Dream

Pressed together with my lover, I atroke his smooth back and hope that he will love me.

A Hornblower book recounts a sea voyage with stops at a trading island dominated by a wicked woman, among other places. The illustrations show blowing canvases of empty mercantile grabbiness and degeneration. The water at each stop is described in mythical terms. One is "Unwilling, vivid..." I copy a line from my book to show my lover how complex German script looks.

(Later)A snippet of a song, playful, as if sung by a child's game or musical instrument.

Dream

I photograph a family of ravens just outside my window. They're sophisticated ravens, and think I'm texting them.

Running

I do a Dragon Loop at 7 am with Ray and Shannon, then a second one with Ray and Sonya. Total milage 11.68 at an average 10.06 pace.

Other

Ben and Jenny take me and Ezra to see GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Great movie. Audience applauds at the end.

Then we go back to the house. Ben and Jenny come in to eat the cake and pie they have left over from Ben's pre-birthday celebration at the Dish Cafe that morning. Ezra brings out the home-baked apple pie and apple cider left over from the gathering at Ryan's house the day before.

Discussion of the world. Ezra predicts that the European Union will fall apart within five years. She thinks the current world financial problems will only grow worse, while Ben and Jenny think that new technology will save the day--perhaps better solar cells and more efficient batteries. I hope they're right.

We all play Ricochet Robts, and Jenny Wins.

Dream

A man singing his saga.

I join a dance. Everyone in a circle mirrors the dance leader's moves. We start out leaning our heads on the next person's shoulders, then lean forward, look back through our legs, lean twisting to the side, arms exrtending and contracting, then finally end with hands aloft and joined.

Other

I mow. Ezra is home baking apple pies for a gathering at Ryan's house tonight.

Writing

My family histoies give me the idea for a short story, "The Eye of God."

Dream

(During Nap) I have a friend, a short, dark-haired woman whose daughter works in a time-lab for the navy. The fiend asks me and another friend, "Do you have winter?" I say yes. Her daugher has none, as the navy sails her to warm places.

My friend likes the cold. "She's out in that shirt," my other friend tells me. We can see her through the window, her breath all misty.

"I have to move," I say, jumping up and down. We head out with our pets. I try to keep the piget moving. It has no sense of racing, unlike the cows and horses I had at the ranch. When I run up alongside it, it just falls over. I have to keep pushing it along. We're nearing the bridge.

Dream

Visiting a nice big house with an inside balcony.

My boyfriend, who looks like the old Cannon star, and I are discussing vacation plans. I point to a circle on the map, but it's in the Biblical hills and we don't want to go to a troubled region.

He suggests a tour of the Russian wine region. I say I'm not a drinker. But when I add that I'd take little sips, he is encouraged, and shows off by carrying me to the couch. His rival shows off by moving the couch with me on it, then my boyfriend responds, and so on.

Other

Some of the sights around the house I've photographed recently, tweaked in Gimp.

The culprit who ate the Gladiolus.

Waiting for the suet feeder to free up?

An Angel's Trumpet.

Dream

Playing with horses, getting them used to handling as foals. An older foal takes out a younger foal's two bottom tusks. These are tusked Torsa horses.

I look over the artwork I've purchased. In the painting of parasols, the paint is so thick that the parasols project an inch or two from the canvas.

I look at covers for books I haven't purchased, but would like to. One is a collection of historical excerpts that I think would be interesting.

A song about getting a horse to solve your problems; it ends with the words "The simple most goofiest rule."

Writing

Searching for Tara in the imperial family history files.

Thoughts

There is a part of me that has an overview of my life. I want to be in harmony with that part.

Running

Barry and I any a few others follow Tom on the 7.7 mile Ninja Loop that goes through Busch Campus, through the eco preserve, across the bridge into New Brunswick, then finally back across Buccleuch Park and the Route 18 Bridge. When I get home, I find that Ezra has gotten out the braunschweiger for dinner.

At 6 am I spot a Scutigera in the bathtub. I've always liked these centipedes, because they eat cockroaches and bedbugs.

Dream

Rebecca knows about the scientist who was married to Darwin's daughter. (Or was it Darwin who was married to Newton's daughter?)

Other

I have breakfast with Cheryl at the Seville Diner.

Back home, warmed up from singing old Danish songs in the car, I play my viola.

Dream

(During Nap) A queen is imprisoned in a cobblestone-floored room in a castle. I want to give her piano lessions.

I guess the content of a magazine because they ask me to. I tell Corey and Virginia to let me know if I'm wrong.

Corey lifts his girlfriend to Portland Center Stage on a square section of the stone floor that lifts out. It's hard work.

Running

The weather is threatening but we come out for the marathon track session anyway. I run 14 400's with Barry, Joe, and Chris. The storm doesn't burst over us. Instead the skies clear, and a rainbow appears over the track.

Hypnogogic

Barry saying, "Where the gas lines aren't, Bonnie."

Dream

An Orgmorgan who has some primordial blackness inside

On the train, I try to walk back through cars, but find the way blocked, and have to sit with a tough guy nearby.

At my store, a customer orders two sets of juggle balls, personalized. I have the list of names, colors, and something else. But repeated erasure has made a hole in the leather. Then my manager arrives, saying that juggle balls must not be personalized.

Battle between a praying mantis and a giant cockroach.

I'm asked to point out Mary Hendricksen, but I'm not sure I recall what she looks like.

Writing

I run imperial family history P2b for the years 106,000 to 110,000.

Other

I do some clipping of grass around the raspberry bushes.

Writing

I work on BRIDGE revisions, trying to make the voice ring true throughout.

At the Library Writing group Enoch reads chapter one. Only he and Helen came.

Dream

We're at the Ranch. Two girls are being dropped off by their family. They're naughty and need to be confined. We decide to limit them to the main room. I ask them if they want a screen moved into their area so they can watch shows, but they want to do their own work. They want to go outside and collect plants, not believing our warnings that the plants are deadly.

Orgmorgan's algorithm in my family history will also work to define their confinement.

I take guests shopping, but it's Sunday night, and the stores are all closed.

I'm caught away from home with the guests when rush hour comes, and a mass of people queues up to pass through the archway to the subway station. I tell my guests to get in line while I go to buy tokens. The line moves fast. When I get to the window I ask for five tokens, and everyone laughs because tokens haven't been in use for years. I pay with my credit card, and get a slip of paper worth five rides. A guard stops my party from boarding the train, telling us to wait for the next one.

Ezra's Dream: (while birds make noisy outside) Three birds are in her room, and she has to get them to go out.

Other

Ezra and I bring more grass over to Ben's cats. They're both quite playful this morning.

Dream

Orgmorgan descendants.

Running

I warm up on treadmill, then leave the house at 6 am to feed and play with Ben's kitties. Arriving at Grove 5, I do another short warmup, then leave on the Dragon Loop with Barry just as Ray arrives. Barry and I start out on a second loop at 8 am. About halfway through, I fall behind. For a while I run with Patrick and Sat, talking about our kids. My total run (after watched turned on) 12.4 miles, 10.03 pace. Breakfast with Ray, Anthony, Ryan, Tammy, and Alberto.

Writing

I'm reading through TINGLE.

Thoughts

One's subjective feeling about who one is and what one could do is so much greater than what can be seen objectively.

Other

Ezra and I visit Spot and Sandals in the evening. I water, then sit down in the den with my laptop going through family history files while I watch for hummingbirds.

Dream

A woman at the museum doesn't like my comic, so I ask her for criticism. She says I should do smaller pictures and use two inking pens.

She's interrupted by the need to blow up giant, beachball striped balloons for an exhibit. One of them pops very noisily. She and her coworker are listening to old-time songs. "There's one for music," she says.

I gaze at a huge, empty picture frame and reflect that the musuem is like a home to me, though I don't own it.

I return to my apartment in a Manhattan brownstone with the sign for Abys Chicken on the front. It's number 4745 or 3234. At first I plan to sleep in the lobby, but then I recall my cat, so I go up the stairs, saying, "Excuse me," to people as I squeeze past. Betsy is okay. There are people inside decorating the walls. I remind them that it's my apartment.

Another Betsy stands drowned and stiff in the fishtank, all green with pale mold rings. I tell Rhoda not to take out the three fish until I have a container ready for them, but she doesn't listen.

Hirohito had a splended mustache.

Writing

I'm reading through TINGLE.

Other

In the evening, Ezra and I visit Spot and Sandals. We bring them a tall grass stalk, which they love and devour. Back home, I water.

Running

I run three with Sonya, pausing to photograph a playful buck. No doubt he or his buddies will soon be trying to break all the trees in my backyard.

Dream

(During nap) Ezra is home with some leftover Chinese. I've cooked half of the hamburger, but forgotten the rest on the counter. Some of it is dried on the spatula, and I throw it away. I look for a plastic bag to put the rest in, but can't find one.

I tell Ezra that I've fed the cats.

She stands at the white island in the center of the kitchen making a phone call, and I hear the voice at the other end. She's getting results from the test she took to change assignments. Part of the test was a unit on puzzles. I say she must have done well on that. She tells me stuff, and I reply that I'll assume that's good news though I didn't really understand. Ezra laughs at me.

She says it's been a long time since she got a numerical upgrade. I hug her and say I hope it's coming. She says she's not sure if she left a callback for the tester. That was part of the test, somehow.

Other

Saw two female hummingbirds, one chasing the other from feeder. Later, a male came, his throat brilliant ruby when it caught the sun. He looked like a flying Christmas tree ornament.

Writing

I'm reading through SPLINTER.

Dream

(While napping with Fermi) A celebrity involved in a lawsuit is on a talk show. The talk show host, who disapproves of her, challenges her to resist addiction. She takes a couple puffs on a cigar, as does he. She declares that she's not addicted.

Problems with my computer.

I'm running down the highway barefoot just for fun, but I decide I'd better turn around, because it will be all uphill going back.

Someone is explaining how commercial catfood is all bad. It only tastes good to cats.

Other

At 10 am from the guest room window, I saw a hummingbird at the feeder.

She came back a few times. Ezra saw her too. I put down the hose, interrupting my watering, to snap pictures. They didn't come out very well.

Dream

I'm cutting out the figure of a man from black paper. Wondering if a mobster's last moments were in a hail of hitman bullets.

In a "Get Smart" type show, an agent with a long number feels sorry for himself. "I want to do jail," etc.

At Worldcon, I enter a hall and find a man lecturing to an empty table because no one wanted to come to his panel. I need to get my badge. I reckon it must be 2015, since it's in the US and the 2014 Worldcon was in London.

The second stanza of a poem, which replies to the first stanza, goes like this: "What do you say?/I'm worried that my tongue would stick/Inside a piece of ice that's thick/Here in South Carolina."

A black-haired priest gives us a one-page deposition (the longest he have is three pages), then expects us to attend his service. Virginia is with us, but I haven't noticed her limp. My mind turns to my characters, and I tune out the homily, which starts out with swords or something.

Other

Hot. Ninety degrees. Ezra is at wednesday Night anime (on Tuesday).

Running

I run the five miles to Highland Park High School track for the first marathon training session. I run eight 800's in 4:40, 4:36, 4:39, 4:33, 4:27, 4:17, 4:18, 3:57. Bob J runs inside the track on the astroturf, coaching me through the sixth and eighth.

Ray and Barry finish their last 800 by crossing the finish line hand in hand, while onlookers yell for Barry to beat him.

Marcia and Shilpie fight over the honor of giving me a ride home. I go with Shilpie, since I think she spoke up first.

Running

Sonya and I run four. As we cross the field behind the school, we pass two turkey hens with ten large chicks.

Dream

Going to different pubs in Colonial America. Men ride their horses inside. The Colony tyrant sees a pony rearing repeatedly in an almost dance-like way and conceives a desire to possess it. Later, a woman pokes her head into the pub and says, "Oh, you've killed him," and leaves.

The pony's hide, which has words written on it, was hanging from the pub's rafter.

Ezra's Dream: There are hummingbirds at the new feeder.

Other

I play my viola

Yesterday, a beautiful Gladiolus bloomed in our yard. Today, only one flower remained. The deer had eaten the rest.

Writing

Working through TINGLE revisions. Then a break to look up more imperial history details.

Dream

An underground realm of different tints.

At school. I am directed to go to the office with another woman. Will they offer me a job?

One of the teachers is singing "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" in his place when I drop by, so I begin to sing it in Danish. He's surprised when he notices.

Songs have very few words because every word costs.

I think he might be interested in me, but he smokes. He offers coffee, but I say no. How about tea or water?

I have the feeling one of my girlfriends is mad at me, so I won't go to her place where it might be hard to get away. Instead, I'll insist that she come over to my place.

I'm riding my bike down a very long, steep hill in the snow and ice.

Three people can all in good faith try to set up an appointment and still have misunderstandings.

Running

I run the Dragon Loop through Busch Campus in light rain with Jo Ann Coffee and Ron. The rain stops by eight am. Coffee and I and Ann, Natalie, and Nicole run to DeMott and back on the tow path. Natalie tells me about how sometimes the shelf fungus on a fallen tree can grow into an "X" shape.

No breakfast with the club for me today; I drive off to feed and play with Ben's cats.

Writing

Revising names in all four novels to fit with the current imperial history.

Other

Ezra buys a new phone and a hummingbird feeder for the house.

Dream

Three floating rocks.

Other

Ezra and I visit Ben's cats in the evening, as he's gone to Rhode Island to spend the weekend with Jenny.