4860

January comes to an end. Thirty-one days of the new year come and gone. I spent the last day of the month practically comatose. Got up late, went out for a short while to grab some lunch, and came back and fell asleep for several hours. Sleep that knits up the sleeve of care! It was a rather nice day, but I couldn't talk myself into going for a walk. But, I feel quite rested and quiet.

Watched a Frontline special (on the web) about PD called My Father, My Brother, and Me. A good recap of what's been going on with PD research over the past 25 years. The show had a hopeful message regarding exercise and its impact on the illness. My sense of wanting to get more exercise (despite my reluctance to walk today) appears to be in-line with what researchers are discovering. Exercise and movement seem to moderate the symptoms and reduce depression and anxiety. The show talked about the Mark Morris classes and showed some footage of people dancing. Made me want to start running once again. Keep on moving!

Had a strange dream last night that involved creating rhyming words and forming new words by adding prefixes. The dream was an endless exercise in making word factory productions, like cheer, beer, deer, steer, and so on. Also changing the rhyming words to clear, fear, mere, Lear, smear and so on. The prefix exercises involved taking a word like able and forming unable, enable, stable, table, cable, fable, and so on. In some cases, the words and prefixes were much more complex--I wrestled in the dream with making such productions. The dream continued for a long time. When I was awakening, I had put together some rather abstruse combinations, which I don't recall now.

February begins! Monday will be ground hog's day. Punxsutawney Phil is on the way!

4861

Acupressure, delicious lunch, and Modern Times! Saw the Chaplin classic today. An amazing creative effort on his part (directed, acted and wrote)! Some of the stunts were difficult to see how he pulled them off. He was really versatile. His skating scene was mesmerizing--so casual and flowing--a tour de force.

Had a flood of dreams last night. I recall at least three segments. One had to do with an old house. I had been given a key to the place and I was going to spend the night there. It was a cavernous old house. It was located at the end of road. It was dark and shadowy, both inside the place and in the surroundings. After some minor exploration of the place, I decided to bed down in the living room on a couch. The room had huge windows that looked out into the darkness. At one point, I heard the sounds of someone or something crossing the lawn, making a shadow in the darkness. I went to get a light and when I entered a room I found the owner of the place. She was supposed to be off on a trip. She was there with a man. I apologized for my intrusion and closed the door on them.

A second dream had me meeting with a group of men in an office building. As I sat in the meeting, I felt the need to get up and go outside onto a deck that protruded from the meeting room. The men seemed to be agitated by my actions. They wanted to come back into the meeting room and continue our discussions. I insisted on moving the meeting out onto the deck. They were talking to me about some form of funding for one of my projects. Even though I was creating some conflict with them, I wasn't worried about getting funded. I felt it was important for me to move everything outside, and that outweighed any concerns on their part.

A third dream also took place in an office building with a large open deck. It was in a place similar to the one in the second dream, but was different in several ways. There were a lot of young people out on the deck when I arrived. The entire scene was more like a party instead of a business meeting. However, we were all there for business reasons. The dream details faded away as I awoke. I'm uncertain how the dream ended, if it did.

Feeling a bit logy tonight. I did sleep some after coming home from BH's/GH's. But, feeling like an early night tonight. Get that sleep! Release those toxins! Away I go!

4862

Went for a walk on the baylands today. It was a clear, bright day. There was a pair of jack rabbits hopping across the trail. When they were out in the bushes, the sun lit up their upper ears. Each looked like it had a pair of red lights that they were waving around. A pair of crows also landed on the trail. They seemed like they were little concerned with me being there. They just went about their crow business and I went about my trek.

Felt good to get in a good walk. Came home, though, and fell asleep for several hours, despite the kids screeching in the parking area. I had slept in this morning so I was a bit surprised that I could conk out again for so long. But, rest and sleep! Seems to be the way of things!

Dreamed a mysterious dream last night. I was at an airport. I was there to meet an incoming celebrity--Elvis Presley! When I got to the airport, there was a huge crowd of people milling about, also waiting for his arrival. I decided that it would be best if I got closer to where he was going to deplane. I walked up to a security check point and went on through to the deplaning area. Exactly how I was able to do that was not clear, but there I was. I was also supposed to meet my daughter and her boy friend as well. I wasn't sure if they were going to be able to get into the deplaning area, but since I was there, I stayed.

About this time, I became aware of the problem that was being created--Elvis could not possibly be on the plane--he had died a long while ago. Still, I waited. The flight door opened and people started streaming out of the plane. The assembled crowd started making all kinds of noise. Elvis's daughter, Lisa, appeared in the doorway. She was dressed all in black. She started down the stairs and the crowd grew still. It was obvious that everyone knew that Elvis was not going to deplane--that he was gone forever. I managed to get near his daughter and we exchanged some words. I'm not sure about what--my condolences I believe.

I felt, in the dream, that I was almost transparent--that I was not solid, but like a ghost. I wasn't sure if people could see me or were aware that I was there. It was an odd, but exciting, feeling. Anyway, that was last night's dream array. What can I say!

Missed doing dance class today. Back to a regular schedule next week. Have an acupressure session in the morning, and lunch/movie with BH/GH. Starting on the second century of lunches and movies!

4863

Went to the PD exercise class today. She did a fairly intense workout. I was zonked by the time I got back home. Went to sleep late in the afternoon and woke up about three hours later. Have a "free" day tomorrow since the PD dance class was canceled for this week.

Dreamed last night an elaborate dream about me being involved in the liquidation of articles from a museum. It seems that a museum was being closed and artifacts were being sold off to interested parties. I had gone in and helped catalog items and put them into associated lots that could be bid on and purchased. At one point, I was talking to a couple who were showing an interest in a particular batch of items. I realized while talking with them that they had a manifest of the items that was a copy of my personal manifest that listed estimated prices. Manifests with estimated prices were not supposed to be distributed to the public. I was concerned that someone had compromised the bidding process by distributing copies of the manifests with price estimates. In the dream, I was trying to figure out who on the museum staff was responsible for this breach. There were some temporary workers whom I suspected were the culprits. But, I awoke before the mystery was solved.

If the weather holds (sunny and brisk), I'll make a trip to the baylands tomorrow for a walk. January has come and is nearly gone. The sands of time fall quickly! My life revolves around the illness, its symptoms, and my interventions. Looking for a more extensive view of things. Can't seem to break through to higher ground. Keep on moving! Keep on grooving! All the way!

4864

Cold today! Even though the sun was bright there still was a chill in the air. This morning I just wanted to stay in bed, covered from head to foot, cozy and warm. It's not that the weather is really all that bad, but even cool is more than cold enough.

Went to the movement class tonight. Again, I came away feeling very quiet and lifted. In some ways, it is almost like we do nothing. We stand and move and repeat simple patterns for just a few cycles. But, something there is in all of that that shifts the energies around.

Got a call from the Thursday dance class instructor. She has to skip the class this week. She's getting minor knee surgery. May her procedure go smoothly and well.

I'm sure I dreamed last night, but I don't recall any details. I finished the Coloane book of stories. They were superb! I've started reading a set of stories by Claire Keegan. They are rich and lush--like well-ripened fruit. Delicious stories! Her stories provide a good contrast to Coloane's tales. His deal with men and deeds with women in the background. Hers with women and relationships with men involved as mirrors of what is taking place with the women.

I spoke with my daughter this past weekend. She's getting close to time for her to deliver her daughter. She thinks that they will schedule her in and induce labor rather than wait for her to come to term on her own. That way the hospital can be efficient. We'll see! What will be, will be!

Heard from a couple of people. Got a note from BA with a link to a type of math puzzle called RenRen. Also got a message from MSR. Haven't heard from her for a couple of years. She was prompted to contact me because my name/association came up on one of the networking sites. Six degrees of separation! In action!

PD exercise class tomorrow--and a bit warmer perhaps.

4865

Danced the morning away! Instructor reviewed four dances and introduced two new ones. It was a long 1.5 hours. I was moving slowly by the time we finished the class. Happy to have tomorrow morning free so I can sleep in, if I want to do that.

Had a tasty lunch with BH, and GH and I watched a movie (Marx Brothers film Night at the Opera). We had viewed Duck Soup last week. I realized that I've been going to their place for lunch twice a week for nearly a year. That means we have viewed about 100 movies. 100 movies! Amazing!

Night at the Opera starred Kitty Carlisle, an actress that BH/GH had known personally. BH had done her makeup for years while she was on To Tell the Truth. Between them, BH/GH have a lot of stories about people in the entertainment field.

I dreamed an epic dream last night. It involved me joining a group of people who were doing something illegal. The head of the group, in the dream, was DW, the person who had taught me CW dancing. He convinced me that it would be a good idea to join his group. I didn't feel all that comfortable doing so, but I did join. One of our first actions was to fly from the east coast to the west coast. We took a private jet and made the trip. We got a car to go meet with the other group. We met with the shady characters and made an exchange. What we exchanged was not clear. One of us had a packet of money and the other had a packet of goods. Who had which was not certain.

After we made the exchange we headed back to the airport. Once we were airborne, DW asked me if I wanted to fly the jet. I did want to do so and ended up piloting the vehicle for a lot of the return trip. It was fun! I enjoyed the sense of power and control I felt being at the helm. When we came in for a landing back on the east coast, we let the plane's autopilot do most of the work.

I still felt uncomfortable with exactly what we had done, but I liked the flying part.

So tomorrow evening I go to the movement class. Looking forward to doing so. Let the good times roil!

4866

Had an elaborate dream last night. In the dream, I had volunteered to conduct some classes for young kids. After I had volunteered, I had not heard back from the school--from the principal. This person was MM from NetSchools days. She was in charge, but had not responded to my offer of help.

It was the day before school was to begin, and I got a note from one of the other teachers telling me that school was starting. She indicated in her note that I would be getting three different groups of students and what their skill levels were. I was confused since I hadn't hear back that I was taken up on my offer. I didn't have any lesson plans put together. I had to stay up most of the night in order to devise some kind of lesson plans.

I was going to get three groups of students--a large group of regular students, a smaller group of advanced students, and a small group of special-ed students. I managed to put together a set of lesson plans that revolved around the Sudoku puzzles.

The three groups arrived at my place at three different times. They were delivered and picked up by bus. The larger group came first. We settled in and worked on the puzzles. They were excited and had fun with the exercise. The advanced students arrived next. We explored making the puzzles and leveling their complexity in various ways. The special-ed students came last and I used some puzzles that had been partially filled out--they were asked to complete them.

In between all of the arrivals/departures and class times, there were numerous side tracks involving logistics, clarifying that I was on board, and so forth. The dream had many pieces and seemed to take up an entire day in dream time. I came away, in the dream, feeling good about what I had done, despite the mix up at the beginning. It was a satisfying dream.

I still haven't reduced my puzzle solution times that much. I managed to solve one puzzle in about 9 minutes, but my average time is still way above the norm. I did discover a few ways to look for solution slots. It's an interesting meta-puzzle regarding how best to come up with solution strategies.

Slept in late this morning (was up late last night despite my intentions). Back to dance class in the morning and lunch/movie with BH/GH. Didn't walk much this weekend.

4867

Dreamed last night that I was on a ship--like a huge naval cruiser. I was involved in some sort of flap that I wasn't too clear about. I was being relieved of my duties and they were being transferred to someone else. The transfer involved having to switch accommodations with the new person. There was a lot of back and forth concerning our quarters and what was in the units. I knew that it would be some time before we put into port. In the meanwhile, I had to make do with a much smaller space than I was used to having. The whole set of events created a lot of tension and upset.

I slept well despite the unnerving dream. I awoke late this morning and have been blipping about all day. I made it out for a late lunch and I've logged a lot of time on the sudoku site. I still can't get my solution times down into the purported range of 6-7 minutes. It causes me brain strain to try and hit those times. The puzzles are excellent. I'm just frustrated with how long it's taking me to solve them. I'm still on the "easy" puzzles! Hmmm!

It's been misty, rainy and cool. I didn't get out for a walk today. Will see if I can do some tomorrow. Have a dance class on Monday as well as activities for the rest of the week. Moving! Moving! Moving! I'm starting to be always on the move. Away I go!

4868

Running a bit tired as the week comes to a close. All the movement/activity seems to have caught up with me somehow. Stomach acting up. My digestive system got out of whack. I think it was the unagi that I had yesterday at Whole Foods. The dish didn't set well with me, but I was feeling a little punky anyway. All in all, it was a good week though. The movement/exercise sessions felt right. Had an acupressure session this morning. Lunch at BH's followed by movie with GH (Duck Soup--the movie not the lunch). Found out that there were 5 Marx brothers--only three became well known. There was a 6th brother (the first born) who died early around the age of three. Movie was funny. Can see why it was a classic.

Dreamed last night that I was in charge of a wedding party. People were coming up to me with questions regarding the party. I answered their questions and clarified what needed to be done to make the party a success. The dream action was a little like a Marx brother's movie. A fair amount of helter-skelter with people dropping things and turning things over. It was a light happy dream. It was also a dream that I started on some other night and was bringing it to a conclusion last night. In the dream, I was aware that I had dreamed earlier parts of what was taking place.

I almost didn't wake up this morning. I nearly slept through my acupressure session. Woke up just in time to eat, dress and get to the session. I didn't get to sleep as early as I had wanted to last night. So, I ended up sleeping in despite the normal noise people make when they leave for work.

Have some new books. I started reading one of them last night. It is by a Chilean writer, Francisco Coloane, called Tierra del Fuego. Good stories! Excellent writing! Look forward to reading more. He wrote for 60 years!

It's been raining! Nice to have some moisture in the air!

4869

Went to the PD dance class today. It was fun, but now I'm feeling sort of tired. I did a lot of back and forth today--running errands and retracing my steps when I discovered that I had lost my reading glasses. Didn't find them. Have no clue as to when they went missing. Stopped by RiteAid and bought a pair of off-the-shelf glasses. They will do until I can get in and buy a new pair with an updated prescription.

I've finally begun to work some of the online versions of the Sudoku puzzles. Still working at the "easy" level to see if I can bring down my solution times. It's supposed to take 6-7 minutes at the easy level. I'm taking about twice as long. They are addictive! Simple concept--great logic/mind exercises.

Dreamed last night that I was taking part in some type of ritual. There were 10 objects that looked like masks or shields. I was handing someone each of the objects, in a particular order. The objects were in three groups of three, and a single, larger master object. In the dream, I held out each object and it was taken by someone. The object was then placed on a shelf. When all 10 objects were on the shelf that constituted a "reading" of the objects. The pattern that was formed produced an "answer" to a question that was asked before the objects were placed on the shelf. Everything in the dream was dark and shadowy. There were drums in the background and some form of music, perhaps from a flute.

I got to bed really late last night, and didn't fall asleep for a while. My system was running at a hyper level. It was good to feel the energy, but I need to get to bed early tonight. No late night Sudoku explorations.

4870

Made it to the PD exercise class today. Not quite as much fun as the dance/movement classes, but still helps things on a roll. Literally! Today we did some floor work with foam cylinders, rolling them with our thighs while seated on the floor. Not easy to do! Takes some practice to isolate the muscles needed to make it work right.

Instructor passed out a copy of a magazine article about dancing and PD. It was mostly about the Mark Morris dance troop's work in getting PD dance classes started--like the class that I'll be attending tomorrow. Anecdotal results seem to indicate that dancing helps mitigate symptoms. Why? No one is sure yet, but it seems to help. I know it's working for me!

Don't remember my dreams from last night. I know I dreamed, and did so lucidly, but lost the content as I arose this morning.

The big O had his first day on the job today. What a change of pace for him. I can't imagine what it would be like to make such a step. May he do and be well!

Did a few pro bono surveys today. They were interesting! They are on a site for studies being done at Harvard (http://rsvp.alkami.org/studiesonline/index.html) and elsewhere. The PD instructor handed out a Balance Efficacy survey in class today. I believe I answered the questions honestly--my sense of how good/poor my balance might be is heavily weighted to the good side (90-100% sure I would maintain my balance in the situations described on the questionnaire). Two people fell in the class today during the exercises--plus a few others really struggled getting up/down for the floor exercises. Thank goodness I'm as mobile as I am! Keep on moving/dancing and flowing about!

4871

Restful day! I did my laundry and did it with little tension or tiredness. Had a light lunch. Took a short nap, ran some errands, and did an online survey (another $10 Target gift card--I'm going to have to set up a spreadsheet for these things so I can track if they don't arrive).

Went to movement class. I was hesitating about going, but finally got up and went. Glad I did! It was the best class so far. I felt coordinated and balanced. It made the class a lot of fun. The class was a bit less crowded tonight, which helped keep the energy up. Movement makes the symptoms go lighter! Yes, they do!

Had a "repeat" dream last night. Can't, now, remember the contents. But, in the dream, I realized that I was dreaming about a dream that I had had before. It was not simply repeating though. It was continuing from where I had left off the last time I had had the dream. Like a dream series that I haven't brought to consciousness, but that in the dream state continues to evolve and play out.

Obama is the prez! Yeah! Stock market didn't celebrate. Dropped to biggest inauguration day loss since 1900. The times they are a'changing!

Have the PD exercise class in the morrow. Looking forward to it! Keep on grooving and moving!

4872

Lunch and movies with GH today. Tasty lunch (pasta and scallops, pickled vegetables, and dessert)! Watched a collection of WC Fields short films. He was funny. We laughed our way through the episodes. Felt good to laugh so much.

No dance class today because of the national holiday (MLK Jr. Day). It felt good to sleep in a bit--although I seemed to have gotten enough sleep over the weekend.

Dreamed that I was brought in to head up a small team of publication specialists. All I did was put together a publication schedule and post the milestone chart what gave us a roadway to follow. Everyone else on the team acted like I had done something magical--but it was just common sense to plan out what we had to do. There were five of us in the group and we became close as we undertook the projects. There were parts of the dream where we were in meetings, not about the work load, but sharing personal stories about who we were and what we had done in life. There was an intimacy in those meetings that went beyond the workplace activities. We became quite fond of each other, as people, as friends. The dream was really satisfying!

Got a call from PG. Haven't heard from him for months. He's still the same old blustery person, who sounds like he's running full speed ahead. Good to hear from him!

Movement class tomorrow! Also need to do my laundry. Day of sway! I'm on my way! The world keeps spinning! And we keep grinning! May the good times roll!

4873

Slept in a bit late today also. Had some trouble falling asleep last night because I had slept so much during the day. Back on track now, I believe. Went out for brunch and ran some errands. Returned home and slept a short while. Went for a walk around the park. Watched the Mikhalkov movie Burnt by the Sun. He did the film Urga. There were some carryovers from the earlier film, Urga, and Burnt. Apparently the family that the film was about were actual people who were caught up in the furor that surrounded the revolution. The daughter of the couple was still alive when the film was made. Mikhalkov played the lead role in the film as well as directing the action. He is a good actor. The photography was lush, like in Urga.

Dreamed last night a segment of a recurring dream. I realized in the dream state that I had dreamed about the content of last night's dream before. It was not anything that I recalled when I had dreamed it previously. But last night, I suddenly noticed that I was building on some earlier dreaming. The earlier dream segments dealt with a cabin where an automobile had been sequestered by someone I knew. I knew he had hidden the car in a shed that was attached to the cabin. Last night, I was at another person's house. She had some keys that would unlock the shed where the car was stored. I had entered her house and was looking for the keys. She discovered me there and wanted to know what I was doing. I told her that I was looking for a mailbox key and that I knew she had a spare. She gave me a copy of that key. I had found the key to the shed lock and had pocketed it right before she caught me in her place.

There was some elements of the old/new dreams that dealt with some parts of the hidden car. I think those parts were in the woman's house. I didn't really need them, but I would have taken them if I had found them. The dream houses were in a thickly wooded area. There was little light and the places were dark at night. Most of the dream took place in the dead of night.

I've been researching the world of online surveys. There are many such online surveys and studies that are asking for help. Some of these opportunities can be monetized. They are easy to do and take very little time. It's interesting to see what people are asking. Fun and games!

Got an email posting from Dr. Fun. He's in Israel and is finding some fun-related things to do in the midst of that chaos. I wish him well! He's visiting family back there.

4874

Slept in really late this morning. Finally arose and went for a walk on the baylands. It was a balmy day. Felt good to walk some. After lunch, I came back and fell asleep for quite a while. Don't know why I'm so tired, but sleeping some felt good. I was up a bit late last night--started dinking around on the computer and the time flew by.

I know I dreamed throughout all of this sleeping, but don't recall specifics.

May walk the baylands again tomorrow. The PD class instructor passed out a study that indicated it would be best to walk about 50 miles every month. That's about 1.5 miles per day. That's a lot of walking along with all other activities. But the body knows best! I feel like I'm spending all of my time dealing with this illness (exercise, classes, walking, diet, sleep, medication, and so on). I'm also reading, doing things on the computer, watching movies, and so forth. But everything still seems constrained, constricted, and locked in somehow.

Memories! The faint misty trails of things gone past. Dreams of dreams!

4875

Acupressure! So nice! This morning's session was great! Too bad I can't do a session everyday. Wouldn't that be nice?

BH fixed a tasty lunch. Curried prawns over brown rice, salad and dessert. We watched a movie with GH--Beat the Devil. A Huston film with Bogart and a great cast of characters. I believe I had seen the movie before, but I didn't seem to recall the plot until it unfolded.

Play last night was delightful! Was fun to see GH on the stage. He was a scene stealer--very funny and zany! The set was magnificent--one of the most well designed sets I've seen. And the female lead's dresses and outfits were show stoppers. An incredible amount of work for such a short run--only four weeks. One actor played four parts. He did it so well that it wasn't obvious until the 4th character came on stage.

I slept a while late this afternoon. MA dropped by to return my alternate set of keys she had carried off by accident. She left a half of a vanilla loaf cake! What a surprise! I haven't had a piece of that cake in years. It's a secret recipe from my stepfather's side of the family. What a treat!

Dreamed last night that I was with my two sons. We were on a high bluff above the ocean. We were hang gliding, letting the brisk updraft carry us high above the ocean. It was a bit scary, but it was also exhilarating. Had other scattered dream fragments both last night and in my afternoon nap. The weekend arrives. Perhaps can make a baylands' walk--if weather permits.

4876

Went to the PD dance class today. Only six people came to the class. Almost like a private session! The instructor is really upbeat and is a good dancer. It was fun, but I came away sort of tired. After lunch, I conked out for the afternoon. I have tickets to see GH's play tonight. I meant to rest some before heading off to the show, but the whole afternoon! Didn't mean to sleep so much. I suppose I needed it or my body would have been up and moving about.

I dreamed last night, but lost the details when I awoke. I thought it was a dream about some storms, but I'm not certain now. More dreams will come!

Tomorrow I have an acupressure session and lunch/movie at BH's/GH's. The daze go by!

4877

Went to the PD exercise class today, and the dentist. Stepped out early for breakfast. Didn't really do that much today, and the day is gone. Where do the hours go?

PD class was all about balance today. I discovered (or confirmed) that I am pretty rocky when it comes to maintaining my balance. My legs are wobbly and not too stable. One more thing to work on! Always one more thing it seems!

SS check arrived! Got my $100 raise. Nice! The way prices are rising will make the increase not all that great, but it's better than nothing.

Dreamed a wild dream last night. It involved people telling jokes and making funny observations. Everything was hilarious! I nearly awakened myself with my chuckling. It was a light and airy dream, filled with buoyancy and laughter. The dream seemed somehow related to the movement class I did last night. Not sure exactly how, but in the dream I had the thought about the class. On Monday, at the other dance class, I had a few moments of lightness like in the dream. Will dance again tomorrow and GH got me tickets to his show tomorrow night.

Also dreamed something about the pope. I was in a extravagant room in the Papal See. The pope was there and I was helping him dress for an audience. I remember lifting a heavy headpiece and placing it on his head. I felt good being there. In the room, there was also a nun. She was in the background and seemed to be laying out the vestments.

I slept well last night. Tonight, I'm a bit tired and look forward to going to bed--perhaps a bit early. Feeling peaceful!

4878

Lazy day! Slept well last night even though I had some problem falling asleep.

Dreamed something about two groups of men. There were three men in each group. I was in one group--one of the three. We had something we were supposed to do. Both groups were wary of each other. There was not complete trust and that made accomplishing our tasks more difficult. I'm not clear on what we were supposed to do. It was something that involved coordination and accurate timing. It felt like there was a lot of tension in the dream. Every scene was filled with tenseness.

Went to the movement class tonight. It was helpful in that it made me aware of some of my movement problems. I seem to have difficulty moving backwards. It's the old sensation I have of being the front of my body, but not my back. My back is unconscious to me. I can't feel my back or feel comfortable moving backwards. Interesting! The class is a bit crowded. I would like it more if there were fewer people. In one sequence of movements, we had to partner up and move together. My partner was assertive and she helped me figure out the patterns by modeling what needed to be done. It was very helpful.

Will go to the PD exercise class tomorrow and then to the dentist for a hygiene. I completed another survey (that had a $100 lottery). This survey was about childhood discipline memories. The volunteer section of Craigslist was chock full of postings today. Amazing resource!

4879

Went to the CW line dance class today. It was great! I was a tad tired by the time the 1.5 hours were over, but I made it. The instructor taught four dances--all of which I had danced before in my previous dancing days. My "slow feet" were not that slow and seemed to work well. I was even doing turns and such.

It was another gender-imbalanced class--20+ women and 2 men. The median age of the class was up there--lots of 70s and 80s. I was fairly zapped when I went from the class to BH's for lunch. However, I feel good and look forward to more movement.

GH and I watched a movie W.R. Mysteries of the Organism--a wild montage of a movie that relied on material from the life of Wilhelm Reich. I didn't realize how much he was persecuted after he came to America. He died in prison the year I graduated from high school. Lots of "messages" in the film, but it was absorbing and offbeat.

Dreamed last night that I was covered with patches of cloth. Each patch had dark markings or threads that identified the area of the body that the patch covered. There were matching patches on the front and back of my entire body. There was a giant caliper-like device that "pinched" my body by touching a patch on my front and a matching patch on my back. The calipers sent a pulse of energy between the two patches. The energy was designed to produce healing to the areas of the body between the two patches. The dream went on for quite a while, with the calipers moving to different areas. It was a strange dream! Probably triggered by the SciFi story I read before falling asleep.

Signed up for another survey. Craigslist is starting to show a call for lots of volunteers for various types of studies--and lots of odd postings--many of which are a hoot! Ahhh! The Internet!

4880

I was really creaky today. Long walk yesterday left me creaky in the hips and knees. Walked some today, here and there, but couldn't shake off the tightness.

Met with L for lunch. She's sold her house and moved into an apartment. Now, she's trying to puzzle out what's next in her life (as nearly everyone is doing). I emailed her a Craigslist posting regarding a senior scientist position in San Jose. Being in the bio-tech field, she is somewhat insulated from the economy's wobbles.

I dreamed a dream last night, but don't recall the details. MA kindly came by and cleaned the apartment today. Nice to have the place in order once again.

Start the CW line dance class tomorrow. Will be interesting to find out what I can do--or not do, as the case may be. Picked up two films from the library--Bourne Ultimatum and Burnt by the Sun, a Russian film by Mikhalkov (the director of Urga). He acts as well as directs in Burnt.

Watched two films over the past week--Vera Drake and Oleanna. Neither film was anything special. Drake was about a woman who performed illegal abortions and was caught and jailed. There were too many scenes of her silently anguishing over her arrest and trial. Oleanna was a stilted, annoying piece of work about a teacher/student interaction that was turned into a sexual harassment indictment against the teacher. Hopefully, Burnt and Bourne will be better fare.

Scheduled for lunch with BH tomorrow and perhaps a film with GH in the afternoon. Finished another survey today--about employee/manager interactions when there is conflict. No payment made, but responders are entered into a lottery for a cash prize. The survey was for a graduate student at Columbia University doing a thesis project. For the greater good!

4881

Spectacular full moon tonight! Looked huge on the horizon. Now, it's big and luminous in the sky.

Did my first "work" of 2009 (actually first work I've done in quite a while). I filled out an online survey for the Stanford Longevity program. I made $10 for doing the survey (a Target gift card). Not a lot, but still a productive act. Saw the notice for the project on Craigslist. I was a bit worried about it being a scam. I did my due diligence. I responded carefully to the notice and didn't give away any personal information. When I got a reply, I went online to Stanford and verified that the person/group were real. Only, then did I agree to take the survey, and did so. It took about 15 minutes. It was about emotions as related to age categories. The results may someday appear in someone's thesis.

I've been keeping an eye out for this type of "job"--one I can do online and not have to travel. Craigslist has all manner of "gigs" (as they call them) that are of this nature. It also has some really humorous postings--unintentional typos that are hilarious. Like the one from a person who needed some "tottering."

Dreamed last night that I was in a house and a severe storm came up. The storm dumped a deluge of water in the area, and creeks and rivers flooded instantly. There were cars floating by the house. We were up on a small rise and that helped keep the water out of the house. After some time just weathering it out, the skies started to clear and the rain began to subside. I was in the house with a woman, who was my wife. It felt good to be with someone as the storm blew through.

Made it out for a walk on the baylands today. Came home and napped. MA coming by tomorrow to clean the place. It's ready for a clean up. I think I'm feeling some effects of my "busy" week. Didn't sleep really soundly last night, and I'm feeling logy and tired. Will take it easy in the morrow.

4882

Feeling pretty good today! Had an acupressure session this morning. Lunch with BH. It's been a bright, sunshiny day. Went for a walk; did a loop around the park route. If weather holds, may do a baylands trek tomorrow.

Dreamed last night two distinct dreams. One was about a woman and a dog. They both had the same name--don't recall what it was now. There were scenes of her and the dog outlined in a doorway, seemingly waiting for someone to appear. Outside, it was misty and rainy. The dog would occasionally dart out into the fields, but would soon return to the shelter of the house. The dog was a short-haired breed with dark-colored fur. He and the woman seemed to be able to communicate with each other without sound. They each seemed to know what the other was thinking.

A second dream involved a classroom for really young kids. There were several adults in the room, and we were all involved in working with small groups of kids. We were playing games, singing songs, solving puzzles, and having a good time.

GH found out from his doctor that he hadn't put a hairline crack in his kneecap. Apparently, it was an older injury. He had bruised and twisted his leg when he fell, but nothing was broken. That's good news! It means he can continue with his part in the upcoming play. That result has to be a relief for him. I told him I wouldn't tell him to "break a leg" though.

I slept a short while after my walk, but still feeling sort of tired. Perhaps early to doss tonight!

4883

Went to the dance class today for PD people. It was a good experience. It was fun and joyous. Not very strenuous, but that's alright. I felt a bit wobbly afterward and into the evening. Not sure what triggered that reaction. Perhaps not enough protein--I ate lightly today. Ended up taking a nap after I returned--just felt like that was what was needed. "Slow feet" was not as much of a problem today. The actions were not as rapid as the other night in the Tuesday movement class. Will see what happens in the CW line dance class next Monday.

Have an acupressure session in the morrow morning. That will be a welcome event. Plus lunch and a movie with BH/GH in the afternoon.

Had an intense dream last night. I was in a hotel at a conference. We (CW and another person) were there to demonstrate a new software application. We had downloaded a version of the product and it was not working correctly. I was exercising the program and making notes for the programmer (BH who was at his house) to try and tell him what was happening. Basically, everything was out of sync. Graphic elements were appearing that should only be visible at higher levels of the product. The screens were like a hodgepodge of items that were supposed to be there and stuff that should only appear later at other levels. It made it confusing to operate the application since I didn't know at what level I was interacting. I was slowly unraveling the issues and sending my notes to BH. It was getting late and we were scheduled to make out presentation early the next day. The dream intensity was so great that it was affecting my sleep--I was coming awake from the dream while I was in the dream.

For some reason, I flashed on the names of the three programmers we used to use (CW and I)--BH, BP, and CJ. How did I remember their names? Strange brain tricks!

About an even gender mix in today's class. One guy was in a wheelchair. Another had to rely on a walker. The women were fairly mobile (a few were caregivers). It's been an intense PD-related week for me. The dance goes on!

4884

Went to the PD exercise class today. Big crowd! Almost a full house! Gender balance just the opposite of last night's class. Today, it was about 20 men and two women. A couple of the men looked like the holidays didn't help them. Several of the guys are moving really poorly. They're not in wheel chairs and are still using canes and walkers, but they are barely motoring along.

I've felt good today, but am a bit more twitchy--especially this afternoon after the class was over. Don't know if it's an artifact of last night's class or just my nerves. I took a short nap once I was back from the class and that felt right.

Last night, I dreamed a mega-dream. I was at the location of a broadcast TV show. I was there as a guest, but I was also going to do something on the show. Everything was being rehearsed and I was wandering around the place, checking out what was happening. The show was being hosted by Katie Couric, the news anchor. She was really nice to me. I was there because she had invited me to attend. She was also setting up what I was going to do later. The whole place was in turmoil--people moving about, rehearsing their lines and actions, music, sets being erected, and much more. At one point, I was asked to come up on stage. For some reason, I put my wallet and some other item on my seat and went onstage. The whole time I was there, I was worried about my wallet--it was just sitting out in plain sight where anyone could pick it up.

There was a part of the dream where I was asleep. I was scrunched between two people. My feet were touching someone else's feet. I could feel energy flowing from her (it was a woman) feet into mine. It was a pleasant and unexpected sensation. The dream seemed to go on for a long time. New pieces or events kept happening. We eventually did the show. It seemed to go well.

I went to bed a bit early last night--because I was feeling so rested from the movement class. I awoke fairly early in the morning though--perhaps around 5AM. I managed to get back to sleep and awakened later in the morning as the "thundering" crowds went to their cars.

So, tomorrow it's another dance class (or the other dance class--the CW dance class will begin next Monday). Weather has been a bit milder the past few days. Looking about the same for the coming week. Good! Won't be as cold as it was last week!

4885

Went to the movement class tonight. I was the only guy there. Twenty women and one man! Knew one of the women--not surprising. I had known her back in the computer days. There were a few others that looked slightly familiar.

Anyway, the class was good. A bit challenging in spots! Had trouble with movements that involved balance, but overall I felt good. May be a bit more challenging in dance class next Monday--my feet are somewhat "slow." Had problems with intricate foot movements until I grokked the pattern. Music helped! The instructor does everything to music--first a slow pattern followed by the same movement at twice the pace. Nothing sustained for very long, though, which helps.

Energetically, I feel good! I feel rested in some strange way.

Got a note from my son in SC. They are looking into their genealogies and he was wondering if I had any information about my mother and father. Gave him what I know. Hope they discover something interesting.

Dreamed last night that I was part of a CIS team. We had been called to an eleven-room house to pick up any clues or evidence. The place was enormous and there were hundreds of objects and items in the place. We broke up into small teams and started processing the place. I'm not sure, now, what crime had been committed for which we were gathering evidence. It was interesting work in any case. The place was filled with small objects--all of which were worth examining.

Tomorrow, I go to the PD exercise class. It's been a couple of weeks since we met. Will be good to have a session. More dance on Thursday; acupressure on Friday--and then into the weekend. Onward I go! Time seems like it's expanding! Activities make the clock go slowly!

4886

The first full week of the new year begins. As usual, I slept in late this morning. I got a call from BH saying she wanted to skip today's lunch--GH had taken a fall during rehearsal yesterday and needed to see a doctor concerning his knee/leg. She later called back to say that GH was driving himself to the doctor, so lunch was back on.

Unfortunately, GH's doctor told him that there may be a hairline fracture of the knee cap. He may have to stay off of it, wear a brace, and (saddest of all) have to drop out of the play. Bummer! He was looking forward to being on stage, in the show. I feel for him! This is perhaps the third show that he's not been able to complete because of health issues. I was looking forward to seeing him on stage--but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

GH did a great lunch (as usual)--tasty meatballs and spaghetti with fresh vegetables, bread and dessert. GH and I watched a Russian movie, Urga. It was about a Mongol family and how modern life is pressing on their way of life. Beautiful film! Awesome vistas!

Dreamed last night that I was in a car. I drove down a lane and went through a gate into a place where I could turn around. As I did so, the gate closed and locked itself so I couldn't get out. A woman came walking down the hill. I asked her what was going on. She said that they had been having problems with vandals and had rigged the gate to lock up if an unknown vehicle arrived. In their cars, they had signaling devices that unlocked the gate.

She pointed out several places further down the road that had similar setups. She was pleasant and unlocked the gate for me. I turned around and pulled out. I think, in the dream, that I stayed in and around that area for a while. I was curious about the people who lived there. The ringing phone broke me out the dream.

Tomorrow, the movement class begins. Will take place around this time of night. Will alter my routine by me going to a class in the evening. Alteration is good! Time to alter!

For the past few evenings, I've been doing a set of EFT exercises. They seem to be helping me settle in for the night. Will continue to add them to my rituals.

4887

The brain is a marvelous thing! I saw someone today whom I had not seen for probably ten years. My facial recognition software processed his image, brought up a picture of him from ten years ago (or more), and then supplied his name. Amazing! He was grayer, older, heavier, but somehow I recognized him and recalled his name.

He asked what was I doing--that ominous question that I'm starting to hate to hear. I mumbled something about getting old. I felt at a loss to say what I'm really doing--treading water. I feel embarrassed! I feel like I should be doing something of weight, of merit--and I'm not. I'm just treading water. Watching the daze go by!

It was cold today (last night). Freezing! The cold triggers my PD symptoms, which makes me feel sort of twitchy. Oh, for the warm tropics!

I awoke this morning to my fire alarm going off. I think the people below me turned on their heater. Some of the dust and lint must have ignited and vented some smoke up into my heater, and into my apartment. I shut off the alarm and checked to make sure everything was not on fire. I later reset the alarm and it behaved properly. A momentary excitement! Glad it was a false event.

Did my laundry today despite the coolness. It's supposed to rain sometime over the next few days so I thought it best to do it while it was clear. As usual, there were very few people at the laundromat. It's getting so run down that people are going elsewhere so that they don't lose their money in the non-working units. Even my regular dryer seemed not to be working fully today.

There were several street people sitting around the place. They were probably trying to thaw out from last night. If they had to sleep outside, they had to be plenty cold. One guy in a wheelchair was zonked out, sleeping like a rock. Another guy was talking away to an imaginary person--carrying on quite a conversation. He may have been on (or should have been on) some form of medication. The guy in the wheelchair wore a cap that said Vietnam Vet on it.

Dreamed last night that I was doing something in a large dining room. There were people there with plates of food--food piled high on the plates they carried. I was helping direct those with full plates to seats at the tables. The place was like a cafeteria with long lines of folding tables. Each table could seat about eight diners.

Watched a movie this afternoon--Courage Under Fire. It starred Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, and a skinny Matt Damon. Had a young (and thinner) Regina Taylor as Washington's wife. She's been busy on a series show called The Unit where she's the wife of another soldier--a little bit of type casting.

Lunch with BH tomorrow and a film with either her or GH. On my way, I may trip-toe to the library in the morning. I'll restock on films and stories--for the rainy days ahead!

4888

Alas! I read all of the Saunders' book Pastoralia. A wacky, driving set of stories! Too bad he doesn't have more in print. He has a refreshing style--weird and wonky!

I believe I dreamed a dream last night about trying to get into a presentation at a toy company. There was some type of presentation being made to acknowledge a person that I knew. I wanted to show up at the presentation, but since I wasn't and employee I was having a difficult time getting in. I think, in the dream, I managed to finagle my way in and heard the presentation. There were several scenes of me walking along a loading dock that ran beside the building where the offices were. I figured out a way to get to the presentation area on the loading docks, and entered by a side door. I felt strongly that I should be there and made it happen.

Cool last night and today! I slept in this morning. Finally got up around noon and went out for lunch and some errands. Felt good to ride around in the warm truck. Had some spicy Indian food for lunch that helped heat things up a bit.

Watching the turmoil in the Middle East. Terrible! Israel is out of control (or in total control from perhaps another perspective)! Don't know how the world can stand by and watch such actions. Bush is doing nothing decisive to make it stop. Israel keeps being very careful to call what they are doing a "military action"--not a "war." It just happens to be an action against an entire people. Israel keeps repeating their view that there are no humanitarian issues involved (hunger, access to fuel, lack of adequate medical supplies and services), which is blatantly not true.

Welcome to a new, but ever unchanging, year! Deadly fireworks on display!

4889

Day 2 of the new year! Slept in late, which felt good today--weather is wet and cold. Had a tasty, spicy lunch with BH (fish tacos with fresh guacamole). We watched a Spanish movie, Volver. Starred Penelope Cruz. Reminded me of the Lucretia Martel (Argentine) films La Cienaga and the Holy Girl. Volver was directed by Almodovar. Perhaps we'll see more of his films. Cruz was great in this movie--very animated and lively--and very beautiful!

I'm feeling creaky and achy. The weather is contributing to my creakiness. Need to walk more. Perhaps can get out some this weekend. Missed not getting an acupressure session today. Next week begins the collection of dance/movement classes that I signed up for last month. Looking forward to the increased movement and exercise.

Dreamed last night that I was helping tutor some students in basic mathematics problems. I ended up showing them how to verify addition answers using the "casting out nines" technique. At some point, I was awake and aware that I was dreaming, and what I was dreaming about. I recall also talking about the "halves and doubles" technique that accomplishes multiplication. This method was used in the market places before people learned how to multiply.

What dreams may come? Dreams about the pathways of the stars! Deep dreams of light!

4890

Day 1 of the new year! Slept in late this morning. I was slightly zonked by not getting to sleep until late. I didn't return from BH's/GH's new year's celebration until well after midnight. I then read for a while and finally managed to fall asleep--early in the morning hours of 2009. Didn't do much today. Seemed to spend the time recovering from last night's events.

Dreamed, but didn't remember any details.

Enjoyed starting to read some of the stories in Saunder's book Pastoralia. He definitely has a strange mind. Stories are humorous and weird. Not unlike the movie GH played to welcome in the new year--Monty Python's The Meaning of Life!

I watched a movie this evening--Man of Marble. It's a Polish film about a film student making a film about the revolutionary times. The lead actress, who played the film student, was annoying as hell. But, the overall film was interesting (if not a little long) and told a good story. A couple of sections in the middle of the film didn't play well. Once the DVD player managed to get past those sections, the rest of the film played well. Technology!

Don't have an acupressure session in the morrow. LM is in Mexico with his wife, hopefully enjoying the sun. Will have lunch with BH though. Ate fairly lightly today. Looking forward to a tasty repast with BH. It's been a long first day. Time to rest and read some more.