Tommy. Gates. Lives.

A dream. Christmas eve/morning. My family was staying at my aunt and uncle's house for the holidays.

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I was standing at a check-out register (at the library? grocery store?) At another register across from me, there was another kid. His looks reminded me of a kid I knew back in second grade, Stephen Sweten. The kid had pale, olive-greenish skin, like he was really sick. Someone whose face I couldn't see (the register-operator?) was talking to him, or, at least talking in his direction. His face occasionally changed, from something like a pitiful puppy-dog face to beaming, to puzzled, each change happening in an instant. He reminds me of the kid I knew, Stephen from second grade, in that he seems somewhat of a class clown, making insincere faces and gestures just to get attention. The kid in my dream had pale brown, slightly larger than normal eyes that bulged just a little. His hair was messy, like he'd just gotten out of bed.

What I saw on his right wrist was what really got my attention. It looked like a small cut at first, that seemed to open a bit when he moved his hand and forearm. But when he raised his hand to scratch his head, what looked like a cut on his wrist opened into a mouth, a mouth with crooked brownish teeth and a dry looking tongue. When the mouth opened and began to talk, that's when I woke up.

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It gets even stranger. I woke up from the dream laying awkwardly on my deflating air mattress. The house was filled with darkness. It must have been about 3:30 AM and everything was completely silent. I found myself repeating the name Tommy Gates in my head over and over again. After a few moments I thought, why do I keep repeating this name? Who in the world is Tommy Gates? I don't know anyone, and don't think I ever knew anyone by that name, but it repeated strongly in my head as if it were definitely the name of someone. When I realized that (perhaps) Tommy Gates was the name of the kid in my dream, I got the chills.

A slight pinch below the equator told me I had to go to the restroom. I DID NOT want to get up and walk through the dark to the bathroom, not with some creepy name repeating in my head and after having that dream. My stupid imagination began to wonder if there had been someone who had lived (and died) in the house named Tommy Gates. Maybe the ghost of Tommy Gates (whoever he is/was) was trying to get my attention. Maybe....well, I don't know, but it was enough to freak me out.

Ugh. I'm getting the chills just thinking about it. I'm glad to be home again, that's for sure, hoping that's the last time I have a dream like that.

What do you think? Anyone out there ever had a brush with the supernatural or at least had a coincidence disturbing enough to make you wonder...?

A dream, Decemeber 15th

I took a long nap this afternoon and had a very vivid dream toward the end.

I'm not sure how to describe it, but in the beginning of the dream, I felt like my mind was blank, like a painter's canvas. Little by little, color started to emerge on the canvas, sort of like it was bleeding through from the back. Indistinct images started to take form, odd shapes and various colors. As I watched wondering what in the world was going on, every once in a while I'd see flashes, like a colorful glint of sunlight off a piece of metal, there and gone in an instant. Instead of trying to see what sorts of shapes were taking form in the emerging colors, I focused on the flashes of colorful light, trying to see what was causing them. At first, I saw only the flashes. Then, here and there, I saw what looked like torches splashing around what looked like liquid fire causing the flashes.

Then, I saw the angels, that is, the creatures I choose to call angels. Each one had two pair of flaming wings. Where there bodies should have been I only saw a blur of blueish light. They moved so quickly that I couldn't fix my eyes on one; I could only look in a general area and see one of the angels occasionally appear then vanish in an instant, splashing the liquid fire in a colorful streak of light. It was sort of like looking up into a general area of the night sky waiting for the streak of light from a meteor.

Finally, one of the angels stopped, long enough for me to take a good long look at him (it?). All I saw was a pair of black eyes staring at me, disapprovingly, almost the kind of look you get when you're seeing something you're not supposed to. I immediately stopped trying to see the angels and realized they had painted my room around me with the sunlight pouring through the window onto my bed. That's when I woke up.

Uhhh....

This post is in response to Bleah's http://blonde4christ.blogspot.com/2009/12/mp3-shuffle-tag.html. If you don't read her post first, this may not make any sense whatsoever (well, it may not make sense after you read her post, either). Anyway, the instructions were to press shuffle on the music play, then answer the question with whatever song played. Here goes nothin'...

Are you male or female? It only gets worse, Polar Bear

What do people feel when they are around you? Dhun, Ravi Shankar

Describe your current relationship? Caught in the Game, Survivor

Where would you like to be right now? Meditational Raga of north India, flute and sitar music

How do you feel about love? Freedom Fighter, Creed

Whats your life like? Where all Roads Lead, Polar Bear

What would you wish for if you only had one wish? Crysalline, Enya

Say something wise? In my sleep, Joe Budden

If someone says "Is this okay. . ." You say? The End, The Doors

How would you describe yourself? Livin' on a Prayer, Bon Jovi

How do you feel today? The Moment of Truth, Survivor

What is your life's purpose? Gamelan 3, music of Thailand

What is your motto? Two Pages, Philip Glass

What do your friends think of you? Burning Heart, Survior

What do you think of your parents? Ease Up, Aztro

What do you think of very often? Zero Sum, Nine Inch Nails

What is 2+2? Things Change, Aztro

What do you think of your best friend? Temptation Waits, Garbage

What is you life story? Hold Up, Diddy

What do you want to be when you grow up? Digital Sunrise, Polar Bear

What will you dance to at your wedding? Little Child Runnin', Curtis Mayfield

What will they play at your funeral? Bad, Michael Jackson

What is your hobby/interest? Music in Changing Parts, Philip Glass

What is your biggest fear? Danger Zone, (Top Gun soundtrack)

What is your biggest secret? Prophecy, Polar Bear

What do you think of your friends? Bullets With Butterfly Wings, Smashing Pumpkins

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Hey, I tried...

I tried wrapping another gift today. It was a DVD. Still horrible.

On a completely unrelated note, the countdown to ALPHA has begun. If you are not familiar with me or my story, venture here at your own risk

http://www.iamaprisoner.com/

I've said it before and I'll say it again...they are listening to our thoughts...

Worst Gift Wrapper Ever

I DARE someone to challenge me for this title. I tried to wrap a shoebox today (inside was an apron for my mom) and it seriously looked like a nicely wrapped gift that some five-year-old kid with claws eagerly tried to open. I don't know what my problem is. It could be that I don't know how much wrapping paper to start with. Sometimes I start with too much, then feel bad about cutting off the extra parts and wasting paper so I keep folding it until it fits snuggly (and ugly...sorry, intentional misuse of word) around the gift. Other times I don't use enough paper, and my solutions to that just make a bad situation horrible. And if you want a good laugh, just watch me try to cut a straight line or tie a ribbon...no joke, side-splitting entertainment. The gift at left, by the way, is NOT my handiwork.

Any tips from the pros?

Changing the subject completely, I have a theory that wireless networks are slower in cold weather. I have no proof, of course. It's just a hunch. But, whenever it gets colder and I'm on a public network, things get a bit more sluggish. I'm not ready to admit that my poor six-year-old laptop computer is just getting a little stubborn in its old age. I'm pretty sure Santa's not bringing me a new one for Christmas.

Okay, a car just started outside with a high-pitched squealing noise and scared me a bit...