Saturday, February 12, 2011

My Strange Dreams

It was a splendid trip to France, though I can't remember any of the activities. Jess and I went with both of our families and everyone was full of chatter on the plane ride home. On the plane I had my GPS out on my tray and the kid in the seat next to me was keeping occupied with it. I recognize the kid and his family, they attend the same church as me and Jess. The GPS display was going through updates for every holiday. Red and pink with heart shaped icons for Valentine's Day, green with shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day, you get the idea. We disembark in an airport just outside the France and Spain border. The terminal is more like a mall crossed with an amusement park. Tons of shops, a food court, security checkpoints and a large play area for kids. There is a vague memory of being chased through the mall by some type of security. Jess and I are going down an escalator as I realize I left my GPS and we'll need it to get home. There is a huge crowd behind us and I'm forced to ride the escalator down and as I turn around to go back up on the one next to me I see both escalators are down escalators. Around the escalator are the escalators to go back up. They are in the kids playground area.

The playground is animal themed and all the play equipment is plush and shaped like triple sized versions of the animals. I can't get to the escalators, they are on the other side of a barrier. I try to climb the chain link fence that bends back as I near the top, it can't carry my weight. I start to panic as the fence peels back and I start to turn upside down and see a giant plush giraffe head craning out of the adjacent wall. I let loose of the fence and reach for the giraffe's antlers, as my weight hit's the giant plushie it's neck slowly bends. I hear the popping of stitches and look down, the giant plush turtle looks like a nice place to land, I let go. *PLOP* As quick as I smack down I'm up and running towards an exit, somehow my fall put me on the second level I was trying to reach. I run out in Parisian streets, fall leaves on the ground and a few left on the trees. I'm in a park of some sort, naked, and running towards my goal. I become self-conciouse but that is quickly pushed aside as I look around to others not just naked, but actively exposing themselves. I see a family on picnic, the kids all enjoy their food as the parents engage in very passionate sex and quite openly. This takes most of the qualms of my naked sprint away. As my head is turned taking in all the nakedness I run into something as icky feeling as a spiderweb, but as dense as a tarp and colored a very dark black. It wraps my body and covers me much like a trench coat.

I'm still running and as my vision returns I'm no longer in the park but in the median of a major highway. I'm thankful for my new covering and for some reason start to run on all fours to run faster. A white Escalade comes up on the curb next to me. I chalk it up to distraction, but then notice the driver staring me down, I stop for him to pass me but he throws the vehicle in reverse to run me over. I jump and land on the rear passenger corner of the Escalade, crouched in my best Spider Man crouch. The driver opens the sunroof and begins to shoot at me. I'm looking dead down the barrel and still dodging the bullets. I grab the gun an the driver starts to laugh until I twist the gun and start to bend his trigger finger backwards. I feel someone pushing me off the SUV and to my left the driver has a teenage counterpart trying to detach me from the vehicle. I take control of the weapon and it's out of bullets, in a last ditch effort to get rid of me the driver floors the gas and we drive off the right side of the road. We tear into the tall skinny pines, a seemingly bottomless pit below, as we fall breaking through thousands of branches. I stay crouched on the roof of the Escalade, taking in the fall, the driver starts to mock me and I'm in no mood for it. I say, "Fine, see ya." and jump from the roof. The Escalade falls with the sounds of screaming and I rocket upwards back to the ground we left.

I stand and look around, no more cars on the interstate, just empty roadway. Grass has begun to sprout through the cracks in the asphalt. My black tarp trench coat is now a heavy black fur, much like Sirius Black's coat in Order of the Phoenix (the movie). I walk along the highway and find a shelter on the side of the road. It's full of books, stacked in every direction, even used to create furniture. Things get a little unclear at this point. I know that a guy who appears homeless approaches me, bearded and in tattered clothes, he rants about some approaching doom. Doom may be a bit overboard, but I know that I don't need to be where I am anymore...that's when I wake up. and I really wanted to know about what he was warning me.

I didn't eat anything too late, didn't eat any strange combinations...oh well. My dreams make about as much sense as this picture.

Friday, February 11, 2011

A little to-do-list.

Alright, here it is. Aside from my weekend honey-do list (which consists of: relax, sleep, take out trash and empty dishwasher), here is my current year-to-do list:

- Become a homeowner and stop renting
- Continue laughing every time I say, hear and read the word "homeowner"
- Finish "Uprising" by Erwin McMannus
- Finish "Everything Must Change" by Brian McLaren
- Finish "The Fire Wolves" by Tim Lebbon
- Sell $9000 worth of artwork
- Own a Canon 50D w/ 75-300mm lens (Paid for by said artwork)
- Take Jess to Disney World in Orlando, FL. (Also paid for in similar manner)
- Take a cruise (Possibly with our friends Ryan and Katy)
- Make AT LEAST one journal entry a week with content deeper than the day's happenings
- Compliment someone everyday, IN PERSON
- Take the PRAXIS II art exams (Been saying this one for the past year and a half :\ )
- Get accepted to a masters in education program (UNC-Chapel Hill, UNCG, or A&T?)
- Get funding for said program
- Cook one new recipe a month from my Mario Batalli cookbook (Who wants some Italian?)
- Read a little Shakespeare everyday (It's so hard to focus when bored or constantly checking the dictionary.)
- Dedicate 1 hr daily to prayer, reading, and journaling
- Frame and matte my own artwork
- Get re-involved with The Quest Center

...really, that's about all I can think of now. I know that in the midst of all that there is also a ton of time to be shared with my wife, our families and friends, and even some time to sleep in and be lazy. Really, there are some ideas more grandiose I've pondered...but really, I wouldn't trade any moment with Jess or our loved ones for that. I may just have to get one of my empty journals/sketch pads and start writing things down as they come to mind. All ideas from practical to fantastical will find a home there. The next trick may be to make sure that I don't JUST write these things, but to actually DO them. I'm putting this out for my loyal friends (and any random strangers) to hold me accountable.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Shhhh...It's a Stakeout.

The slow drizzle smacks the pavement, insulting the ground, doing its best gnat imitation. Gnats, really annoying and completely useless. The neon glow of the surrounding restaurants and one bright lamp in barren parking lot. The only cars belong to the desk clerk and my team. We sit our hotel room with the T.V. on as background noise, reruns. My favorite cutie, Abby Shuto, catching my attention from time to time. I fill the time looking over my photography, watching the second computer I have set up in the room and waiting for a signal.

I sip my cola to fight the sleep as I keep an eye on the parking lot. My two older partners are in their own world. One preps his dentures for the night and takes out his contacts as the other stretches out on the bed and letting his chest hair air dry. Now if only I smoked and the world was in black and white, this would be the best comedic noir ever.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Musically Inclined

When I got married I had a pretty high bar set for me, but I knew this when Jess and I were dating. There is a list of things that would make me a more amazing man in the eyes of my wife, so far I've got cooking and an artistic eye. Being a stellar shopping partner comes and goes. Yet there is still room to grow. Improvement points are earned through tasks such as learn a Romantic language fluently; take Jess to Disney World, the Bahamas, California and fishing in Mexico; be a great father (which in itself is a huge life challenge) and I'm sure I'm missing some here...but this list would not be complete without "Learn to Play Guitar".

Now, I'm down with most of the list, and guitar could be fun. But the more I look into the musical world and enjoy the multitude of sounds to be created I'm continually drawn to whines and groaning of the fiddle. Not the proper sound of a violin, but the raw feel of a fiddle. I was tempted to fall more towards a banjo to slightly appease Jess' thoughts of a guitar. Much as I love the twang of a banjo, it's still a bit much for me. Banjo's also seem to be a bit much for anyone unless accompanied by a full band. I also don't have enough space to store a stand-up bass.

I've tried the instrument thing once and never stuck with it. I've never really stuck with much, at all. I'm an activator, I get things started except for parties. I don't get parties started. Sorry P!nk. I have a shelf of started books, very few finished. This is the reason I haven't bought an instrument. I don't want to have that "one more thing" that sits and looks at me saying "Well, at least you tried." I want to hear "Well done! Wasn't that fun? Let's do it again soon." Those are words that I love to hear, not just from the inanimate objects in my life. I love to hear my family and loved ones express joy in activities they share with me, regardless if it was my idea or not. To take on the idea of heaven on earth, these things stir in me a hint of what I really long for.

"Well done my good and faithful servant."

I think I'll start by finishing a current read "Uprising" by Erwin McMannus. Started it months ago. I think it's time to push forward. Jess, I love you, but I may have to set the guitar on the back burner for a bit...assuming you don't hear poorly played versions of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" creaking out from the guest room first.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

What we make of it.

It's great to have an enjoyable holiday. With that said, this past holiday has been one of the most memorable for me. This is most likely due to it being recent activity. On top of timeliness, the holidays were filled with great memories.

Christmas was proceeded by much feasting and preemptive gift-giving. The Daniel's Dinner is always fun and Jess missed it due to work. This extended family welcomed a new member, got to share in excitement of future members and enjoy great food. With bellies full secret-santa gifts were handed out as well as the family bloomers, over-sized undies and the snowman winter cap (I'm just gonna try to avoid the dreaded toboggan debate). With wrapping paper and gift bags asunder, a constant grazing of the buffet, and a healthy sugar rush; the kids head out to play on the playground, and a nice round of touch football, while the adults solve the worlds problems and laugh over experiences past. A few of the family members with blood sugar issues slowly slip towards a nice nap, aka "the itis".

Then came dinners with Jess' immediate family and my mom. Enough food in one day to make even Kobiyashi pop. Turkey sausage makes my soul smile and "heavy finger foods" translates to "meatballs and 2 slices of key lime pie". My wardrobe is wonderfully freshened and Snake Eyes has made a return to my life, also, FUSHIGI!!! (Which I am nowhere near mastering.) Jess and I spent all of Christmas day in our pajamas, through all our family stops (which helped my nap at her parents) and even building a snowman at my mom's to top off our "White Christmas". The following morning church was canceled, but not lunch at Grandma's. The family of 23 gathered to fill our stomachs, build snowmen, and start an assembly line for igloo production that would make an Eskimo Henry Ford proud.
The New Year was rung in in bed.

Even after the New Year Jess and I found ourselves at the normal place for our Sunday afternoons, Grandma's. I found myself pulled away from doodling to engage in my newest addiction, Just Dance 2 for the Wii. Competing against four girls I was regularly schooled, I would like to blame some of it on poor wii-mote sensitivity, but I did come in first on "Girlfriend" and "It's Raining Men". I was just happy to win. The rest of the family found great delight in reading into the situation more than necessary.

It's nice to reflect back on this holiday season. "Cheaper by the Dozen" playing in the background makes me thankful for family. My gorgeous wife lies across our love seat, beautiful with the slow rise and fall of the quilt following the lilt of her breathing. A lot has happened. None of it is on the level of scientifically groundbreaking, not even spiritually enlightening nor worthy of any attention from Alfred Nobel and his crew. Jess couldn't have said it better in her blog, "We are blessed."

Amen.