Tuesday, March 30th, 2004

I’m at home getting ready to make dinner before people come over for poker. A huge delivery from Fresh Direct has arrived and I’m putting away all the groceries. There is a lot of meat in this order and much of it is unpackaged. Our kitchen is huge and we have deli-style display coolers instead of a refrigerator.

I suddenly realize that there are people scheduled to come over for a 6pm game as well as a 7pm game. I get a little nervous about how to accommodate everyone.

Later, We arrive with Tom & Lynnette at a Chinese restaurant and get seated at a table for 8 (we’re waiting on more people). There is already food on the table. I see a plate of sweet & sour pork and wonder how that got there.

Later, Susannah is home from work and I put my hand around her back. I start fondling her under her shirt and telling her about all my dreams.

Friday, March 26th, 2004

I’m in a hotel room with Susannah and a Russian man. It’s morning and we have a meeting or transaction to attend to. I ask the man why his young partner isn’t here yet. He puts on his thick bifocals and calls down to reception to see. I sort through his ring of keys and find out that the kid is staying in room 35. We all head out together. As we’re leaving, I get a bad feeling about the meeting and feel like I should take some protection. I tell them I’ll be right back and run back into the room. I rummage through the room quickly, trying to find a small weapon of some sort. I end up grabbing my wallet and making sure I put on my wedding ring (I want to be wearing it in case I die).

I rejoin Susannah and the man and we head downstairs. There are lots of other people going downstairs. Many of them are participating in a new sports fad of walking backwards down the stairs. I get fed up with them slowing me down and I start hopping the handrails to skip past people. Many people applaud my skater-like agility. I hear someone say the name “Merrill.” I see Micah Gottlieb and realize they’re talking about him. We nod hello to each other. After a couple more rail jumps, we reach an open boardwalk. I declare that all this rail jumping is “boring” and that this was the first time I ever did it. Many people are thoroughly impressed.

As I glance around the boardwalk, I try to find our rendezvous spot. I also wonder if there are agents or assassins out to get us. I try to think of any allies I can call on.

Later…

I’m at a friend’s house and we’re talking to a music rep. She asks if (someone) can go down to LA for an overnight trip. I tentatively agree, so does a middle-aged woman.

The rep is a little hazy on details and I have to keep asking her questions. She gives me the name of the hotel to stay and I ask her to give me directions from the airport (in case the cabbie doesn’t know). “Or will I have a limo driver waiting at the airport with a sign that reads ‘Dave Woo?’ I joke.

As she gives me directions, we’re standing on the street where the hotel is. She points up to the overpass near the hotel and says to tell the driver it’s near the highway.

I continue asking questions about the trip and what exactly I’m required to do. We sit in a lobby along with another older male rep. The middle-aged woman is talking about the trip as well. I get a little confused and ask the female rep if both of us are going. She looks to the male rep and he says no, just the woman. I get really pissed off and storm out of the building.

Outside, I stomp around and scream at being screwed with. The female rep comes outside and tries to apologize to me. I’m in no mood to listen.

Later, I’m inside and still fuming about the incident. There’s a young woman with me. She starts gathering her homework and begins to leave. I’m on the phone with a rep and I motion for her not to leave yet. I stand close to her and look over her pale, smooth skin. I hang up the phone and begin fondling her. We begin to make out.

Thursday, March 25th, 2004

I’m standing at a bus stop at night with Susannah. At first it’s snowing and visibility is very poor. There are lots of black people out and about in the streets. Susannah is talking to a young black man and I ask her, “Are there a lot of people out because it’s Friday night?” She doesn’t know.

Sunday, March 21st, 2004

I’m leading a small group of people through a construction site. As we down a ramp, I stop suddenly when I see that it ends abruptly over a ledge. Some construction workers (or other employees) yell at us to go back. They also make some insults at our expense. After we backtrack a bit, I yell at the workers to apologize for slighting us.

Friday, March 19th, 2004

I’m outside an unfamiliar entrance to the Jay Street subway station trying to find my dad and his colleague. I go inside the station to look at a map.

Later…

I’m on Smith Street near the store when I see Debra Goldstein come out of her apartment carrying a printer box. I comment on how boxes for electronics are always too big.

Later…

I’m walking through a subway station with Susannah. There’s a crowd walking with us. Susannah’s quietly singing a song and I tell her to stop. A black man is walking on the other side of her and tells her to keep singing. I’m irritated but ignore him. Then he brushes a finger against Susannah’s arm and says something about her soft skin. I pull Susannah towards me and stop, yelling, “Hey! What are you doing?! What are you doing?!” The guy stops, stares me down and backs off. Furious, I walk Susannah to the platform as others watch on.

On the platform, several women who’d seen the incident form a barricade around Susannah in a show of solidarity. I show a smile to them but I’m still fuming. I pace around, looking down the corridor for the guy. I go over to Susannah who has a small stainless steel case open. Inside are small compartments filled with jewelry. I tell her she shouldn’t carry so much bling bling out with her.

We’re inside the Jay Street station but we can’t take the F directly home for some reason. Susannah says we have to take the Q Diamond into Manhattan and then back on the F.

I’m listening to Marilyn Manson inside my head and still gearing up for a fight.

Thursday, March 18th, 2004

I’m with Susannah outside her office building. She suggests we go up and use one of the bathroom shower stalls to have sex in. One of her coworkers is with us and thinks the idea is shocking and bold.

Once up in the bathroom, I’m in a stall trying to stay out of sight. I keep peeking over the stall walls to see if anyone’s coming. I see two pairs of legs behind another stall, one male, one female. It’s a hot older woman and a man, both naked. I also see Susannah and a black man in another stall. The older woman and the man stop having sex and start to leave. I leave with Susannah and we stop to talk in the lobby. She says she wants to marry me. I’m frustrated and ask her why she wants to marry me when she obviously wants to have sex with that other guy. She tries to explain that she wants to have a “European marriage” where we can see other people. She says she’s just getting a head start. I ask her if this goes both ways, if I can see Italian women. There’s a skinny Latin woman near us and I kiss her hand. “Or Spanish women.” I add. “Argentina” says the skinny woman. “Or Argentinian women,” I add, kissing her hand again. As we talk, I notice there is lotion or shampoo on Susannah’s face and I tell her she should clean it off lest someone mistakes it for something else.

I run into the bathroom to get paper towels. A secret service agent speaks into his microphone that the president (me) has gone into the bathroom. I rip a huge piece of paper off and run back to the lobby.

Tuesday, March 16th, 2004

I’m at the store looking across the street at a newly opened bookstore. I’m on the phone with my mom and want to make a 3-way call with the owner of the bookstore. Their store is crowded with people for an opening gala or art opening. I tell my mom to hold and dial their number. A man picks up and I ask to speak to the owner. He looks around for a moment and tries to get the owner’s attention. After a while I give up and hang up.

Later, I’m sitting in my folding chair beside the counter when the bookstore owner comes in. I go behind the counter to greet him and notice that it’s very dark in the store. I look up to see that two bulbs are burned out. I grab two new bulbs out of the back but they are both broken. I try to clean up the broken glass off the counter and the owner helps me. We talk about my business.

Sunday, March 14th, 2004

I’m inside a mall looking across the way into a furniture store. There are several people browsing through it. In the back of the store, Steve Baron is sleeping on a showroom bed. I run inside to store to wake him. As I shake him awake, I say, “Steve, did you forget to lock your store last night?” Groggily, he replies, “No, I left it open for the landlady to come in. They’re expanding their store next door into mine.” “You’re reducing the size of your store?” I ask. “Yeah, it’s okay because this is my second store and my first and third stores are doing better.”

Later…

It’s early morning and I’m in a large darkened house. I put on my slippers and grab a bottle of shampoo and head for the showers. At the door of one bathroom, I peek in and see that there’s someone in the shower. I can see someone using the shower in the adjacent bathroom too. I go into a third bathroom and enter the dark stall and realize there’s someone there. A voice-over narration (or the voice inside my head) says that it’s Chris Fox and he’s busy thinking about Catherine Zeta Jones.

Thursday, March 11th, 2004

I’m walking through a large construction site where condos and malls are going up.

Later, I’m crouched on the grass firing a machine gun at advancing enemy troops. No matter how many I mow does, they keep coming.

Later, I’m on a bus with someone discussing the film we’re making (which involves the war scenes). The someone turns into my mom. She asks me why there are so many Taiwanese people in a Chinese production. I tell her it’s an international production with Brits as well.

Wednesday, March 10th, 2004

I’m playing in an Omaha poker tournament. The players discuss the blind structure and we decide to speed it up. I have 2 tens in my hole cards when the flop gives me another ten. By the time the river comes up, it’s down to me and another player. We show our cards and I realize that I’ve won the hand not w/ three 10s but a 10-high Spade flush.

Monday, March 8th, 2004

I’m floating in the water with a group of people. We realize there’s a shark in the water and we quickly retreat back to shore. We regroup and try to figure out how to signal for help. On land, there is a large house where we take shelter. As we discuss the shark problem, one woman runs to the water and jumps in. We see the shark appear out of nowhere and bite her in half. As the remaining half of her floats to the surface, I find it ridiculous that the perforation on her body is so clean.

Later, we’re inside the house sitting on the carpet when I see a newspaper on the floor. I realize the paper is the shark and I ask someone for a large book. I put the book on the paper to hold it down and begin lashing the paper with a spiked whip. As I lash the paper, I notice that it’s not being torn up as much as it should be. I switch to a spiked club and continue to beat it. After a while, I wonder if the shark is indeed under the paper. We nervously turn the pages of the paper to find out.

Friday, March 5th, 2004

I’m at the Fulton Mall in front of a movie theater. I buy a ticket and go into the Ashley Judd movie “Twisted.” A few minutes into the movie, I realize that Susannah probably wants to see it too and I leave. I walk through the mall and its throngs of people, trying to find another theater. I go down some stairs a little too fast. One foot gets caught behind the other & I have to hop down the stairs, almost running into other people.

Thursday, March 4th, 2004

I’m watching a man in bed in his cell on death row. It’s his execution day and he wants several breakfasts in bed. He also says doesn’t want to get out of bed until it’s time to die.

Later…

I’m in a house with lots of girls. When I go into the bathroom, I notice it’s only separated from another bathroom by a shower curtain. There’s a woman in the other bathroom cleaning the toilet. I have to fully close the curtain in order to have privacy. When I lift the toilet lid to pee, it won’t stay up so I have to hold it while I pee.

Wednesday, March 3, 2004

I’m tutoring a cute black teenage student. As we go over homework, I apologize for my hands being cold and rub them in between hers.

Later…

I’m on the street wielding a WWII-style machine gun, looking up at a passing train on an elevated track. On one open car, I see some soldiers and I open fire, killing one of them before realizing they’re medics. They wave at me to cease and fire and I wave back a sheepish “sorry.”

I walk past the train tracks to a large church-like building. A German soldier walks out and I take him prisoner. He tells me it’s hopeless to fight and that I’ll be outgunned. I force him to the door of the church and make him open it. His comrades inside unwittingly gun him down. A female ally and I run to the side of the building, trying to find another way in. We search but can’t seem to see any obvious entrances in the back of the building. I start climbing on some beams when I see the woman who was firing on us. I grab her from behind and open her throat with my knife. I hold her as she bleeds out. Before dying, she hands me a note to give to her father (she’s the same black girl from the earlier dream). One her note is also instructions to play certain songs at her funeral, including the theme to “The Office.” My ally and I feel bad for her, especially since she was just discovering music she liked.