Group Adventures in the Dream Multiverse

Hunter and Prey

2011-07-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

This is from October of 2005

Two nights this week I've had dreams in which I was being hunted by people with rifles.
The first dream I was in a dark wood. There was snow. I carried a loaded rifle, and was simultaneaously hunting enemies, while being aware that I was being hunted. It reminded me of a european forest during the first or second world war. I was enrolled in Junior High, and trying to survive until I could get back to my classroom. I had a down sleeping bag wrapped around my shoulders; it fell away and I was too tired to pick it up. At the limits of exhaustion I stumbled into a camp where people took care of me. It became the junior high classroom. I started to take a test, but the teacher told me I didn't have to; I had completed the coursework and could advance beyond junior high now.
In the second hunting dream my old friend Michael Shaffer was herding me and a group of people into a secluded area. He had a rifle. I knew he wanted to kill us all. He tossed us some handguns to reassure us that we weren't defenseless, but mine was not loaded. I slipped away to escape. My escape involved climbing a cliff that was covered with old tattered blankets, attached with brittle glue. I had to carefully grip the blankets and work my way upwards. I reached Michael's house with two other escapees. They wanted to gather some belongings before fleeing further, and I couldn't convince them that Michael was about to arrive at any minute. I fled without them. I was joined by a group of refugees and together we began hitchhiking down a highway. I was fearful that Michael would drive up.
Last night, a dream fragment:
I am in Santa Barbara near Roosevelt Elementary School, which I attended as a child. In every direction there is large-scale road construction. Everything is being improved. I decide I may as well head toward downtown.
Another dream fragment:
I am at a wetlands swamp. I have a job to do there, but it must be done without unbalancing the ecology. David Hickey is there observing; he is an advocate for the swamp. I show him how I can fly over the swamp so I can have access without damaging it. He likes to fly too, so we spend some time together flying around.
When I woke up I had some memories of climbing the south ridge of Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park. I climbed it with Slick. He led the whole route. I was scared. I think I was overwhelmed by the complexity of the route. It was not very difficult, except for one section of about 30 feet that was 5.9 or so. At one point the route passes over a giant ledge on which there is a jumble of house-sized boulders thickly overgrown with brush.
I talked with Tami and Angela last night about the possibility of starting a new group blog dedicated to recording our dream notes. We would invite Lisa and Monica and probably a few others to participate. I'll note it in this blog if/when we get it going.

Fragments

2006-01-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

I am on a jet airliner. I can see the outside of the jet very clearly. It is on a Freeway in Los Angeles, heading for LAX. I am amazed at how well the pilot manuevers the plane, missing buildings and cars with the wings. I observe some cars driving under the aircraft, and feel pretty sure that they are missing the landing gear and safely navigating their way past us.
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I am giving a very heavy fat lady a ride on my back. She has hired me to be a taxi. She has to be downtown in 10 minutes. It is about 12 blocks away, but I am determined to get her there on time. I am on my hands and knees, carrying her; my hands are bunched into fists that I use like hooves; they are wrapped in protective fur.

We come a a church on a corner. Many children are there. They are curious about us. There is not much room on the sidewalk, so I carry her on a raised curb.
========
I am descending a rock slab that I have descended many times before. I must have made a wrong turn, because suddenly the rock is very steep and I am awkwardly positioned. A long fall is possible. I see a good handhold and foothold, and use them to get into a better position from which I can climb back up. But each handhold I try proves to be extremely rotten; large sections of rock flex and move when I test handholds. Now my footholds are crumbling too.

Dream Gift: Even the Largest Cage

2006-01-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

A boy is a passenger in an old Ford pickup. The truck stops next to me. The boy is about 10 years old; he looks hispanic or possibly East Indian. He has a knowing smile and very bright eyes. He says to me:

Even the largest cage is too small for your heart.

I understand that he is giving me a dream gift. I thank him for the gift, and concentrate on remembering. Another boy, a little bit older, says something to me that is also intended to be a gift, but I can't understand what he is saying. I am happy with the first gift.

Killer Whales

2006-01-05T14:54:00.000-08:00

I am on a seashore, overlooking the water from a small cliff. There are some kids there. I am surprised that I can see shark fins, just like the classic movie fins moving on the water. I point them out to the boys. As I look I see that they are killer whales. The water is very clear, and I can see to great depths. There are hundreds of killer whales; they are migrating. They are very beautiful.

Greek or Roman

2006-01-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

I am at Utah Phillips house. He is ill. He asks me, which had handles, Greek vases or Roman? I answer, "Roman, I think." I expect him to give me a correct answer with plenty of background information, but he says he doesn't know himself. There is a sense that it is a gap in his knowledge that he wants to fill before dying.

I go into an adjoining restroom. There are two hook-and-eye locks on the door, and I use both of them. I start to pee, when I notice that I am not peeing into a urinal but into a large basin with an indeteriminate purpose. There is a toilet right next to it, so I redirect my stream, splashing some onto the floor. I realize I had been peeing into a bathtub, but there was enough water to dilute the urine so that I felt it wouldn't be a problem.

Two women enter through the door that was locked, which confuses me because I remember locking it. They giggle but say it's okay, and I keep peeing. I overhear in their conversation that one of them lived in Santa Barbara. I want to talk to her about Santa Barbara. I feel that I can make a positive connection with her if I impress her with my knowledge about the city.

Fragments

2005-12-31T16:48:00.000-08:00

Dream fragments from several nights ago:

I am in the mountains; it is winter and everything is frozen. I am with Steve Tucker and Bruce Hendricks (who are both excellent ice climbers). We descend into a gorge where there is a frozen river. Pillars of ice drop into the gorge here and there. I begin to climb one of them.

There is a huge peak rising above us, covered with snow and ice. It has already avalanched, so we feel it's safe to climb. We climb out of the gully and begin the ascent.

==================
I am skiing in the backcountry. The landscape is beautiful. I know this area; I have often skiied it. There are other skiiers in the area. I am concerned because the weather is very cold, and some of them are inexperienced. I show off a little bit by cutting some telemarks down a hill that leads into a meadow. I take a very interesting route that includes a blind drop over a rock outcrop; I ski it well and feel satisfied.

Abandoned Humanoids Disneyland

2005-12-31T16:36:00.000-08:00

I am in Disneyland with a group of people that changes from 2 to 4 or 6. When I buy tickets I am confused about how many to buy, and I end up with 2 extras that I give to some kids who are standing nearby.

There is a new ride, but it is about a mile away. It consists of dropping off a cliff. I have mixed feelings about taking the new ride, and it seems kinda far away anyhow.

I am driving away from disneyland. I come unexpectedly to an intersection and I brake so hard that the car flips over. I am thrown from the car and land on a sidewalk. I am laying on the sidewalk checking for injuries and I find none. I cross an intersection and come to an abandoned gas station.

While I am walking by some bushes I notice some movement and look to see what causes it. In a hollow space inside the bush I see a small naked girl. Then I notice that someone else is in there and I am afraid the girl is being molested. When I look more closely I see that there are two small humanlike creatures. They appear to be children; their bodies seem misshapen. Both are nude, and in the center of their chests is an opening with a gill-like structure, from which the bottom of their hearts protrude. The male has an enormous penis, almost as big as his leg. They look at me with big smiles and seem friendly, but I have the impression that their intelligence is severely compromised; they may be products of inbreeding who have been abandoned, and are surviving on their own.

I feel a sense of anxiety and am unsure how to interact with these beings. I wake up.

Green Guitar

2005-12-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

I am travelling to a city in the southwest. I feel disoriented because I am not driving and have been laying down in the back of the car. We stop at a campground where the driver and another camper get into a game of "Rhino", where they run at each other backwards so their butts collide. My driver is the fat guy from "Lost." The collisions are very hard; I think, "There's going to be a major injury."

Someone is showing a movie to the campground by projecting it onto a large rock with a sheet draped over it.

I am walking down a curving roadway with no sidewalk, going to a mall. A pickup with a camper comes up the roadway, and is so wide that I have to squeeze against the retaining wall to escape being hit by it. At the bottom of the roadway there is a crosswalk. Traffic is heavy, and I am afraid to cross. I cross and enter a music store in a mall.

In the music store there is a Green Gretsch hollow-body electric. I have visited this store several times over the past years, and this guitar has always been there. I think, "maybe I can get him to come down in price." I pick up a guitar and play "Wave." Someone in a backroom says, "There's a good player out there," and I feel proud. The owner comes out. I say, "You've had that same guitar there for several years." He says, "No that's a different guitar," and now I can see that it is a Bass. I say, "I don't want a bass," but he takes it down and says that it has pitch shift function that I'll like. I lose interest.

I am at a blues jam. I have my PRS guitar with me, and I am trying to figure out how to get called to get on stage and play. My guitar has a wireless connection to the sound system, so I have to leave the volume knob turned all the way down.

I am standing outside with my guitar. I see in the sky a scene where there are battleships and aircraft; a battle is taking place. I get excited; I think maybe there are aliens, and their spacecraft look like battleships. Then I think maybe somehow an actual event that took place in the past is being reflected on the clouds through space and time. I feel afraid and wake up.

=================
Comment: When I was about 18 or so I frequently visited a store on State Street in Santa Barbara called "Fancy Music" (it's long gone). They had a great selection of guitars. I bought a nice acoustic there once. I was always drawn to a green Gretsch that stayed on the wall for a year or so before it was purchased. The guitar in the dream was the same model and color.

False start, but I can do it.

2005-12-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

I am leading a workshop, but I don't know what the topic is. The room is crowded; there are a couple of dozen tables with 6 or 8 people at each table. I stand up and say, "Well, let's get started. I have to admit I don't know why we're here."

Peggee Davis is a couple of tables away. She says, "we are planning a youth center."

I say, "Ok, I get it. Let's start." I feel confident; I know I can wing this easily. I say, "let's go around the room. Introduce yourself, and share one thing about how you hope to contribute today."

The first couple of people take a very long time with introductions. I realize that the assignment was bad. Some people are getting up and leaving for a break. I announce, "Okay, this is taking too long. Let's just introduce ourselves at our own tables." Now a lot of people have left, but I still feel that I can get the workshop back on track.

How could you?

2005-12-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

I am outdoors at a campground. Tami and the kids decide to walk to a nearby activity. I will meet them later. There is an outdoor church meeting. Corla is the new pastor. I feel regret that I missed the opportunity to apply for the pastor position, because the church is non-denominational and I remember that I have always thought that being a pastor would be a true expression of who I am. Then I remember that the job also involves directing the shelter, and I'm glad I didn't apply.

I sit for minute at an outdoor table. A tall man with dark hair tells me, "Whenever I see these kids with really bad teeth, it makes me laugh." He is scornful towards the kids. I say, "It's totally about the parents," defending the kids. I am remembering that I had no parental guidance about taking care of my teeth, and consequently have had dental problems my whole life. He says "Well, I just have to laugh at them." I get up and leave the table.

I go to look for Tami. There are many hundreds of people. We are in Disneyland. I can't find Tami, but I find Mark and antoher boy. Mark is about 8 years old. I tell them to go to the car in 15 minutes. They start to walk off, but I want to draw them a map of where the car is, and picture of what the clock will look like when it's time for them to go. I say, "Come back here," and Mark says, "No, you come here." I feel angry and also concerned that he is defiant; I don't understand why, he's not usually like this. I insist on them coming to me and they do. I draw them map and picture and give it to them.

I am looking for Tami but can't find her. It's time to go to the car. I exit and find the car, but nobody is there. It is in a dark parking lot next to a stadium or warehouse. A security guard gives me a pass to get back inside Disneyland without paying. I keep looking and worry that maybe Tami has gone back to the campground to find me. I try to call Tami but my cell phone doesn't seem to work. I wander around for a long while, trying to call Tami. There a fewer cars in the parking lot. I go back to our car, but it is gone also. I am in an industrial place, dark and lonely.

My phone makes an unusual sound and I realize that it's ringtone has been changed. I wonder if it was ringing all along, but I didn't recognize or couldn't hear it. I answer and it is Tami's phone, but someone else is on it. They are explaining that they made a mistake and left me behind, and are in San Diego now at a hotel.

I am heartbroken. I am sobbing and yelling into the phone, "How could you leave me behind? How could you?"

Everyone is Challenged

2005-12-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

I am walking in the garden at a zen retreat center. Someone has found an empty casket, and people are irritated about the removal of the body. In the garden path I find a poster next to a piece of metal roofing (same style as I have bought for the zendo). I crouch down and read (while simultaneously writing) the words "Everyone is Challenged", which in the dream is a quote from Dogen (zen patriarch).

A blue sports car drives down the path and narrowly misses the poster.

I walk by two men who are setting up for a rappel class. Their ropes and gear are brand new. They are going to set up the rappel so it will only be about at 10 foot drop. I see a place where they can set up a 40 foot drop and think, "that's where I would do it." Then I think "it's perfectly okay they way they are doing it."

The trail leaves the retreat center and goes up a ridge to the Northwest, into a pine forest. Another person from the retreat center asks me if I have been this way before. I think about it and say,

-yes, I've been up this trail about 4 miles. I can't remember the name of place I stopped at.

Then I remember that in the Sierra I have been on many trails, many many miles. I feel pride in this, and want to tell the man about it.

The trail turns to the South and follows a very narrow ridge, very exposed with cliffs to either side. I try one way, but it is too dangerous. I go another way where I can see tracks left by others. As I place my hand on a boulder it begins to shift; I realize that it is about to fall. Far below me is the ocean, waves breaking on the base of the rocky cliff. I see a trail below me with people on it. I tell them to stand clear, the rock is going to fall. They ignore me. The slope is less vertical below me now, and people are scattered about in a thin pine forest on a very steep hillside. I can't hold back the boulder and let it go. As it goes crashing down I yell:

-Rock!

several times. It narrowly misses a boy, then bounces against the stump of a large fallen tree and comes to a halt. I feel relieved that nobody has been hurt.

Marching Stones and Interesting Artifacts

2005-12-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

I am camping. I have left my shoes in a field of deep grass. I walk to the edge of the field to look for them. Everywhere the grass is moving, as if there are small creatures in it. I step into the field and my feet are immediately assailed by small creatures. I step out of the grass and see several rats on each of my feet. I shake them off.

I walk away from the field and into a desert environment, reminiscent of Arches National Park. I see a line of rocks, ranging in size from a chair to a large table. They are marching toward me, hovering slightly above the ground. They intend to crush me.

I walk on the far side of a rock outcrop to avoid them. But they see through my evasion and follow me.

I come to an adobe building. It has no openings on the outside, but there are a series of fin-like protrusions on a corner that I use as steps. The roof is flat, with a long, narrow courtyard in the middle. I descend a ladder into the courtyard.

I leave the adobe to look for artifacts on a hillside. The hillside has been charred and is covered with ash. There are many small, nondescript, but interesting things there. I begin gathering them and placing them on bookcases. Other people appear (Tami?) and help me gather artifacts; we will sell them at a yard sale.

The village on the river

2005-12-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

I am a boy in my early teens. I live in a village on the banks of a great river. The village is threatened by barbarians, but they come from across the river and it is a barrier that protects the village--for now.

I spend my days exploring the woods and practicing warrior skills with my brother (cousin?) who is about the same age as I am.

We are in a wooded area near the village. I see a small lamb in some ferns. I pick up, feeling very tender toward it. I see coming down the path a man (my father?) who is accompanied by a magical being. I am familiar with this being, who is like a warrior elf, very spiritually advanced. I am in awe of him. I tell my companion,

-let's take the lamb to him. He'll give it a blessing.

We meet them on the trail. It has been decided that I can take my place as a warrior. I am excited.

I am on a boat on the river. We are passing a group of invaders on the bank. I shoot arrows at them, but miss. I am a pretty good shot, but am inexperienced in war.

I am given an assignment to carry out. The barbarians are building a bridge across the river. It is almost finished. It is made of wood, and is hundreds of feet above the water. There are two thick cables of rope that support it. I am to cut one.

At night I am floating down the river on a very small floatation device, like a pillow. I see the cable overhead and slip into the water to swim to the bank. The water is cold, and the current is very fast. I am immediately disoriented, and feel myself being swept swiftly downstream. I begin swimming as hard as I can toward where I think the shore is.

I see myself from above; the river has swept me far downstream below the cables. I am helpless in the current. I come to a great rapids and am swept in.

================

This dream has a precious image: the boy who is eager to take his place as a man, and to assume a responsible role for his family and clan. The lamb, and the interest in blessing it, may be an image of sacred sacrifice. Is the boy aware at some level that he is going to sacrifice himself?

muffin dreams

2005-11-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

Although most of the context is now gone (as I waited too long to post this) I had a beautiful clear dream of the Ginger Muffin last night. I can remember being so happy that she was alive, a feeling of immense relief that she wasn't dead after all. She had this grin on her face that was accompanied by a large whoosing wag of her tail(she had many different wags, this one was the "contented, so happy to see you" wag) She reminded me of how disconnected I frequently get from the world, my self-imposed alienation from the universe and all things natural. It is a lesson she taught me over and over again, and she reminded me again in my dream last night that i have fallen back into that pattern. She rolled on her bag and made light snorting sounds as she scratched her back, happy to be exactly as she was, exactly where she was. I miss the girls so much it is like a constant ache that I am learning to ignore. Thanks G-muff for reminding me not to ignore the pain.

Now I'm Worried

2005-11-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

Me and Tami are walking along a dirt road in the Sierras. I know the road; it is 14S29 in Sequoia National Forest. (In the 1970's I spent several summers working at a camp at the end of this road, about a mile past where we are in the dream.)

Skip is riding a bicycle a bit behind us. There is a little girl, about 5 years old, walking along with him.

A man drives by in a sports car, and Me and Tami step aside to let him pass. We see a motorcycle coming up the road. As it approaches Skip uses his bicycle to force him off the road, into a deep pit of mud. Both the motorcycle and the bicycle are designed like old Indian motorcycles. I am impressed with how skillful Skip's riding is. But I am also irritated, and wonder why he felt it necessary to force the guy into the mud.

The little girl has disappeared from the dream.

Tami seems very delighted with Skip's behavior. She helps him pull the bike out of the mud. He gives her a big charming smile, one that I am very familiar with because I've seen it deployed many a time. She does a couple of little dance steps. I realize that she is very attracted to him. Now I'm worried that he is going to steal her from me. I am afraid to go away on business trips, because he lives with us.

New Song

2005-11-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

I am at Rich's house for rehearsal. Only me and Johnny have arrived so far. I pick up my guitar and tell Johnny about my new song and begin to play it for him. The beginning is very simple and he assumes that the whole song will be simple, and starts commenting on the song. I don't finish it.

I go to a larger room which is both inside and outside the building. Someone from a circus has a mother and baby chimpanzee. The baby drops a fuzzy red ball about 6" diameter; it rolls away. I go to retrieve it. When I pick it up I look back and there is a building; on the roof of the building are a variety of animals, including raccoons, birds, and many others. I toss the ball so it rolls across the roof, through the animals, and hits the baby chimp on the nose. It's a bit comical, but I am surprised that the chimp didn't catch it. Someone runs up behind a group of giraffes and all the animals run away. I figure that person knew what he was doing.

Everyone has arrived for rehearsal, including some french guy with a telecaster. We are sitting around in the living room waiting to watch a movie. I want to play my guitar, but it has been moved and I can't find it.

The mission has been refurbished

2005-10-31T10:11:00.000-08:00

At the end of a long journey I come to a trail that leads down a hill toward the old mission. The grounds are very beautiful from this perspective. Someone says "I hear they have pool tables there." I reply, "They've refurbished the whole place. The pool tables are excellent." The other people don't want to come along, so I walk down to the mission alone.

Irritated

2005-10-31T10:08:00.000-08:00

I am at an indoor rock gym watching student climbers. I find a nice route up the edge of the wall and begin climbing it. I am enjoying the intricacies of problem solving as I work out the sequence. My brother appears and climbs next to me with no finesse. I feel irritated. I go to take a shower and while I am in the shower he wants to get in also. I scold him and push him out.

Huascaran

2005-10-31T10:06:00.000-08:00

Me and Tami are in a helicopter flying over the Cordillera Blanca. As we gain altitude I can see climbers on a nearby snow-covered ridge, approaching a summit. I realize the peak is Huascaran, the tallest in the range. I focus my camera for a photo, but the helicopter is losing altitude and a ridge intervenes in the view. We continue our descent very close to a very impressive ice wall, thousands of feet high. Eventually we land at a base camp.

therapy dolphins

2005-10-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

Last night, in a series of discombobulated, anxiety creating dreams there were two calm sweet moments. One was as I got tossed into a deep, deep pool of water at night. I sank almost 80 feet and as I looked up to the surface I thought fro sure I was a goner. Then I remembered the dolphins who as soon as I remembered them lifted me quickly to the surface. I was able to communicate with the dolphins without talking and one of them said to me (in a kind of pleasantly surprised 'voice') "My you are a sensitive one aren't you?" The exact sentiment my real life counselor uttered a few weeks ago which made me recoil. I loved it when the dolphin said it...
Then Amos and I were walking on a thin wood bridge with no handrails across what appeared to be a long wetland. The bridge was no more than 18 inches across. Two beavers had built dams close to the bridge and frequently ran across the bridge tossing their chew toys like dogs. Amos threw the toy for one of them and it ran and chased it. We laughed and commented how we never knew they were so playful!
Last part of the dream I remember was a very sad couple eating in a restaurant where my mom and I and a few others were just kind of hanging out. It was the Nines in Ithaca a little fire station turned pizza restaurant and for some reason I was helping the couple and their two small kids to get menus and such (even though I didn't work there) I asked the woman what her husband might like from the menu and she told me that he wasn't her husband, he was just the father of her youngest son, her husband was at home. She was so sad and I wanted to comfort her but all I could think to tell her was that she was lucky to have such beautiful children.

Hunter and Prey

2005-10-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

10.21: Two nights this week I've had dreams in which I was being hunted by people with rifles.

The first dream I was in a dark wood. There was snow. I carried a loaded rifle, and was simultaneaously hunting enemies, while being aware that I was being hunted. It reminded me of a european forest during the first or second world war. I was enrolled in Junior High, and trying to survive until I could get back to my classroom. I had a down sleeping bag wrapped around my shoulders; it fell away and I was too tired to pick it up. At the limits of exhaustion I stumbled into a camp where people took care of me. It became the junior high classroom. I started to take a test, but the teacher told me I didn't have to; I had completed the coursework and could advance beyond junior high now.

In the second hunting dream my old friend Michael Shaffer was herding me and a group of people into a secluded area. He had a rifle. I knew he wanted to kill us all. He tossed us some handguns to reassure us that we weren't defenseless, but mine was not loaded. I slipped away to escape. My escape involved climbing a cliff that was covered with old tattered blankets, attached with brittle glue. I had to carefully grip the blankets and work my way upwards. I reached Michael's house with two other escapees. They wanted to gather some belongings before fleeing further, and I couldn't convince them that Michael was about to arrive at any minute. I fled without them. I was joined by a group of refugees and together we began hitchhiking down a highway. I was fearful that Michael would drive up.

Last night, a dream fragment:

I am in Santa Barbara near Roosevelt Elementary School, which I attended as a child. In every direction there is large-scale road construction. Everything is being improved. I decide I may as well head toward downtown.

Another dream fragment:I am at a wetlands swamp. I have a job to do there, but it must be done without unbalancing the ecology. David Hickey is there observing; he is an advocate for the swamp. I show him how I can fly over the swamp so I can have access without damaging it. He likes to fly too, so we spend some time together flying around.

When I woke up I had some memories of climbing the south ridge of Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park. I climbed it with Slick. He led the whole route. I was scared. I think I was overwhelmed by the complexity of the route. It was not very difficult, except for one section of about 30 feet that was 5.9 or so. At one point the route passes over a giant ledge on which there is a jumble of house-sized boulders thickly overgrown with brush.

--Amos

Just a little bit wild

2005-10-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

Me and Quintin are in the bay area at a very nice hotel. We are meeting with a large family, for whose daughter we will be co-facilitating a wedding. We sit in a nice conference room and discuss the details. The family has provided lots of documentation, which I briefly inspect and decide to read later. I ask and answer some questions--(do you have a minister [thinking of Lisa], yes they already have one) and after some time it becomes apparent that there is nothing more to discuss, even though we have not specified what our roles will be. The meeting ends.

As I walk toward the door the brides sister walks with me and asks if I'm going to do anything wild, like I've been know to do in the past. I have a vague memory arise of dressing as a tribal shaman for a previous wedding. I tell her "If I do anything wild, it will be just a little bit wild." I catch a glimpse of the bride's mother, who has overheard this. She looks concerned.

We leave the building and me and Q are walking together; he is speaking on a cell phone. An old Toyota pickup is parked with its hood up; Q jumps under the hood and lays on his back on the engine. I realize that mechanics know this trick: when cell reception is weak, you can get under the hood of a car and that will boost the signal. He leaves the car and his cell reception is better. As we walk away from the building we cut through a small border garden instead of staying on the walk way.

--Amos

Feet are too big

2005-10-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

10.25: I am in a room with Tami and six other wives. I am separated from my wives by a blanket hanging across the room; they don't know I'm there. I'm laying down, very tired.

Tami is trying to work out a schedule so each of my wives will know when to sleep with me. There is universal disgust at the suggestion. "His feet are too big," says one wife. "His ass is way too big," says another wife.

Each wife has a critical comment. I feel hurt by some comments, but there are three wives who I don't find attractive and their objections come as a bit of a relief. I awake feeling very exhausted.

--Amos

We were already there

2005-10-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

10.26: There is a fire truck that is trying to get to the emergency room. The driver is from out of town and doesn't know where to go. The personnel are standing around helpless and confused. I am standing on the sidewalk. I tell the driver, "It's three blocks away; why not just let me ride along, I'll get you there in five minutes.

After resisting my suggestion for several minutes the driver allows me to get into the cab. She is suspicious. She asks me my name, date of birth, and gender. I tell her that I am obviously male. She says, "Nothing cemented up?", which I take to mean that she is questioning if I have had a sex change operation. I say, "No surgeries." She agrees to let me guide the truck.

There is a parked semi blocking our way. I say, we'll have to backtrack to get around that son of a bitch, but right then the semi starts moving. We come to the first intersection and I say we'll have to go right, then around the block, because it is a one-way street. It is court street in Visalia; the driver turns North against traffic. At the next intersection, Acequia Street, a man runs into the street and stops traffic to make way for us. We turn lefton Acequia, westbound, again against traffic. I am very anxious; a small car comes hurtling down the street, speeding way past the speed limit, right at us. I am startled, but it misses us.

We turn right on the next street. I am thinking, "where is that emergency room?", because suddenly it occurs to me that I'm not sure where it is; I am anxious because I have offered my services as a guide, but now I don't know where I'm going.

I wake up and immediately realize that in the dream I was trying to find the hospital in Chico, but the dream setting was Visalia. As I think about it, the Fire Truck was already parked at the location of the emergency room entrance for the Visalia hospital (Kaweah Delta) when I was offering my services as a guide.We were already there, and I didn't recognize it.

--Amos