Another John Said
Saturday’s Photo
A friend emailed this to me. I admire some anonymous being’s cleverness and thought it share-worthy.
A Wistful Dream
Light and airy was how to describe this dream. It was all about a friend, Kev. I’ve not seen him in over twenty years. A military friend, we were assigned together in California (Onizuka). Though he was about ten years younger and assigned to a different unit, we spent a lot of time together during off hours. Our relationship continued after I retired from the military. Then we each moved. I went north and he went east. We are FB friends.
I recognized after thinking about the dream that he’s emblematic of better times, fun times…younger times. There’s nothing in any of this. I’m twenty years older and more aware of my life changes. Fold in the pandemic situation, isolation, and the travel and activity restrictions incurred with the situation. Add a cup of writing frustration. Stir in a tablespoon of malaise because of my broken arm and self-pity. Bake.
In the dream, I found a piece of paper. Reading its contents, I realized that it could only come from Kev and went to find him, which was immediately achieved. We struck it off again as we always had. He was back from a temporary assignment somewhere and filled me in Then, growing sad, he told me childhood stories and began a tragic tale about a female friend. He never finished that story.
It reminded me of so much that’s incomplete.
Saturday’s Theme Music
Today’s theme music is another feline inspired choice from last night.
I’d opened a tin of food for them. “Here it is. Come and get it.”
The three floofs sat there with ‘the look’ on their expressions. The look claims, “Who are you? Why should I trust you?” Do you know this look?
“Seriouslyre you kidding? This is food. I’ve been feeding you for years.”
The three cat expressions soured. “Food? What is that?”
I had to walk away. “It’s there when you want it,” I threw over my shoulder. Meanwhile, I’d begun humming the Badfinger song, “Come and Get It“, (1969). It always seemed like an odd song to me, this McCartney ditty, but it stays with me.
After a few minutes, I checked on the food, verifying, et. The three boys were off grooming themselves like nothing had happened.
Floof in Chains
Floof in Chains (floofinition) – American flock rock (flock) band formed in Seattle in the late 1980s. Initially identified with stray music, the band rose to international fame and then gained commercial success.
In use: “Sometimes shortened to FIC, Floof in Chains scored it first major hit with “Flooster”, a song the vocalist wrote about his father.”
Flafler
Flafler (floofinition) – Interfloof shorthand for ‘flat floofer’, a term used for animals who usually flatten out to sleep.
In use: “Diehard roly polys — animals who curl up to sleep — sneer at flaflers, stretching out like they’re melting in the sun, exposing themselves to being touched without warning.”
The Computer Painting Dream
It began like I was in one of my previous professions. At work, I received a phone call. A customer was having problems with his computer security. Well, those products ere being discontinued and his license keys had expired. Nonetheless, I cut new keys for him, directed him to a site to download them, and walked him through reinstallation. This is a process that would’ve taken some time but in dreamland, it was just a few minutes. Also, my dream office was much nicer and impressive than my real digs. It all seemed so sharp, it could’ve been real time.
The CEO came by. We chatted, and then drifted in opposite directions to new meetings. In my meeting, we were preparing to paint. Friends entered with the tablets. We stretched them out into large electronic canvases Then we painted on the screens. The tablets absorbed it, becoming a malleable medium. My painting was a large portrait of a blond woman in a yellow dress juggling tangerines.
Chinese food was brought in. We stopped to eat and talk about our work. A nearby young woman had been complaining about her finger. I told her to show me. She stuck out a blackened pinky.
“Your blood isn’t flowing,” I said. “Get me a needle and bowl.”
Holding onto her finger, I pricked her and squeezed her finger. Thick, black drops that behaved like mercury fell into the bowl. After doing that for about twenty seconds, her finger was normal.
End dream.
Friday’s Theme Music
Weather – hot. Summer: hot. City: hot.
Three entertaining songs about the heat, city, and summer. It’s like a tradition for me to ply ’em in my head as the city heat addresses my body.
Billy Idol, “Hot in the City“, 1982.
“Hot Child in the City“, Nick Gilder, 1978.
And “Summer in the City” ,1966, The Lovin’ Spoonful.
Enjoy the heat. That is all.
Dr. Floof & the Medicine Show
Dr. Floof & the Medicine Show (floofinition) – American floof rock (flock) band. Formed in the late 1960s, the band achieved considerable commercial success in the early to mid 1970s.
In use: “A 1972 single recorded and released by Dr. Floof & the Medicine Show, “Sylvia’s Mother”, was written by Shel Flooferstein and autobiographical.”
Michael Seidel, writer 