The Balls Dream

The dream was odd. It was about me and two balls. Ahem. These were small hard-rubber balls. They easily fit in the palm of my hand. I’d been traveling with friends. The friends included a person I worked with about fifteen years ago — a female who I’ll call S — along with a male that I didn’t know, who was white and my age, and another female not known to me, but a friend in my dream. The male and I were throwing the ball as we chatted. First, we seemed to be in a mall but moved on to a gathering that was by a beach. As we went, we encountered other people, talking with them.

I also discovered a special affinity with the balls. Although dull red and normal in appearance, I discovered that I could hurl them with great power and accuracy. I first found this on my own, then decided to explore it with my male friend. This happened first in the mall area. He was about fifty feet away. I thought, I can really put some speed on this. Worried about him not being able to catch it, I refrained from throwing it too hard. After visualizing a six-inch square target in my mind, I threw it with impressive velocity. It landed right where I wanted but he had trouble managing to bring it in.

S joked with me about the balls. Out on the beach, I explained to the male friend that the ball was energized; I fed off its energy and it fed off mine. It was a matter of being in the moment. I thought that anyone could do it. He asked for a demonstration of what I meant. I sent him out into the water because I didn’t think he could catch it and I didn’t want it hurting anyone. When he was about a hundred yards out, with waves splashing over his knees, I whipped the ball at him. It shot out above the water with a little rooster tail. He flinched and missed it. The ball skipped into the water.

But I had a second one in my hand. Using the second ball, I called the first ball back to me. My throwing prowess catch the attention of the crowd. They clamored to see more. I discovered by trying that I could throw the ball in a high, long arc that would bring it back to me, and that I could catch it. After I demonstrated this, others gathered, including male and female children. I kept telling them that they could do it, too, and then would throw it to show them. They would try to repeat what I was doing but kept falling short. Some tried catching the returning ball when I sent it off in a long arc, but it would usually come in too fast for them. Even when they missed, I could put out a hand and have the ball return to me, even after it rolled to a stop on the ground.

S said, “You’re pretty good with those. I think that’s something special.” I thanked her with a laugh. That’s where the dream ended.

November 23, 2021 1

The NASA Job Dream

I’d come to work in my car, a glossy black Porsche 911. It’s a vintage model from the early 70s. My job was with NASA, and I wore a black suit with a vest to work.

The work complex was bustling and enormous, featuring sleek trains to transport people around the campus. I went up an elevator to my office. It wasn’t huge, about fourteen by fourteen feet, with a desk, some plants, and standard office furniture. Pleasant, modern, functional. But, I shared it with another person. He had it during the night, and it was mine in the day.

My car had gone through some kind of mess enroute to work, and I was dismayed by its state. A man came along and told me he could detail my car while I worked. That was fine with me and I agreed. Going into the office, I discovered that my job was being terminated. A friend and co-worker came by and told me that I could find another job somewhere in the organization and encouraged me to take a walk through the halls to see what came up. Other workers greeted me friendly. They’d heard the news that I needed a new position. I stopped by an office that had three large letters in gold above the arched doorway where a large, jolly man told me to come in and see him. Going on, we stopped by another office where a second man mentioned that I’d promised him to come by before, and encouraged me to visit with him about a position. A third man encountered at a different office said the same.

My friend and I headed back to the office. He was clapping me on the back, telling me, “See? I told you you’d find another job.” I agreed and felt much better. It was about the end of the work day so he went off to go home. I went to find my car.

It was still being worked on but he’d done a great job. I had to hang around the office complex while I waited. Meanwhile, a friend of his came by and asked me if I had a bar. I didn’t understand what he was saying, but I thought it was bar, and replied that I didn’t have a bar but one was available nearby. They became excited and asked if they could use it. I was perplexed; sure, of course. The friend hurried off and came back in a minute with a wad of cash, which he proffered to me.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Money for the bar.”

Conversation to clarify what was meant ensued. I realized what I heard as ‘bar’ was ‘badge’. They wanted to use my badge to enter the building. “No, no, I can’t do that,” I said. “It’s illegal and a security breach.”

The friend went away, irritated and disappointed. My car was done. I was charged $300. It was more than I’d expected but I paid. I was then ready to go home. But I had all these things that I’d brought with me. They couldn’t fit into the car. I don’t know what this stuff was, but I’d apparently been carrying it around.

Aha, I thought. I’ll take it to my office. I went up there. The guy who uses it at night had a meeting going on. Well, just had to interrupt. I stepped in, apologizing, telling them that I was the one who used the office in the day and I had some stuff to put in it. Mock boos rained over me but they laughed as it was done. I laughed, waved good-bye, and left the office to go home.

Dream end.

November 21, 2021 1

Saturday’s Theme Music

I’m just sitting here watching the weeks go round and round, I really love to watch them roll.

So we’ve rolled into another Saturday, designated by the powers and systems as November 20, 2021. Not quite as graceful as yesterday, when it was 19, 2021, but still, with a nice symmetry. Sunrise popped in on us in the valley at 7:07 AM, fog free, smoke free. Silky layered pewter clouds are lazily stretched over most sky. Just a little blue skin showing. While it’s 36 F now, the powers say that our high will be 55 before the world turns, the sun descends, and darkness throttles the land again at 4:45 PM.

Dreams were of an unusual variety with a distinct Chinese flavor, in which I was a boy in China watching a parade and observing other things. Can’t specify if I was Chinese, but I was about six to eight, I think, on a warm day, in shorts, in a city. I feel the book I just finished, When We Were Orphans, set largely in Shanghai, affected the dream, yeah?

Now, as I’ve started with John Lennon and “Watching the Wheels”, I think I’ll dub it today’s theme music. After all, it is going round and round through the morning mental music stream. Might as well put it to work. The song was released in 1981, after his murder, and I’ve always attached sentiments to it from that.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Don’t just sit there watching the wheels go round and round. Let them take you somewhere. Mine are taking me to a cup of steaming black coffee. Watch me go. Cheers

November 20, 2021 1

The Map & Tiles Dream

A hodgepodge of dream remnants, like leftovers pulled from the refrigerator, made up the dream sequences last night. Most vividly, I was trying to install tiles. First it was on a floor, but, oh, wait, no, they’re on the wall. Well, did I think they were on the floor? People were walking on them. Were they walking on the walls?

The rectangular tiles were about the size of a brick’s side. First, they were clear; then they were white. All seemed the same shape. You’d think fitting them together would be easy, but I ran out of the wits to do it and kept starting over to get it right. Yet, it wouldn’t come right.

Then a tall and thin white man, bald and stooping, with sunglasses (and in a suit with tie) came by to inform me that I’m following the wrong map. He walked on even as I said with heaping bewilderment, “Map? What map?” I went to resume placing tiles but the stacks of tiles were gone. I began walking around, looking for them, because I was certain that they were right beside me. I hadn’t moved, so how did they move? Where did they move to? Someone must have taken them but that would have taken effort. Wouldn’t I have noticed that?

The tall thin man returned. Annoyed, he said, “Look.” He held a map on a clipboard up. I looked. The map was white with a bold red line. “This is the path that you’re supposed to be following. Follow it and you’ll be fine. Look at it. Memorize it.” Before I could do those things, he moved on.

I then saw the stacks of tiles. They seemed to be where I thought they were supposed to be. But the tiling was all done. I was left asking, what am I doing?

That segment ended but another began.

November 19, 2021 0

November 18, 2021 0

Thursday’s Theme Music

Inhabitants of Earth, rock on! Rock on! And just like that, David Essex and his song of 1973, “Rock On”, plays in the morning mental music stream.

Hi there. Today is Thursday, November 18, 2021. Many folks are excited because Black Friday is upon us. Once a casual phenomena focused on one day of the year — the day after Thanksgiving as a day dedicated for gift shopping — Black Friday is acquiring mythic status among shoppers and retailers. I saw a banner from some large company that declares that Black Friday begins tomorrow, November 19. I know from the past that Black Friday sales are often extended to the following week, and that Black Friday sales often include the Saturday and Sunday after Friday. In other words, Black Friday is almost a new month in U.S. culture.

Despite growing BF hype, the sun came at 7:06 AM and will be out of my area at 4:48 PM. It’s windy again as weather fronts continue their quest to rule the weather. Temps are up to 56 F after dropping to 36 F during the night. It’s cloudy but rain probably isn’t part of Thursday’s plan.

Besides David Essex swimming through the music stream, I have Florence + the Machine playing “Shake it Out” from 2011. The latter came from thinking about dreams. As I did, the lyrics, “I like to keep my issues drawn, but it’s always darkest before the dawn,” came through. Then came the rest of the song. It’s Florence’s voice, though, that really holds me. It’s also a song about rebirth. Rebirth is a big facet of my life philosophy. *cliché alert* Every day is a new one, another chance to begin again, to be reborn in some way. Doesn’t always work but doesn’t thwart me from trying.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and booster when you can. Here’s the music. I’ve already got coffee, so I’m good to go. Cheers

November 18, 2021 2

A Writing Dream

I fell asleep in bed thinking about a scene. Those thoughts immediately transported me to a dream where I was at a desk, trying to type. I then rose from the desk and walked to the other room to get coffee. A noise distracted me, drawing me down a hall. The hall was considerably darker than the rest of the house, skinning me with edginess. I was questioning who was in there and whether it was safe to go down the hall. I looked for a suitable weapon but went on without anything.

Coming out from the other end of the hall, I was outside. Across the way, I saw three people. Two confronting a third. I took a few steps toward them, then halted with the realization that I was witnessing the scene I’d been writing. I moved closer to them, trying to hear, and then shifted. Suddenly, I was more akin to a camera, focusing on one person, moving in on close-ups, then flashing to another as the conversation bounced around.

At that point, I started awake. After parting my eyelids to anchor myself, I snuggled deeper. Darkness enveloped the bedroom. I was warm under the covers. My trusty sleepfloof, Tucker, drew up and rubbed his head on my exposed hand. I kept lethargically petting him, floating in and out of sleep and the dream, writing in my head, and writing in the dream. When I awoke this morning and remembered that, the sheer level of writing overwhelmed me. I’d completed that scene and go on to three others. The effort spent me, though. Trying to type it up, it all burst in on me. I typed fast, hanging on to words and moments, straining to keep up.

My brain feels overwhelmed. I need more coffee.

November 17, 2021 1

The Prophecies Dream

I was invited to participate in a picnic with a number of families. It wasn’t a large gathering, perhaps thirty people. Adults and children, both sexes, very casual, being conducted at a tall apartment building where the all lived. I was invited specifically to answer questions about prophecies. In the dream, I thought nothing of it and felt quite prepared to answer questions and explain prophecies.

First, though, we ate. Mountains of food – BBQ chicken and ribs, salads including potato salad, corn on the cob, burgers and hot dogs, along with plenty to drink. The food was great and I ate my share, though I was warned to save room for dessert. A presentation by a couple people followed. Then, I was asked to explain why what they’d prophesized in the presentation was wrong. Before I could speak, though, dessert was called for. Everyone walked and milled about, finding themselves a piece of pie or cake. Several men approached me and asked if they could quiz me on some other prophecies because they’d heard me speak before. Sure, no problem, I said. But before that could take place, they were interrupted by their children and the little meeting broke up.

I waited to answer questions but everyone went down to play whiffle ball in the backyard. Adults and children were playing. It was a crowded, narrow green field with a white split rail fence to one side. They talked me into playing. The rule is, you were at bat until you hit the ball into the field of play. I was first up and hit the first pitch, a long line drive that only managed to be a single. Getting to first base, I laid down while the next person took his swings. He finally got a hit but I wasn’t paying attention by then. I finally managed to leap up to run but instead said, “Know what? This just proves that I shouldn’t be playing. I’m sorry.” I walked off then, going back upstairs.

November 16, 2021 0

The Command Complex Dream

I arrived at a command complex. Although ultra futuristic in appearance, full of technology, it was no longer used. I wasn’t associated with it or the military but was familiar with it because of my past, and found it a friendly space. There were no windows and only one door, standard for such places, which were like vaults. Dark blue dominated, with matching carpet and walls. The console positions were all flat black glass with touch screens. As I went about exploring, others entered. I realized that they, like me, were past military. None of us were in the service any longer. We all chatted and introduced ourselves.

We realized some event was taking place. Console positions were powering up on their own, displaying incoming threat analysis. Despite this, we were all in high-spirits. Many people sat at console positions, taking the problem on. As I examined the consoles, I noticed that lines of red and yellow lights circled the positions and were growing brighter. Somehow, I recognized this as a trap. Warning the others, I told them to back off the consoles because something was about to happen. After they all drew back a few feet, the positions opened and emitted spurts of gas. If they’d been where they were, they would have been affected, so my warning saved them. All were grateful.

Things wound down. I got on my hands and knees, checking something out. As I was, I looked up to see a tall, white man enter. I knew he was retired four-star general. He paused as he reached me. I realized I was impeding his way and discovered my legs and feet were somehow under the carpet. As I apologized and laughed, wondering how I’d managed that, he brushed it off as inconsequential and went past. I stood and joined him. We chatted about trivialities and the shook hands and he left.

Others had come in again. One was a black female. I joined her at a table but then was called over by two other women. They were over at a display and had discovered a curtain. It had SLIDELL sewn on in in yellow thread. They asked if that was me. I said that it could be because one, sometimes people used that as a variation of my name, and two, such a misspelling sometimes showed up on correspondence. But, I said, I thought it was doubtful because we were at Bitburg AB in Hahn, Germany, and I’d only been there twice.

I returned to the table in the back and chatted with the seated black woman, sitting beside her as I did. I knew her and we exchanged information about what had been going on in our lives since we’d last seen one another. Others then came in and sat down opposite her. I realized after a moment that people were arriving to pay her homage. I thought it inappropriate to be sitting with her because that was a position of honor and she was the one being honored, but she told me to stay beside her. I did as person after person arrived to tell her how great it had been working with her.

Dream fade out.

November 15, 2021 0

Monday’s Theme Music

Hello, TPs. TP is net for Terra peeps, people of Earth. Catch up.

The pendulum has swung again, that never pausing pendulum that marks the weeks, bringing a new week on us. Today is Monday, November 15, 2021. Foggy and drizzly here in Ashland. Marks like four straight days of fog. Ashland likes holding onto one look. They promised us 68 F yesterday. Ha, ha, ha. Oh, those weather gods. We were never anywhere near that. Whiffed on spotting any sunshine. I suspect the same today. 53 F now. They speak in television tones of 63. I am doubtful. Maybe 56, 57. Sunshine dribbled through the fog at 7:01 AM. We anticipating it dribbling back out at 4:49 PM.

The music part of my morning mental music stream is occupied by “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star (1994). When I mention this song or Mazzy Star, I generally receive blank looks in response. Maybe it was the stations which I listened to, but it was regularly played when I cruised the SF Bay Area in the mid nineties. I also hear the song on television shows and in movies once in a while. Anyway, the song is with me today because, dreams. The song wasn’t in the dreams per se, but when I reflected on them, the song arose.

You live your life, you go in shadows
You'll come apart and you'll go black

H/t to Lyrics.com

While I didn’t go black or come apart in the dream, the situation did, although I handled it in good humor. It was more about the ending, I guess, which faded like steam rising into the air as I drifted awake. Also, the nature of the dream provoked remembering some places and people as I reconstructed the dream’s layers. Sadly, David Roback, one of the forces behind this song and Mazzy Star, died last year, cancer, just 61 years old.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and booster when you can. Now I’m getting some coffee because I can. And I’ma gonna drink it, because I can, and be thankful about it, because I can. Cheers