Nightmares

I've had some dreams/nightmares this week that really stuck with me. I usually remember my dreams for a few hours after I awake (and sometimes confuse dream-memories with real memories, to odd effect).

On Sunday night, safely returned home to Toronto, I dreamt that I was back in senior year, and (again! even in my dream!) drew last in the housing lottery. Then, when I got to my room, it was a totally sweet (and non-existent) room in A for like 16 people, and had 4 common rooms and 5 bathrooms and a central room with red leather couches, a dark wood bar, and a hot tub. Only, I got there after all the other people moved in, and I couldn't find a bed! They were all taken, and no one would help me, because I'd floated into the room or something. So I went door-to-door in this enormous suite, being rebuffed by friends from high school and college and grad school who didn't want me to crowd their singles. It was very upsetting, and I awoke angry at people I haven't seen in six years for not even trying to help me figure out what was wrong. And for the entire dream, I was carrying all my worldly possessions in backpacks and duffles stacked high on my back and in my arms and being kicked in front of me. Grr.

Then this morning, while snoozing (I woke up three hours before my early alarm! silly body) I dreamt that I woke up and was about to cross the threshold of my bedroom door when I noticed a hair suspended above it. I bent down to look and it was a structural support of an enormous spider web, spun of cord-thick spider's thread, and -- behold! -- in the center was a black widow spider the size of a small dog. Yowza! No kidding. It was shiny and the red markings were clearly visible from the other side of the room, where I had retreated, quaking in fear. While I was over there, discussing with my father (inexplicably present) what to do, I noticed two or three more, smaller (so just hand-sized) black widows wandering around the room. One of them went across the room and was strong enough to move the door on its hinges. From the other side, my mother was approaching the room and asking what was so interesting. I had to shout at her to stay away. Neither of my parents seemed too worried about these huge spiders that probably had to catch hamsters in their nets to feed, and certainly had enough venom to easily kill all three of us. My father tried to squish the big one with a broom (hah! it was much too solid), and only succeeded in getting the web all tangled in the broom. He drew it to his face to figure out what was wrong, and I shouted, no! the spider's right on the broom! and in slow-dream-motion he pulled the spider's abdomen up to his face...

And I woke up. Wow do I dislike rooming lotteries and spiders. I crept around the apartment with both eyes peeled for spiders, though without glasses I'd only be able to see them if they were nightmarishly large...


This post's featured word: oscitancy, "drowsiness or boredom, indicated by yawning."

Roller derby

I went to see a roller derby match last month with A. and co. It was fun, and reminiscent of rugby -- lots of falling (on pavement! with helmets and pads!) and physicality, girls whipping each other around the corner and elbowing. An unexpectedly large amount of using one's own bottom as a blocking device. I don't think I'd want to play (among other reasons: it involves makeup and decidedly unsporting outfits), but it was fun to watch. The teams' themes and silly names were cute. I rooted for last year's champions, the math/nerd-themed team wearing bright green dresses, but they lost in a close game.


This post is brought to you by the letter G.