4771

Movement and dance class today! I felt really tired after the movement class, but I went to dance class anyway. It was good that I did. The class won't be held for the next two weeks. Do it while I can!

In the dance class, we partnered up and did a short routine as partners. We had done this last time, but this time we switched partners a few times. I was amazed at some of the people I partnered with. In some cases, they had to stay in a chair or had limited motion. But I noticed that if I started to do some dance steps, they would mirror my movements. I was surprised to find that several people were more alert than their frozen bodies let on. The music, rhythm, and dance steps (along with having a stable partner), freed them up to move more--more than they might possibly do on their own. Amazing!

I came home and hung around for a short while. I then went and had a meal. I had only eaten a late breakfast and was tired and wobbly from not eating lunch. After I ate something, I felt better--more awake and alert.

Dreamed last night about moving into a rather large house. The place was out in the country a bit. There were several homes nearby, but not all that close. Everything was spread out in rolling hills and wooded areas. One neighbor of mine was rebuilding his place. His workmen were parking on some of my property and generally blocking up the road that led to the neighbor's place, which ran past my place. I wasn't too sure about what to do in that situation. I was new to the area and didn't want to create a problem with the neighbor. There was another neighbor who had stopped by to say hello. I told him about the problem and he suggested that I simply tell the other neighbor of my concerns. I said I would do that the next day (it was late in the evening). The new house I had moved into was old and kind of weathered. It had a lot of wood and felt like a comfortable place. I felt good about moving into the place.

Have an acupressure session in the morning. And perhaps lunch/movie with the H's--depends on whether GH got good news today regarding his eye. Hope he got good news!

4772

Went to the PD exercise class today. Instructor is introducing a bunch of new (to us) exercises. In some ways, they are working the legs/hips/thighs a lot more than previous activities. Some of the latest classes that she's been taking are pointing her to different routines. Keep on moving! That's the goal!

I helped BH/GH return the chair he rented while he's dealing with his eye problem. As we were returning, BH wanted to stop by the grocery store. I wasn't paying attention and I nearly ran a red light. BH hollered "red light, red light" and I hit the brakes. We were positioned to broadside a Mercedes sedan. We stopped in time (thanks to BH's warning). I think I saw the turn signal turn green and assumed that our lane was also green. Anyway, the good news is nothing bad happened. We both got a momentary adrenaline charge.

I dreamed last night that I was working with a couple of people on encrypting some data. I was telling the woman in the dream, who was responsible for performing the encryption process, that I wanted something more than a checksum performed on the data. I wanted the data to be encrypted to at least three levels minimum. The man who was with us agreed that we needed at least that level of encryption applied. It really didn't take us that long to make the decision, but the dream seemed to stretch out for a long time.

In some ways, the dream seemed to be related to my genome data that I received from my "spit test." In researching the LRRK2 gene, I ran across a one page blog entry (too.blogspot.com) by Sergey Brin talking about discovering that he carries the mutation on that gene. Sergey's wife is a co-founder of the 23andme company--the company that delivered my genome data.

4773

Laundry day! Oh, what the hey! Went to movement class this afternoon. That went well, as usual. Feeling pretty good after the class. It's nice! Have a PD exercise class tomorrow. Move and groove!

Dreamed last night that I was writing a document for someone. I had just about finished a first draft and was showing it to my supervisor. Somehow, the head of the organization got involved in the conversation and he ripped into the document. He had a problem with the style. He indicated that the material was too cluttered, that it had too many adjectives. I looked through the material and saw that he was correct in that there were a lot of adjectives, but I wasn't convinced that there were too many. I tried editing a few sentences. I dropped the adjectives in order to see how things read with the deletions. The dream never came to a resolution or I didn't resolve the issue in the dream. I awoke feeling a bit anxious from the tension in the dream. I wasn't convinced that the criticisms in the dream were correct. I'm not certain about the contents of the document--whether it was a report, a user document, a story, or something else.

I received the results of the "spit test" that I sent in to be analyzed. I now have access to my own genome. I've only barely started using the analytical tools that come with the web site. It's a whole new adventure! There's a lot to learn in order to use the raw data that's provided. I apparently do not have the mutation in the LRRK2 gene that is a marker for PD--but I apparently have PD. This result seems to point to environmental factors for the illness--not genetic factors. But, I've a lot more to read before I can understand everything that's been revealed. Drive a Chevrolet through my DNA! I wonder if I have any markers for winning the MegaMillion lottery tonight? We will see!

4774

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the dentist I go! Or I went! He said that probably on the next visit I'll have to start the process of removing my old amalgam fillings. He said they are starting to flake. They should be flaky--some of them are probably over 30 years old or even more. Hi ho, hi ho!

I went to BH's for lunch and found out that GH had gone in to the doctor this morning. His right eye had some bleeding inside the eye. They put some gas (nitrogen?) into the eyeball. The gas is supposed to keep the blood from accumulating while it reabsorbs. However, he is required to keep his face in a horizontal position (parallel to the floor) for 2-3 days. Somehow, he must do this at night as he sleeps. He rented a special chair that allows him to sit with his face in a cradle which seems to work fine. It's not clear how he can sleep that way, but I guess he will find out tonight. Three days of all that will be a challenge, but the alternatives are not that pleasant. He can save his eyesight with this procedure.

We "watched" a movie together (Monty Python and the Holy Grail). GH sat with his face in the cradle and listened to the dialog. He'd seen the film several times so he was imagining the visuals. We got quite a few laughs as the movie was played. It's a truly wacky film.

I dreamed last night a long involved dream about a cabin. One part of the dream was about getting ready to go to the cabin--packing the car, checking to see if we had certain items, and generally preparing for the trip. I was there with my two sisters and a wife (not sure which one of my exes--I think she kept changing from one to another throughout the dream).

A second part of the dream took place at the cabin. We arrived and unpacked, and then organized the place for an extended stay. Most of this part of the dream involved us doing different activities (swimming, hiking, fishing, and so forth).

The dream may have been triggered by a survey that I filled out for a sociology student who's working on a project about different generations. He asked a bunch of questions about what I did when I was younger and throughout my life span. I ended up writing about six pages of "answers" to his questions. I'm sure that activity stirred up the cabin dream material.

It's staying fairly cool. That's good! Hopefully the swine flu virus will not do so well in a colder clime. May all beings be well! Flowing movement class tomorrow! Missed CW dance today! Had to dance with the dentist!

4775

Slept and dreamed the day (and night) away. Had trouble falling asleep last night. Didn't get to sleep until early morning--so ended up sleeping in and so the day has gone.

Don't recall any dream details. It seems like I was dreaming a lot about my body and how it moves. Dreams that involved movement difficulties--just what I need to do--be thinking of how I move both when I'm awake and when I'm asleep. Will hit the rack early tonight.

Have a dental appointment(s) in the early morning. Getting both a hygiene and a check up. May have to miss dance class. Will see how it goes.

Spent some time looking at rentals in HI last night. Some really affordable places there. I'm glad LL is moving there. I think I'd do better in that climate, but the relocation seems like a monumental task. Will do some more research and see what emerges. Winning the lottery would make things a lot more possible.

Sent in my first guesses in a HQ game that the Dragon is hosting. Where is the Hurkle hiding? Only the HurkleHider knows! April comes skidding to a close. Month went by quickly. May is on the way!

4776

Had lunch (tasty repast) with BH today followed by another film in GH's Fellini Festival--Amacord. The film was a visual treat! It was a lush mixture of people, life and events. There were a host of memorable scenes--as there might be in a film called I Remember. Look forward to seeing more of his films. It reminded me of the film Mafiosa that we watched earlier this year (or late last year). And of course, it was good to see it right after viewing Clowns.

I had an exceptionally clear dream last night. I dreamed that I was writing a book (or that there was someone writing a book that I was dreaming about). It was like I was watching a movie of the events and places that were being written about. In one part, I (or the writer) was in a cabin in the mountains. It had snowed heavily and the cabin was buried in the snow. The writer (or I) had prepared for such an event. The place was stocked with food and firewood--enough to sit out the winter and make it through to the spring. In different segments of the dream, I was with various people who drifted in and out of the dreaming like ghosts. There were thoughts of the dream cabin being somewhat like the cabin in Chaplin's Gold Rush, but better built and appointed. However, the place was really quite sparse and uncluttered. As I said, it was like watching a movie of the events and scenes. I awoke with a feeling of exceptional clarity and lightness.

My friend LL sent a note with her new address in Kauai. She leaves in a few days to relocate there. I think she is really going to like being on that island. Aloha! Didn't win the MegaMillion lottery last night, but neither did anyone else. The jackpot rolls forward to next Tuesday and will be an enormous amount up for grabs. Have to get a fresh ticket in the morrow.

Strange epidemics sprouting up in Mexico (swine flu) and Florida (meningitis). Lots of talk about pandemics and such. Let's hope not! The world doesn't need more stress and strife.

4777

Felt good today--loose and relaxed. Acupressure session this morning reinforced how I woke up feeling. Spent the day coasting along. It's been nice.

Not sure what happened to note that I sent to person from PD dance class who had asked me about the classes I've been taking. I sent the message, but it shows up as having been deleted. I'll print a copy and take it to him next week. Strange happenings in the e-mail arena!

Dreamed last night that I was with two people that I know--CW and MK. We were in Washington, DC. We were at a scientific briefing being held by the military and the intelligence community. We were in a crowded laboratory/meeting room. We were packed in with a host of scientists and military personnel. We were being shown some kind of new weapon system. We were an analytical team that was going to perform an evaluation of the device and suggest new and alternative applications. On one side of the room, a prototype of the device had been assembled. The technicians were going to demonstrate how the device worked. It was like a ray gun of some sort that could disassemble an object at a distance. The prototype was designed to operate over the distance of a few yards. The ultimate device would be effective over great distances. I was a bit uncomfortable. We had just been given new security clearances. The project was a super-secret activity. We were expected to come up with applications for the device that its creators hadn't envisioned. We were being observed by everyone in the room--like we were some sort of bugs who had been let into the room by accident.

I remember taking notes as we waited for the demonstration. I was busy writing down lists of questions that I wanted to get answers to and observations that I was making about the device and the people who were making presentations. It was an oddball dream, filled with mystery and tensions.

4778

Movement and dance, dance and movement. Lets the limbs go free! PD dance class went by quickly today. Seemed like we barely got started and suddenly it was time to stop. Several people seem very interested in the various classes that I'm taking. I sent a note to one of them who had asked me for information about one class.

Several of the people who have been coming to the dance class have mobility problems. They still show up each week. They seem to enjoy the activity despite their limitations. Half the class come with care givers. It's an awesome sight when everyone is moving about. Today, the whole class erupted into a spontaneous dance fest near the end of the session.

I'm pretty sure I dreamed last night, but don't have a clue what I may have dreamed about. I thought I did, but as the day went by I couldn't remember anything about last night.

Have an acupressure session in the morning. BH had to postpone lunch until Saturday. She has a meeting tomorrow that she wants to attend. Perhaps I'll do some walking tomorrow. That would be a good thing to do. I'm feeling quiet tonight. Quiet and still!

Got a note from MF. EF her partner has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Too bad! Fortunately, he's quite active (jogs, dances, etc.) and is an accomplished musician, all of which should help him deal with the illness. MF/EF were the couple that let me stay with them over in SC when I was originally diagnosed and was going to the Asian Medical people for treatments. May they both be well!

4779

Went to the PD exercise class today. We did a lot of balancing stuff, which I could feel in my legs and feet. Creaky, clunky, cranky! Got some good information regarding the parkinson.org site. They have free publications that are chock full of good information. I downloaded the one on nutrition, which looks to be quite comprehensive. We're fortunate to have so many resources both here in the local area as well as those on the Internet.

Movement and dance classes tomorrow. Weather is cooling down quite a lot.

Dreamed last night about doing something with three things (devices, technologies, gadgets??). I don't recall the details, but I seem to remember that the dream was a continuation of some previous dream. I remember being in a car and traveling across a flooded area. I don't remember what we were doing with the three objects. When they were being used, they formed three concentric circles of influence. One sent out a large circle. A second device sent out a smaller circle centered in the first circle. The third object projected an even smaller circle centered in the locations of the first two circles. It was like the objects could be used to locate someone or something by focusing in on smaller and smaller regions. The dream was fairly clear when I awoke, but as I drifted back to sleep I lost the details of what we were doing in the dream.

I didn't win the MegaMillion lottery last night, but neither did anyone else. So, the game rolls on to Friday's draw. Come on lady luck! Waiting for the Friday bounce. Happy Earth Day!

Read quite a bit of Fulghum's journal notes on his encounters with the tango. He has been smitten by the dance's forms and mysteries. He seems to be on a wonderful journey of exploration and fun. Walk like a dancer wherever you go! Dance as you walk!

4780

A bit cooler today! Thank goodness! Bumped around and about all day. Went to movement class in the late afternoon. Room was air conditioned. Made it bearable.

One person in the movement class told me about Fulghum (author of Everything I Know, I Learned in Kindergarten) and his writings/talks about dancing. He became a tango devotee and has spent a lot of time learning the dance and writing about his experiences. He mentions the research results concerning tango dancing and memory vitalization. But mostly, he talks about the nuances and rituals associated with the milongas--the places/events where tango is danced.

I feel like I would like to be doing more dancing/movement--even more than I am doing. Not sure how to make that happen, but it is a recurring thought. The thought of doing so seems much more inviting than waiting around for most of each day for a single class.

I don't recall that I dreamed last night. Probably did some dreaming, but nothing was recorded. Have a PD exercise class tomorrow. Rolling onward!

4781

Dance class this morning. Room was chilly despite the outside heat. We warmed up quickly though and went through a bunch of dances. I was slightly zonked when we stopped. Lunch at BH's/GH's helped me climb out of the zone. BH made his favorite pasta (from scratch). It was a treat!

We watch Fellini's The Clowns. In some ways, it was a sad movie. The camera was taken to the homes of retired clowns--men who had once been famous but who no longer had a venue--the circuses were dying off. The movie was magical in that it paid homage to these people and to their art. The scenes were filled with color, slapstick, and pieces of documentaries that captured the flavor of their art. It was a huge cast--of mostly ex-clowns! Thus begins our Fellini festival!

I dreamed last night a continuation of a previous dream (dreamed sometimes in the past but not necessarily recorded). I was directing the flight of three huge transport vehicles. The vehicles were shaped like some kind of missiles. Each of them contained a nuclear payload. I had disarmed two of the missiles, but there was still on with a lethal payload. I was taking the three vehicles into an orbit around a planet. I was in contact with the people on the ground. They knew what payloads I was ferrying. I told them that two of the missiles had been disarmed, but that a third had not. We were in intense communication regarding what we needed to do to limit any damage that might be done. The dream was like an ending to a previous dream I had had in which I acquired the three missiles--all of which were armed. In the previous dream, I had managed to disarm two of the vehicles. We'll see what the dream machine will generate tonight.

It's starting to cool a little bit, but still remains hot and muggy. I'm drinking tons of juices. Love the blackberry/pomegranate juice squeezes. Yummy, yummy, for my tummy! Time for another slurp!

4782

Hot! Hot! Hot! Global warming gets local! Going to be warm for the next few days. The heat is really getting to me. Can't stand lots of cold or lots of heat.

Dreamed last night a strange dream. I was performing in a circus or carnival. I had rehearsed with another guy a kind of mentalist act where we interacted with the audience. We had gotten our patter down and came off well in our performance. In a later show, the person I usually did the act with was replaced. The replacement was a young woman. I didn't know until show time, when we stepped onto the stage, that my regular partner was gone. We, the new partner and I, ad libbed our way through the act--we did fairly well despite neither one of us knowing exactly what the other person was going to do or say. There was a later part of the dream with the new person, my old partner, me and the show's owner discussing what had happened. I found it refreshing to have had to act and react to the new situation. I thought it made the show more appealing. When the dream ended, we were all in agreement that we would continue using improvisation instead of a fixed script.

Ahhh! Dance tomorrow! Looking forward to moving. Didn't walk much over the weekend. Dancing will be good! Full week ahead! Classes every day this week. Let the dance begin!

4783

Warm weather! The sun is out and it is hot! Looks like several days on tap with near 90s temperatures. Have been like a mole today. Huddled in my den with the fan stirring the liquid air.

Don't recall my dreams from last night. Dreamless in the daytime. Fantasy dreaming of winning the MegaMillion lottery. Didn't win last night, but neither did anyone else. It rolls to a cool $130 million for next Tuesday. Keep on dreaming!

Feeling logy today. Partly from the heat; partly from a sense of wearing down at times. Went out for breakfast this morning. Was only out for a short while. When I returned, I slept--until the heat woke me from my lottery fantasies.

Waiting for the cooler evening to settle around. Let the dreams begin!

4784

Acupressure, lunch (delicious spread), and movie (Something Like Happiness)! The movie was by the same Czech Republic director who did The Country Teacher. It was a little less bucolic than Teacher, but it was a strong story and beautifully filmed. The director seems to love ambiguity. The viewer is forced to pay attention since the characters come to the screen without preamble. GH gave me a synopsis when we started the film that really helped unravel the various roles and actions.

Got a note from my daughter today that the latest grandkid is doing really well. She's doubled her birth weight in a bit over two months. Growing like a weed! I'll see them both soon.

Dreamed last night a strange dream about being in an apartment with two small kids. They were in the bathroom taking a bath. I realized at one point in the dream that they had been in the tub for a long time. The water had been running continuously. I suddenly realized that the water might be overflowing. I didn't think that the kids might not be OK, just that the water may be overflowing and flooding the downstairs' units. There was another person with me in the dream--perhaps the kids' mother. Curiously enough, the apartment, the kids, and the elements in the dream were incredibly similar to some of the scenes in today's movie. It was like I was watching the movie in my dream last night, before I saw the movie today. Hmmm! What dreams we dream!

4785

Went to a movement class and a PD dance class today. Came home a bit tired, but feeling good. I'm certain that all of these movement/dance/exercise sessions are making a difference. I still need to get out and walk more. I notice that my legs/hips are somewhat stiff and heavy. Have to figure out how to get in more walking--or perhaps biking.

In the dance class today, I had some peripheral thoughts about some of the people who were attending. These people are really having to struggle with the effects of the illness, yet they still make the effort to get to the class and participate. In some cases, it's heartrending. There are those who can barely walk or stand. Still they make it happen and move to the music.

I don't recall last night's dream(s). I'm sure there were some, but no memory of them after I awoke. I only took a short nap after coming back from dinner. That sleep too was dreamless--or was such that I didn't remember dreaming.

Acupressure session tomorrow--a chance to integrate the week's activities. Then lunch and a movie with BH/GH. Susan Boyle's fantastic performance has now been viewed over 15,000,000 times. Yeah, Susan! Here's a link to the video--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

4786

Get those taxes in the mail (or email)! The tax man cometh!

I was sent a link to a YouTube video that contains an awesome performance by an unknown woman, Susan Boyle. She was on the British version of Got Talent and shocked everyone with her stunning voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Astounding and moving! I'm sure we'll hear more of her. She's burning up the downloads!

Went to the PD exercise class today. It was a good session. The instructor is starting to follow a sequence of activities that have produced positive results in various studies. The studies all have to do with the effect of exercise on the progression of the illness. She noted that for people with PD it would not be out of place for us to think about straightening our posture a hundred times a day. 100 times! Wow! I'm not sure I can think about anything that often each day.

Dreamed last night a really chaotic dream about being at a conference in a big city, like New York. I was trying to locate specific meeting areas in a huge hotel/convention center complex. There were all kinds of shops and vendors on several floors where the meeting rooms were located. There was also a subway system whose traffic was intermixed with the convention attendees and other pedestrians. I ended up taking a subway car by mistake and ended up having to find my way back. People were jumping turnstiles and milling about in seemingly random ways. I awoke feeling frustrated and tense from all the dislocation in the dream.

Thank you Susan Boyle for your marvelous singing. It helped soothe out my ragged dream.

4787

Windy weather! Cool and windy! Gusts are blowing stuff around. Blowing away the tax liabilities, perhaps.

Did my laundry today. Laundromat was not that crowded. I was in and out in a goodly time.

Dreamed last night that I was working in some kind of hi-tech organization. We were having to downsize because of the economy. People were being let go. The dream was dreary. There didn't seem to be any sign that the whole thing wouldn't collapse. People who were still on staff were moping about, not showing much enthusiasm for their work. I awoke feeling fairly positive despite the dream sequence.

Have a PD exercise class tomorrow (no movement class tonight because of extended Easter holidays). Look forward to the class even though it's my least favorite of the week. In the class, there's too much focus on the illness and not enough on positive stuff. Maybe I can change that somehow! Who knows (whose nose?)!

4788

Went to dance class this morning. 1.5 hours of movement. I'm a bit stiff and sore, but it felt good to be moving. Large class! Floor was a bit crowded, but numbers will drop off as the classes go by--as we learn more dances. It becomes more and more difficult to keep up with all of the dances that are taught.

Great lunch with BH (sashimi, colorful salad, crunchy vegetables, steamed kale, and a portion of black cod sauteed with prawns, mushrooms, onion, peppers and more--a tangelo for dessert). GH and I watched a British comedy, How to Get Ahead in Advertising. It was a wildly funny movie about an advertising executive who develops a boil that talks and takes over his life (I did say it was a British comedy!).

Dreamed a couple of dream segments last night. One involved doing some analytical work on a strip of plastic material that had metal grommets embedded along one edge. There was some problem with the metal elements. They needed to be perfectly aligned so that the material would feed through a device smoothly. I looked at the material with a magnifying glass and realigned the metal elements so that they formed a smooth track.

A second dream was about a famous performer (Bing Crosby?). He was in a large salon-like room where he was being filmed. There were several people hovering about and near him. One was working with his makeup. Another was handing him written synopses of his actions over the past hour. The synopses were detailed descriptions of what he had done during the previous hour--like a realtime biographical element. There was also a person standing across the room from the performer, makeup artist and biographer. He was twirling a microphone by its cord in circles over his head. The microphone was catching air and emitting a whirring sound. The sound filled the room, but no one seemed to be bothered with the noise. Needless to say, this dream segment was quite surreal and strange.

Slept for a short while after coming from lunch/movie. No movement class tomorrow, but it is a possible laundry day. Will flow with the go tomorrow! See what transpires!

4789

Happy Easter! Weekend ends! Dance class tomorrow. Looking forward to being in motion. Have not been in motion much these last few days. Slept a lot. Read quite a bit.

Dreamed last night, but don't recall any details. I think it was another replay dream, but I can't say for sure. It's getting weird to be re-dreaming so many dreams.

Heard a reading of Eudora Welty's Why I Live at the Post Office on NPR. It's the piece that GH does in his one-man shows. The reader on NPR was Stockard Channing. GH's version is much better; he could easily have done the NPR reading.

Looks an early-to-bed night, even though I slept a lot today. I'll rest to be ready for tomorrow's dancing. Dance away!

4790

Good Saturday! Easter on its way! Lunch at BH's today--a hefty, tasty meal. Movie with GH was The Country Teacher, a film from the Czech Republic. It's a new film. It had a flavor of a Dogme 95 film and had beautiful images of a rural village. The script was tight and had several twists and turns that were fun to surf. The script often left the viewer with the task of filling in the blanks--resolving unexplained connections and transitions.

Dreamed last night a mixture of a couple of previous dreams that were morphed into a single dream. The previous actions were merged and extended by last night's dream. Unfortunately, don't recall many details of any of the dreams--I just was aware in last night's dreaming of the connection and extension. There were two men and two women in the dream. We entered the dream (me and one woman, a man and the other woman) from two different rooms. We came together in a narrow hallway. It was like we were in two hotel rooms whose doors opened onto a corridor. When we saw each other, we moved off down the hallway, intent on some action that now isn't clear. There was some overtone of the four of us complementing each other in some way that was going to be useful.

Lots of traffic today! People going helter-skelter everywhere preparing for tomorrow's feasting. TJ's was so crowded at 4pm that I skipped trying to go there and went back later (AN--after napping). Didn't win the MegaMillion lottery last night, but no one else did either--the pot grows and rolls ahead. Need to dream about winning it and have the dream come true. Fa-la-la! Oh, yeah!

4791

Good Friday! And all is well! Or at least as well as it can be, I suppose. Had an acupressure session today, which felt really good. Slept a few hours after coming back from lunch. Picked up a MegaMillions lottery ticket. May the fortunes be with me!

Dreamed last night but don't recall the details. I believe I dreamed about people who had different attributes. In the dream, I was involved in helping find those attributes. Seems like something to do with the genome testing that's being done. The dream had a hi-tech feel to it.

I got the news that Dave Arneson, a co-creator of the D&D role-playing game, has died. The weblogs are full of people's comments and reactions. He was only 61.

I came across this quote from Amma on the World Prayers site --

The greatest tragedy in life is not death; the greatest tragedy takes place when our talents and capabilities are underutilized and allowed to rust while we are living.

Dave wasn't one to let things rust! May he find enjoyment in his newest role!

4792

Went to flowing movement class and PD dance session. Feel good! I was a little tired after the PD dance class, but seemed to restore after eating a late lunch/early dinner. Dance class instructor remarked again on how relaxed I looked just coming from the movement class. I was somewhat zoned after the movement class, but felt OK. Anxiety levels seem to be way down. Alright!

Forgot the content of my dreams from last night. I believe I had a couple of fairly intense dream sessions, but don't recall any details. Oh, well! They will return as needed. An infinity of dreams!

Economy is making motions like it might be on the mend. There are some things beginning to appear as if they are turning around. President O is keeping everything moving. Nice to have someone who is in charge and doing things--anythings.

Easter is almost here. Hoppity happy bunny weekend! Roll out the eggs!

Acupressure session tomorrow. It will help make it a Good Friday! BH had to reschedule lunch for Saturday. My spit kit has arrived at the testing facility. Will soon have my genome mapped. Who were my ancestors? The genes will reveal all! Looking forward to seeing my results.

4793

Dreamed last night that I was on a ranch. Me and several other new riders were trying to break some horses. We were pitched off fairly quickly. Some of the older hands told us not to worry--that we'd get plenty of opportunities to climb back on. Each of us had on new boots that we took off after we got up from being thrown.

As we walked away from the corral, I saw a herd of wild horses running along the base of hill. They were spread out and running like the wind. I saw a fox come leaping out of the woods. The fox ran up behind a foal that was struggling to keep up with the older horses. The fox tried to bite the foal's rear leg. The foal jerked itself out of the fox's grasp. An older stallion took off after the fox. The fox ran into some thick cover, but the horse crashed through the debris, reared up, and struck the fox with its hooves. The stallion then picked up the fox by the nape of its neck, shook it, and tossed it back down the hill to where the other horses were standing. The fox was dead. Several of the horses snorted and kicked the fox's limp body.

I found the new CW dances that we learned on Monday on the web. There were videos of the dances as well as the step descriptions. The web has everything! It's truly amazing what all is there and available in an instant.

Lazy day! No PD exercise class today. Will have both a flowing movement and PD dance class tomorrow. Continue to try and figure out what I think I'm going to do as the future unfolds. I feel stuck in place without a lot of options. Continue to look for a breakthrough, a possibility, a clear path. Waiting and weighting! As time goes by!

4794

Went to Rosen Method movement class this evening. As usual, feel really good after that class. I've been feeling anxious for a few days. The class flattened the anxiety--somehow! I still don't know how doing so little causes such a big response. Will just keep doing it and see what transpires.

Went to the library today. Picked up some more short story collections, plus picked up this month's SciFi periodicals (Asimov and Analog--latest Fantasy and SciFi was not yet on the shelf). I usually don't pick up Analog since they often have a serial story running. This month's Analog was serial-story-free.

Dreamed last night that I was at a concert. At one point, I was asked to come up on stage and play the percussion instruments. I did so and it was fun.

Rained today! A major storm front moved through the area. It also got a bit chilly. As I mentioned above, I've been feeling anxious--about everything! I keep thinking about the future and what it may bring. My thoughts are not all that optimistic. I feel out of control and at the mercy of circumstance. It's like I'm climbing a sheer rock face and can't find any hand holds. I'm feeling fearful and frozen--not really good feelings to be having along with this illness. Such feelings only feed the symptoms. Dancing and movement help! Keep on dancing! Keep on moving!

No PD exercise class tomorrow. Also no movement class next week. It's nearly Easter (and Passover). Bunny up!

4795

Dazed and Confused! Not literally, but the title of today's movie selection. It was the film Linklater made right after Slacker. It portrayed a school's out for the summer night involving a horde of kids from a high school. The film used a lot of the techniques that Linklater used in Slacker. The action ricocheted from character to character during the crazy party night. The film used some people who went on to become stars (Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, for example). The film style was not the Dogme 95 treatment of Slacker, but still had Linklater's touch. He also did School of Rock, which was a "Rocky"-like movie about kids in a boarding school creating a band. It was an OK film, but not as gritty as Slacker.

Went to CW dance class today. Noticed the three week hiatus. The teacher went through five dances today. Most were new to me, so I was stumbling around some. But I came home and found the ones I didn't know on the web. There are YouTube videos for most of the CW line dances. Can let my fingers dance through the steps!

Had a great lunch with BH (salmon, assortment of veggies, pasta and fruit). I was really hungry--from the morning's dance class and a huge bowel movement I took in the morning--I was running on empty when I arrived for lunch.

Dreamed last night about a house being built on the property I once owned in downtown PA. A developer was razing my old house, an adjoining townhouse complex, and a few other surrounding homes. He was building a large house that would utilize all of the land where the razed buildings once stood. I was walking around the neighborhood with someone, looking at what was being done. We came up onto a bluff and nearly walked over a sheer drop that had been created by the removal of several buildings. I was upset that all the places were being destroyed. I wanted to do something to keep the development from happening. I awoke still feeling upset and annoyed.

4796

Sent my spit kit off to the testing laboratory. Will be several (like 10) weeks before they post my results. In the meanwhile, I've been going through the surveys of the site. The surveys capture data about me (hair color, handedness, and many other attributes) that will be put into a general research database.

I don't recall my dreams from last night. I tossed and turned a lot last night. Had some difficulty falling asleep, and some difficulty getting up. Went to the farmer's market. Saw a host of people that I knew. Visited a while with LL. Came back and, of course, took a nap.

Feeling somewhat adrift. CW dance class starts tomorrow. It will be good to get back to dancing more. But still feeling adrift. Like I'm caught in an eddy, spinning round and round. Repeating! Repeating! Can't shake loose from the sense of swimming in circles. The same scenery keeps going past. The drift goes on!

4797

Taxes are done! Thank you Turbo Tax! I probably don't even have to file, but I'm doing so in order to have documentation that I don't have to do it. I'm not comfortable not filing since I made my deal with the IRS on back taxes. Better documented than sorry!

Have been spending more time on the computer recently. I seem to be able to concentrate more than I've been doing. That's true once I get up. My bio-clock is still shifted and I'm getting to sleep late and waking up late in the morning. Oh, well! Walked the park route today after getting a light lunch. Slept some when I returned. Spent some time on a little project my Dragon friend sent my way--mentoring a team of game makers. Interesting project!

Dreamed last night a "repeat memory" dream about separating from my spouse. It was a painful dream--reliving those weeks, months and eventually years of divergence. In a related dream, I was clearing out a house or apartment--sorting through a mass of items (clothes, books, papers, art work, and more). A couple of friends were helping me. There was so many things that I didn't need--that were being set aside for recycling or sending to the dump. The dream segment was sad feeling. I awoke heavy and dark.

I will fill up my "spit kit" tomorrow in order to send it in for processing. In the meanwhile I'll begin taking some of the online surveys on the 23andme site. Looking forward to helping build a data base of patient information that can be used for research. I spit therefore I am!

4798

Watched the movie Slacker today. It is a Dogme 95-style film that was made in the USA. It was made with natural light using hand-held cameras, and so forth. The film followed a thread of people interactions, branching off with each new encounter to track the newest subject. It was like a journey through many people's encounters as they ricocheted off of each other. A sort of slice of life where the slice was made across a collection of "slackers" who were killing time with their idiosyncratic pursuits.

BH made a tasty lunch. I went to the acupressure session in the morning. When I came back from lunch/movie, I felt like sleeping. I conked out for several hours. Almost didn't wake up. When I did awaken, I thought it was Saturday morning already. Took me a while to realize that it was still Friday. I felt completely disoriented until I sorted out the actual time.

Dreamed last night a pair of dreams. One involved being near a river. I, as an adult, was looking for me, as a child. The child me was out on the river fishing. The child me was in a boat with a man who was like a father. On the shore, the adult me was searching for the boat. There seemed to be some type of problem that I was trying to resolve by finding the boat.

A second dream found me in a gathering of many people. Most of the people were my relatives. There were others who were friends. We were all together in a primitive village. We were arranged into groups. Each group was arranged in lines and columns, forming large rectangles of bodies when viewed from above. The various groups were moving back and forth like large rectangles floating toward and away from each other. Everyone was dressed in white, flowing outfits. It was like there was some type of celebration underway. I was in one of the groups, but was also hovering above the area getting an overview of the activities.

I think the dreams were triggered by me receiving my "spit kit" for genome testing and by me exploring the 23andme site's various PD community features. The site definitely made me think of "ancestors" and genetic connections. Will send in my kit on Monday. Meanwhile, it's tax time!

4799

Had two classes today--Rosen Method movement and PD dance. The movement class really relaxed my body. I could have gone down for a nap afterwards, but there was the PD dance class to attend. The dance instructor remarked on how relaxed I looked. The dance class was fun. It's really pleasing to not have the illness be the focus. It has to be accommodated, but the focus is on rhythm, movement, and grace--poetry in motion! That focus seems to make all the difference. Exercise is good and has its place, but free unfettered movement is something else.

Both the movement and dance classes extend out into the early weeks of summer. Keep on moving!

Don't recall anything about my dreams from last night. I read into the early hours of the morning, finishing up a collection of short stories compiled by Orson Scott Card. They are a mixture of SciFi and fantasy pieces that he originally published/edited for his web site. One of those stories triggered my Souvenirs of Elvis dream.

Tomorrow is acupressure and lunch/movie times. Rolling into the weekend. Roll on, roll on!

4800

April Fool's Day! I fooled myself and slept through the afternoon. I went to the PD exercise class. I felt a bit tired when I got back and went horizontal. I did get up around 6pm for my medication, but lay back down again. I slept like a log! So it goes!

Dreamed last night about Souvenirs of Elvis. My sister had a shop by that name for many years. In the dream, we were cutting up his skeleton and selling them as relics. It was like he was a saint and we were supplying sacred relics that were made from his body parts. The dream was not all that macabre, although it seems that it should be. The dream was perhaps triggered by the fact that my spit kit arrived--my genome testing materials. I had also had just read a short story about encountering aliens that had an Elvis punch line ending. Ahhh! The dreams we dream!

The spit kit is a very elegant version of the spit kits I was using a bit over a year ago--when I was testing for digestive issues. The packaging of the kit has a classy look and feel. The written instructions are clear and precise. I get to spit up my ancestors! Oh, boy!

PD exercise class was alright today. It still is highly focused on the disease and not the enjoyment of moving. We seem to spend a lot of our time rehashing known variables. Tomorrow, I do a double class--movement followed by dance. And somewhere along the line I'll fill up my spit kit! Lots of enjoyment!