Improv, Recyclables, and Ice Cream

MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

In real life a couple of friends and I recently took part in an 8 week improv comedy class at a nearby college. It was loads of fun. In my dream, several of us from the class were attending one of the shows the real comedy troupe performs, but they were supposed to be "full participation", in which we were expected to perform as well.

I remember some bit about Lisa and I having trouble finding a park downtown when I first got there, but we finally made it to the little venue before I was terribly late. At the beginning of the show, they divided us in half. The first group would perform while the second group had to go outside and wait their turn. I was in the second group, and I felt it unfair we couldn't watch the first half perform while we waited.

I remember some vague bit about finally seeing the performance, but my next clear memory involves me being in a hotel room. A pretty blonde girl was also in the room, and we were packing our respective things. We didn't know each other, and we were making awkward small talk.

There was some decision about who was going to "take the recyclables down to the train." (This made sense to me in the dream, because I could see in my mind a big train that came through town every few hours, and you had to throw your bags of recyclables onto one of the cars as it passed) I told her I'd do this, so she wouldn't have to fool with it.

She told me that we could hang out again later if I wanted to, because she'd really enjoyed our conversation. Only she was afraid she didn't have anything good to wear. I told her the same thing she had on now would be fine. I helped her take her bags out of the hotel and into the parking lot. The outside area looked like two or three gas station/convenience stores standing side-by-side. One of them had been converted into an ice cream store, which I quickly pointed out to the girl.

Two very hairy men ran the ice cream store, which looked more like a mechanic's shop. In retrospect, the guys almost looked like human versions of video game characters Mario and Luigi. They told me about their new ice cream shop. The only thing left for them to do, they said, was to create a cool sign for the building. They explained how they wanted to surround their logo in the sign with actual old hubcaps and tires and things.

It turns out this is just what was in the bag of "recyclables" I was supposed to be lugging to the train, so I told them I'd trade it to them for some free ice cream for the girl and I.