2021 Diary: Dreaming Days

2/1/2021: First day of February. Woke up from dreams of magic dueling with vicious enemies.. It was in some larger context that I can’t remember and was followed by something I felt was significant but can’t remember either. So. Fully awake a little before 7 AM and remembered Kam goes back to school today. Prayers. Got dressed. 7:30 AM, and about to start Bible then ready to go see him on his way on the bus. Read some more “Herland” on the Kindle. On my way out the door at 8 AM when Kam calls me to remind me. I go out and meet him halfway up the driveway. I ask him if he has a mask, and he tells me he forgot. I loan him the spare mask I have in my pocket, crip back to the house, get the key, get in the garage, grab his mask, and crip back. We have a minute or two still, then the bus comes. I go back and as I already have the key, start my wash, and come in and start Perry Mason about halfway in. Now 8:30 AM and time to make breakfast.

Had a ramen with eggs, and a couple of turkey sandwiches. 11:30 AM, after getting wash in and folding it, lay down for a nap. About 12 Susan calls me and tells me (quite reasonably) that I forgot to boil eggs and make egg salad. D—n it! At 1 PM I go in to make cucumber salad, and Kam gets home. I let him in.

At 4 PM I go in to make couscous and fish rings. At 5:30 PM I lay down to nap, getting up and 7:30 PM and going in to clean up. Rosary, then bed again at 11 PM.

 

2/2/2021: Groundhog Day. Up at 6 AM. Prayers scattered over the morning. Shower. Catch up diary. Bible. Go out at 8 AM to wait with Kam. Bring in the bin. At 9 AM go in to boil eggs and make egg salad. My HEB order came in while I was boiling. Took it to the guest house, then finished cooking. Had 6 spring rolls for breakfast; they are pretty good, almost better than egg rolls, but smaller. Wrote a bit, then e-mailed John.

At 1 PM I went out to wait for Kam; started my rosary. Let him in and finished rosary. About 3 PM I went in to start cabbage etc.; Andy called at 4 PM and asked me to watch for the exterminator and let him in. Saw 3 strange cats while waiting, which explains the yowling: 2 are obviously male in quest of the 3^rd. I sat outside till 4:30 PM, then ran in to tinkle and turn off the oven. Got back just in time to meet the bugman. Afterwards I took my supper in and ate. Some TV and cleaning.

Back in at 7:30 PM to clean. Andy had just got home and was starting to eat. I made Kam some Tx Toast and a grilled cheese sandwich, then washed up. Came inside, watched GA, then to bed.

 

2/3/2021: Woke up at 5 AM from some extraordinary dreams. In one I was captain on a magic “pirate ship” galleon that could outrun and outmaneuver any modern ship, and that was just what I was doing, teasing any navy ship that was trying to stop me. It could even run on land, which I did and found myself in a field, a sort of Jurassic Park place, being chased by 3 T. Tex. Outran them, too, but the big one, infuriated by chasing me, jumped their barrier. In another I was browsing an enormous “Yesterday’s Warehouse” where there were plenty of interesting books but in rather incomplete and damaged condition, from comic digests to Penguin books to crumbling old obscure classics. I wanted to call John’s attention to a stack of multiple copies of “Witches, Witches, Witches” but he was elsewhere in the store. I began to wander the grounds which was bigger than I thought and the books only part of the enterprise with gardens, kitchens, etc. It was rather like a monastery, in fact. I passed Alec Guinness, and then Jean Stapleton, who was lost too. We seemed to recognize each other and be glad to see the other. We were out back where the utilitarian tin buildings turned into fields. I offered her a drink from my little flask of water, but she emptied the warm contents out and filled it from a nearby faucet.

Got up and wrote down dreams. Now I think I’ll do “prep” then lay down to see if I can sleep for a bit more.

Couldn’t. Up at 6 AM. Prayers, Bible. Watched some cartoons, then worked on HF (?) for a while. Made beef stroganoff for breakfast, then went out and waited with Kam till the bus came a little after 8 AM. Went in and ate and didn’t go in the Big House at all.

Didn’t take a nap all day; instead wrote on and off, reading Thomas Mann’s “Royal Highness”, snacking, and using my newly batteried clicker to search the TV. The writing on HF was fun and engaged much of my time. I sent it off to John later.

Started my rosary. Kam home a little after 1 PM. Made him cinnamon rolls, and myself some chicken nuggets. At 3 PM went in to start chicken breasts, rice, broccoli, and mushrooms. Made myself some chicken, cheese, flour taquitos. Back to the guest house about 4:20 PM. Wrote. Sent all I had written to John about 6 PM.

At 8:30 PM watched GA, then bed not long after 9 PM. Up about 11:30 PM, so cleaned a bit and caught up diary. Now 12:15 AM. Back to bed, I guess.

 

2/4/2021: Up at 7 AM. Prayers, Bible. Showered and dressed and took medicine and ate a can of fruit cocktail. “Destroy All Monsters” on in the background. Went out a little before 8 AM to wait with Kam. Oh, Lordy, I feel weak and my right leg hurts. Morning cloudy, windy, and in the 60’s.

Watched most of “5 Million Years to Earth”. For breakfast made a ramen with eggs. Finished off the cherry pies. At 1 PM went out and prayed my rosary, waiting for Kameron. Had some beef, cheese and flour taquitos for lunch. Watched a lot of Babylon Bee Reads the LOTR, then DW shows. I think I’m heading into the down cycle of my bipolarity. Sluggish and sleepy, anyway.

Went in at 4 PM and started supper (chili, corn, rotini). Finished and out at 4:30 PM. Ate. About 6 PM or so Susan came out and told me that there had been COVID shots at the Coliseum that were supposed to close at 5 PM, but as they had a surplus they had to use, they would be open until the shots were used up, and did I want to go? After hemming and hawing a bit, I said yes, and we bundled up quick and left. I was lucky enough to be in the last group let in, and after going through the rigamaroar I was out at 7:10 PM. Andy wasn’t home yet (had to do wheels; there’s crushing soon) but I made Kam chicken nuggets and cheese sticks. I went in after GA and cleaned up. Nothing much to do now until I go to bed. Probably read a bit.

 

2/5/2021: Wrote one page of HF. Everything else pretty rote for a Friday, except in the evening I felt fatigue and some pain in my right arm. Went to bed about 8 PM.

 

2/6/2021: After a night of up and down every hour or so, I got up at 7 AM and slowly got dressed. Some prayers. Went in at 8 AM and made omelet. About 9:20 AM Andy took me to HEB Pharmacy to pick up my medicine. Went back to bed about 10 AM, then woke up about 2 PM. Finished prayers, read Bible, washed dishes. Ready for supper (I guess you’d call it) at 4:30 PM, one of those cans of Wolf Brand Chili and Beans (beans mashed by me). We’ll see how that works. They were OK. Spent the rest of the evening kind of lurching around. Had some chicken nuggets for supper. No rosary. Bed when?

 

2/7/2021: Up at 6:50 AM. Had a bit of a struggle whether I should go to church today; finally reconciled myself to watching Mass on EWTN. Afterwards at 8 AM finished my prayers and acts (contrition, etc.) and read the Bible.

Feeling a bit brighter in spirit, took a shower, dressed, and had ramen for breakfast. It’s now 10 AM, and the day looks sunny and clear. Prayed a rosary at 1 PM.

Posted on NOT 4 times today, in an effort to catch up, using old diaries to fill the niches. For a meal about 2 PM I had the other can of Wolf Brand Chili with beans, then later for supper I ate the chicken pickings from the garippe Andy brought in with cocktail sauce, a banana, then the rest of the chicken nuggets. Had a few chocolate chip cookies through the evening.

Watched some Phineas & Ferb over the day, and other Disney shows. Made my WWF goal. Feeling less fatigued from my shot.

A real trip back through time with the diaries, especially as they are exactly 40 years ago, and through January and February. Only had to edit them slightly. Now 10:30 PM, and I think I’m ready to shut down for the day. Rosary at 11 PM.

 

2/8/2021: Woke up about 4 AM from a dream. It was like I was in an alternate history; the time was NOW, but the past was very different. A woman connected with the making of a big movie adaptation of “The Hobbit” (all the Jackson Tolkien movies hadn’t been made in this timeline) had gone to McQueeney as a child (let’s call her D’layne) and as a stunt was premiering the film at her old school. I was there as an old classmate. What she either doesn’t remember or doesn’t want to confess is that we saw the Hobbit play in 3^rd grade and that she didn’t like it but that I became an enthusiast for Tolkien. When we meet for a brief moment she realizes I know too much about her past and about Middle-Earth for her comfort. She doesn’t really know a lot about it and left it to her cohorts; she also doesn’t want me to show her up. I am hustled away for the premiere, which includes the actors putting on a short play/recreation before the film. There is an auditorium where the curtains part to show that the stage is actually on a real riverside out back. The actors are there, and Bilbo is fishing, or pretending to fish. He actually catches a little perch, but none of the actors known what to do or are too nervous. To their relief I actually come up and take it off the hook and throw it back. Applause, and the band starts playing a riff of hillbilly music as a tribute to my … rustic skills? But everyone is nervous as something still appears to be lurking in the water. Is it the real Gollum, or another water monster drawn by the activity?

Then later the action seems to drift back to Loop Drive. Apparently, I have secret mind powers that I have only used to enhance my life at home rather than trying to rule the world, and D’layne is amazed and annoyed that I don’t use them to greater scope. The Gollum-monster is creeping around in the dark and terrorizing everyone. We hear an awful howl in the dark as he kills a dog. D’Layne asks me: “You’ve got all these avatars; why don’t you do something?” And I do have tulpas of all kinds of characters, from LOTR, Marvel comics and Dragonball Z, and so on. I get Vegeta to send up an energy ball to light up the darkness and drive him away, but then we realize there are plenty of dark places for him to creep into and hide, so everyone must go and search for him, perhaps in hiding places that are even inside the house with us.

Up at 6 AM. Prayers, Bible. Then cartoons. Meh. Got dressed, fleshed out dream from notes. I realized that the “riverside danger” feeling sort of echoed the ancient Creature from the Black Lagoon dream. Monsters from the id?

Little before 8 AM went out, noticed package on porch. Kam came out and we waited for bus, which came at 8:10 AM. I brought the package over to the kitchen porch. Went in and prayed the rosary; done at 8:30 AM. Wrote a couple of paragraphs on American Fantasy. Now waiting for Susan to leave to start wash. Then groceries … cottage cheese fer breakfast!

So all that came to pass, along with fetching the postal packages as well. Boiled eggs and made egg salad. Groceries missing only Little Debbie Cherry Cordial Valentine Cakes and included 2 unordered bags of HEB Corn Chips and some Ritz Chips – which I am keeping, as per the store directives. Changed the wash at 11:15 AM (2 loads today) and was waiting on the porch when S&A drove up. Was listening to GGACP when the connection pooped out. Ate a can of ravioli.

E-mail to John: Tomorrow I am having a carrot cake for Mike’s birthday – his 59^th, I believe. I don’t think he was too fond of carrot cake, but I am, and he’s not getting any anyway. If you could, it would be nice to have a visit and talk and eat cake and such. If you can’t, a good phone talk would be nice as well.

At 12:30 PM started the cake. After Kam came home at one (and Andy ducked in to change clothes) I started making the broccoli salad, which I finished a little after 2 PM. My afternoon seemed kind of cursed: my green shirt ripped, the handle fell off my new water jug, I kept having to do everything the hardest way possible. I laid down a bit, but Kam called me at 3:30 PM to make him corn dogs and cheese sticks, and cinnamon rolls to boot (but there were none). I iced the cake and started supper (fish cakes and couscous). Fed the pets. Finally, all was done, and the garbage put away and I returned at 4:45 PM. Ate my couscous and broccoli salad, took my garbage out, and I’m ready for a nap. 

But I did not nap. Instead posted on NOT. John replied that yes, he would either come or call at 11 AM tomorrow. Washed up at 7:35 PM and made Kam supper. Had cheese and olive loaf sandwiches. Watched a little TV but couldn’t concentrate on any one program. A little after 9 PM and I think it’s off to bed now.

Notes

I was kind of surprised with how many things seemed to be recurring just now. Before I ever looked this entry up, I had ordered spring rolls again (I don’t often) and cottage cheese (I haven’t for months) and the stuff for a stew (not surprising, given the cold weather). Also, I’ve been having a series of vivid dreams, which I haven’t for months.

I haven’t yet figured out what HF is; His (Something?) or (Something) Fantasy? I couldn’t find anything in last week’s entry; hopefully I’ll eventually find out in later entries. WWF = Words With Friends (haven’t played that in a while); GA is Green Acres (I don’t think I could stand watching anymore for another 30 years).

D'Layne was the name of a girl I went to McQueeney with; the character in the dream was not her. I just plugged the name in as a likely stand-in when I was writing it up. The dream about the magic ship ties in strangely with my current project.