MORNING OF JANUARY 30, 2009
First, I remember Eric and I went to a fast food restaurant one night. For some reason we went through the drive-through to get the food, but then parked in the parking lot to eat it in the car. While we were eating, we noticed that the restaurant inside was being robbed by two or three men. (This is odd, because a few months ago I had a dream that Eric and I witnessed a convenience store being robbed from out in the parking lot).
The robbers all made their way to a back room, presumably where money or some desirable goods were stored. While they were in the back, Eric and I entered the restaurant! I don't know what we were thinking. Once inside the place, it suddenly was more like a department store than a fast food place.
The crooks came out from the back and Eric and ran to the back of the store to hide behind some shelves. From this point on Eric seems to be just written out of the dream as I continued my misadventure alone (but didn't notice the change in the dream).
I vaguely recall a couple of close scrapes in which I was afraid the villains would see me and possibly harm me, but I somehow managed to escape the store unscathed. I jumped into my car and drove away as quickly as I could.
Apparently I had plans to go to Richard's house some time this dream-evening, because, I decided to go there at this point, even though that would mean "getting there early". Soon after this I remember parking my car in front of Richard's. While still sitting in my car, I leaned my head back and started when I felt it brush against something living...
I turned around to see that one of Richard's cats, Linus, was perched on the headrest of the driver's seat. I was baffled as to how she got there, and she ran when I made a move to take her out of the car. I honestly don't remember if she hid in the car, escpaed when I opened the door, or what.
Now I remember kocking on the front door and Jessica greeted me. She said it was fine that I was early, but Richard wasn't home yet. She was cooking something in the kitchen and we were talking. Cailey was there too, but I can't remember a specific part she played.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
No Sign of a Sign
MORNING OF JANUARY 28, 2009
I was at work, and there was some event in which an incorrect street name had been used by someone or some group concerning our business address (I can't remember what it was). Rather than correcting the mistaken party, my boss suggested we create a street sign featuring the mistaken name they used and install it next to the actual street sign. This way, when this guest looked for our location, they would not be confused.
Though I protested this idea both because it made no sense and because I had no idea how to create and install a street sign to begin with, I was sent to buy the supplies. I went to the nearby Lowe's (for anyone reading this in a region that might not have a Lowe's, it's just a giant hardware/home improvement store). I was looking everywhere for street signs and having no luck finding them.
I eventually managed to locate the metal posts such as would hold the sign up, and was thereafter lugging one around the store with me. I was actively wondering what the chances were they'd have a sign with the name I was looking for on it even if I did find any at all. Of course I desperately hoped I'd be unsuccessful in finding anything, because I was dreading the logistics of trying to install this thing.
Then the dream began to take a different direction as I began thinking in my head about a movie I had recently seen, and wanted to watch again on DVD when I got home. This totally fictional movie was an epic adventure/comedy that tried to capture the feel of adventure/comedies from the 80's. In fact, the movie was a crossover, featuring a team-up of several popular characters from other movies!
I specifically remember a scene in my mind in which Indiana Jones was leading a group of characters as they fled from some alien creature. They ended up at the edge of a winding road in the middle of nowhere, when suddenly a DeLorean--nay--The DeLorean pulled up and screeched to a halt. Doc Brown stepped out and greeted Indiana Jones. This is when I woke up with the alarm.
I was at work, and there was some event in which an incorrect street name had been used by someone or some group concerning our business address (I can't remember what it was). Rather than correcting the mistaken party, my boss suggested we create a street sign featuring the mistaken name they used and install it next to the actual street sign. This way, when this guest looked for our location, they would not be confused.
Though I protested this idea both because it made no sense and because I had no idea how to create and install a street sign to begin with, I was sent to buy the supplies. I went to the nearby Lowe's (for anyone reading this in a region that might not have a Lowe's, it's just a giant hardware/home improvement store). I was looking everywhere for street signs and having no luck finding them.
I eventually managed to locate the metal posts such as would hold the sign up, and was thereafter lugging one around the store with me. I was actively wondering what the chances were they'd have a sign with the name I was looking for on it even if I did find any at all. Of course I desperately hoped I'd be unsuccessful in finding anything, because I was dreading the logistics of trying to install this thing.
Then the dream began to take a different direction as I began thinking in my head about a movie I had recently seen, and wanted to watch again on DVD when I got home. This totally fictional movie was an epic adventure/comedy that tried to capture the feel of adventure/comedies from the 80's. In fact, the movie was a crossover, featuring a team-up of several popular characters from other movies!
I specifically remember a scene in my mind in which Indiana Jones was leading a group of characters as they fled from some alien creature. They ended up at the edge of a winding road in the middle of nowhere, when suddenly a DeLorean--nay--The DeLorean pulled up and screeched to a halt. Doc Brown stepped out and greeted Indiana Jones. This is when I woke up with the alarm.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Q Outdoors
MORNING OF JANUARY 27, 2009
I can vaguely recall that some friends and I were going to see the Broadway musical/comedy, Avenue Q (which I have had the good fortune of catching a couple of times in real life, and the group of friends from this dream are the same ones with whom I most recently attended). The play was being performed at some kind of outdoor amphitheater beside a large lake in the woods. The location was a short trip out of town, so we had to make plans to leave a little early.
Just before leaving, C. contacted me and said she'd be late leaving. All of the other people in our group would be riding with her, so I should go on without them. I was disappointed that we couldn't go together, but I did go on ahead in hopes of saving us seats.
I have dim memories of sitting outside on the grass (there seemed to be no official seats for this event), watching the production take place just by the water. There was a full moon in the clear sky, and the temperature was mild and pleasurable. It was a very unique and beautiful experience seeing this play seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but I couldn't fully enjoy it because my friends weren't there yet, even after it had begun.
Then I began to see lightning in the sky and the wind picked up as an unexpected storm was rolling in. The play had to end early and abruptly, and all of the people in the crowd rushed back to their cars in the parking lot just as it began to rain.
In the parking lot I was suddenly with my dad, as though we'd come together. I rightly couldn't imagine him going to see Avenue Q.
I can vaguely recall that some friends and I were going to see the Broadway musical/comedy, Avenue Q (which I have had the good fortune of catching a couple of times in real life, and the group of friends from this dream are the same ones with whom I most recently attended). The play was being performed at some kind of outdoor amphitheater beside a large lake in the woods. The location was a short trip out of town, so we had to make plans to leave a little early.
Just before leaving, C. contacted me and said she'd be late leaving. All of the other people in our group would be riding with her, so I should go on without them. I was disappointed that we couldn't go together, but I did go on ahead in hopes of saving us seats.
I have dim memories of sitting outside on the grass (there seemed to be no official seats for this event), watching the production take place just by the water. There was a full moon in the clear sky, and the temperature was mild and pleasurable. It was a very unique and beautiful experience seeing this play seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but I couldn't fully enjoy it because my friends weren't there yet, even after it had begun.
Then I began to see lightning in the sky and the wind picked up as an unexpected storm was rolling in. The play had to end early and abruptly, and all of the people in the crowd rushed back to their cars in the parking lot just as it began to rain.
In the parking lot I was suddenly with my dad, as though we'd come together. I rightly couldn't imagine him going to see Avenue Q.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Obama Dance
MORNING OF JANUARY 25, 2009
I was talking to my friends Richard and Jessica, when Jessica asked if either of the other of us could remember "Conan O'Brien's Obama Dance". In the dream I instantly "remembered" the totally fictional fact that during the 2008 election campaign, Conan O'Brien had done a dance called the Obama Dance, which was just a ridiculous spastic thing. And supposedly Richard and I had seen this and continued to do it on occasion as a joke.
But now it had been so long since we'd either seen or mimicked it that neither of us could remember exactly how it went. It was something like the Charleston is the best we could recall.
The next I remember I was with Richard and Jessica's little daughter Cailey, and we'd been sent on a mission by Conan O'Brien himself to ask President Obama if he would officially endorse the Obama dance. We were in my old high school. The first part of the dream, apparently, had taken place in one of the two main campus buildings, and now Cailey and I were walking over to the second, newer building where Obama's office was known to be.
We approached the room that was his supposed office and I began to get nervous. I was thinking, "This man has more important things to do than answer questions about some silly comedy show!" but then I t, "But this is too cool that I'm doing this for Conan's show, I want to be a part of the comedy!"
Suddenly, Obama walked out of the room and proceeded down the hall. I walked up beside him, Cailey still at my other side holding my hand. Obama put his arm around my shoulder as a gesture of welcome and I said something like, "How are you doing, sir?" and he said he was well.
I asked about Conan's dance and he laughed heartily and said he loved it and to tell Conan to please keep using it. There was very little after this, and I can remember none of it clearly.
I was talking to my friends Richard and Jessica, when Jessica asked if either of the other of us could remember "Conan O'Brien's Obama Dance". In the dream I instantly "remembered" the totally fictional fact that during the 2008 election campaign, Conan O'Brien had done a dance called the Obama Dance, which was just a ridiculous spastic thing. And supposedly Richard and I had seen this and continued to do it on occasion as a joke.
But now it had been so long since we'd either seen or mimicked it that neither of us could remember exactly how it went. It was something like the Charleston is the best we could recall.
The next I remember I was with Richard and Jessica's little daughter Cailey, and we'd been sent on a mission by Conan O'Brien himself to ask President Obama if he would officially endorse the Obama dance. We were in my old high school. The first part of the dream, apparently, had taken place in one of the two main campus buildings, and now Cailey and I were walking over to the second, newer building where Obama's office was known to be.
We approached the room that was his supposed office and I began to get nervous. I was thinking, "This man has more important things to do than answer questions about some silly comedy show!" but then I t, "But this is too cool that I'm doing this for Conan's show, I want to be a part of the comedy!"
Suddenly, Obama walked out of the room and proceeded down the hall. I walked up beside him, Cailey still at my other side holding my hand. Obama put his arm around my shoulder as a gesture of welcome and I said something like, "How are you doing, sir?" and he said he was well.
I asked about Conan's dance and he laughed heartily and said he loved it and to tell Conan to please keep using it. There was very little after this, and I can remember none of it clearly.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Garfield Commission
MORNING OF JANUARY 13, 2009
I had been commissioned to do a short Garfield comic for some magazine. It wasn't in strip style, but was a complete sequential story. I wasn't required to draw everything "on-model", so I infused it with my own style a bit (though, as tends to happen when I try to draw other people's characters, I had a hard time breaking very far from the on-model look). And for whatever background reference is relevant here, I was a huge Garfield fan as a kid growing up. These days I just see it in the paper along with the other comics whenever I read them.
Anyway, all my memories from the dream are vague. I sort of remember sitting at my desk drawing the comic, only it was the desk I drew at as a teenager. Then my strongest memory is receiving a copy of the magazine that included the finished comic in the mail. I was fairly happy with the way it turned out.
I had been commissioned to do a short Garfield comic for some magazine. It wasn't in strip style, but was a complete sequential story. I wasn't required to draw everything "on-model", so I infused it with my own style a bit (though, as tends to happen when I try to draw other people's characters, I had a hard time breaking very far from the on-model look). And for whatever background reference is relevant here, I was a huge Garfield fan as a kid growing up. These days I just see it in the paper along with the other comics whenever I read them.
Anyway, all my memories from the dream are vague. I sort of remember sitting at my desk drawing the comic, only it was the desk I drew at as a teenager. Then my strongest memory is receiving a copy of the magazine that included the finished comic in the mail. I was fairly happy with the way it turned out.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Death and Puppets
MORNING OF JANUARY 8, 2009
First I remember being with a friend and she told me that someone she vaguely knew from her past had died (not a person from real life). I can't remember all the details around the conversation. Eventually we departed, and I was walking alone down the street to go back to my car.
I passed an old theater--not a movie theater but a small performance theater. It was obviously closed down, but one of the front doors was open so I stepped inside. On the stage there were a few men doing construction, as if maybe the place was being renovated. None of them ever noticed that I had stepped in.
On one side of the room there was a small staircase leading up to a door that presumably led backstage. At the top of these stairs, in front of the door, there was a life-size cardboard cut-out of the person I'd learned earlier had died. Only now I could see it was someone I went to high school with, not a vague acquaintance of the friend from earlier in the dream (but still, this was a person I only knew of in high school--I never knew him personally and haven't seen or thought of him in the years since--so it's amazing to me that he showed up in this dream).
There were notes pinned to the cut-out, presumably messages left by mourners. I began to ascend the stairs so that I could read them, but about halfway up I began to feel really weird about it and turned around and left. (I don't know if I felt weird because of the death matter or because I was snooping around in this theater where I probably really wasn't supposed to be).
Then I remember being at someone's house with a large group of people (all fictional, as far as I can recall). At one point the host wanted to put on a puppet show to entertain us, and she began picking guests at random to man the puppets. She picked me to be the puppeteer for Kermit the Frog, and I was elated.
I can actually do a decent Kermit voice, so I was having a lot of fun operating the puppet, which was very much like the real thing. I was trying very hard to give him authentic personality and mannerisms. There were a couple of other puppets next to my Kermit, and we puppeteers were all ducked behind some furniture. The entire thing was ad-libbed.
In the center of the room, a man stood speaking to the three puppets. He was a very scholarly figure, middle-aged with a beard and glasses, and acted very serious.
The scholarly man gave some kind of self-important monologue about his accomplishments. When he finished, everyone in the room gave polite applause. But I suddenly decided to make the Kermit puppet go, "Yyyyaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!!", characteristically waving his arms about.
Everyone cracked up to the point that I woke up.
Later on there was something about going to a grocery store late at night. It didn't feel safe there, but I can't remember why. I can remember seeing a few floating helium balloons here and there, as one will sometimes see for sale in a grocery store.
I took the few groceries I bought to my parents house for some reason. In real life the evening prior to these dreams I had eaten some ham sandwiches made with leftover ham frozen from the holidays, and they were delicious. In the dream I asked my mom if she had kept any more of the ham at her house.
First I remember being with a friend and she told me that someone she vaguely knew from her past had died (not a person from real life). I can't remember all the details around the conversation. Eventually we departed, and I was walking alone down the street to go back to my car.
I passed an old theater--not a movie theater but a small performance theater. It was obviously closed down, but one of the front doors was open so I stepped inside. On the stage there were a few men doing construction, as if maybe the place was being renovated. None of them ever noticed that I had stepped in.
On one side of the room there was a small staircase leading up to a door that presumably led backstage. At the top of these stairs, in front of the door, there was a life-size cardboard cut-out of the person I'd learned earlier had died. Only now I could see it was someone I went to high school with, not a vague acquaintance of the friend from earlier in the dream (but still, this was a person I only knew of in high school--I never knew him personally and haven't seen or thought of him in the years since--so it's amazing to me that he showed up in this dream).
There were notes pinned to the cut-out, presumably messages left by mourners. I began to ascend the stairs so that I could read them, but about halfway up I began to feel really weird about it and turned around and left. (I don't know if I felt weird because of the death matter or because I was snooping around in this theater where I probably really wasn't supposed to be).
Then I remember being at someone's house with a large group of people (all fictional, as far as I can recall). At one point the host wanted to put on a puppet show to entertain us, and she began picking guests at random to man the puppets. She picked me to be the puppeteer for Kermit the Frog, and I was elated.
I can actually do a decent Kermit voice, so I was having a lot of fun operating the puppet, which was very much like the real thing. I was trying very hard to give him authentic personality and mannerisms. There were a couple of other puppets next to my Kermit, and we puppeteers were all ducked behind some furniture. The entire thing was ad-libbed.
In the center of the room, a man stood speaking to the three puppets. He was a very scholarly figure, middle-aged with a beard and glasses, and acted very serious.
The scholarly man gave some kind of self-important monologue about his accomplishments. When he finished, everyone in the room gave polite applause. But I suddenly decided to make the Kermit puppet go, "Yyyyaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!!", characteristically waving his arms about.
Everyone cracked up to the point that I woke up.
Later on there was something about going to a grocery store late at night. It didn't feel safe there, but I can't remember why. I can remember seeing a few floating helium balloons here and there, as one will sometimes see for sale in a grocery store.
I took the few groceries I bought to my parents house for some reason. In real life the evening prior to these dreams I had eaten some ham sandwiches made with leftover ham frozen from the holidays, and they were delicious. In the dream I asked my mom if she had kept any more of the ham at her house.
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Minor Wreck
MORNING OF JANUARY 5, 2009
I was driving, I think on my way to work, when I saw another two cars have a minor wreck (they barely sideswiped each other). I came to a stop to see if everyone was okay. One of the drivers was a middle-aged guy, and he was very apologetic about causing the wreck. He had some sob story about how he needed help, but I can't remember exactly what it was. (For some reason the other party involved in the crash was no longer here, this was all between me and the one other driver.)
The man's car only had damage around one of the front headlights and a scrape on the side, so he could still drive it. For some reason, though, I had to go with him as he took the car to a shop to be repaired. I had to call in to work to tell them I'd be late, and for some reason the excuse I gave them was that I had been in a minor wreck myself (though given dream logic, maybe that was actually supposed to be true at this point).
I vaguely remember being at the repair shop, which was an old garage behind a residential home. At one point we went inside the mechanic's home. One of his friends was an African-American midget (or little person, or whatever you like). He was almost impossibly small, and had a very surly disposition. I'll be honest...he was a pretty creepy and unsettling character.
This is pretty much the last of my memory.
I was driving, I think on my way to work, when I saw another two cars have a minor wreck (they barely sideswiped each other). I came to a stop to see if everyone was okay. One of the drivers was a middle-aged guy, and he was very apologetic about causing the wreck. He had some sob story about how he needed help, but I can't remember exactly what it was. (For some reason the other party involved in the crash was no longer here, this was all between me and the one other driver.)
The man's car only had damage around one of the front headlights and a scrape on the side, so he could still drive it. For some reason, though, I had to go with him as he took the car to a shop to be repaired. I had to call in to work to tell them I'd be late, and for some reason the excuse I gave them was that I had been in a minor wreck myself (though given dream logic, maybe that was actually supposed to be true at this point).
I vaguely remember being at the repair shop, which was an old garage behind a residential home. At one point we went inside the mechanic's home. One of his friends was an African-American midget (or little person, or whatever you like). He was almost impossibly small, and had a very surly disposition. I'll be honest...he was a pretty creepy and unsettling character.
This is pretty much the last of my memory.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Ancient Mountain Dwellings
MORNING OF JANUARY 2, 2009
For some reason I had parked my car at the apartment building directly across the way from the one I actually live in. And for some reason it was my very first car from back in high school, but that was not an issue in the dream. There were other things going on during this time, but the one clear memory I have is occasionally looking out the window and wondering why my car was all the way over there.
At one point when looking out the window I noticed that in fairly close proximity, just behind my apartment complex, there were mountains. These looked like desert mountains, and they had houses built into them. Sort of like a cross between ancient little adobe huts and the city of Petra that is built into stone.
While this sight was a little surreal to me, I was mainly just interested in how picturesque the scene looked, especially since it was now sunset (and a notably beautiful one). I got out my camera and took a couple of shots from my window. Then I went outside to get closer to this mountain range and take pictures of its odd little houses.
Though I know there was more "story" to the dream than this, I don't recall much beyond this point, except that at some point I no longer had my camera with me and was frustrated that I couldn't take the pictures I had wanted to take.
For some reason I had parked my car at the apartment building directly across the way from the one I actually live in. And for some reason it was my very first car from back in high school, but that was not an issue in the dream. There were other things going on during this time, but the one clear memory I have is occasionally looking out the window and wondering why my car was all the way over there.
At one point when looking out the window I noticed that in fairly close proximity, just behind my apartment complex, there were mountains. These looked like desert mountains, and they had houses built into them. Sort of like a cross between ancient little adobe huts and the city of Petra that is built into stone.
While this sight was a little surreal to me, I was mainly just interested in how picturesque the scene looked, especially since it was now sunset (and a notably beautiful one). I got out my camera and took a couple of shots from my window. Then I went outside to get closer to this mountain range and take pictures of its odd little houses.
Though I know there was more "story" to the dream than this, I don't recall much beyond this point, except that at some point I no longer had my camera with me and was frustrated that I couldn't take the pictures I had wanted to take.
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