The Improbable Dream

See the post before this one for reference. Plus I’ve been having some trouble with my Internet connection, so it took a while to get this posted. I hope the trouble clears up before tomorrow.

I don’t normally remember my dreams. I mean I rarely do. I remember waking up and remembering the gist of what happened, but they are rarely memorable enough to expend energy trying to remember them. In other words I usually dream pretty mundane stuff related to people and events of the day. I remember the occasional flying dream, though it was more like a slow glide. I also remember having dreams so realistic and vivid that I mistook the remembered dream for actual events later. Yeah that’s kind of disturbing. I’ve also incorporated sounds into my dreams. Anyway, while I was sick I had an awful night’s sleep. I was doped up on Advil liquigels. Which as an aside taking two liquigels on a fairly empty stomach chased by 2/5ths of a pot of coffee is like injecting it straight into your arm. It rocks. Anyway I had a dream so odd that I still remember the basic outline of it, which is more than I usually remember.

Where to begin. I was essentially four separate and distinct people, each with their own personalities and motivations. I rotated from one instance to another somewhat randomly. All of them existed in this ethereal mist, and each of them was forming or molding an object of some kind. The objects in question took the form of large black shapes constructed of protrusions of rectangular, cylindrical, and other geometric shapes and were several times the height of the person forming it and nearly twice as long as high. Interestingly each of the individuals pushed and pulled the forms using the power of an element; air, water, earth, and it think fire, but it could have been heat in general. For some reason the air and water instances were afraid of the earth instance. They seemed to fear he was building a weapon, though he and the rest of them didn’t really know what they were building. Consequently air and water had decided to ally themselves, and they were constructing their object for protection. That is even thought they didn’t know what they were building. Fire or heat or energy wasn’t afraid of earth or the other two, but it constructed its object, because it felt it needed to and as a “just in case” thing. As the construction continued the objects and individuals moved closer together in the mist. Tensions became greater as the impending whatever bore down on them. Then as the objects neared completion they got close enough that all four could see the objects at once. They realized they had been building four separate pieces of one thing. The final change was made to each of the four objects as they clicked into place, and I promptly woke up.

Tada. What’s really odd is that I remember feeling each of the distinct personalities and the emotional state of each. Then I was the air or water guys I truly feared the earth guy. And when I was the earth guy I couldn’t understand their irrational fear. I just wish I had gotten to see what the damned thing did. Maybe I was bringing conflicting parts of me into unison, or maybe just maybe I was running a temperature of 100+.

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An Ill Wind

Where has the time gone? Well friends you know how I’ve talked about having time I needed ot take off of work. Well I took two days for Thanksgiving. We got Thurs and Friday of course, but I added Tuesday and Wednesday. And low and behold what happens. I get sick Monday evening. Yay. I had fever, shakes and all my joints ached Monday night and part of Tuesday. Luckily I felt better Wednesday and went to my home town for Thanksgiving.

I came back to my house Saturday with a bit of a sinus headache. Sunday morning I felt somewhat better, but that all changed after noon. I started running a fever 100, got the shakes, was cold, and the pain in my sinuses started spreading. I had the symptoms of a sinus infection. Around time for bed I got terribly cold. I slept under my flannel sheets, electric blanket, comforter, and one of those velour type blankets. I woke up 3 times in need of medication to stop my head from splitting to the root. That was far worse than the abscess tooth I had.

Monday morning I felt alright, but I called in sick to work. I got well enough to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription my doctor called in. It’s nice to have a small town doctor. Plus I had to go to class since it was a test review. Plus the professor has a “No Excused Absences” policy. I felt like trying to give him my disease for so callously encouraging sick people to spreading illness. Luckily I brought the Advil with me so that I could pop two in order to make it home after my head started aching again. Then I really got the cold and shakes again, fever 101+. I went to bed and had an awful night’s sleep and probably one of the oddest dreams I’ve ever had. I’ll tell you about that later.

I got up Tuesday feeling ok, but it got worse quickly. No work for me. I kept a fever of 100+ most of the day. I drank a full gallon of Gatorade on Mon and Tues. I stayed on the couch and rested. Tuesday night I popped a couple Advil for something I had to do and felt much better.

Wed I got up and nursed a 99+ temp all day, but I had to take an online test for class. And Thursday I was back at work. Those are the first sick days I’ve taking for illness in a long time, and the first 3 in a row ever. Turns out whatever it was has been going around.

Now let’s see if I can think of how to describe the dream.

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Movies of Fall

Can you believe it I’m actually making a post? This is of course about movies, but I’m not goanna spend much time on it.

First, several weeks back I saw “American Gangster” with a couple of friends. Let me tell you that is a pretty darned good movie right there. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. It’s not nearly as violent as I thought it might be. Plus it doesn’t really get bogged down at any point. If I had written a review in time I would have recommended it for a definite viewing even at full price.

Yesterday my brother and I went to see “The Mist” based on a Stephen King novella. The sucker had pretty good reviews so I thought what the heck. That was quite interesting. It had the feel of a “B” movie, but the acting and writing were pretty good. I enjoyed the characters and actors quite a bit. Some might not like horror/suspense like this, don’t go if you don’t like scary movies, but this one had the right mix of stuff for me. It almost gave me a Hitchcockian feeling. All the way up to the end. You have characters that make pretty smart and understandable decisions all through a movie, and then you get to the en and they flub it. I know what it was trying to pull off, but that was the only unconvincing part. I recommend it as a matinee to anyone who thinks it might be interesting.

Now there seem to be a lot more movies coming out I want to see. I’ll try to write more.

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Dang it’s late

So it’s getting late in the year man. I’m not ready for it to be this late. Thought I have been enjoying the pomegranates coming back in season. I love those things. So I’ve eaten about a dozen of them so far. Then a friend of mine pointed out that the world’s most perfect processed food had made its reappearance for the season. And friggin’ Thanksgiving is next week. Ug. Where has all the time gone? Now I have to get going on running over my leaves with the riding mower. Too many things to do.

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Looking Up and Onward

Well Thanksgiving weekend is coming to a close, and I hope everyone had a good one. I had a good week myself.

Last weekend I got to step outside and watch the Leonids shower. I didn’t spend more that 20 minutes or so outside, and saw less than a dozen streaks. I forgot about it until the last minute and had not prepared well. It was a bit chilly, and from previous experiences I was not expecting to be able to see it well. Well one good part about living about 8 miles from town is that the low glow is, well, low. That and the closest real street light is about ¾ of a mile away from my house. As it turned out the night was chilly, the humidity low, and cloud cover was non-existent. It was a beautiful night and I should have prepared to make better use of it. I even believe that in the cold clear nights I can begin to make out the Milky Way. I do know that on the clear moonless nights the stars make me cast a blobby shadow on the ground. Next year I shall try to remember to start up my charcoal grill in the front yard to provide some heat. I’ll make some hot chocolate and dress to sit out for a few hours. Might even roast a few of the marshmallows.

I did a little work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and then I went home For Thanksgiving. I got to eat at two big meals on that wonderful day. I got to see family, and talked to friends on the phone. Then on Saturday I watched a strange football game with a crappy ending, but oh well. I even managed to finish two books. I’ll try to get reviews up soon. As one final plus I am looking at 43 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes sitting on my kitchen counter. I told you I have a problem.

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Autumvember

It’s the first weekend in November, and I’m having a good time so far. Monday is Fall break for Clemson, and I took Tuesday off for election day. I have yet to understand why we can’t have Monday and Tuesday off for Fall break. Anyway, a four day weekend is just the icing on the cake. This week my grocery store got in a half pallet of my favorite seasonal fruit, pomegranates. I’ve been having one a day for the past week. I’ve extolled the love I have for this fruit before, and it just makes it feel like Fall. This weekend is the ending part of the most colorful foliage change of the year, and that means that the leaves are falling in earnest. I spent yesterday mowing the leaves in the front and back yard, with some help from my Godsister. Friday evening made Salmon stew to go with the cold weather. I started drinking coffee again over the past two weeks. It’s just too hot to drink it during the summer. That also means that I can start drinking my hot tea again. I got some bulk tea in Atlanta last weekend, the first time I have done so. I was discussing getting a tea ball, but I make big mugs of tea and would need a big one. A friend thought about a French press, and so I bought one yesterday. Something make s me think the English would flinch at the notion of making English Breakfast Tea in a French press, but it worked well for me. Of course they probably flinch even more at the idea of a mug of tea, oh well. Last week my class group turned in Project three for our grade, and we called a break before starting project four. And finally, at the grocery store today I saw hints on an empty shelf space that the beloved Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes have made their appearance. Looks like I’m going to be stopping at Sam’s on the way home tomorrow to see if they have some of the big boxes. November is turning out to be a good month.

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Flora Sale

This past Saturday I was taken off guard by something I had forgotten about until I saw a sign about it last week. It was time for the semi-annual sale at the SC Botanical Garden at Clemson. I have been to two Spring events, but last year I missed the Fall sale. Check out the page they had for the Fall sale. Follow me while I ramble down that path.


Previously I had purchased items for family as presents or requests. I like shopping there since it helps support the Garden and because of the things they have for sale. They usually have good quality plants in fairly large containers. None of that oversized tree in a small pot like some places. Plus they always carry unusual plants that you don’t find at most nurseries. Not to mention that but the horticulture students from Clemson work the sale. Most of them helped grow the plants and can offer extensive help on picking good plants for particular needs, planting tips, pruning tips, fertilization, and general plant care.

Well this year I had the opportunity to go to the sale for the first time to purchase things for me. Well I could have purchased stuff for me before, but this is the first time I have my own yard in which to plant them.

First I was looking for a tree to put in the front yard. I had a pine tree cut down nest to the driveway, because it had a lot of ice damage from last year, had pine beetles and was dying, and it was ugly (primarily from the effect of the previous two items). There is another tree about 25 – 30 feet from where the pine tree was. I’m not sure what it is, but I cut about 1/3 of the branches out because they were dead. Now more appear to be dead. I think it’s suffering from the ice damage it received as well and will have to come down. That will leave a 40-50 ft hole between the driveway and the Post Oak farther down the ditch by the road. Some idiot ran into the Post Oak several years back and ripped the bark off one side, but it’s alive and slowly healing. I hope it makes it because I love Post Oaks. My Parents had one at the end of the driveway, and looking at the typical figures on Wiki it was a big one ( 4+ ft diameter and 50+ ft tall with leaves 15” by 6”). To me it typifies a “real” oak, huge leathery leaves that make deep loose piles on the ground, huge acorns, and slow growing. Anyway, that hole heeded to be filled and I have enough oaks on the lot, the Post Oak being the crown jewel. I wanted something different. They had a very nice selection of magnolias at the garden, and several other shrubbier trees. I finally decided on a Acer truncatum Maple tree. There are several varieties, and I think mine is either Shantung Maple or Painted Maple. It’s supposed to turn brilliant yellow and orange to red in the Fall. I’ll have to wait t few years to make sure. I should be able to keep the lower branches high enough not to block the view, but the color show in fall should light up the yard as you come down the road. I may get one of the magnolias or a beech for the side yard later. Of course I want to add a coupe of fruit trees as well. Slow and steady.

As for the other plants, I purchased a Camellia Japonica ‘Grace Albritton’ for use under some of the trees in the back yard and behind a split rail fence. It will have plenty of space to do whatever it wants. I sincerely hope it has the chance to reach its full 10’ -15’ height and 5’ – 10’ width. This particular variety is supposed to have light colored spots variegating the leaves and white, pink, and red variegated double blossoms.

I bought several perennial flowering plants as well. I picked up two Coreopsis ‘Limerock Ruby’ or Red Tickseed for the driveway. I also picked up two Gazania ‘Colorado Gold’ that I planted by the driveway as well. By the walkway to the back yard I planted two Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip.’ It should provide a great ground cover for the fairly moist shady area. I love the dark foliage and blue flowers.

Finally I did something I hadn’t intended. I bought three ferns to plant near the wooded area in the back yard. First I got a Dryopteris marginalis or Eastern Wood Fern to be a standard fern. Then I picked out an Osmunda cinnamomea or Cinnamon Fern that has colored reproductive fronds in the spring. Finally I bought an Athyrium Angustum forma rubellum or Lady in Red Fern (pic). I hope they live. I planted them near the woods in the shade where the ground slopes toward them. I may have to mulch the area more to keep the ground from drying out.

I’m looking forward to getting more stuff in the spring.

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