The rain was really falling hard this morning… Even though my pickup spot is only a few footsteps from the house, I’m confident that without my umbrella, I’d have been drenched to the skin by the time I arrived there, let along waiting the five minutes for the bus to arrive. I do need a new umbrella, however (something bigger and more rugged). The winds near the beach are quite good at breaking the more namby-pamby of bumbershoots.

More rough sleep last night. It must be the season for it…New moon last night. I can think of a few people that suffered last night, and have been suffering over the course of this week.

Where do you go when you fall asleep? I think that I keep returning to the same land, not too different than the one I live in while awake. There is a stronger element of the surreal, of course, but generally, I don’t notice that there’s a problem until I reflect on it after waking. Newt can change colors, and is as big as I am? It makes perfect sense to me, at the time.

Here’s an irrational but minor annoyance I have. It’s when my image shows up in the dreams of other people. That’s fine in and of itself, but sometimes my doppelganger acts like a jerk there. It’s foolish of me to feel this way, as it’s someone else’s psyche that’s pulling his strings, but I feel somehow responsible for my dream-image’s actions and doings. I’d much prefer that he do an act of compassion or act heroically than do something unkind or craven.

Recurring themes in dreamtime for me are: Pursuit (either chasing or less frequently, being chased), socializing (anything from going to a bar with friends to Christmas morning with my sweetheart and our dream-daughter ten years from now), defending someone from harm, or exploring a familiar, but changed landscape. (That can include a time-shift, decorations for a party, or a disaster like a flood). Things that stand out are unusual quantities, like rains of razors or having someone turned into a chameleon for parking in someone else’s space.

I don’t recall much of last night’s dreams. I know that my visualization before drifting off was a comfortable one. My beloved and I cocooned up in blankets, her resting peacefully in my arms as I began to loll. It’s one of my “happy places” to go. The bed is a soft, living thing, like resting on the back of a mammoth. When Newt recognizes that I’m officially lying down, he’ll come over and lie down on my right shoulder, and nuzzle his face into the angle of where my chin turns into my throat. This permits me to wrap my right arm around him and stroke his back and head while he purrs me to slumber. If, for some reason that location isn’t comfortable for him, he’ll lay against my side or calf, propping his head up on one of my knees. On a few occasions, he’ll even lay on my chest, lengthwise, his head at my throat again, but I can hug him softly with both arms. I do remember waking up two or three times during the night, and finally waking about 9ish from a thick sleep.

I wonder what Newt dreams about… I’ve seen him in restless sleep, maybe a nightmare? Usually he lounges quite quietly. Do cats have REM sleep? I think dogs do. Note to self- look into that.

I can’t help but wonder if dream interpretation books have any value, or if the real interpretive worth is better judged on individual basis. I suspect that’s more of what it’s all about. I think that if I see an anchor in my dream, it probably means something different than if Fred Smith in Wyoming sees one in his. I suspect a lot of the interpretation changes as the viewer grows, too. Dreams I had as a little pod probably mean something other than what I might translate them into now.

I wonder how Danger the turtle is doing? I think about him, Coal, and that gang pretty often.

The Finn is back from her native country, seeing her mom through cancer surgery. It seems to be the season for that, too… Danny’s pop had something done just recently. She brought back chocolate for everyone, which is quite tasty (truffle-filled milk chocolate). The label says truffelitaytteinen maitosuklaa, which has me guess that Finnish for chocolate is suklaa? The ingredients are listed in (FIN) Finnish, (S) Swedish, (GB) English and (EST) Estonian (maybe, unsure). In any language, it’s dang tasty and a pleasant surprise.

Late lunch today, Sandwiches and chips from Champp’s (It’s supposed to have two Ps). The only time I can palate tomato soup is if there’s a grilled cheese next to it.

Mike finally paid me back the money he owes me. Brother slipping me back a healthy chunk too. He’s doing very well these days, and for that I’m happy.

Missed my sweetheart by inches… I got home 3 minutes after she popped offline. dang! maybe I’ll see her before sleepies.