Thursday, December 30, 1999

Dream: Vacation, the Train and the Friend.

Had a rough sleeping night due to getting up after 3 hours to hit the airport and bring Dave home. Tried to stay up after that but sleep won taking me down on the cough for a while. I woke up long enough to drag myself to bed where I went into sleep bliss for a few hours. Then I woke up too early and did the in and out of sleep lay in bed thing for another 2 and 1/2 hours. So this dream is all that I can remember but very much less coherent as I can't remember the order of events.

I am on vacation. Steph and I went to a restaurant, which seemed to be closed but was open. We ate something and stuff happened. Afterwards we went for a walk through town. Steph went into a store and I jumped on the train to go down to the end of the street. This was a full sized train and I was on the front of it, which had a handrail and lookout platform that was right in front of the engineer. As the train moved slowly across the final street I noticed the track turned left and went on as far as I could see without stops. I tried to climb down but the engineer was in the way. He said I would have to wait till the next stop. I figured I could walk it back and hoped Steph wouldn't get too mad. The train's next stop was an airport. Surprisingly, sitting outside the airport was an old friend of mine, Pat McCoy. This was odd since I was on vacation far away from anyplace I would normally be so meeting a friend here was an odd coincidence.

I walked up to Pat, we said hello and the usual greetings. There was some kind of contest going on inside the airport but no one could get inside for some reason.

After leaving, I remember a lot of driving, looking for a specific section of the airport. Cannot remember much else.
posted by Jeff Gatlin 12/30/99 3:58:19 AM

Tuesday, December 28, 1999

Dream: Battle of the Wolf Spider Monsters

I was supposed to go find out what was happening at a major speech of some dignitary. I go and find that it is proclaimed that this young girl is fated to become a wolf monster. A leader type and a couple of cronies who are apparently wolf monsters but in human form take the girl. I do not want this to happen to the girl so I follow. We arrive at the driveway to my home to talk about the girl, but she has already started to change into a wolf monster. The leader tosses the girl down a hole, which is the lair of the wolf monsters. Not knowing exactly what to do, I jump into the hole after her. At the bottom there are more monsters. So they won't recognize me as an enemy, I begin to change form, wolfing out to look like them. I fight a couple of cronies and shove the girl away from the rest. Then the queen arrives which is in the form of two giant spider-like monsters. She says there is no need for fighting as we can accept the girl into our family in the proper way. She then turns to me thinking I am the leader since I look like him and commands that I commune with her. I submit allowing her to attach herself to my two big toes, which are available through my torn shoes. I feel an odd calm but do not lose control of my mind. During this time Dave yells out, 'No Stop' but none of the monsters react. The queen releases me and we begin to move further back into the lair. Just then one of the cronies says, 'Hey, why are there three leaders here?' All the monsters stop. Since I am two of the leaders, the queens head for the third to commune with it and does so. Commander Riker says, "Ok what's the plan. Someone complains about him talking because he will give us all away but Riker says, 'It's ok. They cannot hear us. I know because they ignored Dave when the queens were communing. The commune ends and a fight begins. The queens proclaim that they will grow stronger, adapting all our weapons to their own until they have the most powerful weapons, some of which will be giant skeletal based bugs with skin armor. We begin to shoot at their web, knocking the weapons out of it with our own until enough of the web has been destroyed that we win the battle. Someone says to save a little of the web so we can learn their technology. A second battle begins this time the queens are fighting against the new web weapon; not realizing this is reinforcement for the monsters. When it is mostly destroyed this time I say leave it, we can use the rest of it for study. The queens back down. Soon after, Edward Woodward shows up and demands I tell him what happened at the speech. I begin to tell him everything I just told you. I wake up.
posted by Jeff Gatlin 12/28/99 9:42:31 PM

Sunday, December 26, 1999

Dream: Gathering of Friends and Baseballs

Two distinct sections here though which came first I cannot remember. Several unidentified friends and I are running through a building, going from door to door looking for something. It feels much like running thru a map of Quake or Unreal where you tend to run thru passages without knowing where you need to go. I come upon a sign saying something like Seats 1 through 5 Rows A thru B and I think 'Yes' this is close to the playing field. From this point, I am definitely in a baseball stadium. I keep moving, coming across other signs and feeling like I am getting closer to where I need to go. A baseball is hit high as you can tell from the crowd's excitement and it must be headed our way because one of my friends catches it. Quickly, a referee shows up and begins talking with Andy who has the ball. He explains to the referee that because we caught the ball, we all deserve an upgrade to our software. My friends listening in on the conversation are hopeful. The referee is half squatted down and listening closely. I keep expecting him to throw up his hands and say 'Touchdown' but this is supposed to be a baseball ref. The referee nods to Andy and begins to return to the field to consult with the other referees. As he steps into a large freight elevator heading down, he comments that he believes Andy is correct. We all are excited that now we will all have updated copies of F15 Flight Sim. Dave Metzener steps up and says 'Hey, doesn't this have multiplayer capability?' Andy says, "Yes but the game is too difficult for us to be able to play that way." -Fade out-

In some other building, I am at a gathering of old friends from high school. I walk up to three girls that I recognize, Donna McGinn, Debbie Garza and Susan Oliver. They are all wearing formal dresses shaded in a tan color. I comment on how their dresses look very lovely and quite tan. They proclaim thank you but your outfit is tan too! They are right! I look down to see I am wearing a plain tan shirt. I lose track of the order here as I remember wandering through my apartment complex outside, trying to find someplace specific. Then a shift and I am in my house (back in Grand Prairie) and my friend Fred and some girl I recognize but cannot identify are trying to go to sleep. Fred has a small pile of papers with important numbers on them. I say I am going to take them and copy them so I can have a copy of these important numbers too. Fred agrees but really just wants to sleep. There are some odd shaped chocolate kisses next to the girl. I say I want to take them as well to get them copied. The girl says that the chocolates are made with a special recipe. I take them and head for the kitchen. Once there I have no idea just how I plan to copy a tray of chocolate kisses, thinking I must figure out a way to break down the ingredients in some scientific manner. I decide to eat one since they have magical properties. I grab an odd shaped one and eat it. It tastes ok but nothing strange happens. I don't remember anything past this.
posted by Jeff Gatlin 12/26/99 4:14:44 PM

Saturday, December 25, 1999

Dream: Tiajuana Airline Jockey

Massive jumble of dreams tonight. Will be hard to separate them into anything that makes sense, but oh well that's the nature of dreams.

I was at work, which in this case meant I was at my radio station at the console for I was a part time radio disc jockey. At the console, I was listening to our radio show that was currently playing the Howard Stern show. Howard and the gang were talking about their latest contest and how people should call in to try and win. I had previously been calling in like mad trying to win and was just now realizing that Hey, I am probably not eligible cause I work at the same station. -Fade out-

I am involved in the hiring of new pilots for our airplane service to Mexico. We are particularly worried about terrorists that might have rocket launchers getting into our planes. We interview and find a couple of pilots who we are impressed with, but they proclaim that they only fly to Mexico on Wednesdays and return on Saturdays. We figure this is slightly inconvenient but ok so they are hired. With the pilots is both of the planes they brought with them, they are larger than I expected and painted red along the front. They have long noses. I am worried, thinking how am I gonna get these huge planes on top of my house without crushing the roof. I am now on the plane inspecting it, and there's at least one guy with a rocket launcher in there somewhere and I don't like that.

There's more, including some sexy stuff with a cartoon quality woman on a beach, but I've lost it in the waking jumble.
posted by Jeff Gatlin 12/25/99 1:08:29 PM

Journal: Diary of the Lizard Feeder, Day 3

I arrived 2 hours early at a brisk 1am Xmas morn, courtesy of a stranded friend who had gotten his keys locked in his car while it was running and double-parked. After the unexpected adventure in friend shuttling, I moved casually toward the lizard dwelling known as 'Dave's Place'. Overconfident after two previous nights of success, I tripped on a small branch lurking on the walkway. I stumbled forward but managed to regain my balance and stay afoot. With key in hand, I skillfully relieved the door of its locked status and entered the lizard lair. For some reason, I always expect to be ambushed by any number of a variety of the sort of would be ambushers when I enter this place. Fortunately, wisdom favors the foolish ambushers enough to keep them far away from the shit storm I would release when startled by wily no goodniks.

A quick visual scan of the lair reveals the presence of at least one of the infamous lizards. The bold something-or-other dragon known as 'Kalila'. Do not let the softness of this name fool you, for these creatures are fierce, intelligent beasts that would sooner swallow your head than stare at you. I removed the bulk of my winter coat for no lizard feeder worth his spit would attempt a feeding so encumbered. Once free of the coat, I take a moment to survey the battleground. The bold 'Kalila' is in the back of her dwelling slightly to the left. She has been spotted each night easily unlike the companion lizard in the dwelling to the right of this one, the nefarious lizard known only as 'Poco'. He has not yet been spotted in the past two nights. Tonight, however, would be different. There on the far right side of the dwelling and casually resting on the wall defying all the laws of gravity was the dastardly Poco himself!

Obviously, the first two nights of hiding were meant to set this feeder off guard. No time for dawdling for to dwell on this surprising change of events might lead to fear which leads to anger which leads to hate which leads to suffering... or is it that fear is the mind killer or was it that we have nothing to fear but fear itself, which of course is what I wanted to avoid in the first place. Bah, philosophy doesn't feed a lizard. Onwards.

First, the bold Kalila must be dealt with. Previously, when removing the roof of the dwelling, the bold lizard has chosen to move beneath a log to hide, most likely waiting to strike when I least expect it. Tonight, Kalila changed her strategy. As I removed the roof, she made towards the log, and then leapt on top of it in defiance! I paused, almost dropping the roofing, but recovered from this surprise with the great skill of an experience feeder. With a steady hand, I extract the feeding and watering containers. As I do so, she makes a last minute retreat under the log. I have won this battle. With the iron stomach of an undead troglodyte, I fill the feeding container with a supply of calcium-covered worms. This isn't your average blood red fishing worm. This is the sickening crawly Saturday Night Horror Movie maggot pile of worms. The kind that make you lose your appetite for the rest of the week. Still, the iron will of the lizard feeder prevails and the... ahem... 'Food’... is delivered into the lizard dwelling without further incident.

But next, the elusive scheming Poco enters the limelight. Still perched upon the far side of the dwelling, he remains motionless... no doubt pondering his next move. Without pause to show my dread, not that I am saying I had any for the lizard feeder is fearless and without emotion, but this is certainly not the time to be oozing weasely feelings so it bears the mention, I make my move and unzip one side. No movement. I unzip the top... still no movement. Slowly, I reach in for the food container. *THUMP* The entire dwelling jumps and I envision the loss of my arm to the bloodthirsty Poco. Luck is with me for the horrendous thump was just my arm bumping against the edge of the dwelling. Poco remains motionless... casual... mocking... laughing at my clumsiness. I bite my lip and take it for a true feeder knows no humiliation. I grab the food and water containers with little pause and close the dwelling. Filling the containers with water and the simple lizard pellet dinner, I return. Still Poco rests without moving, cold hearted and relentless. Once again I open the dwelling, carefully placing the food container within... … No response... the water container... ... nothing... I close the dwelling. Poco remains... sleeping and oblivious, the absolute soul of belligerence!

Yet I, the lizard feeder, take little heed of such defiance for the feeder is trident and true... a stalwart rock of reliability without match. Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor ice, blackened tuna nor cheap brown rice, halitosis from chili mixn’s, comets nor qberts, Jeffery Dahmer nor blitzkrieg can keep the noble lizard feeder from delivering his feed.

And I heard myself says, as I drove out of sight,
Merry Christmas to all, cause yer lizard's fed right.

-Jg
posted by Jeff Gatlin 12/25/99 4:03:45 AM

Thursday, December 23, 1999

Dream: Federal Agent Jeff

I am at a concert of some type. Several of my friends are there both current and old. All of us are agents on the look out for two or three criminals. We are watching the stage show waiting for the criminals to do something criminalish. I am sitting in front of one of the criminals, a woman I recognize but cannot place who she is. The show progresses and something occurs that is definitely criminal but I am not sure what. Hans steps forward and proclaims that we must now round up the criminals and take them in. Several of us circle around the one woman that was nearest us. She looks nervous as if hoping to avoid something. I approach her casually because I do not want her to suffer humiliation in front of all her fellow graduates (somehow the stage show became a college graduation). I talk to her quietly saying we know what you have done and please come with me quietly as there is no need to arrest her here inside in front of everyone. I put my arm around here and we begin walking out of the theater.

As we leave what is now Texas Hall at UTA, I lead her off to the right to the path between buildings. There I notice a stand next to the building, essentially a canvas sunshade with a table underneath and one box of some kind of papers on display and a notebook closer to the chair. I recognize this as my website and I approach it wondering how it has been doing. I realize that I have lost track of the girl I had in custody, so I return to the front and find Bruce and tell him I have lost the girl. He says we must find her quickly and I know if we do not Hans will be pissed and I will be in trouble. Before I run to find her I notice Jim Johnson at some distance, grandstanding as he has caught many criminals and is quite proud. I run back around the building. The girl is there just sitting looking somewhat pitiful. I approach her and say we must go, but I realize I have no idea where I must take her. We venture forth anyway and the scene changes as we approach the street. On the highway we pass Six Flags and I tell her a story how a simple little ride wore me out and I must be getting older or something. We end up riding this ride which is nothing like the ride I was thinking of. At the end of the ride we have to jump out to avoid being squished in a small circling part.

We are at her house and we go in. She wants to collect something before she is put in prison. I become disoriented then think what am I doing I am in her stronghold and at a disadvantage. She leaves out another door and I follow, stopping to try and lock her house which I have trouble doing. She has a good head start as she moves across the streets which now is more like city streets. I begin to run then sprint after her. I catch up to her as she is getting in line at some place that feels like a mental institution. There near the line but not in it I see an old friend from high school (Mike Red) and she is saying he must have this stuff she got as he deserves it since he is apparently a roommate or something. We then enter the building. Things shift and I awake in this building in a strange room. The girl is asleep in the next bed, which looks strange and medical. There is a TV playing odd hypnotic brainwashing stuff saying things like "Why do you not accept a life mate?" and other odd questions. There are a lot of clocks. The bed I was in is shaped to fit the wall to conserve space. I get up wondering how I am going to get out of this place, as I am not supposed to be here. I don't like the place and do not want to stay and do not want to leave the girl to be brainwashed. I find I have to piss so I head for the urinal at the other end of the room. I go and I go and I go for a long time. I keep having to spit and so I do which comes out in streams even more so than the pissing. I find this interesting and keeping spitting in this odd manner when I think 'Hey, what if this spit is piss?' That stops me and I wake up for real.
posted by Jeff Gatlin 12/23/99 10:39:33 AM

Tuesday, December 21, 1999

Dream: Office or School?

So this morning, I wake up in the office (go figure). Everyone is wandering around the hallways outside the cubes. I glance at the nearest clock, this one on the PC next to me and see that it is almost 11:30am. I think *Whups* I've slept too long and everyone is here. Wonder why they didn't see me sleeping and give me some shit over it (or at least chuckle and whisper nearby). Then the school bell starts ringing, 3 shortish rings, and I think is that the fire alarm? No, it's the class is starting bell which in the office means we are starting a meeting. We start meandering towards the meeting room, where I note both Dave, Steph and Tamma, then I raise my arms in defiance, trying to lift something impossibly heavy. About this time I realize I have not woken up in the office at all, or rather just haven't woken up. I'm just dreaming that I woke up, it's actually a bit after 7am and I'm dozing in my chair (which is what you do when you switch shifts from days to night shift then back to days in the span of 3 days).

The Holidays have jumbled my schedule with the help of fellow work comrades going out of town, my need to shop in the daylight and of course, the shifts needing coverage. Life's rough eh? The dream constant I have discovered while chair dozing is the need to lift heavy things. I believe it's because in a chair, there's really no great place to spread my arms out, so I constantly feel gravity's presense trying to move my arms where they believe they should be, no matter how uncomfortable I found gravity's preferences to be. Some day, I'm gonna get gravity's number then watch out. -Jg-
posted by Jeff Gatlin 12/21/99 11:08:14 AM