Yesterday, I was a prisoner of my allergies. No matter how many doses of antihistamines I took, my nose kept running and I must have set a record for Most Sneezes by an Individual Working in a Cubicle for Nine Hours.
It was very difficult to get any work done that didn't require sniffling. The only way I could successfully read anything was by holding documents above my head. To work on the computer, I had to lower my chair so I could look up at the monitor.
Miserable days like yesterday remind me to be more appreciative of those allergy-free days. So far, I seem to be doing okay today, but I'm not taking any chances. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and my head tilted back for good measure.
Moving along. I had two dreams this week that I wanted to share. I don't usually talk about my dreams because...- I rarely have dreams.
- If I have dreams, I rarely remember them.
- If I remember them, they usually make no sense whatsoever.
The first dream is brief and bizarre. I dreamt I needed to call somebody, so I pulled out my cell phone and flipped it open. Instead of seeing the usual swimming fish and time display, the screen was flashing white and red with the word Overload, all in caps, flashing red and white. For some reason, I didn't try turning off the phone and turning it back on. I just closed it and decided to drive to the person I intended to call. I don't know who I was trying to reach, but they were apparently reachable by automobile. I grabbed my keys and got into the car. I suddenly realized that I wasn't at home or work, but in the middle of a vast, empty parking lot. I tried to start the car, but nothing happened. I looked at the dashboard to see what was wrong, but all of the instrument gauges and lights were gone. In their place was a digital screen that was flashing the same colors and message as my phone. And that's when I woke up.
The Obvious Meaning: I secretly want a new phone and car, but my conscious-self has been denying those desires.
The Less Than Obvious Meaning: I'm feeling overwhelmed, but can't bring myself to admit it to anybody.
The second dream is also brief and bizarre, but much more fun. I dreamt that I was in a hospital. Specifically, I was in County General, the hospital in the show ER. I wasn't there physically, but I could see what was going on. I don't remember much except for the last exchange, right before I woke up. It was between Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) and Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney).
Lockhart: I was thinking of specializing in pediatrics.
Greene: Pediatrics? Everybody specializes in that. Try pirates.
Lockhart: Pirates? We treat pirates?
Greene: We do, but not many. They're a neglected, but growing population with unique medical needs.
The Obvious Meaning: This is a prediction. What else could it mean for a dead character to give advice to a pregnant character? As every ER fan knows, the show is set in Chicago. And as every baseball fan knows, Chicago is home to the White Sox. Clearly, my dream is a sign from the Flying Spaghetti Monster that Chicago will play the Pittsburgh Pirates in this year's World Series.
The Less Than Obvious Meaning: Because His Noodly Appendage works in mysterious ways, the obvious meaning is the only meaning.
