Yet another university dream

This is yet another "I'm failing classes in college" dream.  It probably won't be of interest to anyone -- even my kids.

As usual, these tend to symbolize my feeling "behind" in things I have to do.


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Technically this morning, since it probably happened after midnight.  Plus, part of it would have been after I woke up due to everyone else being awake, but then my rolling over and going back to sleep.  (I'm on vacation right now -- so, particular time that I have to get out of bed; YESSS...!!!)

Dreamed that I was an undergraduate Sociology major at U.W.  I'd done really well for my first two years, but then -- and as a continuation of a dream I'd had somewhat recently -- I'd completely bombed my classes for the remaining terms, even though I had limited myself to just one course per term:  I just couldn't complete the readings and the work on time, nor manage to make it to lectures.  All of this was mentally referenced in my dream, but was the backstory, rather than part of the actual dream.

I was at my old bedroom in my parents' house in [hometown], sketching out my "To Do" list, such as "Get a part-time job", "Meet with an advisor" to figure out how to salvage my academic record (since I now had a recent series of "fails"), "Find the lecture and tutorial locations", and "Work out the bus route to and from U.W." (since I wasn't running a car, in order to save money).  I had a small desk under the window (where Dad's desk currently is, in real life) -- but I had a bed (I think) where [brother]'s and my bunk bed traditionally sat.

The class was a large lecture class, and seemed to be co-taught by three or four professors (which is unusual).  I didn't recognize any of the names of the professors, but thought that maybe I'd know my tutor (teaching assistant).  It would be a little weird, since I was a failed graduate student from U.W.'s Sociology department.  (That is:  in my dream I had failed to complete a B.A. in Sociology; but that got muddled with being a grad student in Sociology.)

One would think that getting organized would've been easy, since I only had a single course to organize around -- but I was finding it difficult -- partly because some lady (vaguely resembled someone from church) came down the hall into my room and insisted on chatting.  But even after she left, I was having a hard time working out the lecture and tutorial days and times.


After she left, I noticed that someone -- probably Dad -- had left a pile of Big W (which probably represented Costco) stationary on my desk:  about three reams of notebook paper, plus maybe five blue mousepads(!!!).  He's generous in that way.


Was planning on visiting the campus and inquiring at the bookstore, etc., for work -- but then wondered whether it made more sense to get a job on campus (where I'd have to commute to attend, if I was ever scheduled on a day where I **didn't** have classes -- or in Everett (which is where I was living, with my parents).

Then, abruptly, it was after the first day of classes.  I was in a Fremont-Greenlake-like neighborhood in Seattle -- on a flat aread that was a bit up a hill, with a view of the water -- trying to get home.  I started running on all fours (??!!) in the direction of Everett -- but I knew that it would take me forever to get home that way.


I was woken up by the light, or maybe people moving around near me.  I briefly talked to The Lady, then went back to sleep.  I was in an Aboriginal community (analagous to an Indian reservation in the U.S.), although it was more urban than what I'd expect a community to be.  I was walking around, trying to get a decent GPS signal and internet connection for my iPad (which in real life I don't own -- I just borrow The Lady's or one of the kids') to find out (1) where I was, and (2) how to get the blue buses (Community Transit, in the greater Seattle area) back home to Everett. 

I started slowly walking down a hill, which was, again, Greenwood-like, and saw a two-story older building about half a block down the street (and across the road) that housed some sort of business.  It has a car from the '70s parked in front, in mediocre condition.  Two people (a male and a female) from the building approached me, as I stood there fiddling with my iPad and the woman asked if I needed help.  I explained that I was trying to figure out how to take the blue buses back up to Everett.  The male suggested that I just ride up with him.  For some reason, I could tell that they were academics, but some sort of Art department -- like the building was some sort of off-campus art satellite.  I accepted the offer of a ride, and stated that for what it's worth, if it made them trust me more, I was a former Sociology grad student.

We walked across the street, and I went inside.  They were doing various kinds of sculpture, mostly in plastic and glass -- and I think some collage as well.

I made a few in-joked about academia as I walked through their workshop area, towards (I presume) where the guy who I'd be riding with kept his coat and bag.  And then I woke up.


-GG

Guitar dream and waking up to songs

Last night I dreamed that I went to the Cash Converters to look for guitars.

I found one with an unusual body shape -- much like a Vox Phantom, but with the body rotated 90 degrees (see mock-up).

It was a stupid approach, because the pickups were **parallel** to the strings, so each string either had **all six** pole pieces under it -- or **no** pickup.

Then I realized that it **was** a Vox Phantom where someone had rotated the body: I could see the old screw holes on the back for the neck.

And then I woke up.  :)


Speaking of sleeping:  for about the last week when I've woken up, the very first thing that has gone through my head is the music and lyrics (either the chorus, or the start of the first verse) to one of the songs I've recently written.  The exception is that about two mornings ago I woke up to "Hey Jealousy" by the Gin Blossoms -- probably because I'd stayed up late the night before, learning the song.


--GG

Two dreams

I don't usually dream about people I know -- except myself! -- but last night I had a pair of them.


The first dream:

My co-workers and I were at work, and one of my colleagues (who in the dream was in poor health and was about to take some sick leave to recover) received (at work) a large envelope in the mail, containing the application forms for a Ph.D. program in History.

(Clearly, this is pre-internet: I remember getting university application forms mailed to me; now-a-days I presume people just download the *.pdf?)

He said that he'd been thinking about getting a Ph.D. in History and becoming a History lecturer, to escape the stress at work -- but now that the envelope was in his hands, he wasn't so sure.

It wasn't clear in my dream whether he was planning to attend part-time, or full time.

Then I made a crack about "Professor ______ -- we have an urgent data request from the Pro-Vice Chancellor!"


(Underlying meaning:  This co-worker really **is** taking some time off from work, due to poor health.  So this appears to be an extension of that.)


The second dream:

In real life, The Lady plays a few "classical" instruments, but not any "rock" instruments.  None the less, in my dream she and I were a husband-wife rock duo.  One of us was electric bass, and the other was electric guitar:  it wasn't clear which.

It was about an hour before our first performance as a group.  We'd dressed up in our "performing" clothes, and we were now at the venue -- just a small club, basically a cafe.

It wasn't to be a big performance -- maybe 50-100 people -- and we were the opening act.  It was a fundraiser for some sort of "sick kids" charity.

We were hanging around out front, on the sidewalk.  It was a weekend, and a warm, sunny afternoon.

Suddenly, I realized that we hadn't actually brought our instruments:  we'd have to drive home (maybe 15 minutes away) and get them.

What's worse, I also realized that we'd never actually practiced any of the songs we'd be performing!  The songs were mine -- but I'd never showed them to her.

And -- even though they were my songs, I hadn't played some of them in (literally!) years.  I didn't remember the chords, or most of the lyrics.

The one exception would be "Only Women Should Have Guns".  But given that this was a "family" show, I didn't think it would be appropriate:  the lyrics are witty, but a little grim.  And you can't build a set on just one three-minute song.

And on a related note:  we hadn't prepared our set list.

The dream ended with me about to head back to the house to pick up our instruments, get a marker (for the set list, and to jot down the chords in the margins of the set list), my old notebooks, and a music stand.  I'd get back to the venue about a half hour before we were scheduled to play.

We'd pull it off -- no choice, except for simply cancelling -- but it would not be a smooth performance, and we'd end up looking like idiots...


(Underlying meaning:  The Lady and I have both been pretty busy at work for the last four weeks -- so we have a huge backlog of dishes, a backlog of laundry, the lawn needs mowing, the house is a mess...  So this probably drives the whole "un-prepared" theme.

I haven't had any "woodworking time" in about four weeks.  I also haven't played the guitar in about two months -- and I haven't re-visited any of my old songs in probably nine months.  So "not being able to perform my old songs, from memory" is factually correct.

"Only Women Should Have Guns" is an actual song -- and it's the only song I end up playing when I'm messing around with the guitar, because I actually remember all the lyrics.  That, and "Pretty Little Sue".  So, that's actually a two-song set:  still a little short.)


 --GG

That college dream once again

So, last night I had a variation of that "in college" dream -- again.

This time it was about a month into the semester, I was enrolled in four different courses, and already I was completely behind:  I hadn't had a chance to do **any** of the reading, or **any** of the assignments. 

And it was too late to drop any of the classes without getting a "Fail" on my transcript -- so I was stuck. 

I think one course was a history course, and one was math.


And I dimly recall having yet another "in college" dream a week or two before this -- except that it was a brief component of a larger dream. This time, it was at the **end** of the semester.  I was terribly, terribly behind in all of my classes: I could probably salvage a passing grade in one, but I'd for sure fail the rest of the classes.

I had accumulated several semesters of several fails per semester.  How was I ever going to finish my graduate degree when three-fourth of my classes each term were "Fails"? 


I'm pretty sure this is my subconscious saying that I feel like I have too many things on my "To Do" list at home, and I don't feel like I'm making enough progress.

It might also indicate that this lack of progress is bothering me.  Hm!  Could be.


--GG

Dreamed I had not graduated

Hm!  Every few months I dream that I haven't finished college. 

Last night was a variation on that theme:  I was working at my current job (crunching data for the state government), but also was going back to college to finish my B.A.  My first question was:  what to major in.  After some deliberation, I decided on Sociology and Psychology -- which is what I had actually done in real life.

The second decision (which was actually premature, given that I had a few years until graduating!) was what would I do for a job?  In the dream, I suddenly realized that I could just keep my current job (crunching data), and either work part-time or take a leave of absence.

Yeah -- not very exciting.  Mostly I'm just logging that, yeah, I had yet another "actually haven't finished college" dream.


I'm in my mid 40s.  Maybe someday I'll stop having these sorts of dreams.


--GG

Food dream grandma dream

Dreamed that I was squeezing out little dollops of garlic paste from the tube o' garlic paste, onto buttered toast, spreading it around, then eating it.

That's not a terribly exciting dream -- but it was specific. And tasty.

I also dreamed that I was hanging out at my paternal grandmother's house. In my dream she had out-lived my grandfather (rather than in real life, which was the reverse). She wasn't eating properly: for example, she had slices of the rye bread that she makes, in a plastic bag on the counter that had gone stale.


--GG

Dreamed about a play

Dreamed that Old Roommate was directing a short play, and I was assistant director, as well as acting in a medium-sized part.

It was the day before the dress rehearsal -- and for some reason I had failed to arrange an understudy for the main role in the scene that I was in charge of. Old Roommate chastised me for that.

AND, even though it was the day before the dress rehearsal, I hadn't even **looked** at any of my lines. In fact, I didn't even remember what role I was!


This is probably a variation on the traditional ''I'm at school and there's a test I forgot to study for'' dreams.


--GG

Another college dream

Two nights ago I had yet another recurrence of the "back in college" dream. This time I dreamed I was a "returning student" (or whatever the current euphemism is for someone who doesn't go directly from high school to college).

I was at a university reminiscent of Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, WA), a few days before the start of the first semester. I pulled up with a car full of belongings, then realized that I didn't know which dorm I was staying in. So, I walked around campus, looking for the Housing office, or something similar.

While doing this, I also realized I didn't know what classes I was taking -- or if I was even enrolled. So, I also kept an eye out for the Registrar's office, or similar. I spent most of the day doing this, with no luck.

Then (in contrast to most of my other "back in college" dreams) I realized, Hey! I have a Ph.D.! Why am I trying to go back to college. I'm better off moving in with my parents, getting a crummy non-career-track job, and recording music on my days off.

Then I woke up.


--G

Too focused on the wrong thing

I'm going to Seattle to visit friends and family in a few months. It's always busy, and fairly highly-scheduled, trying to fit everyone in.

So, last night I dreamed I was staying at my parents for a few days. I was in the guest room checking e-mail, while a series of friends and relatives stopped by.

I eventually emerged from the guest room, to discover that everyone had given up and left. Dangit!


The message: Don't spend too much time on e-mail or other "administrative" tasks while in Seattle?


--GG

That dream again

About a week ago, I dreamed a variation on my "back in university" dream. It was my first semester at a new university, and I was trying to cobble together a list of classes that I wanted to take, so that I could earn a Master's degree. The problem was, I kept forgetting to attend class.


Last night, I had yet another variation. Again, I was trying to get a Master's degree, and it was my first semester of the program. But this time, I was having a hard time finding any courses that seemed interesting. I ended up with a Literature class, some math class, and (I think) some Engineering class. But what the heck kind of Masters degree could I earn with such an oddball mix?

Then I realized that -- hey! I already have a Ph.D.! I don't **need** to get a Master's degree. In fact, I have a JOB! So, I dropped all my courses, early enough that I got a full refund.


The interesting part was that it wasn't until half a day later that I realized -- duh -- that I also have a **Masters** degree: I got it as part of the Ph.D. program. (That is, you get your M.A. -- then you keep going and (hopefully) get your Ph.D.) But neither in my dream, nor after I woke up, did I remember that I do have a Masters.

Huh.


--GG

Maybe I should garden

Had an interesting dream last night: Dreamed I had an office job for some misc. company. Came in to work one morning, to find that someone had removed all of the documents I had on my desk.

I told my supervisor that either I was being given a whole new project, and someone had taken over my old one -- or else I was being fired. My supervisor told me that it was being fired. Ah.

Decided, in my dream, that I needed a new career. Decided I'd be a landscape maintenance person: mowing the lawn, edging the lawn, raking beauty bark, pruning trees. Sounded like a pretty decent job. Wouldn't get paid as much -- but probably not a lot of deadlines, either: just day in, day out.

Woke up, and realized that, yeah, that **would** be a pretty o.k. job. I wouldn't have thought so at 25 -- but now that I'm in my 40s, having a job that's just doing yardwork all day sounds pretty good.


--GG

And it meant something

Although I'm not fluent, I **used** to -- sometimes -- dream in American Sign Language.

Most of it's gone now, thorough dis-use.


--GG

Dreamed of the theatre

Last night I dreamed I was my approximate current age, but also back in college.

I was trying to attend school, plus work part-time at the Uptown Theatre (a movie theatre in Seattle that I used to work at), plus part-time as a busboy at a restaurant. Somehow, I had scheduled my first shift at both my jobs for 1:30pm, on the same day -- and now I was late for both of them. It was my first day on the job, and yet I was somehow also carrying both those jobs was interfering with my studying, and I knew that I'd have to let one of them go.

After some deliberation, I phoned the restaurant and quit, and went to the movie theatre. Although the staff was (obviously!) different than from twenty years ago (yikes!), they treated me as an elder statesman as I regaled them with stories of the old Uptown.


In retrospect, the movie theatre was a fun job. Spates of busy-ness -- the rush of customers before the movie started -- were followed by lulls where you clean up while chatting with co-workers. Even though I was working two jobs (about 60 hours a week) at the time, I was living away from home, in a band with my cousin, and generally having an enjoyable mid-20s kind of time.

I met a lot of good people at the movie theatre. No one I really kept in touch with (except my drummer, and we've faded away as well). But glad to have met them.


--GG

Interesting dream

Hm! Dreamed that it was the end of the semester at college and I hadn't done **any** work for **any** of my courses: none of the assignments, none of the readings, not even attended any lectures. Was wondering how badly that would nuke my grade-point average; considered approaching each of my profs to see if I could get one of those "no g.p.a. penalty withdrawls", where they sign something saying that I had, in effect, not done **anything** for that course, and thus to just strike it from the books.

Then I realized that perhaps I wasn't doing any of my coursework because I hated my major: maybe I should do something completely different -- major in what I **wanted** to do, rather than what I "should" do (but was completely boring to me). Decided that next semester I'd enroll in the sound design program, which is where you come up with sound effects and background noises (e.g. "interior of a busy spaceship") -- and immediately felt relieved.

(I briefly thought about music recording technology, but realized that taking that course would squeeze the personal enjoyment out of my songwriting/recording.)


PROBABLE INFLUENCES:

1) Talking with D. at church about his enrolling in a Music Technology program next semester (he'll concentrate on live sound reinforcement, but will also gain a background in audio recording).

2) Wishing I had more time to record.

3) Having taken so long to finish my dissertation.

4) Being **sooo** past the point (i.e., dosed out) of enrolling in any sort of degree program.


--GG

Random dream

Usually I can figure out the source of my dreams: it'll be something I've been thinking about, worrying about, or deeply involved in. But sometimes, it's just plain random.


A few nights ago, I dreamed about Gizmo, a small little cutie-dog that was owned by Old Roommate, when we roomed together in the general Tacoma area. I don't remember the specifics of the dream -- just that she was cute and playful.

Sadly -- IIRC -- Gizmo died while being dog-sat while Old Roommate was on vacation.


The same night I also dreamed that my paternal grandfather was parking an old (1920s-ish?) bright yellow car in his backyard. I'd joked to him that he apparently had a need to drive a car as old as himself -- to which he laughed.

I don't remember the specifics of the car, except that it had no roof, had spoked wheels, and he was low down rather than up high. Also, the hood wasn't super-long. Kind of like the photos I've used -- except in yellow.


--GG

Dream of the house

When I was a kid, I always thought my paternal grandparents' house was pretty neat-o. My grandfather (and his father, and father-in-law) built the house themselves. It painted white, but with green trim (a little lighter than forest green; don't know what to call it). Although it was somewhat small, it had a pair of white pillars on the front porch. And it was on a double lot -- so the "empty" lot to the right had a veggie garden, and a chicken coop near the rear fence (used to have chickens; all of my life it was simply storage).

Sadly, when my grandpa went into assisted care a few years ago, it was sold, and thus passed out of the family. The house was remodeled a bit (Google maps satellite view shows a rear deck that's new) and the "empty" lot now has a pair of condos. The chicken coop seems to be gone.


So, during today's nap (I stay up crazy late to do work, then take a nap during the days to recoup, when the kids take their nap), I dreamed that I drove up to the house (for some reason), and there was the house -- **better** than I remembered it! It has the same green trim -- but otherwise it was totally a seafoam green (same color as the image in this post).

A guy that looked like a very blond-bleached Matthew McConaughey (the guy in this photo), in a Willy Wonka -like suit (but no hat) came out and welcomed me -- and then my grandmother (who pre-deceased my grandfather by several years -- so, I was super-glad to see her!). As I got out of the car, I could see that the veggie garden was lush and well-tended; the chicken coop had actual chickens pecking and scratching in a fenced-in area around it; and the small hill behind the house was even richer with vegetation than I remembered. And there may have been some sort of carnival ride on the hill, as well -- not sure.

Pretty neat-o. But then I woke up, so I don't know what happened next. Bummer.


--GG

Musical dreams

Last night -- or technically, this morning -- I dreamed that I was invited to play bass on stage with The Grates, just for one song (I was guesting, or some-such). I got up there, plugged in, the crowd was screaming -- and then the headstock somehow sheared off, directly behind the nut.

I thought maybe I’d be able to carry on regardless, as the nut was keeping the bass strings in place -- but then they stripped out. Pah.

I went up to one of the mics and declared, “Well, the head of my bass seems to be missing. No head, no string tension; no string tension, no tuning. It’s a physics thing.”

Then I spied one of Patience’s back-up guitars, on a guitar stand back by the amps. (In reality, she does vocals, but doesn't play an instrument; in my dream, she also played guitar.) I asked if I could borrow it, and she hesitantly agreed. So I plugged it in to the bass amp, and played my basslines as single note riffs on the guitar: worked well enough.


Two underlying sources to my dream, I think: one, that I read in a concert review that they’re now travelling with a bassist: it used to be that a central aspect of their sound was that they were simply drums, guitar, and vocals -- no bass. And two, that I’m -- apparently -- missing being in a band.


--GG