4587

No ghosts or goblins tonight! All quiet on the apartment front. October ends and November begins. And it begins again--we switch back to normal time tonight (tomorrow). Falling back! Back to "normal" time, whatever that may be.

What happens if a woman births a pair of twins and the first child is born at 1:50 DST and the second child is born at 1:10 standard time (2:10 DST)? Is the second child born before the first child? Who inherits the kingdom?

Dreamed some last night but nothing that I can remember. Maybe I'll have a double dream tonight when time repeats itself. Dream on!

4588

Had a good acupressure session today. Then a luscious lunch with BH--papaya, cioppino, salad, juice, fruit and cookies. GH and I watched Kurismaki's Bohemian Life (La Boheme). It was touching film. It was simple and straight forward but very real. The opera makes the characters bigger than life. In the movie, they are ordinary, but kooky, people who are trying to live life.

I dreamed a couple of dense dreams last night. Right now, I can't seem to recall any details. There was something to do with a product or object called Zoe. The dreams revolved around this product in some unknown (now) ways.

I've eaten a lot of food over the past few days. My digestion seems to be doing well despite the variety of stuff I've consumed. It's been a pleasure to eat a more diverse collection of foods. Winter is a'comin' in! And the appetites are up. Hoarding for the winter!

Halloween tomorrow! And time to set the clocks back an hour to return to normal time on Sunday. And soon a full moon! Hoo, hoo, hoo! The confluence of things!

4589

Cool last night! Woke up early. Went back to sleep and then had trouble getting up and out for the movement class. Made it though. Class felt good (I felt good walking over to the session). Brisk air was nice.

Dreamed a set of dreams last night. In one dream, I was with another guy and we were doing exercises in the balcony area of huge sports arena. We were standing in the aisles that separated the sections of seats and marching up and down the aisles doing exercises. He was in one aisle and I was in another. We would run up the aisles, run backwards back down to the railing, and intersperse arm waves and such while we moved. It was energizing and was a lot of fun. I kept expecting that some security people would appear and stop us, but that never happened.

A second dream involved me looking at some human organ-like objects. I think there was four different states that the organs could take. If the organ was in the first state, I would excise large dark segments from the organ. If in the second state, I would trim away some of the darker regions. In the third state the dark areas were small and I would cut away the dark elements. In the fourth state, the organ was greatly reduced in size but had no dark spots. I did nothing if the organ was in the fourth state. It was like factory work. I stood at a station and the organs would come to me on a conveyor belt. I would make my assessment, cut if necessary, and send the organ onward. I felt somewhat distant and did the task automatically. I felt as if I were helping the organ or the organ's owner in some way.

Acupressure session tomorrow and meal and movie with the H's.

4590

Did some walking today (after doing my laundry). Discovering that I'm experiencing a lot of tightness in my lower back. I feel tight and achy in that area. Walking gave me some relief, but also some feelings of tightness. I did some back exercises while stretched out on the floor. That activity also gave me some relief.

Dreamed last night but don't recall what I dreamed about. It was a bit cool last night and I lost my dreams as I awoke several times to pull up the covers.

Movement class tomorrow. The week has zoomed by. Days spin past. And time keeps going.

4591

Cooler weather! Windy and chilly! Slept in this morning since I didn't have a PD dance class. Made it out for lunch (plate of ravioli with great sourdough bread). Went to Mike's Cafe. Will add that place to my eating choices.

Went to movement class tonight. Felt good! Feel really calm and at peace. The class is magical!

Dreamed an elaborate dream last night. I was in a consulting company. I was working on a project that was doing some analytical work that involved mathematics and modeling. The place was chaotic. There were employees and clients milling about everywhere. The office complex was huge. There was a juice bar in one corner of the complex. People were really friendly and seemed to be helping each other with projects and tasks. At one point, I was in a big meeting with a number of clients and a members of our team. The activities in the meeting were exciting and challenging. I was really glad to be working there.

No PD exercise class tomorrow. I'll do my laundry and of course sleep some more. Maybe do some walking. Will fill out my ballot and mail it out tomorrow. Voting day next Tuesday!

4592

Good CW dance class today. Felt good to move. We did a Halloween dance--the Monster Mash. Had lunch with BH--steamed dumplings (sausage, prawns), cole slaw, fish, backed yams, juice, and a plum tart. It was a lot of food, but I ate it up.

GH and I watched a Kourismaki film The Match Factory Girl. It was quite an engaging movie. It was marked by many of his signature features, but was also more focused than his other films we've watched. The film was a tense thriller with lots of shots where the viewer is left hanging to make up what might be coming next. It was very Hitchcockian. He is a very unique director, writer, and producer.

Dreamed last night but no details. In fact, I slept so well that I almost didn't awaken in time to get to dance class. I did make it, but it was a close call today.

4593

Had lunch with P (at Mike's Cafe--good food) and then we went to GH's theater piece--an early version of Strike Up the Band. He is a delight! He's put together a masterful single-actor version of the musical that he performs. As someone once remarked about him, he is a national treasure.

It was enjoyable to see P again. It's been quite a while since we've touched base. She too is a delight!

I dreamed a wild series of dreams last night. The first part involved two teams of men who were playing a wild game of King on the Hill. I was with the team going up the hill. There were several routes to the top and we were split into smaller groups so we could attack along as many paths as possible. When we clashed, there was a lot of physicality and peopled were tossed back down the paths. The game was serious but all in fun. We were all having a good time even though the contact was very physical.

A second dream involved three of us from the game dream walking along a railroad track. We were looking for a guy who had stolen an infant. We came up on this abandoned station. We knew the guy was in the place. We yelled and told him to come out. An old woman appeared at the door and handed us the baby. Meanwhile, the guy we were chasing had crept out of the back door and was moving off into the distance. I put my light on him, but we let him go. There was some discussion about messing with a track switch and sending a train down the tracks that led to the abandoned station--to smash into it and destroy it. We ended up not taking that action.

It's still fairly early and I'm kind of tired from today's ventures. I seemed to shake a lot when I was with P and later at GH's. I was out of my regular routine and I'm feeling it. CW dance class tomorrow and a visit with the H's for a meal and movie. After I sleep the night away!

4594

Dreamed last night that my driver's license had expired. It's not due to expire until 2010. I knew that in the dream and could see the expiration date on the license--2010. But the intensity of the dream was such that I awoke. It was 3AM in the morning! I got up and looked at my real license. It will expire next year, in 2010! In the dream, I also started thinking about everything that's coming due--car registration, insurance, and so forth. I finally fell back asleep.

Going to hear GH's latest show tomorrow. Will be going with P. Looking forward to the outing.

I feel really creaky today. I've been stretching more. It feels good to do so, especially since I'm so crunched up.

4595

Lunch today with BH--cheeses, salsa, chips, sandwich on a Kaiser roll, juice and plum pastry with ice cream. Delicious! Went there after my acupressure session. GH and I watched a Kourismaki film Leningrad Cowboys Go to America. The film was a bit whacky--like the Beluchi Brothers take a road trip through America and Mexico. Nothing spectacular! Just some Finnish kind of fun.

Dreamed a strange dream last night. The first part involved a dead infant. The body was hidden in a lab area and people were coming through the place. I didn't want to announce to everyone that the corpse was there, so I kept diverting everyone's attention to other things. Finally, everyone left the lab, including me. We were standing around outside. I was trying to act normally, but my thoughts kept returning to what was inside. The dream went on from there, but I don't recall the details. It was a strange and eerie dream!

I didn't take a nap today. I'm a bit tired so I'll go horizontal somewhat early tonight. The weekend arrives! A waxing crescent moon!

4596

Movement, movement, movement! I did movement today. Regular instructor was back from vacation. Too bad the class isn't a bit larger. Perhaps it will attract a few more people.

Came back from lunch, after the movement class, and went back to bed. I slept for a couple of hours. It feels good to sleep but I worry about how much I seem to be doing. The classes I take do crank up my energy level a bit, but only for a brief time. I quickly devolve and want to be back asleep.

Have an acupressure session with lunch and a movie tomorrow. The month seems to have blasted by.

I dreamed a lot last night and today but the details have faded. I know I was dreaming about something or someplace that I have dreamed about before. There was a déjà vu element about the dreaming that I do recall. Dreams within dreams! The spiral of sleep!

4597

Had a PD exercise class today. Almost slept in too late to make it to the class. Had to skip breakfast (did grab a banana) in order to get to the class on time. Class was a bit smaller than usual. I recently thought about the people who have dropped the class. There are several people who used to be regulars who haven't shown up in a while. When the class time changed we lost several people.

Even though I slept a monumental amount of time, I still don't recall any dream content. Where have all the dreamings gone? Into the collective unconsciousness!

Movement class tomorrow. Where goes the time?

4598

No PD dance class today so, guess what, I slept in. Of course, I didn't get to sleep until around 3AM. I started reading one of F. Paul Wilson's thrillers and I didn't want to put it down. He writes in a machine gun style that moves the action along at warp speed. I had picked up his collection of short fiction last week and that directed me to his huge list of titles. He's incredibly prolific and seems to write like a madman.

Made it to movement class--which, as usual, was great. Enjoyed moving about. The class seemed to zoom by. It went by so quickly.

Dreamed last night (today) but lost the details. They seemed to be about sleeping (for some strange reason). Have a PD exercise class tomorrow. My hip/leg seem to be doing better and better. Didn't have much that happened from yesterday's line dance class or tonight's movement session. Feeling good! May it continue!

4599

CW dance class this morning as the rains came down. Danced two new dances and six others. Felt good! Two new dances were good ones. One was had a Latin flavor. The other was a funky CW kicker.

Lunch with BH included an array of vegetables (zucchini, salad, beets, potatoes), fish, juice and apple pie. GH and I watched a movie by Finnish film-maker Aki Kaurismäki. We watched Ariel, one of his earlier works. It was a terse, direct film that kept the plot moving forward with little excess or elaboration. It wasn't a really great film, but will provide a contrast with his later works.

Dreamed last night that I was involved in a job interview. There were three people--a manager or HR interviewer, a woman, and myself. The dream content seemed to be vague. There was nothing in the dream that seemed exciting or complex.

No PD dance class tomorrow. Instructor is on a trip to India. Will be back in December. Still have a movement class on tap.

4600

Deep sleep! I slept in this morning, getting up finally to eat some breakfast. Then, back to bed for a few hours. Got up and out in the early afternoon. Ran a few errands and came back and went to sleep. Slept for several hours and am now wide awake. Feel really refreshed. I have a pile of new books to read if I have trouble falling asleep later tonight. CW dance class in the morning and my ritual Monday afternoon with the H's.

One dream from last night had four men standing together. Two of the men faced the other two. They were trying to figure out something about themselves. They each were a different race: African American, Asian, Latino, and Caucasian. There was something about their racial backgrounds that they were trying to unravel. I'm amazed that out of all the sleep I did that only this tiny fragment of the dream scape remains. I seem to get nothing, almost no messages, regarding my state of being--about what I can do to unwind this tangle related to my PD symptoms. Life continues to spin and twirl. The laughter echoes through the thunder. May the crystal dreams return!

4601

Sleepy day! Very sleepy day! I got up late morning and went back to sleep after breakfast. Finally got up and went out for lunch. May go back to sleep again... maybe! I'm not sure that would be such a good idea though. It's still early. If I fall asleep now I'll be up half the night.

I dreamed last night but the details have slipped back into the collective subconscious.

I'm feeling like I'm caught in a endless cycle, a forever whirl that keeps spinning and growing. I can't get a purchase on the edgeless arêtes of my days, the deep valleys of my dreams. Days become other days without any noticeable seams. Nights are filled with vagrant dreams and looming shadows.

Someone in Virginia won the MegaMillion jackpot. Just one winner! They collect a cool $200MM. May they see good fortune from their good fortune.

4602

Got an acupressure session today. Felt really good. I came home and fell asleep in my chair. I almost slept through lunch time. Did get to BH's though and had a tasty fete--guacamole, steamed carrots and fava beans, potatoes, vegeburger, duck, tomatoes, juice and fruit.

GH and I watched Kusturica's Underground. It was a lengthy film but for the most part absorbing. It was quite funny at the beginning and dark and moving at the end. The director's cut is twice as long. It would be interesting to see it, perhaps.

Feeling a bit logy tonight. Weather is clammy again. Weekend arrives!

4603

Did a movement class today. Felt good but I seemed to put a kink back into my leg/hip. Can't shake whatever is causing the problem. Will do an acupressure session tomorrow. Expect that to provide relief.

Dreamed last night that I was with three other guys. We were camping in some kind of hiking area in a cabin. We had arrived at the camp and were settling in for the evening. We all seemed to have trouble falling asleep. One of the men was an old childhood friend of mine. We took forever to get to sleep. We seemed to awaken soon after we went to sleep. I actually woke up when I woke up in the dream.

The weather has turned hot and sultry. It's like being in the tropics. The humidity is high. Bought my lottery ticket for the next five draws. Pot is up to $200MM! Let the good luck flow!

4604

PD exercise class today. The regular instructor is out with a bum knee. Her replacement is more of a drill and push type. It will take her some time to settle in and smooth out her routines. The regular instructor had everything figured out. Hope her knee gets better quickly. She had me do a simple set of line dance steps, which was fun even without music. Line dance steps, in general, are challenging to people who are having trouble with their gait. But there may be something there.

Dreamed last night that I was helping a woman get some car repair work done. The mechanic was a man from the men's team--RR. He was in charge of the garage and explained what repairs needed to be done. The dream was positive and left a good feeling around what was done in the dream.

Have a movement class tomorrow. I'm a bit tired this afternoon. The PD class was more active than usual and I did my laundry afterwards.

4605

Rain! Torrents of rain drumming on the roof. Wind blowing at gale force. Trees rocking back and forth as if celebrating the deluge.

Went to PD dance class this morning. It's the final session until the class restarts in December. Six weeks of break. Seems like a long time without the class. Instructor is heading to India--dancing in the Himalayas. Dancing at the top of the Earth!

Also went to movement class this afternoon. Like always, it was a good session. The class goes by so quickly. It never seems to drag or get boring. Have a PD exercise class tomorrow--and a laundry day. Life goes on!

Contents of last night's dreams disappeared in the rain storm--into the pelting of raindrops on the roof.

4606

Went to a CW dance class today. It seemed like I was heavy today. My feet didn't seem to want to move. I seemed to be lagging the music. The class felt lengthy and drawn out. But made it through.

Lunch with BH was as always a treat -- pickled beets, artichoke, tomatoes in oil, potatoes, fish, pickled red pepper, juice, fruit and brownies. Sounds like a lot of food but the portions were not huge--they were just right!

GH and I watched another Kurustica film--White Cat, Black Cat. It was a good film. Perhaps a bit more drawn out and deliberate than his other films. Still, it was well done and filled with many twists and turns.

Dreamed last night but don't recall what the dream(s) were about. Weather is cooling down. Rain is forecast for tonight. Bring on the rain!

4607

Picked up some interesting short story books today. One is call Sum and contains 40 short pieces regarding alternate afterlives. The other is called AM/PM and is a collection of short fiction pieces that are one paragraph in length. A loose narrative thread weaves through the pieces. Each piece is a dense, rich vignette with multiple surprises.

Also picked up a collection called Aftershock, which has an intriguing structure. I've not gotten deeply into it yet, but it seems promising.

I slept a lot today (nothing new!). CW dance class tomorrow followed by a feast with BH and a film with GH. Meanwhile, I'll dig into the new books.

4609-4608

Had an acupressure session yesterday. BH fixed a great lunch--seafood dish, papaya, pasta, bread, juice, cookies and fruit. GH and I watched Kusturica's When Father was Away on Business. Good film!

Dreamed last night that I was with a group of people who were scavenging for food and supplies. We came upon a complex of survival cabins that people had prepared for emergency use. The cabins were stocked with food, bottled water, tools, and all manner of gear and equipment. We broke into one of the places and set up there. We moved from place to place occasionally, but only stayed in a few places out of the many that we found. We kept watch to make sure we weren't surprised by one of the owners coming around to check his or her property.

I slept in this morning. Got up and ate breakfast, then went back sleep for a few hours. Went out for a while to get some food and run errands. Feeling like I want to get back in bed even though it's still early.

4610

Movement class today was not very big. Just three people! Still was a good session. Regular instructor is on vacation. Replacement instructor is not as smooth but the movement still does its thing!

I think my medication is starting to not last the whole day. I seem to be twitchy when I wake up as if the medication is wearing off at night. I also seem to get twitchy in the afternoon before I take my afternoon dose. Could be that I'm just more anxious for some reason. I've been on reduced medication for over a year now. The twitchiness is not always present, but I feel like it's more present than it has been. Will keep watching when it comes and goes.

Dreamed last night but don't recall what I dreamed about. I slept in some this morning. Didn't take a nap in the afternoon. Feeling somewhat logy right now. Acupressure, lunch and a movie tomorrow.

4611

Had a PD exercise class today. New instructor doesn't use music so activity is more like an aerobics class. Will mention it to the old instructor as something that is not as helpful as it used to be. Between the aerobic-like exercise and the informational materials the class is just not much fun.

Dreamed last night something that was prompted by a conversation I heard over lunch. Next to my table was a trio of young guys who were discussing some business issues. They seemed to be the founders of a small company and were talking about a fourth employee that they needed to confront. They were going over possible scenarios of how they were going to approach this person and clarify some expectations and procedures. I dreamed that I was in a start up that had a lot of really young employees. My father was head of the company and many issues of how the business was to proceed went through him. There were a host of decisions that had to be cleared by him. Because of this there was a continual need to meet with him, make presentations, and get his approval. Everything ran smoothly. I was happy to be working in the company and dealing with the various issues that arose.

I came home from the PD class today and slept like a log for several hours. Sleep! So fine! Movement class tomorrow!

4612

Went to PD dance and the movement class today. Felt good to be there. Came home from lunch and slept a bit between activities. The nap before movement class makes things go smoothly.

Dreamed last night that I was in a gigantic movie theater. The place was toweringly huge and had seats for hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people. There was a section in the theater that was reserved for local residents of the town where the theater was located. That reserved section also happened to be the best seats in the house. This setup caused an incredible amount of turmoil as people took seats but were asked to relocate since their tickets didn't show a local resident code. I was in the reserved section, but in some seats that had a poor sight line to the screen. I still felt uncomfortable and expected to be ousted at any minute. The movie was a science fiction saga with spectacular special effects and battle scenes. There were some people I got to know while jockeying for seats. I hadn't known a single person but sort of became acquainted with some of the seat grabbers. It felt good to know someone even if it was such a superficial connection.

Reading one of Saramago's books. Touch sledding! The writing is dense and oddly punctuated making it difficult to follow and parse. Not sure if I'll finish it. Life is too short!

Big MegaMillion jackpot tonight! May the good numbers roll! $122MM on the line!

4613

CW dance class today! I was a bit tired by the end of the class, but it felt good to be moving. The dance floor was really smooth and not sticky. That condition makes it much easier to do turns and movements.

Lunch with BH--a feast of tomatoes and avocado, baked yellow beets, asparagus, a luscious daube (beef stew), juice and cheesecake. I was hungry after dancing for 1.5 hours.

GH and I watched Time of the Gypsies, a Kusturica film. It was a lush film with many twists and turns--with some hard to face scenarios of child abduction, child trafficking, and life in a gypsy camp. The end of the film somehow evoked a similar scene from another movie--or I had seen this film before and had forgotten that I had done so. I think not, but there were elements in the film that seemed really familiar.

Dreamed last night (it was a cool night), but I don't recall any details. PD dance class and a movement session in the morrow. The dance goes on!

4614

Weekend ends! Coolness falls upon the fall landscapes. Life goes on!

Dreamed last night that I was in an acting troupe. I was working with some of the actors to have a set built for a special performance. It was something we were doing that was outside of our scheduled performances. For that reason, we were having to make the set covertly. It was a colorful piece that was adorned with ribbons and sparkling materials. There was a chair that was part of the set that would be used by an actor who would play one of the parts. We had gotten the set built, but had to hide it from the director. He would be upset to find out that we had used some of the theater's resources to bootleg the production of the set. Although, he would eventually see the piece when we put on the surprise performance. The dream was light and airy--filled with color and fun as we finagled getting the set made.

Daughter's birthday today! Happy B-day, kiddo! Many more. Got some news that one of my daughters-in-law is dealing with Lyme's Disease. Sad to hear how far along she is with the illness. She's in good spirits, but the prognosis is not all that good.

Made an editorial pass through a friend's manuscript today (40 pages). Felt good to do some work. I think I gave him some valuable feedback.

4615

Had another round of credit card craziness. In August, I got a notification from one of my credit card companies that the card had been compromised. They said they were canceling the card and issuing a new one. They did so and in September I got a new card. With the activation of the new card I had to reset any of my bills that I pay online. I had to notify the billing companies that my credit card had changed. I did so and all went along until I got a billing statement.

On the billing statement, I noticed that it showed a new (#3) account number. I looked online and sure enough the online account was pointing to the new account number. I called the customer service people. They informed me that I had been issued a new card number. The old account (#2) had been canceled and replaced--the one I had just received a month ago. Turns out, they had enrolled me in a bonus points program and that action had triggered the creation of yet another new card and such. What a rigmarole! So I'm back to notifying my online billing companies of this latest change. When the customer service person asked I needed anything else, I told her to put a note in my file requesting that they quit giving me a new card every month!

Dreamed last night that I was in a house. The house had four doors that led to the outside areas of the house. I was trying to make sure all four doors were shut and locked. For some reason, I couldn't get them all closed and locked. People kept materializing inside the house and leaving by different doors. Some people with keys also kept arriving, leaving a door open as they entered. It was a helter-skelter operation to try and get the place secured.

It's cooled down quite a lot today and into this evening. The chill is upon us!

4616

Acupressure, lunch and a movie! Good day! Acupressure session felt great--stiffness in my hip joint was reduced when I walked over to get the treatment. The treatment helped loosen things even more.

BH fixed a great lunch (some lox and cream cheese, roasted carrots, avocado, rice, chard, salmon, juice and apple crisp)! GH and I watched Requiem for a Dream by Aronofsky (the person that did Pi). Intense film! But definitely well done. Incredible camera work, especially when the camera was used to portray the various drug states.

Dreamed last night about being in a house that was near the train tracks. Had bought the house and moved in without noticing that a busy train route was just across the canyon from the house. The trains came through at the busy commute times in bunches. Even in the off-commute hours there were always some trains going past--passenger and freight. The trains rattled the doors and windows. There was a station just up the tracks where trains stopped and started continuously. Even so, the dream was still fairly positive and upbeat. Roll on!

No nap this afternoon so am feeling a bit logy tonight. Will head for the bed soon and read some. The weekend arrives!

4617

Went to movement class today. Good class! Came away feeling good. Had lunch and went to sleep for a couple of hours.

Dreamed last night that I was responsible for a project report on a project that was being terminated. I was on a college campus or a think tank. The project had been stopped. I was writing the final report that analyzed what the project had accomplished and what still needed to be done. There were several people waiting for the report. I kept assuring everyone that I was on track for completing everything and making a delivery fairly soon. At one point, we were all in an auditorium with everyone cheering for a team playing on the field. It was a loud and exuberant scene.

This afternoon I dreamed that I was on a train. There were lots of passengers. I was a conductor. The train was traveling through the night. People were selling articles that they were wearing or carried. A woman gave me a bracelet and asked me to sell it for her. I had no idea what the thing was worth. I asked her and she gave me a large number. I realized my father was on the train and I sought him out and asked him what the bracelet was worth. He gave a number that was not quite as large as what the woman had told me, but still fairly large. We came into a station and some new passengers came on board. I wanted to approach them and ask them if they wanted the bracelet, but I was reluctant to do so. I awoke because it was hot in the room.