| Last night I had the strangest dream |
[Jul. 4th, 2009|11:12 pm] |
My wife believes that I was visited by my Spirit Guide. In order to reach me, it took the form of one I respect and admire, one who's voice I would listen to. My dream began with our reality - the whole family uncomfortably sleeping in odd positions inside a steamy mini van on the side of the highway. I heard the voice outside the van, we were trying to converse. He told me to get out so we could walk and chat. I got out, but now we were parked on the side of a residential street, it was still night but it was Autumn, with leaves on the ground.
I walked in the dark, speaking to my companion and guide, Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler Magazine and hero of the Bill of Rights. It was Larry, in his wheelchair, and we were speaking about the direction of my life. He looked and acted like Larry Flynt, but he spoke clearly, like Woody Harrelson in the early parts of the Milos Forman film, before the drugs and painkillers and craziness. It was good getting that kind of advice from someone I respect and admire.
After that, it continued to be weird, but not unpleasant. Turned out we had parked near a church and as dawn approached, the followers took care of us. The first one to greet us was a little person. Not just a "Little", but one of the really mini-types, with an almost perfectly round torso, standing hardly over a foot and a half. He had a familiar face and such an inviting smile. I reached out to him, because I though I was hallucinating, but accidentally pushed him over. I apologized profusely and introduced myself to him, and to my friend, Larry Flynt.
They were believers, but not zealots - they helped us, and were smiling. They only gave, they smiled, and they helped us on our way. They even gathered the choir to sing to my sleeping wife, to awaken her. Towards the end, when we were leaving this church or possibly bible camp of some kind, I met another traveler. He didn't have a distinct face, and he traveled with a Bow - some special target shooting bow. A piece of it had been stolen, a brass plate used for ranged shooting. As we left, the piece was lying out with a note. Something about the man being watched, in an ominous way.
Lisa says this is the future me. I don't know about the bow, or about him being watched. Well, the bow is really symbolic, but the targeting plate? Being watched? Need to think about that. Also the midget - I've never had a midget dream my whole life. Why now?
I hardly ever remember a dream beyond a few seconds in wakey land. Maybe once a year, I'll have a really lucid dream, and this was it. For now, at least.
- T. |
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| Hotel let us check in early for another $20 |
[Jul. 4th, 2009|11:03 am] |
Best shower in years. Boy managed to get poop on both my shirts and puke on his shirt, his car seat, my car seat, and something else we can smell but can't find. We slept at 3 or 4 rest areas, a few minutes at a time. The van reeks, kids are miserable, and I feel like I'm playing "The Oregon Trail" and we died of dysentary. It was a surreal nightmare only a hotel could solve. A hotel with a pool, that is. Phone doesn't spell-check, how did I do on "dysentary"?
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| rough night |
[Jul. 4th, 2009|06:16 am] |
Boy was hysterical, totallt lost control. Maybe a little car sick? Sleeping now, at last.
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| This road... |
[Jul. 3rd, 2009|03:17 pm] |
My life has been spent on this road - yet I have never stopped at the most heavily advertised roadside attraction in the American west. Until today. Let me assure you that it is a Dollar well spent, just for the collection of totally unrelated artifacts of the last 500 years. And of course, carved driftwood looking like the creature from "Cloverfield". All that stuff totally overshadows the mummy that started it all, decades ago. But its still there, under glass, rib exposed, freaking out little kids. We're stopping at all the places my Pop didn't - this is fun.
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| Normal |
[Jul. 2nd, 2009|07:36 pm] |
We hang our laundry with rubber-tipped clothespins.
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| My son just FireHosed the couch. |
[Jun. 29th, 2009|11:48 pm] |
I haven't seen this much vomit come out of any living thing - and I am a veteran of soldiers on leave in New Orleans and 3 years as a Frat Boy in the country's leading party school. He sprayed all over both sofa cushions, got about four and a half feet projected from the starting line - so I can be proud of that. And the goo he tossed out, I don't even know what the hell it was. And it turned into some kind of jelly on the couch while I cleaned him up. I used that stuff for dog clean-ups, although I think we will have to burn the house down to end the smell. Poopy diapers are a tulip garden compared to this. Oh well, at least the kid feels better. Finally back to sleep.
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| wreckage |
[Jun. 28th, 2009|02:22 pm] |
Party last night. Look at them, poor little things. You wouldn't believe the silly dirty shenanigans we came up with. Full post later, after I tell y'all about the thing we did a weeka ago.
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| costco trip |
[Jun. 26th, 2009|03:40 pm] |
Cheap way to feed the hungry boy. We're out of toilet paper anyhow.
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| My grandmother was an amazing woman. |
[Jun. 23rd, 2009|08:09 pm] |
I am so lucky to have had all the time with her - and more importantly, I am lucky that she was the kind of woman she was. My father's mother died when I was 14, and I spent a lot of time with her, but I can]t tell you much about her. In fact, I know almost no details of her life. She was kind, she cooked a good breakfast, she liked watching game shows. She wore a colorful mumu style dressing gown most days except sunday. She wore a wig to church. I don't know how she met my grandfather, I don't know about their lives together, I don't know how the family came together, I don't even know where they lived before San Antonio.
But on my mother's side, I know the story. I know who she is and where she grew up, how she met her husband and where they went in their lives. I know the story of their lives, their girls, and all the places they've been. After my grandfather retired, they stayed active, they traveled, and when I was with them, they told me things about the world and themselves. With my father's mother, she was loving but never said much. Perhaps because in San Antonio there were plenty of grandchildren around, and I was just one in the middle somewhere. But in Houston, I was the only one they had.
I like knowing their story. I like that I will be able to tell my son about them.
( Read more... ) |
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| Rejected! |
[Jun. 22nd, 2009|04:08 pm] |
They only picked ten for duty, and its an odd mix - some seemed a little intelligent, one guy they picked sounded genuinely retarded. Maybe because I was unemployed - the other laid-off potential was also rejected. Maybe when I mentioned my brother serving time in prison, I could see a criminal prosecutor striking me for that. But I went through the process, and am sorry I couldn't participate further, would have been enlightening. Anywho - on with my week.
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| finally going up. |
[Jun. 22nd, 2009|01:08 pm] |
Probably no pics for the next part. Hoping for something lurid...
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| guess what I'm doing today |
[Jun. 22nd, 2009|08:23 am] |
Finally. All these years, and I'm finally summoned for duty. The last summons I received was when I just turned 18 & still in high school. It won't be fun, but it will be an experience.
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| My grandmother passed away yesterday. |
[Jun. 19th, 2009|01:33 am] |
She died in what they will describe as a peaceful way - and considering the possible ways to end, at home with your children by your side is pretty good. She died a week after turning 96 years old. Her husband died nearly ten years ago; he was 95. We all agree that she was holding on till her birthday, so she could retain the bragging rights.
Today, I did close to nothing. I accomplished some small tasks, but I didn't really think about anything all day. I should have been here, typing, writing, getting my thoughts clear, but a day with the baby, the playstation, some Doctor Who episodes, a lasagna to bake. Anything.
This is no surprise, and what I feel is not sadness. It's a kind of absense of feeling. Like I'm waiting for something. Or maybe this is it.
It's late. I can't really form thoughts right now. Just marking the date. I hope to have something more appropriate to acknowledge the passing of a truly remarkable life written tomorrow. |
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| hmmmm |
[Jun. 17th, 2009|10:43 am] |
I wonder who put this up?
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| Done. |
[Jun. 13th, 2009|05:16 pm] |
He's been out cold for an hour. Totally unimpressed.
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| kids at the zoo |
[Jun. 13th, 2009|02:12 pm] |
All they want to see is the panda. I think they are going to be disappointed by the lack of kung fu. Right now, Lisa is on a phone interview for a job she really wants. At least we are away from the howler monkeys. An old friend is joining us in an hour - it's going to be a great day.
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| how's my fuel efficiency at this speed? |
[Jun. 12th, 2009|04:11 pm] |
Riding the brakes for the border check. Just one of many delays today - but this is a lot more fun in a van. Kids stuffed so far back I hardly know they are here. This is a good van. We're going to have a good time.
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