I would whisper, "What do you see?" and she would tell me. At one point something scared her -- probably too many people or too much commotion -- and she started to get upset, so I picked her up, turned her around and gave her a hug, and she was OK. She wasn't crying anymore, but as she looked up at me, I noticed that small bumps had begun to appear all over her face. They weren't red, just bumps. I became alarmed that she was having an allergic reaction to something she was eating. I thought about calling out to Jessica, but thought that she wouldn't hear me over everyone else's conversation, so I dialed her up on my cell phone. Jessica came back soon enough, but didn't seem overly concerned. In fact, she hardly took notice of the situation, saying something like, "Oh, it's all right," and spent more time investigating what was in a closet over to our right. Fortunately, the bumps disappeared after a few minutes.
*****
I've never met Maliha, but have seen several pictures of her. She's a very pretty little girl.
This dream is not based in reality; if anything was happening to her child, I'm sure Jessica would respond immediately, and run over anyone who was in her way. This dream came from conversations Jessica and I have had about Maliha's day care -- about how often the other kids there are sick, and about how many of them have allergies to certain foods that we took for granted when we were kids (peanut butter, etc.).
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Torn
Saturday night
My friend Gordy was working at a movie theater, and I went by to say hello and have a chat. His boss, a plump black woman who was a little older than we were -- we appeared to be in our early 20s, if that -- wasn't happy that I was distracting him. I clammed up until she walked away. Gordy tried to talk me into walking into the theater with him to watch the new Indiana Jones movie. I really wanted to see it, but when I sat down next to him, I glanced at my watch. It was 7:15, and Mom and Dad would be expecting me for dinner back at home.
*****
I don't think Gordy ever worked at a theater, but he should own stock in a theater chain, for all of the money that he's paid them over the years.
A new Indiana Jones movie comes out next week. I'll see it, although I've heard rumblings of so-so reviews in the blogosphere.
My friend Gordy was working at a movie theater, and I went by to say hello and have a chat. His boss, a plump black woman who was a little older than we were -- we appeared to be in our early 20s, if that -- wasn't happy that I was distracting him. I clammed up until she walked away. Gordy tried to talk me into walking into the theater with him to watch the new Indiana Jones movie. I really wanted to see it, but when I sat down next to him, I glanced at my watch. It was 7:15, and Mom and Dad would be expecting me for dinner back at home.
*****
I don't think Gordy ever worked at a theater, but he should own stock in a theater chain, for all of the money that he's paid them over the years.
A new Indiana Jones movie comes out next week. I'll see it, although I've heard rumblings of so-so reviews in the blogosphere.
Memory Garden
Friday night
I was on vacation, and had rented a nice house built in the early 20th century; or, at least I had rented a room in said house. I soon realized that I was not alone. I had driven a purple car, sort of a mod, sleek, long pickup truck, and parked it near the house. After dropping off my stuff, I'd gone for a walk. When I came back I found that some other person had not only parked right next to me in the spot -- he had a car that somehow merged exactly with mine to create some super duper truck thingy. By that, I mean that I could still see my purple car underneath, on the right side of the contraption, but now there was this other white car on the whole left side of my vehicle, and a camper cab extended over the back portion. I should have been angry, but I was pretty fascinated. The chance of meeting someone whose car would snap perfectly onto mine was one in a million, and here he (or she) was, renting the same house I was. I peered through a front side window and saw that the ashtray was pulled out. That wasn't a good sign.
I walked inside and found that there was no privacy in my room, either. Someone had picked through some of the cassette tapes I'd piled on top of my dresser and had opened some of the drawers. I walked around to another room where I found the man who owned the white camper car -- he seemed to be about 30. I said, "Hello. I can't believe that your car snaps onto mine like that!" He didn't say anything -- he was getting ready to take a shower. He walked toward the bathroom and started to disrobe, so I turned away before I saw any naughty bits, and continued exploring the rest of the house. To my surprise, I found several women in the kitchen. They were all part of a large, multi-generational Jewish family, and they were preparing lunch. A plate of brownies was on the kitchen table. The oldest woman, short and plump, saw me and said, "Hello, Mr. [my first name]."
I continued walking through the house, heading to my right, and came to a doorway that was open to the outside. There I saw what I'd come to witness in the first place. That part of the house sat at the top of a thin winding street; the area seemed to be part of a claustrophobic, cramped old European neighborhood. Someone had erected concrete benches, more like steps, on either side of the road, and people from miles around were gathered, awaiting the arrival of a celebrity. Suddenly someone called out, "There He Is!" I looked down and saw Tim Burton, tousled hair and all, walking up the street. He was there to direct some scenes for his upcoming movie. He made his way to a high step near the house. I saw that his name was stamped in the concrete in capital letters, so no one else would take his seat.
Having seen Mr. Burton, I walked back through the rental house, and outside, across the yard, to the garden. There I was joined by my brother, Andrew, who said, "I had that game closed TWICE [but lost]. I really need a first baseman." It wasn't clear whether he was talking about some Wiffle Ball games that he'd pitched, or about professional players he "owned" in a Rotisserie baseball league. In any case, I was far more interested in the garden. It appeared to be a tribute to one or more women who lived in the house back in the Victorian era. I saw some beautiful sculptures of women's heads, lovingly rendered in glass, larger than life-size, and mounted on poles. (At least one had a light bulb inside, for illumination in the evening.) The thing that really knocked me out was that many of the trees in the garden -- all about the size of dogwoods -- had somehow been turned into portraits of these women from long ago. They were extraordinary, and very detailed. Viewed from several feet away, the trees seemed to come alive; the leaves formed the hair, cherries took place of eyes; vines became wisps of hair that trailed along the bark "neck." Some trees had been expertly trained to appear to be lovely silhouettes of womens' faces. All of the works seemed to echo the art of Charles Dana Gibson. In a hushed voice, I called out to my brother: "Look, Andrew! They're people!"
*****
Tim Burton again. How strange. I'm not a big fan of his films, but I liked "Edward Scissorhands" OK, mainly because Vincent Price was in it.
My wife and I were back in Virginia recently, and played a game of Wiffle Ball with the nieces and nephews. While my team was at bat, my wife's 6-year-old teammate moped at her left, calling out, "But I don't know HOW to play first base!" I suppose that that was still better than my 5-year-old teammate, who rode his bike around the infield, calling out, "I don't know the rules! I don't know the rules!"
My next-door neighbor, Hilda, and her husband, Jack, invited my wife and me for dinner at their place on Friday night. Hilda frequently greets me with, "Hello, Mr. [my first name]," as the Jewish grandmother did in the kitchen.
The images of the women in the garden probably came from Victorian photographs that I saw in an antique shop during our drive back home last Monday. I always wonder where those people went and what became of them after their photos were taken.
The car that I drove in this dream is one of my prized vintage Hot Wheels, a purple 1968 Custom Fleetside, which was based on a custom Chevrolet El Camino pickup. I told my wife about this dream, and said that if I ever hit the jackpot, I'd love to have some of those guys out in California who build Hot Rods construct me the Hot Wheels car of my dreams. It probably wouldn't be the Custom Fleetside, however; more likely the Silhouette, the Splittin' Image, or the Classic '32 Ford Vicky. She said she'd take a G.T.O.
I was on vacation, and had rented a nice house built in the early 20th century; or, at least I had rented a room in said house. I soon realized that I was not alone. I had driven a purple car, sort of a mod, sleek, long pickup truck, and parked it near the house. After dropping off my stuff, I'd gone for a walk. When I came back I found that some other person had not only parked right next to me in the spot -- he had a car that somehow merged exactly with mine to create some super duper truck thingy. By that, I mean that I could still see my purple car underneath, on the right side of the contraption, but now there was this other white car on the whole left side of my vehicle, and a camper cab extended over the back portion. I should have been angry, but I was pretty fascinated. The chance of meeting someone whose car would snap perfectly onto mine was one in a million, and here he (or she) was, renting the same house I was. I peered through a front side window and saw that the ashtray was pulled out. That wasn't a good sign.
I walked inside and found that there was no privacy in my room, either. Someone had picked through some of the cassette tapes I'd piled on top of my dresser and had opened some of the drawers. I walked around to another room where I found the man who owned the white camper car -- he seemed to be about 30. I said, "Hello. I can't believe that your car snaps onto mine like that!" He didn't say anything -- he was getting ready to take a shower. He walked toward the bathroom and started to disrobe, so I turned away before I saw any naughty bits, and continued exploring the rest of the house. To my surprise, I found several women in the kitchen. They were all part of a large, multi-generational Jewish family, and they were preparing lunch. A plate of brownies was on the kitchen table. The oldest woman, short and plump, saw me and said, "Hello, Mr. [my first name]."
I continued walking through the house, heading to my right, and came to a doorway that was open to the outside. There I saw what I'd come to witness in the first place. That part of the house sat at the top of a thin winding street; the area seemed to be part of a claustrophobic, cramped old European neighborhood. Someone had erected concrete benches, more like steps, on either side of the road, and people from miles around were gathered, awaiting the arrival of a celebrity. Suddenly someone called out, "There He Is!" I looked down and saw Tim Burton, tousled hair and all, walking up the street. He was there to direct some scenes for his upcoming movie. He made his way to a high step near the house. I saw that his name was stamped in the concrete in capital letters, so no one else would take his seat.
Having seen Mr. Burton, I walked back through the rental house, and outside, across the yard, to the garden. There I was joined by my brother, Andrew, who said, "I had that game closed TWICE [but lost]. I really need a first baseman." It wasn't clear whether he was talking about some Wiffle Ball games that he'd pitched, or about professional players he "owned" in a Rotisserie baseball league. In any case, I was far more interested in the garden. It appeared to be a tribute to one or more women who lived in the house back in the Victorian era. I saw some beautiful sculptures of women's heads, lovingly rendered in glass, larger than life-size, and mounted on poles. (At least one had a light bulb inside, for illumination in the evening.) The thing that really knocked me out was that many of the trees in the garden -- all about the size of dogwoods -- had somehow been turned into portraits of these women from long ago. They were extraordinary, and very detailed. Viewed from several feet away, the trees seemed to come alive; the leaves formed the hair, cherries took place of eyes; vines became wisps of hair that trailed along the bark "neck." Some trees had been expertly trained to appear to be lovely silhouettes of womens' faces. All of the works seemed to echo the art of Charles Dana Gibson. In a hushed voice, I called out to my brother: "Look, Andrew! They're people!"
*****
Tim Burton again. How strange. I'm not a big fan of his films, but I liked "Edward Scissorhands" OK, mainly because Vincent Price was in it.
My wife and I were back in Virginia recently, and played a game of Wiffle Ball with the nieces and nephews. While my team was at bat, my wife's 6-year-old teammate moped at her left, calling out, "But I don't know HOW to play first base!" I suppose that that was still better than my 5-year-old teammate, who rode his bike around the infield, calling out, "I don't know the rules! I don't know the rules!"
My next-door neighbor, Hilda, and her husband, Jack, invited my wife and me for dinner at their place on Friday night. Hilda frequently greets me with, "Hello, Mr. [my first name]," as the Jewish grandmother did in the kitchen.
The images of the women in the garden probably came from Victorian photographs that I saw in an antique shop during our drive back home last Monday. I always wonder where those people went and what became of them after their photos were taken.
The car that I drove in this dream is one of my prized vintage Hot Wheels, a purple 1968 Custom Fleetside, which was based on a custom Chevrolet El Camino pickup. I told my wife about this dream, and said that if I ever hit the jackpot, I'd love to have some of those guys out in California who build Hot Rods construct me the Hot Wheels car of my dreams. It probably wouldn't be the Custom Fleetside, however; more likely the Silhouette, the Splittin' Image, or the Classic '32 Ford Vicky. She said she'd take a G.T.O.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Stealing the Spotlight / Amsterdam / New Guy
Thursday night
Dream 1: Stealing the Spotlight
Nat King Cole was standing in his home, looking at a sleeveless record, and he was considerably unhappy. He and Frank Sinatra had been planning on recording a duet, with Nat taking the lead and Frank singing harmony in the background. Frank had sent Nat an acetate featuring the song with his proposed arrangement, and Nat was chagrined to hear that Frank would be far louder and more "out front" than they had planned.
Dream 2: Amsterdam
I was vacationing in Amsterdam, and it happened that Bono and George Harrison were there too. In fact, word was getting around that the two of them were signing items at a small local book shop, as a favor to the owner. I saw one person walk by carrying a blue plastic bag emblazoned with Harrison's neat cursive signature, signed boldly in black. After walking for a few minutes in the downtown area I came upon a shop which was elevated from the street, as if it was built on stilts. It was covered in wooden siding, and seemed to be longer than it was tall. The front entrance was reachable by climbing a metal stairway that had holes in it, for drainage, so it wouldn't be slippery when it rained. I glanced up at the porch at the top of the stairs. Bono was standing outside. A young male fan, not yet a teenager, ran up to greet him. Bono bent down in time to give him a hug.
Dream 3: New Guy
I had traveled to Virginia for the poker tournament, and had made it to the third and final round, which was hosted by my friend, Eddie M. Several of the regulars were there, including my brother Andrew, but there was one guy that I didn't recognize. Ed said, "This is one of my old college buddies, and I told him he could play, too." Drew and I were outraged. We had already put money on the line in two rounds; it's against tourney rules for someone to join in the third round and compete for the plaque. Any new person is required to play in rounds 1 and 2, and end up in the top 6 to compete in the 3rd round. I hadn't driven over 600 miles for this guy to disqualify the round. Drew said, "I'm Out," meaning that he wouldn't play under those circumstances. I balked, too.
*****
Dream 1: Stealing the Spotlight
One of my coworkers recently lent me a 4-disc box set of Nat King Cole's recordings, and I read the enclosed booklet from cover to cover. This dream was conjured up from a photo of Cole and his Capitol Records label mate, Sinatra, from that book. From all appearances, they got along great. I don't recall any duets between Cole and Sinatra, but Cole sang one with Dean Martin in 1954 called "Open up the Doghouse (Two Cats Are Comin' In)" which was pretty funny. [I listened to this song more closely later, and found that it contains really nasty lyrics about how men should treat women. Nat sings, "You've got to treat 'em rough," and Dean says, "You gotta smack 'em." I think that's disgusting. There's nothing funny about that at all.]
Dream 2: My coworker Maureen and I were discussing Amsterdam last week. Her boyfriend is studying in Europe for awhile, and he was planning on stopping in Amsterdam before going on to Italy. I told her that my neighbors were there a few years ago, and I've always wanted to see the city. Mo has been there, too, and told me about the canal, the flowers, the architecture, everybody smoking...
Dream 3: Andrew and I played the second round of the poker tournament recently at Eddie M.'s house. Drew graduated to the third round, later this year; I did not. There were no "crashers."
Dream 1: Stealing the Spotlight
Nat King Cole was standing in his home, looking at a sleeveless record, and he was considerably unhappy. He and Frank Sinatra had been planning on recording a duet, with Nat taking the lead and Frank singing harmony in the background. Frank had sent Nat an acetate featuring the song with his proposed arrangement, and Nat was chagrined to hear that Frank would be far louder and more "out front" than they had planned.
Dream 2: Amsterdam
I was vacationing in Amsterdam, and it happened that Bono and George Harrison were there too. In fact, word was getting around that the two of them were signing items at a small local book shop, as a favor to the owner. I saw one person walk by carrying a blue plastic bag emblazoned with Harrison's neat cursive signature, signed boldly in black. After walking for a few minutes in the downtown area I came upon a shop which was elevated from the street, as if it was built on stilts. It was covered in wooden siding, and seemed to be longer than it was tall. The front entrance was reachable by climbing a metal stairway that had holes in it, for drainage, so it wouldn't be slippery when it rained. I glanced up at the porch at the top of the stairs. Bono was standing outside. A young male fan, not yet a teenager, ran up to greet him. Bono bent down in time to give him a hug.
Dream 3: New Guy
I had traveled to Virginia for the poker tournament, and had made it to the third and final round, which was hosted by my friend, Eddie M. Several of the regulars were there, including my brother Andrew, but there was one guy that I didn't recognize. Ed said, "This is one of my old college buddies, and I told him he could play, too." Drew and I were outraged. We had already put money on the line in two rounds; it's against tourney rules for someone to join in the third round and compete for the plaque. Any new person is required to play in rounds 1 and 2, and end up in the top 6 to compete in the 3rd round. I hadn't driven over 600 miles for this guy to disqualify the round. Drew said, "I'm Out," meaning that he wouldn't play under those circumstances. I balked, too.
*****
Dream 1: Stealing the Spotlight
One of my coworkers recently lent me a 4-disc box set of Nat King Cole's recordings, and I read the enclosed booklet from cover to cover. This dream was conjured up from a photo of Cole and his Capitol Records label mate, Sinatra, from that book. From all appearances, they got along great. I don't recall any duets between Cole and Sinatra, but Cole sang one with Dean Martin in 1954 called "Open up the Doghouse (Two Cats Are Comin' In)" which was pretty funny. [I listened to this song more closely later, and found that it contains really nasty lyrics about how men should treat women. Nat sings, "You've got to treat 'em rough," and Dean says, "You gotta smack 'em." I think that's disgusting. There's nothing funny about that at all.]
Dream 2: My coworker Maureen and I were discussing Amsterdam last week. Her boyfriend is studying in Europe for awhile, and he was planning on stopping in Amsterdam before going on to Italy. I told her that my neighbors were there a few years ago, and I've always wanted to see the city. Mo has been there, too, and told me about the canal, the flowers, the architecture, everybody smoking...
Dream 3: Andrew and I played the second round of the poker tournament recently at Eddie M.'s house. Drew graduated to the third round, later this year; I did not. There were no "crashers."
Pack Up
Monday night (5/12)
I was out of town, away on a business trip, and my wife was back at home in our apartment in Arlington. When I returned, I found that someone had made her an offer for our place that had been too good to turn down. She had already sealed the deal, made a profit, and told me to pack up -- it was time for us to find another place in town.
*****
We visited with my dad in Arlington during the previous weekend, and took a brief drive around our old haunts, past our old apartment(s) and some interesting new developments in the area within a mile or two from the Arlington Court House.
I was out of town, away on a business trip, and my wife was back at home in our apartment in Arlington. When I returned, I found that someone had made her an offer for our place that had been too good to turn down. She had already sealed the deal, made a profit, and told me to pack up -- it was time for us to find another place in town.
*****
We visited with my dad in Arlington during the previous weekend, and took a brief drive around our old haunts, past our old apartment(s) and some interesting new developments in the area within a mile or two from the Arlington Court House.
The Hawker
Friday night (5/9, Manassas, VA)
I was attending a sports memorabilia show where a man was selling autographs of famous athletes. As a bonus, he [the seller, not the athlete] would personalize the photos for the person willing to cough up the most dough. He was a bit of a con artist, but I saw that he was selling an autographed photo of Giants great Willie Mays, so I was interested. I hovered around a table where the hawker was sitting, and was soon joined by a rival who also wanted the photo; he looked a little like Michael Jordan, and he sat across from me. I could tell that the new arrival knew the man who was holding the photos, and had bought items from him in the past. The three of us eyed each other warily. To heighten the tension, the seller took out his pen and wrote "To" on the top of the picture. At that moment, Willie Mays himself strolled into the scene and stood behind us, frowning at the goings-on.
*****
Always liked that Wille Mays.
I was attending a sports memorabilia show where a man was selling autographs of famous athletes. As a bonus, he [the seller, not the athlete] would personalize the photos for the person willing to cough up the most dough. He was a bit of a con artist, but I saw that he was selling an autographed photo of Giants great Willie Mays, so I was interested. I hovered around a table where the hawker was sitting, and was soon joined by a rival who also wanted the photo; he looked a little like Michael Jordan, and he sat across from me. I could tell that the new arrival knew the man who was holding the photos, and had bought items from him in the past. The three of us eyed each other warily. To heighten the tension, the seller took out his pen and wrote "To" on the top of the picture. At that moment, Willie Mays himself strolled into the scene and stood behind us, frowning at the goings-on.
*****
Always liked that Wille Mays.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
Tuesday night
My family was gathered in the living room at 3374, and everyone was dressed up like it was Easter Sunday. This was an even grander occasion: I was about to marry my big brother, Jimmie. (And I don't mean that I would be performing the ceremony -- I mean that he and I would be the grooms.) Everyone was in a good mood, glad that I was finally settling down. I wasn't nearly as happy as they were; I was extremely nervous, and sweat was pouring down my face. At one point I apologized to the assembled crowd, and said that I had to remove my sportcoat. Finally, I decided that I just couldn't go through with it, and backed out. Everyone was pretty upset; I had called off an earlier wedding with someone else, and here I'd done it again, hurting my brother's feelings in the process. I pulled my brother Andrew aside and tried to explain myself. "I didn't mean to hurt him, but this is a serious decision. All of our money would be put together! Would we agree on anything?!" I took a walk down 34th Street and took a right on Dickerson. As I crested the hill I said to myself, "I really should marry [my wife now]."
*****
Wonder who would have led when we danced at the reception?
My family was gathered in the living room at 3374, and everyone was dressed up like it was Easter Sunday. This was an even grander occasion: I was about to marry my big brother, Jimmie. (And I don't mean that I would be performing the ceremony -- I mean that he and I would be the grooms.) Everyone was in a good mood, glad that I was finally settling down. I wasn't nearly as happy as they were; I was extremely nervous, and sweat was pouring down my face. At one point I apologized to the assembled crowd, and said that I had to remove my sportcoat. Finally, I decided that I just couldn't go through with it, and backed out. Everyone was pretty upset; I had called off an earlier wedding with someone else, and here I'd done it again, hurting my brother's feelings in the process. I pulled my brother Andrew aside and tried to explain myself. "I didn't mean to hurt him, but this is a serious decision. All of our money would be put together! Would we agree on anything?!" I took a walk down 34th Street and took a right on Dickerson. As I crested the hill I said to myself, "I really should marry [my wife now]."
*****
Wonder who would have led when we danced at the reception?
Bad Vacation / Christmas with Carl
Monday night
Dream 1: Bad Vacation
My wife and I were on a trip with her father and ex-husband Jim B. in tow, and we were having a pretty bad time. At one point the four of us were overlooking some historic balcony; her ex- was on the far left, my wife and I were in the middle, and her dad (played in this dream by actor Seymour Cassel) was on the right. Jim wasn't making any trouble, but her dad was being particularly bothersome, literally poking my wife in the side and pinching her. She and I huddled together, just trying to endure the situation.
Dream 2: Christmas with Carl
It was Christmastime again, and my friends Gordy and Barbara S. were visiting me in my bedroom at Mom and Dad's house. They were asking me about my relationship with Linda S. I told them that we weren't dating anymore; I still liked her and all, but it had been a long-distance thing (she lives in Maryland) and besides, now I was enjoying my freedom. There was a bag of presents in the room. One was from my friend Jim B.; I wasn't sure where the others came from, or who they were for -- they had no tags. Gordy looked around the room and noticed a one-piece denim outfit hanging from a clothes hanger. It had some red paint on the shirt portion, and was in a plastic bag, having just come from the cleaners. Gordy said, "What's that?" I said, "Oh, that's my Carl [Childers] costume. I got it in Africa." There was a gold plaque nearby on the wall that explained all about it. He was really into it and said, "Oh! COOL!" (The splattered red paint made it appear to be all the more authentic.)
*****
Dream 1: Bad Vacation
My father-in-law visited us recently. He can be a challenge, but I didn't see him pinch anyone this time. I'll be playing poker with Jim B. and other old friends in a couple of days.
Dream 2: Christmas with Carl
I did dress up as Carl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton's character from the movie "Sling Blade") one Halloween. I recall covering a ruler with tin foil and some red paint, to resemble the murder weapon mentioned in the title. Gordy is a big movie buff. He would appreciate such a costume. (I can't recall if he was at that particular Halloween party.)
I recently painted our backyard shed red and ended up with red paint on my blue jeans. That red paint on denim morphed into my "Carl" suit.
Linda is an old friend. The two of us went to a few concerts, but we never dated, as far as I know.
Dream 1: Bad Vacation
My wife and I were on a trip with her father and ex-husband Jim B. in tow, and we were having a pretty bad time. At one point the four of us were overlooking some historic balcony; her ex- was on the far left, my wife and I were in the middle, and her dad (played in this dream by actor Seymour Cassel) was on the right. Jim wasn't making any trouble, but her dad was being particularly bothersome, literally poking my wife in the side and pinching her. She and I huddled together, just trying to endure the situation.
Dream 2: Christmas with Carl
It was Christmastime again, and my friends Gordy and Barbara S. were visiting me in my bedroom at Mom and Dad's house. They were asking me about my relationship with Linda S. I told them that we weren't dating anymore; I still liked her and all, but it had been a long-distance thing (she lives in Maryland) and besides, now I was enjoying my freedom. There was a bag of presents in the room. One was from my friend Jim B.; I wasn't sure where the others came from, or who they were for -- they had no tags. Gordy looked around the room and noticed a one-piece denim outfit hanging from a clothes hanger. It had some red paint on the shirt portion, and was in a plastic bag, having just come from the cleaners. Gordy said, "What's that?" I said, "Oh, that's my Carl [Childers] costume. I got it in Africa." There was a gold plaque nearby on the wall that explained all about it. He was really into it and said, "Oh! COOL!" (The splattered red paint made it appear to be all the more authentic.)
*****
Dream 1: Bad Vacation
My father-in-law visited us recently. He can be a challenge, but I didn't see him pinch anyone this time. I'll be playing poker with Jim B. and other old friends in a couple of days.
Dream 2: Christmas with Carl
I did dress up as Carl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton's character from the movie "Sling Blade") one Halloween. I recall covering a ruler with tin foil and some red paint, to resemble the murder weapon mentioned in the title. Gordy is a big movie buff. He would appreciate such a costume. (I can't recall if he was at that particular Halloween party.)
I recently painted our backyard shed red and ended up with red paint on my blue jeans. That red paint on denim morphed into my "Carl" suit.
Linda is an old friend. The two of us went to a few concerts, but we never dated, as far as I know.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Lost Again / Scary Christmas
Sunday night
Dream 1: Lost Again
I was alone, driving a tiny car on a 65-mile stretch of highway in North Dakota. The sky was darkening, and appeared ominous; it had already rained. I stopped at an intersection, not knowing which way to turn. Several lanes of cars pulled up to the light with me -- I was to their right. Not wanting to fight my way through the traffic jam, I pulled off the road to the right in order to get my bearings, and narrowly missed plowing into a deep body of standing water.
Dream 2: Scary Christmas
It was Christmas day at Mom and Dad's and I didn't have presents for anyone, having spent all of my money on DVDs. I would have to go out and come up with some cash, probably by trying to sell some stuff. I opened the door to the living room closet and looked for a Santa hat, figuring that that would help to cheer me up and get me in the holiday spirit. While looking around for it, I found several Christmas stockings that had been made by my siser-in-law, Dawn. They had not yet been hung by the fireplace. Once I found my hat, I got into some golf cart-type of contraption and drove it out the front door and down the front steps, steering with a long metal bar, similar to the handle of a child's wagon. I got out to the street and was prepared to continue to the store when I noticed three young black guys messing around with my parents' car. The bad guys had left their car on the 34th Street side of the block; it was a fairly small old junker, with black paint on the back and sides, with a champagne colored hood and roof. The next thing I knew, they left my folks' car behind, and walked up to their front door; one of them had pulled a pistol out of his pocket. I hurriedly called 911, trying my best to memorize the number on their license plate. When the operator answered, I said, "I want to report a robbery in progress!" She replied, "You'll have to take that class." I said, "There's a robbery happening right now! Please tell me what number I should dial!"
At that point the morning alarm woke me up.
*****
Dream 2: Scary Christmas
I probably thought of Dawn because we were making plans to go visit her and our new nephew at Dawn's parents' home, north of Nashville.
The other night I was flipping the channels around and watched a few minutes of some cop show starring the insufferable David Caruso. It was set in Miami. Anyway, I remember him saying something along the lines of "As we know, eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable." That quote seems to have influenced my desire to memorize the tag number on the robbers' car. Anyway, that's a pretty tough spot. What do you do when your family is inside a house, and three guys are at the front door, one of them with a gun? Do you act like a hero and get shot? Maybe I should have tried to run them down in my golf cart.
By the way, that cart is probably based on my dad's motorized wheelchair.
Dream 1: Lost Again
I was alone, driving a tiny car on a 65-mile stretch of highway in North Dakota. The sky was darkening, and appeared ominous; it had already rained. I stopped at an intersection, not knowing which way to turn. Several lanes of cars pulled up to the light with me -- I was to their right. Not wanting to fight my way through the traffic jam, I pulled off the road to the right in order to get my bearings, and narrowly missed plowing into a deep body of standing water.
Dream 2: Scary Christmas
It was Christmas day at Mom and Dad's and I didn't have presents for anyone, having spent all of my money on DVDs. I would have to go out and come up with some cash, probably by trying to sell some stuff. I opened the door to the living room closet and looked for a Santa hat, figuring that that would help to cheer me up and get me in the holiday spirit. While looking around for it, I found several Christmas stockings that had been made by my siser-in-law, Dawn. They had not yet been hung by the fireplace. Once I found my hat, I got into some golf cart-type of contraption and drove it out the front door and down the front steps, steering with a long metal bar, similar to the handle of a child's wagon. I got out to the street and was prepared to continue to the store when I noticed three young black guys messing around with my parents' car. The bad guys had left their car on the 34th Street side of the block; it was a fairly small old junker, with black paint on the back and sides, with a champagne colored hood and roof. The next thing I knew, they left my folks' car behind, and walked up to their front door; one of them had pulled a pistol out of his pocket. I hurriedly called 911, trying my best to memorize the number on their license plate. When the operator answered, I said, "I want to report a robbery in progress!" She replied, "You'll have to take that class." I said, "There's a robbery happening right now! Please tell me what number I should dial!"
At that point the morning alarm woke me up.
*****
Dream 2: Scary Christmas
I probably thought of Dawn because we were making plans to go visit her and our new nephew at Dawn's parents' home, north of Nashville.
The other night I was flipping the channels around and watched a few minutes of some cop show starring the insufferable David Caruso. It was set in Miami. Anyway, I remember him saying something along the lines of "As we know, eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable." That quote seems to have influenced my desire to memorize the tag number on the robbers' car. Anyway, that's a pretty tough spot. What do you do when your family is inside a house, and three guys are at the front door, one of them with a gun? Do you act like a hero and get shot? Maybe I should have tried to run them down in my golf cart.
By the way, that cart is probably based on my dad's motorized wheelchair.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Rocky Mountain High
Friday night
I was visiting an amusement park in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado which featured the usual roller coasters and other delights. One "ride," or "challenge" intrigued me; I'd never seen anything like it at other parks. It resembled a fort (or maybe a guard tower) perched way up high on thin metal legs with some crossbeams to hold it steady. The structure itself seemed to be made of wood. It had an angled roof with shingles, but was open on all sides, so those on the inside could peer out over a metal railing. In the front of the "building" there was a very long and steep path which had to be climbed in order to gain entry; it extended from the fort to the ground. The center of the path was filled with large, treacherous boulders. The spaces on either side of the boulders seemed to be filled with swiftly running water; upon closer inspection I realized that the streams were an illusion. They were two swift-moving plastic strips, made to look like water. One false step, and the person trying to climb to the top would be whisked straight back down where he started. Only the most agile, careful climber would make it to the top.
Once I'd made it up into the fort, I sat up there with a few others, enjoying the view all around, and I was caught up in the excitement of the people who were trying to come aboard. Several of us helped one young kid as he practically tumbled over the railing and onto the floor, none the worse for wear. Then, to my surprise, I saw my dad; he'd climbed up the back way, scrambling up the metal girders. I said, "Get in here [before you hurt yourself]!"
Later, I was back on solid ground and having a walkabout when I ran into Edie and Scotty S. We chatted for a few moments, and Edie reminisced about how their stepdaughter Mandy once met me at a similar park when I lived in Pittsburgh.
*****
My dad was a great deal thinner in this dream than he is in real life. Once upon a time, he was known for resembling a bean pole. Unfortunately, his climbing days are long gone. This is a stunt he never would have undertaken, anyway; he suffers from a fear of heights.
Aside from the front walkway, this fort resembled several "structures" found at parks where I've played tag, including the one at my elementary school in Arlington, and one in a local Nashville park where my wife and I ran around with our nieces and nephews this past fall.
Edie and Scotty are mom and step-dad of my high school friend Brud H., who was mentioned in "That's My Bug!," posted this past March 28. Last week Brud's wife, Mandy, copied me on an e-mail that included some recent photos of their family.
I've never lived in Pittsburgh, or Pennsylvania, for that matter.
I was visiting an amusement park in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado which featured the usual roller coasters and other delights. One "ride," or "challenge" intrigued me; I'd never seen anything like it at other parks. It resembled a fort (or maybe a guard tower) perched way up high on thin metal legs with some crossbeams to hold it steady. The structure itself seemed to be made of wood. It had an angled roof with shingles, but was open on all sides, so those on the inside could peer out over a metal railing. In the front of the "building" there was a very long and steep path which had to be climbed in order to gain entry; it extended from the fort to the ground. The center of the path was filled with large, treacherous boulders. The spaces on either side of the boulders seemed to be filled with swiftly running water; upon closer inspection I realized that the streams were an illusion. They were two swift-moving plastic strips, made to look like water. One false step, and the person trying to climb to the top would be whisked straight back down where he started. Only the most agile, careful climber would make it to the top.
Once I'd made it up into the fort, I sat up there with a few others, enjoying the view all around, and I was caught up in the excitement of the people who were trying to come aboard. Several of us helped one young kid as he practically tumbled over the railing and onto the floor, none the worse for wear. Then, to my surprise, I saw my dad; he'd climbed up the back way, scrambling up the metal girders. I said, "Get in here [before you hurt yourself]!"
Later, I was back on solid ground and having a walkabout when I ran into Edie and Scotty S. We chatted for a few moments, and Edie reminisced about how their stepdaughter Mandy once met me at a similar park when I lived in Pittsburgh.
*****
My dad was a great deal thinner in this dream than he is in real life. Once upon a time, he was known for resembling a bean pole. Unfortunately, his climbing days are long gone. This is a stunt he never would have undertaken, anyway; he suffers from a fear of heights.
Aside from the front walkway, this fort resembled several "structures" found at parks where I've played tag, including the one at my elementary school in Arlington, and one in a local Nashville park where my wife and I ran around with our nieces and nephews this past fall.
Edie and Scotty are mom and step-dad of my high school friend Brud H., who was mentioned in "That's My Bug!," posted this past March 28. Last week Brud's wife, Mandy, copied me on an e-mail that included some recent photos of their family.
I've never lived in Pittsburgh, or Pennsylvania, for that matter.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Murphy's Law
Thursday night
Two friends were arriving from India, and would be staying with us for awhile. When they got here they surprised me by saying that they didn't have enough money to afford food. I said, "Don't worry -- while you're here, we'll pay for your meals."
I had a white collar job at a large company, but my bosses were making me do things that were not in my job description. One day they said, "We just got a truck in downstairs, and we want you to go help unload it." I said, "I've had a hernia. I don't want to get another one." I went down to the warehouse and repeated my story to the foreman. He said, "Then you can offload these crates of soda [in 64 oz. bottles]." These were large plastic pallets with holes in them, to hold about about 30 bottles each. I had to stack them in the corner, and they were teriffically heavy.
Later, my wife and I headed to the airport to take a trip, and she was the first to go through security. She was chosen for extra security screening while I waited to go next. She was saying something like, "They want to know why I don't have any keys. Have you got the key?" I said, "Hang on. I'm having trouble understanding you. Can you wait a minute [for me to get there]?" Apparently, she couldn't. The screeners let her pass, but she didn't wait for me; she grabbed her suitcases and walked off in a huff, around the corner and into the terminal.
A few days after that episode I had gone to an ATM machine and taken out $300 cash; I went to an electronics store to buy some DVDs. I'd made some selections, but then, for some reason, the store clerk and I were sitting in my car, out in front of the store. (I was behind the wheel, and he was sitting in the right front passenger seat. He was holding my wallet.) I asked the clerk to total up the cost of my purchase. One of the items in the pile was a computer game; I was shocked to find out that it cost $130, and was thinking about putting that one back. To my chagrin, when I wasn't looking, the clerk opened my wallet and found an old combination AmEx/Circuit City card. He said, "I haven't seen one of these in ages!" and before I could do anything, he ran it through his portable card reader. He'd rung up the entire sale before I could even protest. I stammered, "Why did you do that?! You knew I'd taken out $300 in cash!" (I was particularly stressed about it because my wife and I had been trying to pay the credit cards down, not run them up.) The cashier apologized and tried to void the sale as I circled around the parking lot, frowning.
*****
I probably dreamed about the two Indian guys because my wife was trying to talk me into seeing the new "Harold and Kumar" movie. I'd never seen the first one. Later I found out that only one of the characters (Kumar) is of Indian descent.
Someone at work asked me to lift something very heavy the other day, and I mentioned that I'd had a hernia, and didn't want to have another one. (Of course, I eneded up lifting the boxes onto a cart.)
My wife and I are working hard to pay off our credit cards, and it looks like we'll succeed by early summer.
I'm constantly rushed by everyone. In my heart of hearts I'm a slow-moving, contemplative person, forced to live in a world moving at break-neck speed. I can't stand it. No wonder I prefer to read about the past.
Two friends were arriving from India, and would be staying with us for awhile. When they got here they surprised me by saying that they didn't have enough money to afford food. I said, "Don't worry -- while you're here, we'll pay for your meals."
I had a white collar job at a large company, but my bosses were making me do things that were not in my job description. One day they said, "We just got a truck in downstairs, and we want you to go help unload it." I said, "I've had a hernia. I don't want to get another one." I went down to the warehouse and repeated my story to the foreman. He said, "Then you can offload these crates of soda [in 64 oz. bottles]." These were large plastic pallets with holes in them, to hold about about 30 bottles each. I had to stack them in the corner, and they were teriffically heavy.
Later, my wife and I headed to the airport to take a trip, and she was the first to go through security. She was chosen for extra security screening while I waited to go next. She was saying something like, "They want to know why I don't have any keys. Have you got the key?" I said, "Hang on. I'm having trouble understanding you. Can you wait a minute [for me to get there]?" Apparently, she couldn't. The screeners let her pass, but she didn't wait for me; she grabbed her suitcases and walked off in a huff, around the corner and into the terminal.
A few days after that episode I had gone to an ATM machine and taken out $300 cash; I went to an electronics store to buy some DVDs. I'd made some selections, but then, for some reason, the store clerk and I were sitting in my car, out in front of the store. (I was behind the wheel, and he was sitting in the right front passenger seat. He was holding my wallet.) I asked the clerk to total up the cost of my purchase. One of the items in the pile was a computer game; I was shocked to find out that it cost $130, and was thinking about putting that one back. To my chagrin, when I wasn't looking, the clerk opened my wallet and found an old combination AmEx/Circuit City card. He said, "I haven't seen one of these in ages!" and before I could do anything, he ran it through his portable card reader. He'd rung up the entire sale before I could even protest. I stammered, "Why did you do that?! You knew I'd taken out $300 in cash!" (I was particularly stressed about it because my wife and I had been trying to pay the credit cards down, not run them up.) The cashier apologized and tried to void the sale as I circled around the parking lot, frowning.
*****
I probably dreamed about the two Indian guys because my wife was trying to talk me into seeing the new "Harold and Kumar" movie. I'd never seen the first one. Later I found out that only one of the characters (Kumar) is of Indian descent.
Someone at work asked me to lift something very heavy the other day, and I mentioned that I'd had a hernia, and didn't want to have another one. (Of course, I eneded up lifting the boxes onto a cart.)
My wife and I are working hard to pay off our credit cards, and it looks like we'll succeed by early summer.
I'm constantly rushed by everyone. In my heart of hearts I'm a slow-moving, contemplative person, forced to live in a world moving at break-neck speed. I can't stand it. No wonder I prefer to read about the past.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
April 2008 Dream Roundup
Family & Friends
My little brother [Shown in "Swamp." He doesn't exist.]
My wife
Andrew C.
Dad C.
Ed B.
Gordon S.
Hilda W.
Jack P.
Jimmie C.
Mom C.
Steve W.
Teri W. [Dad asked me to buy her some pajamas in "PJs."]
Acquaintances & Coworkers
Bernie V. [I saw a picture of him in a photo album in "Old Days."]
Deuce W.
Jeff V.
Rod S.
Steve B.
Terri L.
Timmy M.
Celebrities
Al Neuharth [He was mentioned by Rod S. in "'holes."]
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band [Their photos appeared on the sleeve of a special edition of the "Born to Run" album in "BTR."]
Doug Henning [I toured a studio where he filmed a TV program in "The Objector."]
George T. Morgan [He designed the Morgan Silver Dollar shown in "Come On Down!" It was minted from 1878 to 1904, and again in 1921.]
Humphrey Bogart
Jimi Hendrix
The Monkees [A man had built a replica of their car in "Monkee Mobile."]
Nick Lowe
Quentin Tarantino [He co-directed the film shown in "Revenge."]
Thomas Gainsborough [British artist, (1727 - 1789). His painting "The Blue Boy" (1770) was mentioned in "Boy, Blue."]
Tim Burton [He co-directed the film shown in "Revenge."]
My little brother [Shown in "Swamp." He doesn't exist.]
My wife
Andrew C.
Dad C.
Ed B.
Gordon S.
Hilda W.
Jack P.
Jimmie C.
Mom C.
Steve W.
Teri W. [Dad asked me to buy her some pajamas in "PJs."]
Acquaintances & Coworkers
Bernie V. [I saw a picture of him in a photo album in "Old Days."]
Deuce W.
Jeff V.
Rod S.
Steve B.
Terri L.
Timmy M.
Celebrities
Al Neuharth [He was mentioned by Rod S. in "'holes."]
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band [Their photos appeared on the sleeve of a special edition of the "Born to Run" album in "BTR."]
Doug Henning [I toured a studio where he filmed a TV program in "The Objector."]
George T. Morgan [He designed the Morgan Silver Dollar shown in "Come On Down!" It was minted from 1878 to 1904, and again in 1921.]
Humphrey Bogart
Jimi Hendrix
The Monkees [A man had built a replica of their car in "Monkee Mobile."]
Nick Lowe
Quentin Tarantino [He co-directed the film shown in "Revenge."]
Thomas Gainsborough [British artist, (1727 - 1789). His painting "The Blue Boy" (1770) was mentioned in "Boy, Blue."]
Tim Burton [He co-directed the film shown in "Revenge."]
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Bogie
Tuesday night
I was one of many domestic servants working for Humphrey Bogart in his house. Among other duties, I was responsible for cleaning cat shit off of his bed. That may have been why he liked me. This evening there was a party going on downstairs, but Bogie was upstairs, hanging out with me, instead, and he was wearing a silk bathrobe, or smoking jacket. At one point one of the guests got a little carried away, and Bogie had to go downstairs and slap him around a bit. I didn't see that part, but he came back a little while later to hang out with me. He knew me, so he could let down his guard and be himself. I said, "So, what's your favorite among all of your films?" I was expecting him to choose one of his classics from the 1940s, but he surprised me; he picked an obscure horror film. He said he made it in 1939.
*****
It's not every night that you meet your favorite actor.
This past weekend, after my wife and I toured a plantation in Franklin, TN with my father-in-law, we stopped in at an antique shop and browsed around for awhile. There I found a book that Katharine Hepburn wrote in the 1980s about the making of "The African Queen," her 1951 film with Bogart. It featured many photographs taken on and off of the set, including a few of Bogie and "Betty" Bacall having breakfast in their bathrobes. I clean a cat box (nearly) every night, so that's a part of daily life around here; that would probably explain why I mixed Bogart in smoking jacket and cleaning up after a cat. Then again, I might have been thinking about the cat that belongs to my sister-in-law, Dawn; his name is Humphries...
For me, the most fascinating part of this dream is the fact that I got the year right for Bogart's only horror film. It was made in 1939, and was called "The Return of Dr. X." I've never seen it, but have seen some stills from it. This information may have been floating around in my head because I read an article in "Entertainment Weekly" some time in the past 6 months in which Tim Burton said that he modeled Johnny Depp's look as "Sweeny Todd" in part after Bogart's "Dr. X." Both characters wore white pancake makeup and sported black hair with a groovy white streak.
By the way, I got a kick out of the back flap of Hepburn's book. It read, "Katharine Hepburn is an actress. She lives in Connecticut. This is her first book."
I was one of many domestic servants working for Humphrey Bogart in his house. Among other duties, I was responsible for cleaning cat shit off of his bed. That may have been why he liked me. This evening there was a party going on downstairs, but Bogie was upstairs, hanging out with me, instead, and he was wearing a silk bathrobe, or smoking jacket. At one point one of the guests got a little carried away, and Bogie had to go downstairs and slap him around a bit. I didn't see that part, but he came back a little while later to hang out with me. He knew me, so he could let down his guard and be himself. I said, "So, what's your favorite among all of your films?" I was expecting him to choose one of his classics from the 1940s, but he surprised me; he picked an obscure horror film. He said he made it in 1939.
*****
It's not every night that you meet your favorite actor.
This past weekend, after my wife and I toured a plantation in Franklin, TN with my father-in-law, we stopped in at an antique shop and browsed around for awhile. There I found a book that Katharine Hepburn wrote in the 1980s about the making of "The African Queen," her 1951 film with Bogart. It featured many photographs taken on and off of the set, including a few of Bogie and "Betty" Bacall having breakfast in their bathrobes. I clean a cat box (nearly) every night, so that's a part of daily life around here; that would probably explain why I mixed Bogart in smoking jacket and cleaning up after a cat. Then again, I might have been thinking about the cat that belongs to my sister-in-law, Dawn; his name is Humphries...
For me, the most fascinating part of this dream is the fact that I got the year right for Bogart's only horror film. It was made in 1939, and was called "The Return of Dr. X." I've never seen it, but have seen some stills from it. This information may have been floating around in my head because I read an article in "Entertainment Weekly" some time in the past 6 months in which Tim Burton said that he modeled Johnny Depp's look as "Sweeny Todd" in part after Bogart's "Dr. X." Both characters wore white pancake makeup and sported black hair with a groovy white streak.
By the way, I got a kick out of the back flap of Hepburn's book. It read, "Katharine Hepburn is an actress. She lives in Connecticut. This is her first book."
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
In Their Defense / The Next Best Thing
Monday night
Dream 1: In Their Defense
I was having a conversation with a black woman about the Air Force. She seemed to be disparaging their contribution(s), compared to other branches of the military. She said, "You fly someplace, then you walk out of the plane. That's not such a big deal." I countered, "If they have to fly around the world to deliver supplies or something, I'm sure it's awfully fatiguing. It's not like they can stop the plane [half way] and get out."
Dream 2: The Next Best Thing
Somehow I was able to buy the house across from 3374 on Dinwiddie Street, so I could always look across the street at the home where I grew up. At this point my parents' house had changed; it was two stories higher in the front, and the maple tree in the front yard was much larger, too. In contrast, I was moving into a single-story ranch-style house, but I was pretty satisfied with the whole thing, anyway. I thought, "Now, Mom can call me up whenever she wants me to talk to me about her garden, and I'll always be here for the neighborhood block parties."
A few relatives were helping me move in: my aunt Eunie (mom's sister) and my dad's aunt "Outie." At one point Eunie and Outie found themselves in a room on the right side of the house (to your right if you were walking up to the front door). Eunie wanted to speak with Outie about a piece of family jewelery, but Outie was all business, and was focusing on the task at hand. She said, "I don't have time for that." She had other things that she had to do, so she reached out to give me a hug, and as I embraced her, I noticed how tiny she was. She had long gray hair which hung down past her shoulders. After saying goodbye, she walked back into the living room and met her horse, which was waiting there for her. She climbed up into the saddle, and rode outside.
*****
Dream 1: In Their Defense
It's pretty odd for me to be defending the military. I'm usually against most things that they are asked to do, but I supported sending the troops into Afghanistan.
Dream 2: The Next Best Thing
The people who bought my parents' old house did add one story, but I'm pretty sure that the change is not visible in the front of the house.
While my father-in-law was here this past weekend, we visited an old plantation in Franklin, TN, and saw some very large old trees on the grounds. When we got home, we found websites that featured pictures and locations of the largest "champion" trees in Nashville, and in Arlington. I suppose that that's why the maple in the front yard was extra large in this dream.
Outie got her name because when her youngest brother (my grandfather) was born, he pronounced Ruthie as "Outie." Outie was born in the early 1890s, so to me, she was always ancient, even when she came to visit us during beach vacations in the 1970s. She became a little addled in her later years, and lived until 1989. I never remember her being a forceful woman, as she was in this episode. I don't recall ever seeing her with long hair, or going without eyeglasses. (She wasn't wearing glasses in this dream.) And I never saw her with a horse, although she must have seen plenty of them in her youth.
Eunie was always fun to be around. She and I always talked about our shared interest in birdwatching. She and Outie probably met only once, at my parents' wedding in Washington, D.C., in 1957. Eunie passed away five years ago tomorrow.
Dream 1: In Their Defense
I was having a conversation with a black woman about the Air Force. She seemed to be disparaging their contribution(s), compared to other branches of the military. She said, "You fly someplace, then you walk out of the plane. That's not such a big deal." I countered, "If they have to fly around the world to deliver supplies or something, I'm sure it's awfully fatiguing. It's not like they can stop the plane [half way] and get out."
Dream 2: The Next Best Thing
Somehow I was able to buy the house across from 3374 on Dinwiddie Street, so I could always look across the street at the home where I grew up. At this point my parents' house had changed; it was two stories higher in the front, and the maple tree in the front yard was much larger, too. In contrast, I was moving into a single-story ranch-style house, but I was pretty satisfied with the whole thing, anyway. I thought, "Now, Mom can call me up whenever she wants me to talk to me about her garden, and I'll always be here for the neighborhood block parties."
A few relatives were helping me move in: my aunt Eunie (mom's sister) and my dad's aunt "Outie." At one point Eunie and Outie found themselves in a room on the right side of the house (to your right if you were walking up to the front door). Eunie wanted to speak with Outie about a piece of family jewelery, but Outie was all business, and was focusing on the task at hand. She said, "I don't have time for that." She had other things that she had to do, so she reached out to give me a hug, and as I embraced her, I noticed how tiny she was. She had long gray hair which hung down past her shoulders. After saying goodbye, she walked back into the living room and met her horse, which was waiting there for her. She climbed up into the saddle, and rode outside.
*****
Dream 1: In Their Defense
It's pretty odd for me to be defending the military. I'm usually against most things that they are asked to do, but I supported sending the troops into Afghanistan.
Dream 2: The Next Best Thing
The people who bought my parents' old house did add one story, but I'm pretty sure that the change is not visible in the front of the house.
While my father-in-law was here this past weekend, we visited an old plantation in Franklin, TN, and saw some very large old trees on the grounds. When we got home, we found websites that featured pictures and locations of the largest "champion" trees in Nashville, and in Arlington. I suppose that that's why the maple in the front yard was extra large in this dream.
Outie got her name because when her youngest brother (my grandfather) was born, he pronounced Ruthie as "Outie." Outie was born in the early 1890s, so to me, she was always ancient, even when she came to visit us during beach vacations in the 1970s. She became a little addled in her later years, and lived until 1989. I never remember her being a forceful woman, as she was in this episode. I don't recall ever seeing her with long hair, or going without eyeglasses. (She wasn't wearing glasses in this dream.) And I never saw her with a horse, although she must have seen plenty of them in her youth.
Eunie was always fun to be around. She and I always talked about our shared interest in birdwatching. She and Outie probably met only once, at my parents' wedding in Washington, D.C., in 1957. Eunie passed away five years ago tomorrow.
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