I was in a fancy hotel, with high ceilings, white walls and pillars, and large open windows that created an open-air feel. The most famous orchestra in the world had been invited to play as background during a luncheon buffet.
I walked in and felt conspicuous. But the orchestra promptly left, and the luncheoners moved up into an outside balcony area. Three rows of elaborate buffet tables were left, holding half-devoured platters of exotic fruits, chocolates and pastries. I and a friend scrounged.
A green strawberry was slightly overripe and mushy, but its kiwi-like flavour came through.
[I spent more time wandering around the building, through sun-lit stairwells, but that part is fuzzy now.]
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Bio-electric Flashlights and the Royal Swim
I was sleeping in a bed and awoke to the radio, knowing that I had won a competition of sorts, having been chosen to join the others at the Swim.
I went to the Swim, held in a large outdoor pool, just after twilight. Everyone else there were famous, perhaps royalty, and we all stood in a crowd on the cement near the deep end. Jack Nicholson was swimming in the pool, diving to different depths wearing a snorkel. A health-advisor/coach/lifeguard talked to him when he came up to the surface. "It's been confirmed. Diving in deep water negatively effects your bloodpressure, strains your clogged arteries, and significantly raises your chance of heart attack." We now all knew to swim only near the surface.
A few of us jumped into the water and were given a 1 foot pole that (connected by usb) snapped into a carved out section of a 6 foot pole that ended at a cone with a light in it that shone out when powered by the small pole. The small pole was a type of living creature that provided electricity to the flashlight function. I was concerned about being electrocuted while plugging this in while in the water, but I was reassured that it was perfectly safe and waterproof.
It was. Dozens more people joined us in the pool, and we all swam down the length of the pool to the shallow end. We stood in the shallow end with our bio-electric torches and scanned the landscape. A tall and attractive swimmer beckoned that we go up a hill to our left. We followed his direction, storming the hill.
As we climbed the hill, we slowed and enjoyed the walk. The hill housed a luxury spa. We passed a hot tub full of people and continued along on what had become a nice winding path. At the top of the hill, there was nothing much to do, but just over the crest there was something going on that attracted us. Some people slid on their feet down a little dirt hill that was being gardened. A gardener frantically protected their large cabage growing near the bottom. I contemplated sliding down the hill too, but the two women who slid down before me took separate paths and smoothed out the whole area. I had bare feet, and didn't want to slide too quickly, so I walked around the side of the tiny hill-garden via another little path.
I went to the Swim, held in a large outdoor pool, just after twilight. Everyone else there were famous, perhaps royalty, and we all stood in a crowd on the cement near the deep end. Jack Nicholson was swimming in the pool, diving to different depths wearing a snorkel. A health-advisor/coach/lifeguard talked to him when he came up to the surface. "It's been confirmed. Diving in deep water negatively effects your bloodpressure, strains your clogged arteries, and significantly raises your chance of heart attack." We now all knew to swim only near the surface.
A few of us jumped into the water and were given a 1 foot pole that (connected by usb) snapped into a carved out section of a 6 foot pole that ended at a cone with a light in it that shone out when powered by the small pole. The small pole was a type of living creature that provided electricity to the flashlight function. I was concerned about being electrocuted while plugging this in while in the water, but I was reassured that it was perfectly safe and waterproof.
It was. Dozens more people joined us in the pool, and we all swam down the length of the pool to the shallow end. We stood in the shallow end with our bio-electric torches and scanned the landscape. A tall and attractive swimmer beckoned that we go up a hill to our left. We followed his direction, storming the hill.
As we climbed the hill, we slowed and enjoyed the walk. The hill housed a luxury spa. We passed a hot tub full of people and continued along on what had become a nice winding path. At the top of the hill, there was nothing much to do, but just over the crest there was something going on that attracted us. Some people slid on their feet down a little dirt hill that was being gardened. A gardener frantically protected their large cabage growing near the bottom. I contemplated sliding down the hill too, but the two women who slid down before me took separate paths and smoothed out the whole area. I had bare feet, and didn't want to slide too quickly, so I walked around the side of the tiny hill-garden via another little path.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Renter's Insurance
I was wandering around town when I heard that Michael A. had been talking about me. I don't think it was anything bad, but I decided to go pay him a visit. It would be a very convenient visit because I had to renew my renter's insurance, and he was a new junior-agent at my insurance company's sales office in a little strip mall. I drove over in my Toyota Corolla [a car I had over 4 years ago] and went in.
There were 4 insurance agents, 3 of them were older-middle-aged fat white men, and the 4th was Michael. Their desks all faced an open space in the middle of the room, two along each side wall. Michael was in the one closest to me on my right. An older woman who was a bit crazy sat down in front of him first, but he didn't have the right computer program for her needs, so she crossed the little open space to sit down in front of the senior sales agent at the front left desk.
I sat down to talk with Michael and asked him about my insurance policy. He said that his computer didn't have the ability to look it up, so if I didn't have my paperwork with me, I could either talk with one of the other men, or I should go get it from home. I decided it would take just as long to wait for the other men to be done with their clients, so I went out to my car to make sure I had my house keys, and then started walking towards home. Michael came with me for the walk.
We walked up the dead-end street as it started to climb a tree covered hill. Then we were in a building that was very dorm like. Other people had their doors cracked to their rooms and we got a few glimpses into them. In one there was a large young woman with long wavy blonde hair in a bathing suit, rolling around on the floor. I knew it was about 6:30am but Michael said it was about 9am. He said that he needed to deploy with his unit soon.
There were 4 insurance agents, 3 of them were older-middle-aged fat white men, and the 4th was Michael. Their desks all faced an open space in the middle of the room, two along each side wall. Michael was in the one closest to me on my right. An older woman who was a bit crazy sat down in front of him first, but he didn't have the right computer program for her needs, so she crossed the little open space to sit down in front of the senior sales agent at the front left desk.
I sat down to talk with Michael and asked him about my insurance policy. He said that his computer didn't have the ability to look it up, so if I didn't have my paperwork with me, I could either talk with one of the other men, or I should go get it from home. I decided it would take just as long to wait for the other men to be done with their clients, so I went out to my car to make sure I had my house keys, and then started walking towards home. Michael came with me for the walk.
We walked up the dead-end street as it started to climb a tree covered hill. Then we were in a building that was very dorm like. Other people had their doors cracked to their rooms and we got a few glimpses into them. In one there was a large young woman with long wavy blonde hair in a bathing suit, rolling around on the floor. I knew it was about 6:30am but Michael said it was about 9am. He said that he needed to deploy with his unit soon.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Zombie Office
I was being given a new office at work, in the Anthro Dept.'s building. It was in a huge open room, like an old art studio or gym, that was a L-shape (though each of the 2 sections of the L were equal in size.
The top half of the L was my office, and people were bringing in my furniture while I helped direct where it would go. At the bottom end of the room, was a door to the hall, off to the left of that end, was the bottom half of the L and at the top end of my room was a grand fireplace with a wall-length mantle made of a rich dark wood and deep enough to sit on with one's knees folded up.
I had a couch, some rugs, the usual desk and chair set up, a rock-band's selection of instruments (drum kit, guitars, keyboards, etc.) and other things that I was trying to arrange. The person whose office was in the bottom section of the L came into the room and I discovered that they were a professor with whom I was friends. We were happy to be office mates.
Time passed and it was getting late. My furniture was not arranged yet, and I realized that I really only had a strip of the room I was arranging. 4 long blue and gray stripes marked the floor where different people were to have their long, mildly narrow offices. My furniture fit, but I wasn't happy with how it was arranged.
Time passed again, and it was dark. Somehow seeing outside, I noticed a mob of people carrying make-shift weapons of sticks and chains. They were possibly zombies, possibly zombie hunters, and possibly a pretend zombie flash mob. I and a friend who was in my office with me climbed up onto the fireplace mantle, and hid in the dark in the corner. We decided to pretend to be zombies when the mob came into the office.
They came in, and spotted us quickly. They were humans, but we apparently were real zombies now, because I and my friend started biting their flesh and they started turning into zombies. One girl in particular, fell dead at my feet and her flesh went pasty white, her hand started falling off at the wrist, and then she came back to the undead. She was to be my companion for all time, and her friend who watched her turn into a zombie was horrified but still frozen in disbelief. She wouldn't shoot her new zombie friend in the brains, even though the zombie-girl begged her to do it.
I thought it was very un-zombie of her to still be able to talk.
The top half of the L was my office, and people were bringing in my furniture while I helped direct where it would go. At the bottom end of the room, was a door to the hall, off to the left of that end, was the bottom half of the L and at the top end of my room was a grand fireplace with a wall-length mantle made of a rich dark wood and deep enough to sit on with one's knees folded up.
I had a couch, some rugs, the usual desk and chair set up, a rock-band's selection of instruments (drum kit, guitars, keyboards, etc.) and other things that I was trying to arrange. The person whose office was in the bottom section of the L came into the room and I discovered that they were a professor with whom I was friends. We were happy to be office mates.
Time passed and it was getting late. My furniture was not arranged yet, and I realized that I really only had a strip of the room I was arranging. 4 long blue and gray stripes marked the floor where different people were to have their long, mildly narrow offices. My furniture fit, but I wasn't happy with how it was arranged.
Time passed again, and it was dark. Somehow seeing outside, I noticed a mob of people carrying make-shift weapons of sticks and chains. They were possibly zombies, possibly zombie hunters, and possibly a pretend zombie flash mob. I and a friend who was in my office with me climbed up onto the fireplace mantle, and hid in the dark in the corner. We decided to pretend to be zombies when the mob came into the office.
They came in, and spotted us quickly. They were humans, but we apparently were real zombies now, because I and my friend started biting their flesh and they started turning into zombies. One girl in particular, fell dead at my feet and her flesh went pasty white, her hand started falling off at the wrist, and then she came back to the undead. She was to be my companion for all time, and her friend who watched her turn into a zombie was horrified but still frozen in disbelief. She wouldn't shoot her new zombie friend in the brains, even though the zombie-girl begged her to do it.
I thought it was very un-zombie of her to still be able to talk.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Christmas Visiting
I was at my future in-law's house for some holiday, possibly Christmas. I was trying to get information from them about something, but then I found out that my future grandmother-in-law was in a hospital and very ill. My in-laws got upset and bustled around the house trying to get their things together so they could go visit her. They took a while though, and when they went outside into the dark of the night, they didn't go straight for their car. Then, they were in their car, but not driving to visit her. They hadn't left, but they pulled back into the property in the car and all piled out. I asked why they weren't going to visit her already, and they were confused. They started getting ready to go again, but then other relatives started arriving with piles of baked goods. I took that to indicate that my future grandmother-in-law had passed away. My future mother-in-law was upset. I received the guests and the baked goods looked tempting.
I wandered around the house away from the mourners. Many of my friends were in town to visit for the holidays too, and they were staying here as well. Two of my friends in a long distance relationship that's on the rocks met up. They didn't see that I was in the loft, when they started making out. I dropped to the ground so they wouldn't see me if they looked up. They disappeared into a back room and closed the door. I got up and arranged some of the couches and chairs to make more bed-space for my other visiting friends.
I wandered around the house away from the mourners. Many of my friends were in town to visit for the holidays too, and they were staying here as well. Two of my friends in a long distance relationship that's on the rocks met up. They didn't see that I was in the loft, when they started making out. I dropped to the ground so they wouldn't see me if they looked up. They disappeared into a back room and closed the door. I got up and arranged some of the couches and chairs to make more bed-space for my other visiting friends.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Rental House
I first noticed that the wall between my room and my roommate's was crumbling away near the ceiling. There were stress lines and buckled areas down to the floor and crumbling at the floor as well though. I left my room and noticed other parts of the house walls that were crumbling. I ran around outside to see if I could see if something large had fallen onto the house. I looked for my roommates, one of them was having sex with his door open. I walked away quickly because he's gross. The other roommate wasn't to be found. I contemplated calling the landlord, but there were artists making mobiles and hanging them in the new holes in the walls and I had to get them to clear those up first. Also Todd had a wall-mounted garden of illegal plants only barely hidden behind a blanket - not in a crumbling-wall hole though. Many of my friends were here now, hanging out in a living room. Two kittens were playing on the floor.
At some point I was outside with Ben D. and I realized I'd never used the awesome stone patio table and chairs to eat dinner outside.
[Much more detail occurred, but it faded quickly when a stupid woman rang the doorbell and talked me out of remembering my dream details. Interestingly, she was from the county and here to measure the property for assessment.]
At some point I was outside with Ben D. and I realized I'd never used the awesome stone patio table and chairs to eat dinner outside.
[Much more detail occurred, but it faded quickly when a stupid woman rang the doorbell and talked me out of remembering my dream details. Interestingly, she was from the county and here to measure the property for assessment.]
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Invasion Adventure
Seattle was attacked; a large building, many blocks in circumference erupted into balls of flame. I watched it from above, as a tv-less news feed. Terrorists were blamed.
I was in Portland and nervousness was in the air. A local volcano, probably Mt. Hood, erupted, shooting black smoke up in a solid chimney column, miles into the sky. All the water was contaminated, and we only could drink what we already had in containers. I and a few friends had water bottles with some water in them, and a pair of my goggles held a small amount of rain water. We were determined to conserve it. We lived in a forest with large trees and wide rivers, large, college-campus buildings sprinkled here and there. In 3 days, the river water might be ok to drink again, but we started to question the news feeds as barbaric northerners invaded on horseback.
Some friends and I determined to head out into the wilderness to find a better land in which to live, but as we considered maps and our options, the world started to look much more wild and uninhabited than we had previously thought it was. The barbarians from the north had traveled a long distance to come here, and the land in between was mostly lawless forests. The world we had known - a modern, overpopulated, dense one of cities and highways - did not seem to exist as the news feeds had taught us to believe.
We followed a river across our land, and when the barbarians rode close to us, we found a giant, ancient, natural-rock bridge to hide under. They looked past us and rode on.
Word came that there was pizza available in one of our building's cafes. It had been found safe, not looted and not touched by the volcanic eruption, cooked, and was now being given out - one slice per person - if you stood in line. We joined the line, and I stood just in front of Eric H. There were seven or eight people ahead of me, and I was mildly concerned that the pizza would run out, but it seemed like there was enough. I noticed that Eric was holding a plastic plate and a fork, and then I noticed that everyone in line but me were as well. Eric said that it wouldn't matter, and I agreed.
I was in Portland and nervousness was in the air. A local volcano, probably Mt. Hood, erupted, shooting black smoke up in a solid chimney column, miles into the sky. All the water was contaminated, and we only could drink what we already had in containers. I and a few friends had water bottles with some water in them, and a pair of my goggles held a small amount of rain water. We were determined to conserve it. We lived in a forest with large trees and wide rivers, large, college-campus buildings sprinkled here and there. In 3 days, the river water might be ok to drink again, but we started to question the news feeds as barbaric northerners invaded on horseback.
Some friends and I determined to head out into the wilderness to find a better land in which to live, but as we considered maps and our options, the world started to look much more wild and uninhabited than we had previously thought it was. The barbarians from the north had traveled a long distance to come here, and the land in between was mostly lawless forests. The world we had known - a modern, overpopulated, dense one of cities and highways - did not seem to exist as the news feeds had taught us to believe.
We followed a river across our land, and when the barbarians rode close to us, we found a giant, ancient, natural-rock bridge to hide under. They looked past us and rode on.
Word came that there was pizza available in one of our building's cafes. It had been found safe, not looted and not touched by the volcanic eruption, cooked, and was now being given out - one slice per person - if you stood in line. We joined the line, and I stood just in front of Eric H. There were seven or eight people ahead of me, and I was mildly concerned that the pizza would run out, but it seemed like there was enough. I noticed that Eric was holding a plastic plate and a fork, and then I noticed that everyone in line but me were as well. Eric said that it wouldn't matter, and I agreed.
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