REM report

Scene 1:
my parents were fixing up their fictitious house, on their fictitious huge piece of property, in order to sell it. there were some hired hands around, and i was hanging around helping them out too. it was a sunny day. there was an outbuilding behind the main house, with a lot of windows. apparently they were having a large gathering at 6:30pm later that day and were kind of rushing to finish up what they'd been working on. my father asked me to help him with some gutters he was putting up, so i picked up a bunch of materials and a putty knife. i wasn't sure where the gutters were going to be mounted but i got the impression it was (strangely) underneath a roofed-over area between the back of the house and the outbuilding. i asked him about some grey sticky looking stuff, was it mastic? did he want me to bring it? yes to both. sure enough, under the eaves went the gutter material.

i noticed the floor between the house and the outbuilding had been painted over with a thick layer of white paint, with a roller, and the puckers in the paint were clearly visible. the only areas not painted were a couple areas of hexagonal vinyl tiles with a striped pattern in slate-blue colors. there was a path made from some rectangular pieces of plywood between the back porch and the outbuilding, which had been painted to the floor also. i thought it looked kinda rinkydink but knew my dad was getting what he wanted from them...whatever that was.

Scene 2:
standing inside with a throng of people at night. my old boss Todd was there, he seemed like he was in a really good mood. it was an informal gathering and people were having a good time; i got the impression the occasion called for speeches- something special was going on.

Scene 3:
i was standing inside by the kitchen talking with Melissa. there were some people there i can't remember now whom i knew, including one middle-aged Hawaiian guy. when i turned from Melissa and stepped around a corner to look at him again, it was like he'd lost 20 years and now had a full head of hair. he was wearing glasses, and talking with some people; he didn't notice me.

Scene 4:
i was back outside, this time with Jason. we were looking inside the outbuilding through the windows; the place seemed cozy now, there were some framed pictures hanging on the walls inside, and everything looked to be pretty finished in there. i wanted a cigarette, so i turned to head inside to get mine. Jason made a joking comment to me that he had some cigarettes and i could have one if i wanted. i don't know if i took him up on it or not, but i ended up with a smoke somehow. there were flowers planted everywhere, mostly purple ones, low to the ground, and i clumsily stepped on some of them, grabbing a pole to keep from falling over. "clumsy!", i thought. but it didn't seem like all that big a deal considering the scope of everything that was being done- they'd recover; it'd be ok in the long run. Mom came out and told me not to flick my butt on the ground. i told her i never did, that i always put them in my pocket. she stayed outside and talked with Jason and me for awhile. from behind me i kept hearing an extremely faint voice counting, and asked if anyone heard it. Jason did and we turned to look back to look for the source of the sound.

Scene 5:
suddenly we were standing on a wooden deck overlooking a river or some other body of water far below the property. there were mountains in the distance. it was almost like the Sound, and beyond the water it might have been Whidbey Island. there were two small boats off in the distance, moving toward us. they were moving pretty fast and as they got closer, i could tell the the two guys piloting them were counting fish. 16...24....they seemed to be having an argument about the number of the fish and how to split them up. one boat cut the other off with a dangerous move, veering right into the other's path, and they passed by the rear of the deck, headed down toward where my dad was. Dad was in the water with another guy, by the bank. he and another guy were in up to their necks, holding on to a small boat like they were pulling it in to tie it off, or maybe just untying it...something. the other boats pulled up to them and Jason and i both knew there was going to be trouble. the belligerent guys started trying to drag my dad's boat out into the river, but Dad and his friend hung on. it looked like the newcomers might sink the others' boat, and i was worried about my dad. before i knew what was going on Jason was over the side of the deck into the water, which seemed a lot closer and not as far below the deck now. he hoisted a kid up over his head out of the water, who belonged to the bad guys in the boats, and held him up so i could take him from him. his intention was clear, he wanted me to keep this kid for collateral to make sure nothing happened to Dad. i quickly took the kid from him, and Jason headed for the scene playing out on the water. i brought the kid (who'd changed into a young girl) over to a chair on the deck and sat her in it. Melissa was present and she was growing more anxious by the second. she was upset about the way i was treating the little girl, but i basically cut her off and told her i was handling it, knowing that i wasn't going to do anything to harm the girl, who was angry and frightened and began to protest and struggle against me. i firmly held her to the chair and told her forcefully (more forcefully than Melissa was comfortable with) to calm down, and that everything was going to be ok. after a moment the little girl responded to my tone and realized she couldn't resist me, and calmed down. Melissa watched but didn't interfere.

Scene 6:
before long, Dad and one of the boat guys, a scraggly looking middle aged guy with dark hair, were on the deck, seeming to have worked things out. the man was collecting his daughter from me. he picked her up and very carelessly, almost violently, threw her up over his head like he meant to put her on his shoulders- but lost his grip or something- and she literally FLEW over his head and landed with a smack on her head and shoulder on the deck, neck bent sideways and arm splayed out awkwardly. i was sure this girl was hurt and Melissa was instantly appalled and terrified for the little girl. i started for the girl instantly, but the man was much closer and went over and picked her up, as if nothing was wrong, and evidently there was no harm done. i followed him around with her for awhile to make sure. Dad was there too and the man seemed to be explaining to Dad how he'd had many many children and never had anything happen to any of them before. i couldn't imagine someone as careless as this hadn't met with some tragedy, but my dad seemed to accept it, so i let it be.

and that's about all i remember. chalk up another wierd one.

the GFJAA Knights wrap up their season

yesterday, in what was easily the most exciting game they played all year, the Knights pushed their opponents to the wire on both ends of the floor- a display of basketball so gutsy that words strain to to describe it. though they played outstandingly, they managed to lose a squeaker in regulation by a final score of 15-12. obviously the shooting on both sides of the ball was lackluster at best. our own #37, Loren, went 1-1 on the afternoon, sinking his only attempt, and contributing 1 of only 6 baskets scored by the Knights in the entire 40 minutes. the Knights' outstanding hustle on defense kept them in the game right up to the last minute of play. it was a fantastic game, easily the most fun of the year for the crowd in the stands, and an unprecedented effort on the part of everyone on the team. special thanks to Mom & Dad for comin' out to cheer on m'boy. thanks also to Coach Sally and Coach Bill for their efforts this year.

this reporter warmed up Loren, then Loren and Taylor, then Loren and Taylor and Bubba, then Loren and Taylor and Bubba and Tyler, before finally conceding that they'd had enough and leaving them to finish their pre-game routine as they might. i taped a large portion of the game, but the videotape and camera battery were vying for which one would quit first; in the end the battery was victorious by a nose. i did however manage to record the majority of Loren's playing time. basketball pictures came back this afternoon also, and Loren's was good, but they put my name on his picture instead of his. i'll be looking to see if it was their mistake or mine, and scanning and reprinting the pictures for Loren's mom.

Loren and I went to dinner with my folks after the game- thanks guys, that was wonderful. afterwards i ran Loren back to his mom's. this afternoon Loren's going to take part in the GFJAA shoot-out, here's crossing my fingers he acquits himself well :)

enough for me for now, time to roll. onward to soccer season Loren!

SinisteRClan lives

my friends among the SinisteRClan gaming community recently launched their new site, and i joined to mingle vicariously amongst their Presences Most Noble.

it befell me then to wax eloquent upon their auspicious occasion, and so resoundingly indeed didst mine wax profound expound, it doth urgeth me repeat those phrases herenow: (to wit)

PROCLAMATION UPON ARRIVAL:

THUS troddeth the infidel upon the new ground
Oh, Sinister!, spake he
Let all thine righteous incalcitrance waiver not
for thou hath most certainly risen
fully into thine exaltation.
Thy falling foot smote mightily this ground!
Thy pummeling heart mightily thundering
before subjugated masses
bereft of hope
evermore shall they wail
depairingly their lament.

SPEAK THOU NAUGHT before these noble few
lest words betray thy shallow naked souls
Shrink thee back unto thine fetid pools of woe
and venture forth naught
but to meet thine doom.

REM report

Scene 1:
i was crawling around the corner of a building behind Pat Fagg. there was a girl behind me, with shoulder length strawberry blonde hair. we were all three sneaking out of an underground type structure, moving from shadow into daylight, and none of us wanted to be seen. there was a bank of gravel and rubble at the corner and we made our way up it out into the city- Seattle.

Scene 2:
we were all three outside in the afternoon. i could see up over the city as if we were standing above I-5 on Roanoke or some street in that vicinity. this is the closest match to what i saw.

Scene 3:
the strawberry blonde girl and i were together and it was dark out. we seemed to be moving through an unfamiliar place that resembled downtown Snohomish. we made our way along the streets and it was clear to me it was getting very difficult for her. she tried to keep up but i could tell she was weakening and in a lot of pain. she had some kind of sickness spreading, from some sort of trauma to her forearm. i told her we needed to get her to a doctor. i helped her along as best i could. i was pretty scared she wasn't going to make it.

Scene 4:
we were inside a large building at night. it was fairly deserted but i seemed to know where i was going. on a lower level was a doctor's office. as i helped the girl into the office we were immediately noticed by two older women behind the counter. i explained to them how bad the girl's condition was. and they helped her into the back. i was very emotionally involved in the girl's problem, frustrated, worried- i felt like i wanted to cry. one of the two receptionists tried to ease my fears. eventually a doctor, an older, greying man, came out. he told me they could help her but it was going to be expensive. i had no money. he laid a book with the paperwork on the counter and started to review the bill with me. at first it didn't seem that bad, but he was just getting started. he turned a page and my eyes caught a figure of something like $7100 and change. it was like a heavy weight descended on me. i told the doctor i had no money right then but that i would take care of it.

Scene 5:
it seemed like the next morning, and like i'd been waiting in this office all night. the girl emerged from the back of the office and stood by the counter, smiling at me, backlit by the yellowish lighting in the hallway. i crossed the room to go to her, immensely relieved. she held out her left forearm, which was mostly wrapped in some green leaves, but bare on the underside, which she wanted to show me. she kind of cradled her bad arm with her other hand. there was a bluish discoloration to the skin on the underside of her forearm. i knew she was going to be allright.

REM report

since i immediately started looking for a job when i woke up instead of writing this down, all i can remember now is having talking to Loren's mother. we might have been having an argument, the mood was somewhat tense. she was in a sunny room i've never seen before, sitting on a couch or chair below a large window. i was standing facing her. i remember pointing at her and saying something like "you won't fool me again," or maybe "i won't fall for that again". very strange.

i also had at least one other dream which i remembered vividly but damned if i can remember it now.

this weekend will be Loren's last basketball game of the season, unless he makes the "all-stars", which i have to assume is unlikely, since this is his first year, and he wasn't exactly a powerhouse. he did play great defense all year, so i suppose it's possible he could get in due to that. we will see. the maturity and work ethic he applies to practices and games continue to improve with every sport, every season, and i'm awful proud of him. most importantly, he seems to be having fun which, of course, is important too. tonight's his last practice. wonder what the coach has in store for them.

tomorrow we go to see the Harlem Globetrotters at the new Everett Events Center. neither of us has been there before, or seen the Globetrotters before, so it should be fun. wish i wasn't so broke.

enough time on this! back to looking for work.