Monday night
I was driving to an appointment and I was late. It had already been a hectic day; both my brother Andrew and I were having trouble with our automobiles, so we were sharing a rental car. I'd dropped him off wherever he needed to be, and now I was racing toward the home of a millionaire who had hired me to make a motivational speech to the Beef Council. I hadn't had time to prepare anything, so I was screwed.
I finally arrived at my destination, in a rather disheveled state. My host opened the door, and he didn't seem very happy. I said, "Do I have time to grab a shower?" He said, "No. They [the guests] are downstairs, waiting!" I said, "I'll be there in 10 minutes," and ran upstairs, thinking that maybe I could score a deodorant stick or something.
In the meantime, my mind raced. What would I say to these people? I thought I'd begin with, "How many of you folks coach high school football in your spare time? Let's see those hands. Now, what do you say to those kids the night before the big game? 'Let's have some pretzels?' No! They want meat! After that, maybe I could get away with asking everybody to talk about the best burger they ever had. Maybe I could escape with that.
Eventually I got to the third floor. I'd been to the house before, so I knew where the private bath was. As I got to the top of the landing, I was taken aback by a new sight; the owner's ditzy socialite wife had gotten somebody to paint a gaudy, flamboyant peacock on the bathroom door, in vibrant shades of blue and green. The feathers spread out for several feet of wall space in the hallway, on either side of the door.
*****
This dream is a strange mix of actions and conversations at work yesterday. Last night, when I was preparing to go home, I overheard my boss talking about her son's high school football game. She said it was sad that the parents knew more than the coach about how to use the clock and time outs in the last few minutes of a game. Also, I bought a bag of pretzels from a vending machine yesterday afternoon. I thought it was strange enough that those two references were incorporated in this dream, but when I mentioned it to one of our sales reps this morning, she said, "Oh, we were talking about the Beef Council yesterday. We're thinking about pitching something to them. You must have heard us over the wall of the cubicle." I had no idea.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
The Late, Late Show
Sunday night
I was awake in the early hours of the morning, so I decided to check out what was on the tube. I switched on my portable black and white TV, and was pleased to see that I'd happened upon the beginning of a 1930s comedy that I'd never seen. The opening credits featured a montage of photographs of many actors from that era, including a young Lucille Ball. I was really getting into it until a large photo/slide stopped me in my tracks. It was made up to look like a vintage piece of sheet music, and featured a close-up photograph of a heavy man in a suit. Unfortunately, that man was Dan Akyroyd. I rolled my eyes and thought, "Crap. It's not a real 1930s movie -- it's a pastiche."
Despite my misgivings, I decided to continue watching, for a little while, anyway. The first scene opened in a well-stocked 1930s department store. In the background, a young girl (the daughter of someone who worked there, or maybe the owner) was sitting behind a glass counter, and could be heard amiably chatting away with one of the salespeople. The camera wasn't focused on them, however; instead, it slowly panned along the well-stocked shelves, lovingly fixing on the well-made clothes and knick knacks of that time, particularly the incredible, wonderful metal toys. I thought to myself, "Man, they did a fantastic job recreating this stuff. This set must have cost millions."
*****
I haven't owned, or watched a black and white TV set since I left my parents' house in the 1980s, so this dream was probably set about 20 years ago.
Lately, I've been thinking that it's almost time to watch "Miracle on 34th Street," (the 1947 original, of course) which, to my way of thinking, is a Thanksgiving movie, not a Christmas movie. At least, it starts out that way. M.O.34th features a wonderfully precocious girl, Susan Walker (played by Natalie Wood) who is the daughter of a woman who is a P.R. executive at a large Manhattan department store, which contains a heck of a toy department. I've paused my DVD on many occasions to drool over the gleaming vintage metal cars and trucks. They sure don't make 'em like they used to.
Dan Akyroyd was hilarious back in his SNL days, but I haven't been a huge fan of his movie work, at least since "Ghostbusters," which came out in 1984. I liked "Trading Places," though.
I was awake in the early hours of the morning, so I decided to check out what was on the tube. I switched on my portable black and white TV, and was pleased to see that I'd happened upon the beginning of a 1930s comedy that I'd never seen. The opening credits featured a montage of photographs of many actors from that era, including a young Lucille Ball. I was really getting into it until a large photo/slide stopped me in my tracks. It was made up to look like a vintage piece of sheet music, and featured a close-up photograph of a heavy man in a suit. Unfortunately, that man was Dan Akyroyd. I rolled my eyes and thought, "Crap. It's not a real 1930s movie -- it's a pastiche."
Despite my misgivings, I decided to continue watching, for a little while, anyway. The first scene opened in a well-stocked 1930s department store. In the background, a young girl (the daughter of someone who worked there, or maybe the owner) was sitting behind a glass counter, and could be heard amiably chatting away with one of the salespeople. The camera wasn't focused on them, however; instead, it slowly panned along the well-stocked shelves, lovingly fixing on the well-made clothes and knick knacks of that time, particularly the incredible, wonderful metal toys. I thought to myself, "Man, they did a fantastic job recreating this stuff. This set must have cost millions."
*****
I haven't owned, or watched a black and white TV set since I left my parents' house in the 1980s, so this dream was probably set about 20 years ago.
Lately, I've been thinking that it's almost time to watch "Miracle on 34th Street," (the 1947 original, of course) which, to my way of thinking, is a Thanksgiving movie, not a Christmas movie. At least, it starts out that way. M.O.34th features a wonderfully precocious girl, Susan Walker (played by Natalie Wood) who is the daughter of a woman who is a P.R. executive at a large Manhattan department store, which contains a heck of a toy department. I've paused my DVD on many occasions to drool over the gleaming vintage metal cars and trucks. They sure don't make 'em like they used to.
Dan Akyroyd was hilarious back in his SNL days, but I haven't been a huge fan of his movie work, at least since "Ghostbusters," which came out in 1984. I liked "Trading Places," though.
Science! / Cot / The Report Card Again
Saturday night
Dream 1: Science!
My childhood friend Denis Gemond had moved to Philadelphia, where he was working as a scientist. I went up there to visit him, and he showed me around the lab. It was a huge open space, filled with desks and scientific apparatuses, and I remember thinking that it would be easy to get lost in there.
Dream 2: Cot
I was back at the group house that I shared with a revolving cast of roommates on Hyson Lane in Falls Church, Virginia. Apparently I didn't have a bed in which to sleep; all I had was a ratty old cot, and no nice sheets to fix it up. On top of that, my roommates and I weren't getting along very well.
Dream 3: The Report Card Again
I'd gone back to college, and meant to make a fresh start and do really well this time. Unfortunately, I'd fallen back into my old bad habits, and skipped most of my history classes during the current semester, so I was expecting to get an Incomplete on my report card. I dreaded showing a bad report card to my dad, so I wondered what I could do to pass the final exam. I rummaged through my papers and found notes that I'd scribbled about the movie "Casablanca." Maybe they would help me salvage my grade.
*****
Dream 1: Science!
I've known Denis since we were about 3 years old, but have only seen him twice in the past six and a half years, mainly due to the fact that my wife and I moved from Virginia to Nashville six years ago. Denis isn't a scientist, but he did attend a private high school or college or something in Pennsylvania. I do know some scientists who toil among the beakers at Vanderbilt University.
By the way, if the followers of Cincinnatus were the Cincinnati, why is the plural of apparatus not apparati? Crazy language.
Dream 2: Cot
I did have an old cot at the townhouse on Hyson Lane, but didn't sleep on it very often. It was in the basement room, outside of my bedroom, which did, in fact, contain a bed.
Dream 3: The Report Card Again
I used to have the nightmare about the bad report card frequently in the 1980s and 1990s, but it stopped when I went back to American University and took a class on American History from the end of World War II through the Cold War. (I received one of two As in the class.) I thought that I'd killed that nightmare then, but this is the second time it's cropped up in the past two years. Maybe it's brought on by stress or uncertainty. I don't know. It's a drag.
Dream 1: Science!
My childhood friend Denis Gemond had moved to Philadelphia, where he was working as a scientist. I went up there to visit him, and he showed me around the lab. It was a huge open space, filled with desks and scientific apparatuses, and I remember thinking that it would be easy to get lost in there.
Dream 2: Cot
I was back at the group house that I shared with a revolving cast of roommates on Hyson Lane in Falls Church, Virginia. Apparently I didn't have a bed in which to sleep; all I had was a ratty old cot, and no nice sheets to fix it up. On top of that, my roommates and I weren't getting along very well.
Dream 3: The Report Card Again
I'd gone back to college, and meant to make a fresh start and do really well this time. Unfortunately, I'd fallen back into my old bad habits, and skipped most of my history classes during the current semester, so I was expecting to get an Incomplete on my report card. I dreaded showing a bad report card to my dad, so I wondered what I could do to pass the final exam. I rummaged through my papers and found notes that I'd scribbled about the movie "Casablanca." Maybe they would help me salvage my grade.
*****
Dream 1: Science!
I've known Denis since we were about 3 years old, but have only seen him twice in the past six and a half years, mainly due to the fact that my wife and I moved from Virginia to Nashville six years ago. Denis isn't a scientist, but he did attend a private high school or college or something in Pennsylvania. I do know some scientists who toil among the beakers at Vanderbilt University.
By the way, if the followers of Cincinnatus were the Cincinnati, why is the plural of apparatus not apparati? Crazy language.
Dream 2: Cot
I did have an old cot at the townhouse on Hyson Lane, but didn't sleep on it very often. It was in the basement room, outside of my bedroom, which did, in fact, contain a bed.
Dream 3: The Report Card Again
I used to have the nightmare about the bad report card frequently in the 1980s and 1990s, but it stopped when I went back to American University and took a class on American History from the end of World War II through the Cold War. (I received one of two As in the class.) I thought that I'd killed that nightmare then, but this is the second time it's cropped up in the past two years. Maybe it's brought on by stress or uncertainty. I don't know. It's a drag.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Visitor / California
Thursday night
Dream 1: Visitor
A tall, thin black man in a long black coat was standing with his friends on a high hill in a large public park. He was in a clearing, surrounded by forest. I was in the same park, walking uphill in his direction, when I saw him point at a large black bird that was circling just above the trees that were about 100 yards behind me. He called out, "An eagle!" One of his friends said, "It's a vulture!" The bird in question flew past me and landed much closer to all of us, in a tree to my left. He had black wings, a large black eye, and a huge, beautiful blue beak. I turned to the man in the long coat and called out, "It's a a toucan. It's not a [North] American bird -- it must have been someone's pet that escaped." He nodded, pleased that he saw it, and that I knew what it was.
Dream 2: California
My old friend, Brent L., called me on the phone. He'd been after me for days because he knew that I had a very large map of California, and he wanted information about school districts there. While Brent waited, I got the map and unfolded it. It was so large, it covered my kitchen table.
*****
Dream 1: Visitor
A tall, thin black man in a long black coat was standing with his friends on a high hill in a large public park. He was in a clearing, surrounded by forest. I was in the same park, walking uphill in his direction, when I saw him point at a large black bird that was circling just above the trees that were about 100 yards behind me. He called out, "An eagle!" One of his friends said, "It's a vulture!" The bird in question flew past me and landed much closer to all of us, in a tree to my left. He had black wings, a large black eye, and a huge, beautiful blue beak. I turned to the man in the long coat and called out, "It's a a toucan. It's not a [North] American bird -- it must have been someone's pet that escaped." He nodded, pleased that he saw it, and that I knew what it was.
Dream 2: California
My old friend, Brent L., called me on the phone. He'd been after me for days because he knew that I had a very large map of California, and he wanted information about school districts there. While Brent waited, I got the map and unfolded it. It was so large, it covered my kitchen table.
*****
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Cover Art / Decisions
Wednesday night
My employer sent me over to the office of a company that published a large, glossy magazine; something that would interest the trend setters and fashion-obsessed. I was wearing my yellow/gold jacket from L.L. Bean, so this must have happened in the fall. While waiting for my appointment, I noticed a strange pair of glasses on a table. (Imagine thick black retro horn-rims encased in / attached to clear plastic safety goggles.) I thought, "I've gotta try these." I put on the funky glasses and whirled around to look for a reflective surface -- either a mirror or a window. As I turned, the magazine's photographer saw me, and took my picture. Later, she decided that she really liked the image -- I was somewhat blurred, due to being captured in motion, but was staring at the camera -- and picked me as that issue's cover subject. When the issue came out, I got a copy and brought it home. I placed it in the middle of some of my wife's magazines on the coffee table, so I could surprise her and enjoy her reaction.
Dream 2: Decisions
My wife and I owned a red brick home in Arlington, Virginia, in a fairly new development. We were one of two families who shared a semi-circular driveway that led out onto Williamsburg Boulevard. We felt very fortunate to live in such a nice area, approximately three blocks from my parent's old house, and not far from where my brothers and I went to elementary school. Even though there were only two houses on our "street," Rudy Giuliani campaigned there one day, pulling up in our driveway in a large black limo.
As we settled into our home, my wife and I decided that we might want to adopt two children, and that meant that we had some tough decisions to make. We loved our house, and it would be great for the kids to go to my former school, which is top-notch, but it might not be safe for them to play so close to the boulevard, which can be a pretty busy street sometimes.
*****
Dream 1: Cover Art
I've been meaning to take that L.L. Bean jacket out of the closet and repair the pocket. I was running around the house in big hurry last year, caught the pocket on something, and practically tore it off.
I saw somebody on TV wearing protective goggles the other day, but can't remember the context.
I'm sure that I've absorbed many comedy routines making fun of trend setters and "the latest styles," reaching back to "Hard Day's Night," episodes of "I Love Lucy," and beyond. Come to think of it, James Stewart dismissed the entire fashion industry in one of my favorite films, "Rear Window."
Dream 2: Decisions
I wish I lived in a brick home in Arlington. The housing development mentioned in my dream does not exist. Yet.
My employer sent me over to the office of a company that published a large, glossy magazine; something that would interest the trend setters and fashion-obsessed. I was wearing my yellow/gold jacket from L.L. Bean, so this must have happened in the fall. While waiting for my appointment, I noticed a strange pair of glasses on a table. (Imagine thick black retro horn-rims encased in / attached to clear plastic safety goggles.) I thought, "I've gotta try these." I put on the funky glasses and whirled around to look for a reflective surface -- either a mirror or a window. As I turned, the magazine's photographer saw me, and took my picture. Later, she decided that she really liked the image -- I was somewhat blurred, due to being captured in motion, but was staring at the camera -- and picked me as that issue's cover subject. When the issue came out, I got a copy and brought it home. I placed it in the middle of some of my wife's magazines on the coffee table, so I could surprise her and enjoy her reaction.
Dream 2: Decisions
My wife and I owned a red brick home in Arlington, Virginia, in a fairly new development. We were one of two families who shared a semi-circular driveway that led out onto Williamsburg Boulevard. We felt very fortunate to live in such a nice area, approximately three blocks from my parent's old house, and not far from where my brothers and I went to elementary school. Even though there were only two houses on our "street," Rudy Giuliani campaigned there one day, pulling up in our driveway in a large black limo.
As we settled into our home, my wife and I decided that we might want to adopt two children, and that meant that we had some tough decisions to make. We loved our house, and it would be great for the kids to go to my former school, which is top-notch, but it might not be safe for them to play so close to the boulevard, which can be a pretty busy street sometimes.
*****
Dream 1: Cover Art
I've been meaning to take that L.L. Bean jacket out of the closet and repair the pocket. I was running around the house in big hurry last year, caught the pocket on something, and practically tore it off.
I saw somebody on TV wearing protective goggles the other day, but can't remember the context.
I'm sure that I've absorbed many comedy routines making fun of trend setters and "the latest styles," reaching back to "Hard Day's Night," episodes of "I Love Lucy," and beyond. Come to think of it, James Stewart dismissed the entire fashion industry in one of my favorite films, "Rear Window."
Dream 2: Decisions
I wish I lived in a brick home in Arlington. The housing development mentioned in my dream does not exist. Yet.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
To Boldly Go
Monday night
I was flying on a specially charted jet which was carrying the cast of "Star Trek." The in-flight films were all Star Trek-related, including old TV episodes, movies, etc. I happened to be sitting next to Jennifer Aniston.
At one point we were watching an episode of the Star Trek cartoon series (from 1973) which featured some alien dude wearing what looked like white face makeup. He sorta freaked Jennifer out, so I comforted her, and we bonded.
When the flight landed, I asked Jen if she'd like to come over to my parents' house, and she said she would. It turned out that she used to date my brother Jimmie. Jimmie rented a boat for the occasion, and the three of us took it out for the day on the Atlantic Ocean, which happened to be on 34th Street, next to Mom and Dad's place. Jen looked at me and said, "You're not going to tell anyone I was here, right?" I said that I wouldn't, and we all went swimming.
*****
Last night we watched one of the funniest Star Trek episodes, "I, Mudd," from 1967. We have the first two seasons of the series on DVD.
My brother Jimmie never really dated Jennifer Aniston. At least, he's never mentioned it.
I was flying on a specially charted jet which was carrying the cast of "Star Trek." The in-flight films were all Star Trek-related, including old TV episodes, movies, etc. I happened to be sitting next to Jennifer Aniston.
At one point we were watching an episode of the Star Trek cartoon series (from 1973) which featured some alien dude wearing what looked like white face makeup. He sorta freaked Jennifer out, so I comforted her, and we bonded.
When the flight landed, I asked Jen if she'd like to come over to my parents' house, and she said she would. It turned out that she used to date my brother Jimmie. Jimmie rented a boat for the occasion, and the three of us took it out for the day on the Atlantic Ocean, which happened to be on 34th Street, next to Mom and Dad's place. Jen looked at me and said, "You're not going to tell anyone I was here, right?" I said that I wouldn't, and we all went swimming.
*****
Last night we watched one of the funniest Star Trek episodes, "I, Mudd," from 1967. We have the first two seasons of the series on DVD.
My brother Jimmie never really dated Jennifer Aniston. At least, he's never mentioned it.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Rehearsal
Sunday night
The band Van Halen was standing on a soundstage before a giant movie screen. They were preparing for a new TV show that would highlight their wacky videos -- some old, some new. The director frequently peered through the camera and then looked up and motioned for the newest member of the group, Wolfgang, to move farther and farther back into the shadows; that way, the audience might not notice that Michael Anthony had been replaced by some teenager with dark hair that covered his face.
*****
The band Van Halen was standing on a soundstage before a giant movie screen. They were preparing for a new TV show that would highlight their wacky videos -- some old, some new. The director frequently peered through the camera and then looked up and motioned for the newest member of the group, Wolfgang, to move farther and farther back into the shadows; that way, the audience might not notice that Michael Anthony had been replaced by some teenager with dark hair that covered his face.
*****
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