Wednesday, February 28, 2007

I've been playing a big multitable tournament for most of the night when a friend busts out & comes over to talk to me. I tell him to take over my stack & I'd go take a short nap & come back. I set the alarm on my cell and try to crash out in another room. My phone rings a little later & wakes me up with an announcement that the tourney is over. Nick Kaufmann has won $120,000 (having chopped it 50-50 with another player) and said he was going to build a recreation center (or something else altruist). I call & congratulate him and he tells me that he took over my stack from my friend. After I hang up with him, I think about how to politely ask him for my share of the prize. I also can't remember if I paid $10,000 to buy in or if it was a freeroll.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

I'm a prisoner of war being marched along with my comrades to some unknown destination. As we walk, I try to figure out how we can escape. We prisoners outnumber our captors by 20 to 1 but they have guns. As we stop & rest, I whisper to my comrades about their patrol patterns & discuss our options to overtake them.

Later, we're in a large suite in a cruise ship. We're resting as our captor tries to relay her situation to her headquarters. Her internet connection is bad due to the weather and I mock her for it. I walk to the window and see the blizzard outside. As I pace around, someone in the group suggests we alll do bible study. Someone in the room who knows me gives me a look and says, "Uh-oh." I speak up, "Doesn't my freedom of speech mean that not only do I not have to participate, but also that I don't have to be forced to leave this room? It's not like I walked into a church and tried to stop people from worshipping. I didn't choose to be here, we're all stuck in this room. I shouldn't be forced to go to the bathroom, or the lobby, or the casino. Yeah, the casino, that's ironic. Listen, you guys vote your conscience on it, if you decide to go ahead, I'll abide and wait elsewhere. I'll give you guys a few minutes."

I go to the bathroom to pee and try to figure how many votes I'll get. I figure on at least Susannah. I hear my mom coming into the room, speaking a mix of Mandarin & Wuxi dialects. She says to someone that today, Feb 31st, is Chinese New Year. I hear my dad talking to her. I'm encouraged by the idea of their votes as well. My mom tried to come into the bathroom but the door is locked. I tell her in Chinese to wait.

Monday, February 26, 2007

I'm in a big school building near a crowd of Chinese people. I listen to them gossip and try to ask an older woman something. In the courtyard some people are practiing archery. I mention to a nearby person that it looks dangerous the way they're just firing across the courtyard past lots of pedestrians. I run int o Nick and ask him if he wants to shoot for a little bit. We find a couple of small bows and I tell him to pick a spot and I'd go get the quiver of arrows.

I wander around the immense building, getting lost along the way. I lean over a balcony and see someone I know in a window. I ask him where the quiver is and he tells me downstairs. I ask him is there is a safe way to get down from where I am and he suggests I go back inside and take the stairs.

Once I get outside, I can't find the quiver and I get a little frustrated as I run around the building. I head back into the building but end up instead in a New York condo building. It feels familiar as though a real estate agent has shown it to me.

Back outside, I check my phones for messages and see that it's much later then I thought. A man calls me and is talking about some vague business deal. I keep trying to get him to clarify but I just get more confused.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

I'm walkng around the outside of a building with a grenade launcher. I peek in a window and see some people in a seamstress shop, I walk in and fire a few grenades into the crowd and run out.

I'm in Chinatown and trying to get my bearings to get to the train station.

Now I'm in a hotel bed w/ Susannah. We make love despite me running late for something.

Monday, February 19, 2007

I'm in a shooter game w/ a partner trying to take on some Sentinels. My Partner rushed headlong towards them as I try to advance slowly, zigzagging between cover. I empty my ineffective uzi on one of them and run like hell.

Later, as I'm recounting this story to Marion, I tell her that if it weren't for finding that weapon, I'd been dead. I show her the weapon, a variation on the FN-P90 PDW. I tell her it's a bullpup sniper rifle that also fires full auto. As I demonstrate it, I'm suprised to see the clip isn't behind the trigger but in front and is very small like that for an MP5. I try fire off a few shot but can't find a safe place to do it.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

I'm in a New York apartment hanging out w/ some older guys. One of them leaves and another bolts the door behind him. The guy who leaves notices but says nothing. I look back at the remaining 2 or 3 men and say, "Oh, I guess we're the actual residents of this place, huh?" One man nods.

We hear the doorbell ring and I look out the window to see a bunch of young black boys running back down the steps outside. Suddenly, there are boys inside the apartment and we're trying to get rid of them. Now it's pandemonium as a crowd of people inside mill about & try to figure out what happened. One of the pranksters is injured and we're trying to get him back outside to his family. I look around to see Tom & Lynnette & Everett as well as lots of other people and pets in cages.

I ask Lynnette if they've already eaten & she says yes. I'm slightly irritated because I'm hungry. I tell her I'm not quite ready to commit to cooking in this apartment yet and maybe I'll go get some takeout.

A pregnant woman starts shouting/sining about celebrating her fertility and Attia (from Rome), also pregnant, rolls her eyes and scoffs. I joke w/ her that she shouldn't talk since she has such a lousy relationship w/ her kids. She feigns outrage and I say, "At least my son didn't try to kill my boyfriend!" She smiles slyly as I leave. "Nice job w/ that by the way." I say as I leave, referring to her brokering peace between Octavian & Marc Antony.

Outside it looks like ancient Rome and a general and his guards stand in formation on the square at the bottom of the stairs. He is from the invading force and his standing guard is a part of the tradition of ancient warfare. I see one of our champions challenge him and get quickly put down. I challenge him w/ a surprise attack and we spare w/ metal weapons.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

I'm in a small-town diner/ butcher shop confronting an older woman who's kidnapped one of my friends. She's very haunty & watching my every move. I try to call the police but get no signal. I scroll through my rencet calls to try to find the number for my local police precinct (I suspect the police here are probably under her thrall). I mention one of my other friends and the woman says, "He doesn't have the stomach to help you." I have a vision of my friend being flayed open and his stomach removed. The woman brings out a big bin of pig stomaches and continues to taunt me. I pick up a large knife and charge her, stabbing her repeatedly in the gut. It doesn't seem to faze her so I take off running, throwing boxes & a large bag of onions in her path.

Outside, I run into a large crop field where lots of people are harvesting. It's nighttime and spotlights illuminate the field. A few people notice me as I run into the field, not knowing where to go. Now I'm watching the action from a distance and "I" have become Ando from Heroes. A few farmhands are approaching him and he's oblivious (listening to his iPod).