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What went well today:

• The weather was beautiful today. Some wind but really nice.
• It was quiet today--the horde of kids were elsewhere.
• I slept in this morning and went back to sleep after a late breakfast. Went out for a late midday meal.
• Watched one movie that I'll never have to see again. It was Blue Velvet--a dumb, gratuitous, poorly written thriller that was ultimately just dumb.
• Also watched a Czech film, Give My Love to the Swallows, which I realized once it started that I had seen it before. It's a sad film about a woman who is imprisoned during the Nazi invasion. It uses her flashbacks and flash forwards to weave the tale of how she was treated and ultimately put to death. It's an intriguing film but sad.
• I dreamed last night that I was an envoy to a South American country. The dream was set in a past time before any modernization or industrialization. The initial interactions when I landed on their shores was a combination of ritual and performance. The person that met me was clothed in gold armor. I was holding a bundled gift that was wrapped in gold cloth. I was supposed to throw the bundle to the person in gold armor. He was to catch it and welcome me into their domain. We managed to exchange that opening action and their warriors step aside to allow us to enter.
• In a second part of the dream, which took place some time after the initial landing, I was at the home of the leader of the country. He had prepared a feast in our honor. He was a genial host who kept prompting us to eat and drink. He kept the servants busy bringing forth dish after dish and making sure our goblets were filled. At one point, there was a performance of some sort planned for the attendees and we retired to the amphitheater. Meanwhile, late arriving guests were being welcomed and encouraged to move on to the performance. It was a gala event. As the envoy to their region, I felt welcomed and at ease.