Tuesday, October 26th, 2004

I’ve just watched a show in a high school or community center. As I leave, I want to stop a friend of mine and see if he wants to catch the next show with me but for some reason I lose him in the crowd. As I make my way out, I file past banners and tables labeled “Columbia Street Association.” Most of the people seated around are Latino. A woman is in the gym singing a jazzy lounge version of Black Sabbath’s “Hand of Doom.” I continue wandering around but can’t seem to find my way out of the place.

Monday, October 25th, 2004

I’m at a table in a school. A woman is dealing out cards to us. She deals each player 2 cards then deals several cards face down and several cards face up on the table. I stop her and ask why she’s dealt in such a weird fashion. She seems confused and gathers the cards.

The cards turn into larger pieces of paper. We’re apparently supposed to make art out of them. I sort through my papers and keep the ones with images of young people.

Later, we’re leaving the school and walk into a movie theater lobby. It’s 10:30 and I’m glad I didn’t tell Susannah to wait since we were let out so late.

Monday, October 18th, 2004

I’m in a Best Buy going up an escalator with several young employees. I lean on a stack of boxes as we head up. Once on the upper floor, I grab a smaller box off the top of the stack and walk off. It’s the newest version of the Mac G5, just a keyboard and a tiny flat hard drive. I walk out the front door and the alarm doesn’t sound.

As I make my way down the street, I walk into a narrow alley. It widens into an abandoned street. There are large buildings on either side covered in sand and dust. All the windows are broken and it appears the entire buildings are filled with sand. As I walk down the creepy street, some sand pours out of several of the buildings. I get nervous and stop.

As I turn to leave, I pass a couple of young women, who are also freaked out.

As I get back into the alley, a thin, older man approaches. He tells me that this street is an eyesore and a menace and that the city won’t do anything about it. I ask him if anyone lives on the street and he says only a few people. I suggest that he forms a block committee and try to improve it.

Once back at the house where I’m staying, I look at the receipts attached to the computer box and see that it’s supposed to ship to a company in British Columbia. I consider for a second whether or not I should keep it. I go through my bag to find room to put the computer. There are lots of thick magazines inside, many of them Susannah’s. I wonder if I should call her to see if she wants to keep them all.

Friday, October 15th, 2004

I’m on a bus with a young girl. We’re looking through pictures and I point to pictures of her and ask, “Who is that?” She says, “Leela.” I tease her and ask her if her name is Stu or Stan or Lou. She shows me a long scar on her arm. I react with shock and ask her what happened. She tells me that she fell and went into a coma for 10 hours.

Susannah & I are visiting the store on our day off. It has hardwood floors and is a larger space. I don't notice that it's completely empty. Later, when we return to the space, I realize the space is empty and that Duane has ripped us off. I remember that he told me he was planning to move soon. I start freaking out. Susannah is more calm and asks me for his cell phone number so she can try to track him down.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

I’m in a large store with many rooms. As I go from room to room, I’m figuring out math or statistics equations relating to the election. As I do the numbers, I realize that Kerry has won the election.

In one of the rooms, I see images of Bush’s daughter Jenna taking her first steps. I also see another set of younger twins in a large stroller. I laugh out loud and exclaim that Bush has cheap-looking baby furniture.

Wednesday, October 6, 2004

I’m at home with Susannah, my grandmother & Li Hong. We’re talking about having kids and being pregnant. Susannah & I go into the bedroom to fold clothes & put away laundry. I hear my grandmother speaking loudly about how we took too long to have kids. Li Hong speaks up to defend us, saying that we’re pregnant now. Susannah asks me what they’re saying and I don’t translate it.

Later, Li Hong tells me that they were both kidding and just messing with me. I tell him that I didn’t find it funny and don’t think we should spend what precious little time we have together with these kinds of games.

Later…

I’m in an outdoor venue watching Kill Bill on a drive-in screen. As a scene plays, the rowdy audience begins reciting the lines and acting out the scene themselves. A large Latino gangster/biker gang contingent begin dancing & yelling & letting of firecrackers. As several of the swing strings of lit firecrackers around their head, the exploding firecrackers hit people and the crowd begins to scatter. I slowly make my way to a nearby building with most of the white people have gone.

Once the raucous dies down, I come back into the crowd. I look down at my arms and notice that the firecrackers that hit me have lightened my skin in small patches, punctuating my tan with splotches of lighter skin. Several young white people compare their skin with mine.

Later…

I’m in an Indian village with my fellow Native Americans. There has been trouble lately and everyone is scrambling to prepare for bad weather. We gather outside in the dark while many of us are preparing the ground and the wooden fences.

I stand near the outer perimeter and notice that all the wooden fence posts are topped with small batteries. I ask someone what they’re for and they tell me to wait and see,

A storm begins and lightning hits some of the posts, creating a small but spectacular electrical show. Everyone applauds.

We then hear and feel a tremendous rumbling and feel many creatures rush by. Someone tells me the bison have returned.

The next morning, some of the youngsters are on horseback with bow & arrows pretending to be hunters. I ride with them to a playground where my sister and her friends are standing about. She’s telling them that she just got into a college in Florida and how she’s ready to spend some money with her new credit card.

Saturday, October 2, 2004

Lynnette & I enter a basement workshop looking for someone. The place is full of large woodworking tools. A smurf enters and turns on the lights. All the tools turn on, which makes me very nervous. I go around trying to turn them off one at a time. We continue walking through the room and it turns into an appliance showroom full of washers, dryers and ranges. I tell Lynnette we have to leave because I’m having a panic attack. She tells me to breath and relax. I tell her the appliances are fine but the power tools are freaking me out. I suddenly realize that it’s because the last time I confronted Han (my nemesis) was in a workshop. Lynnette tries to comfort me and walks me through the showroom back to the workshop to lead me out. As we head out, I ask the smurf if Han is here. He says he can check and goes into a small office. I decide I have to finish Han once and for all tonight. I level my revolver at the door and prepare to shoot him as soon as he appears.

Han and a henchman open the door and I squeeze the trigger. I’m apparently out of ammo. I rush him and press the barrel against his head, telling him not to move. Lynnette quickly rifles through my pockets, trying to find more bullets. I’m frantic and not sure what to do. His henchman starts to move around and I tell him to freeze or I’ll shoot his boss. The henchman begins to tell me an anecdote. He says that Han does a radio show and every time one of his enemies gets close, he tells his listeners that he’s going on a short leave. I ask, “So if he dies, someone takes over and no one’s the wiser?” Han and the henchman both laugh about this scenario.

The henchman pulls out a large, oddly-shaped throwing star and I try unsuccessfully to wrest it out of his hands. I also try to pistol-whip Han. I begin to get frustrated with my inability to finish him off. Although frustrated with not being able to finish the job, I’m so stressed out that I wake myself up.