07/12/04
Mi Familia

This dream is from yesterday's sleep and I didn't take note of it so it's vague; I only write it down now because of a tie-in to an earlier dream I had the day before it.

Basically, there seemed to be some kind of family gathering going on...highly annoying, since I believe it was Ma's side of the family, and they have LOTS of relatives, and lots of kids and babies, and they are just all around irritating. The prime objective in that side of the family seems to be having babies--if you're not having babies, you should at least have a job; and if you're not doing either, then you're useless and boring. So of course, I don't even bother attending family gatherings anymore since nobody can even bother to ask me a nice question besides "Are you still in college? Do you have a boyfriend yet? Do you have a job?"

I remember only snippets by now. In what was perhaps an earlier part, maybe before the gathering, we somehow acquired a black kitten. It was so fluffy and cute. I think it was a stray, perhaps one I had picked up outside and decided to keep since it had no apparent owner. But Cosmas, our current cat, was not happy with this decision. He's a big mushball, but other cats and people put him on edge, and when he saw this little kitten his reaction was to let out a deep "Mrrrooowwrrr," and hiss. So I did not feel comfortable just setting this kitten loose in the house with Coz acting like that. It seemed to be nighttime and the lights were on, and Ma and Dad were home. While Coz was out of the room I debated what to do with the new kitten.

An idea struck me; I remembered seeing, in real life, an ad for a book in a catalog I occasionally get, and in it was an illustration of what they called "under-the-door introduction"--basically, you put the old pet in a room and close the door, then bring the new pet to the door and let them sniff at each other through the crack below it. I'm guessing it's like a safer, more gradual way of introducing new pets and gauging their reactions. This sounded like a good idea, so I might have been putting Coz in the bathroom and then bringing the kitten to the door to introduce them that way. Coz didn't seem as upset anymore, though maybe that's just me supplying a memory.

In another part, perhaps before or after the gathering--it seemed to be during though I'm not sure when--I was carrying around a tiny hamster exactly like the one in my dream of the night before--see "My Wee Hamster." I was cuddling it to my chest and seemed to be over near the picture window; I felt cheery in that part of the dream. I get the feeling I was carrying my hamster around to keep me company, and I was proud of it (or him). I find this memory very odd because carryover from earlier dreams (from different days) only very rarely happens with me; I can only recall one such time this happened off the top of my head, and that was my little series of "attic" dreams (see "Rooms Upon Rooms Upon Rooms, Oh My" (10/6/02), "The Floor's Gonna Cave In!" (10/19/02), "The Neverending Attic" (10/19/02), and "There Goes The Attic" (11/19/02), at least three of which seemed to be at least indirectly related).

Well, anyway, the "party" or whatever eventually started, and there were lots of people around; we seemed to be in a ranch house, though I don't know whose. Maybe it was supposed to be my grandmother's house but it was nothing like it. The walls seemed to be white and the carpeting was light too, maybe like powder blue. I only specifically remember a den or living room; I entered it through a doorway or opening and ahead of me was a couch, maybe in front of a big window, and the room was nice and spacious and carpeted, with people milling around. Ma sat on the left end of the couch (my right); I had been sitting next to her earlier, and I think I'd left some of my belongings there so my seat would be saved. BUT, just as happened in real life at one such gathering, somebody had moved my stuff and taken my seat. It was a young girl, maybe around ten or twelve, and she had dark hair and seemed to be a younger incarnation of my cousin Jennifer, only she wasn't chubby--she was all arms and legs. She plopped herself down right next to Ma just as I came into the room to retrieve my seat, and got this big grin on her face. The little brat! She acted happy to be able to sit near Ma, and Ma even smiled at her (thanks for saving my seat, Ma!), but I could not understand why it mattered so much to her to steal my seat. I was so pissed off.

In the real-life situation, it had been an aunt of mine who had stolen my seat after dumping my stuff very rudely on the floor. I had stood in front of her, VERY obviously wanting her attention, and had mumbled, "Can I have my seat back?"...yet she just continued yapping with the person next to her and didn't even bother looking up at this girl who was so clearly staring right back at her. Sorry for the language, but...bitch. >:( I ended up having nowhere to sit simply because *I* didn't want to be as rude as SHE had been. Well, in the dream I was too frustrated to just back down this time. I stepped up to the girl and said in an irritated yet way-more-polite-than-I-had-to-be voice, "Can I please have my seat back?"

The girl looked up at me and got this sulky look. "Why?" she exclaimed in this HIGHLY annoying, bitchy little kid voice. I ground my teeth and just barely forced myself to remain somewhat civil.

"Because I had my stuff sitting there, and I was sitting there first, and that's where I want to sit now," I replied, as if she needed an explanation, the rude little brat!

She let out this HUGE exaggerated sigh, yet moved to the left...but only like half a seat's width. Then she flashed Ma this bratty grin--she KNEW she hadn't moved over enough for my comfort--I would practically have to wedge myself in there to sit down. I gave her the dirtiest look I could muster but she wasn't even paying attention. I was also furious with Ma, and felt very hurt, that she hadn't done a thing to help me out--I was only sitting next to her because I was too shy of everybody else and wanted to sit near the one person I KNEW! Why did she let this brat steal my seat, and then not help me get it back?

I don't even remember sitting down again. All I know is that at yet a later point in the dream, I had moved into another, possibly adjacent room (maybe the one I'd entered from?), and here lying upon the floor were various papers and notebooks and folders and such of mine; I don't know specifics, but they were various things that I had brought along to keep me occupied. They seemed to be lying on the floor arranged in rows/columns in a roughly square or rectangular pattern, maybe upon a big sheet of plastic like a Twister game or something. I had the feeling of being here for a while, like we were staying the night or a few nights, and I wanted something to keep me busy. I reached down to pick up a few things and then stepped back...because a bunch of...clowns, or something...suddenly went dancing or jogging through, playing some kind of game or doing some kind of dance...I really can't remember what. o_o I just know some of my relatives were involved, there was at least one or maybe a few clowns all painted up with them, and they were playing some sort of game which involved moving around throughout the house. As soon as they passed I stooped down to retrieve some more of my things, trying to decide what I really wanted (I wasn't going to take it all), then I had to get out of their way again as they again danced or Conga'ed or jogged through, having a grand old time. Oddly, I didn't feel irritated by this, as they didn't seem to be disturbing my belongings, and I was just interested in keeping out of their way. Perhaps the situation with the little brat on the couch had been resolved by then and that's why I felt almost cheery now. Maybe they'd made her go to bed because it was late! >:P

---

The Hills We Roam

Very vague snippets which were all part of one dream, and there was more to it, but no matter how hard I tried I could not remember. Which is disappointing since the images I do remember were rather intriguing. :(

I KNOW there was a lot before this, and even to this part, but my memory picked up with the most interesting scene of the dream...Ma and I driving through a strange countryside on our way to somewhere. It seemed this location was either a place I had been to before or which was not too far from places we've been--in Cheboygan County, at least. Because as we started driving this hilly road out in the country, I thought of how much I would love to walk or ride my bike out there, if only it were closer to home.

I can't quite describe it but I get the feeling the road we were on would have been branching off the right side of the street we live on, if I had been standing in the middle of that street and facing home...placing it vaguely heading east. (Or perhaps in the same direction as Orchard Beach Road leading past the elementary school, whatever direction that is.) Though that street curves a lot, so I can't be sure. And of course while we were on this road, we were facing forward, whatever that was, and there were no familiar points of reference. Just a feeling I can't explain.

There were lots of trees around and it was sunny. This road was paved but it was VERY hilly and just kept going up and down and up and down in these very steep little hills. Ma and I were talking a lot and we were in a good mood; I had a feeling she was taking me somewhere to sightsee a bit. I must have been sitting in the front passenger seat, but I had a very good view of the left-hand side, where I noticed a sidewalk extending the entire length of the road, rising and dropping with all the hills. I think, but I'm not positive, that it was early autumn and the trees might have been changing, but it was still very warm. The trees were not the most beautiful ones in the world but I was happy. I saw this sidewalk and longed to walk along it, up and down those little hills--it would have been so much fun. Then I noticed with some surprise that there were trees growing out of the sidewalk--at every "crack" (that is, where one slab of concrete would end and another would begin), a smallish yet fully grown tree had sprung up out of the pavement, so there was a regular line of trees all along the middle of this sidewalk, going up and down and up and down. How very odd! Yet this just made me want to walk along it even more.

I said to Ma, "You know, I'd walk down here myself, if only my bladder would hold. (The real reason I don't walk further from home than I do--my legs are strong, but my bladder isn't!) One of these days you should drop me off here and let me walk along that thing."

She kind of smirked a bit. For just as I said this, we started up this VERY STEEP hill, which just seemed to go on and on--this was over 45 degrees up, closer to being vertical! The sidewalk lined with trees still followed this incline, and there might have been the occasional house and some such in the woods since I got a sense that people lived near this odd sidewalk, people who would take its beauty for granted. "Well," I said as we went up and up and up, "walk along all except this part." Ma's grin grew as my acrophobia was quite obvious right now; there was no WAY I'd be able to navigate that steep section of hill without freaking out! I hate heights. o_o; But the rest of it was nice.

We drove some more and then came to a leveled-off place in the woods--I feel we had turned left...it gets unfortunately hazy here. I think it was a store or diner or something at first and we were there for a reason but I can't recall what it was. We sat in the car for a few minutes doing something, but again, I don't know what; I think of my sandals for some reason, so maybe I was putting on or adjusting my sandals, or getting something to bring along with me. We glanced up through the windshield and saw a couple of people peering at us--the people who worked and maybe lived here--and knew that while they were not exactly hostile, they were a bit suspicious of strangers or tourists, and our dallying in the car had drawn their attention. We finished whatever we were doing and got out. Trees surrounded us but for this clearing and the sun was shining, but it wasn't all green; the ground and woods were darker, like maybe the leaves had turned brown, or maybe it was like a swamp except the ground we were on was relatively dry. Just rather colorless. The building was ahead of us, this long flat ramshackle thing, possibly of dark worn wood. There might have been another, smaller building or a trailer or something to the right. We walked toward the bigger building and either went in and met someone there, or met one of the people outside and asked if we could go in. I remember at least one young man, in his late teens or early twenties, skinny and lanky and with light hair and casual clothing like a T-shirt or tanktop and shorts; there also seemed to be a young woman, around the same age, with dark medium-length hair, the top part cut close to her head so it surrounded her round face, and she seemed like the sulkier one. The young guy was just rather quiet and seemed kind of stupid in a staring, "duh" way, but I know he wasn't; that's just the way he was around people. Maybe he didn't have social skills. The girl seemed more suspicious of us but was not rude. I feel that they were related to the people who owned the place and worked here also, if they were in fact related to each other; they didn't resemble each other, at least.

The lanky guy indicated it was okay for us to go in and we did. I think the girl might have followed a bit but she didn't seem very interested; the guy pretty much kept to his own thing, but showed up to help us out when we asked about something we didn't know. Inside the building didn't match the outside; now it was like a sorority house or dormitory or something. The rooms were light and airy but also cluttered and kind of messy the way that teens and college students will mess up rooms. I wanted to go to the bathroom so asked where it was and the skinny guy led the way down a hallway past some other rooms. The layout of this place was just weird; it just seemed too chaotic, with halls going at weird angles and rooms leading off of strange inconvenient places and everything. Just not very economical as far as space was concerned. Most of the place seemed carpeted, which was nice; there were lots of pastel and lighter shades. We went down this narrow hall and he indicated a strange door on the right; I think it was painted pale blue, but it looked like worn wood, and might have been shaped oddly, like its height and width weren't the same proportions as for most doors; it seemed a little wider I think. I believe Ma was still with me at this point.

I got a look in the room behind the door and saw what appeared to be a stall, though it was quite big, and again, the layout of everything was all wonky. For one thing I don't think the stall was set in a corner; it just seemed to be in the middle of the opposite wall, yet set sideways, so the toilet's back wouldn't have been attached to a wall, if it even was a stall. Confusing. >_< "Is that the bathroom?" I asked, expecting a yes.

"No," the guy said. I was confused by this, since I obviously saw a stall, and I think I even saw a girl come out of it--like I said it was like a dorm or sorority house--but the guy then launched into this very long, very confusing explanation of how to get to the bathroom. Apparently I had to go through some OTHER room...through something else...then down a hall or something...to come out into the bathroom from THERE...and with the convoluted way he was talking, I wasn't even sure that I would end up in this bathroom right here! Why would I have to go through all of that just to end up in THIS room right in front of me? I couldn't figure it out, especially with his rambling way of explaining things; he left out details as he talked, as if he expected me to know a lot of this already. I think I asked him to please explain again once he was done.

Instead of explaining he seemed to go ahead and lead Ma and me through the confusing system of steps it took to reach the bathroom. At least he was patient. We followed him down a hallway and opened a door onto a steep set of little steps leading down into another light, airy, carpeted room in which some girls were lounging and chattering and doing various things. They saw us but didn't pay us much attention as we made our way down the stairs...which for me was easier said than done, considering that they were VERY small and narrow, with no apparent railings or guards on the sides, and VERY steep...and concave. These steps looked like side-by-side square tiles of some sort, of a shiny glazed pale green color, and extending from each corner toward the middle was a line so that the middles of them were concave to a point. Meaning if I wanted to get down into this room I had to carefully walk down these concave tile steps! I started down at a normal speed, then nearly slipped when I didn't balance my foot properly on the edges of the tile steps, and so started going MUCH slower. Ma (I think she was behind me) and the guy watched. The girls might have too but I ignored them because they were leaving me alone. I guess I somehow made it down into the room, though I don't remember ever going through to the bathroom, wherever it was. >_<

Instead I somehow ended up in a sort of back room now, and the dream switched somewhat. This room was still of the same white-walled, light-carpeted sort as the rest, and there were toys scattered ALL OVER the floor. They were mainly stuffed animals. Ma was still herself, I think, though she might have been Sharona, for I was suddenly either Monk from the TV show Monk or else I was pretending to be him to be amusing to Ma, who likes that show. For some reason we needed to find a Care Bear, I think, or maybe I just had to show her one so she would know what it was; it had something to do with the case I was on. Maybe the girl(?) who lived in this room was missing. But she seemed to have a real fondness for Care Bears. Some of the little toys lying on the floor were like mini Care Bears, and I think there were regular-sized ones, then there were these HUGE stuffed toys just sitting about, maybe about four feet tall and very fat. At least one or two of those were Care Bears too, though they weren't originals; they were like new versions, like the makers of the real Care Bears produced them in the Eighties, but have recently begun producing a new series of them (same Bears, slightly different look). I think I explained a little bit that the Care Bears had been a huge Eighties toy; I was kind of puzzled how she was still playing with such archaic toys. I guessed she was a fan.

We walked around a bit and like I said I seemed to be searching for a Care Bear, even though there were plenty; maybe I was just trying to explain their history to Ma/Sharona. In any case I stopped before this HUGE Care Bear toy sitting on the floor...it seemed to be light gray, and I knew it was Grumpy Bear, even though he is blue. For this bear had a little gray stormcloud on his breast--Grumpy's symbol--yet in the dream this stormcloud likewise had a little horns-down crescent moon in the middle of it. I think the moon was dark gray. As Monk, talking in Monk's soft, kind of stammery voice, I pointed this out to Ma/Sharona as she walked by.

"Look...it's Grumpy. He has a little stormcloud and moon," I murmured, pointing at them as if they were not obvious enough. "Because he's always so grumpy," I added

Ma/Sharona seemed to nod with amusement at my rather lame observation (if I were Monk) or at my acting (if I were not). There might have been more to that, but I don't remember it...just all these toys, all over the room. What a mess.



2004 Dreams
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