these dreams...

... And this one wasn't even mine.
My First Niece sent me the following texts at 5:55 this morning.

"I just awoke from a strange dream.
About you and me and Grammy.
You & I went to a movie and we fell asleep outside of a downtown bar afterwards.
Grammy called & woke me up. (the time in my dream was only off by 6 minutes.)
She said I needed to come get her from the bar.
It was the same one we were outside of.
You went in to get her while I put my shoes on.
We all sat down at one of the tables to talk.
Then I woke up."

When I woke up and saw her message, I responded with a question about the name of the bar.

"I don't know, I never saw the name of it.
It was on the corner of Whitaker.
And the road was cobblestone.
I don't think that corner is real."

Instantly, a bar I have been in several times came to mind and I asked whether she thought it might be the one, even though it was not on THAT street.
But it DOES have little tables outside.
And it IS on a cobblestone street, but on Drayton.

"What I remember of the dream the location Grammy gave was not correct based on the street signs.
I can't remember what they said though.
There was a lazy boy out front. LOL."

A guy lolling around, I asked.

"No, LOL! The piece of furniture."

And I thought to myself: what an odd way to start my day.

a coke and a smile

I have no idea who the wag was that set up the smile, but when I saw this, I had to record it. Serendipidity! I don't know if the old ad was deliberately referenced or if the two items found each other in the flotsam of the world, but it's rather nice, isn't it?
Nice, indeed.
Good times!

ol' blue eyes

There's a book out there in which Frank Sinatra has a quote about friendship. I know of this book because the wave purchased it during the 2012 Midwestern-Canada Adventure and briefly showed it to me as he placed his sack of books in the trunk. He said the quote made him think of me and him and our friendship. Nice, right?
You betcha.
So, he sends me the quote, by text message, natch.
Ol' Blue Eyes was lobbed a query about how to know if someone was a friend for life. His response? "You bypass the acquaintance stage immediately. Either your currents are different and the chemistry isn't there or else you're hooked and you're a friend immediately - and, in most cases, permanently."
Wow. Currents? Chemistry? Hooked?
How incredible that someone out there, someone who was a quotable celebrity, would utter those particular words, words which hold some special sway for a chick like me.
How very incredible that when my dear friend read those words, I was brought to mind.
I am... fortunate? blessed? overwhelmed?
Yes.
And relieved to know that piece of my heart is safe.

no, i think it was a ball...and the ump says?

My car has officially earned its second strike. Last Saturday was the first strike.

Oh, no. Really? It broke down again?

You betcha. And with a real lack of imagination, it did so the same way it had before: gear shift knob just rattling around loose, not even trying to find a gear. Very aggravating.

You were out and about?

Well, no. Fortunately, I was at home. I had moved the car earlier in the driveway when I was mowing the front yard and the car had not even hinted that it had a problem. No. It waited until I was showered and ready to go... then it wouldn't. I was to meet the best-hugger friend at an art reception and had to let him know he would need a different ride home.

How terrible!

Not really. I mean, it could have been raining buckets. And he could have ended up stranded, but didn't.
And when I called my first niece for assistance, she could have been out and about.
Fortunately, she was not.

What about the tow truck?

Well, fortunately, my road assistance picked up the tab on that. I was here, so i knew where to have the car taken, so that was fortunate, too.

Excellent!

Really, it was. My first niece and her family picked me up and we went traipsing off to dine on Italian fare and had a nice meal together.
Then I came home and the librarian fetched me and we went dancing with Magic Rocks, accompanied by a cooling breeze and night view from the roof of the purple and red palms.

Ohhhh-kayyyy! That sounds like fun!

It really was! I had feared I wouldn't be able to get any dancing in, with my car having failed me again. My night's fun was rescued!

Very good. And your car?

Well, knowing the librarian had other plans today, as did my first niece, I decided to take a cue from the wave and researched bus routes. Fortunately, the 31 bus stop is just a few minutes from my front door and it would take me almost to the car shop. Nice! Even better, the trip would only take about 35 minutes, which is pretty incredible, considering how many stops are along the way.
Things were going pretty good. I only waited about ten minutes for the bus. The driver understood that it had been awhile since I rode and was patient with me, reassuring me that this bus would, indeed, take me close to my destination.
So, off we go! And the bus is making good time, too.
And I mistakenly get off about two stops early along my route, but that's only about a quarter-mile off, so I start walking.
And the rains come! Torrential downpour, with gusting winds and thunder and lightning!

Oh my God! Did you have an umbrella???

Seriously, that would NOT have helped! I managed to run up under the eaves of a nearby business and that was helpful for a bit, until the wind started blowing the rain nearly perpendicular. I noticed the side of the building looked a bit more protective, so I ran over there... and was out of the path of the downpour. Whew!
Then it was a matter of waiting it out... and waiting... and waiting. Even after the opaque downpour had slowed to a steady soft rain, it was still enough water falling that I would have been totally soaked long before I reached the car repair shop. Which would be closing in less than an hour.

So... the rain finally stopped?

No, I didn't have to wait that long. When I could tell that the worst of the storm had passed, I ventured under the front overhang again, making me visible to all driving by. So, I'm watching the raindrops hitting the parking lot puddles, watching for a sign that it was safe to hit the street again, and the street came to me!

That sounds like a cute trick.

No, really, I'm just standing there, fairly damp from earlier, and this little, faded red car pulls in and a window lowers partially, and I hear the words "do you need a ride?"

Seriously!? What the hey!

Yeah, right? But there was actually a little concern in the voice. So I looked at the young man driving and told him I was waiting for the rain to stop so I could retrieve my car. And he said he could take me there. So, I made a quick decision and let him do so.
Yeah, I know. You NEVER get into the car of a stranger. N E V E R. But I did.
Fortunately, he was a good guy. He knew the woman who owned the business I was sheltered by and he had been concerned for her sake when he saw me there.
Then he saw my bedraggled self and my butterfly bag and decided to offer help.
Seriously. I think it was my Italian butterfly bag that tipped the scale in my favor, in his eyes.
Maybe.

You must be out of your mind. You got into a stranger's car? And no one knew where you were??? You simply do NOT do that!

But I did. And fortunately, all ended well or I would not be writing this now. Right?
He wasn't a big, burly guy, so I feel sure I could have muscled my way around him. And he was alone in the car, so I wasn't concerned about getting overpowered.
He was a nice young man on his way home from work. And I think he was at least as nervous as I was when I accepted his offer and climbed into the car.
Fortunately, he took me straight to the car repair shop, which wasn't far at all, dropping me off right at the door. Very nice!
Of course, I thanked him several times.
How very fortunate I was that he came along...

How very fortunate you were that he wasn't dangerous...

Yes, yes, yes. I know. And fortunately, the guy at the shop was very understanding of my being put out with them earlier. He had the two cables there waiting for me, explaining what was wrong with them and reiterating what I had already found out: only one of the cables and the bushing had been replaced before.
I guess sometimes we hear what we want to hear. And I had not known of there being twin cables leading from my console to the transmission.
But now I do.
So I waited about fifteen minutes for the rain to slow, then I took my cables and went home. In the rain. Waiting for the car to try to strand me again. Hoping it would not.

And...?

And I arrived home just fine. As did the car.
And I put on dry clothes and tried to decide what to do with my evening. I let my first niece and the karate kid and the wave and the librarian know that I was home. Of course, I didn't tell them about my taking a ride with a stranger.
I didn't want them to fuss at me about it.
I can be a bit too trusting at times, I know.

You think?

Yes. I had thought the librarian and I would go to a new play tonight, but she had an out-of-town friend show up unexpectedly and so those plans changed. Still, I thought I would still go to the play, until my Quaker friend called. He was concerned about my car situation and was a bit upset that I had not called him for a ride! So, I'll do better about that next time...Maybe. You know how stubbornly self-reliant I can be sometimes, right?

SOME times? You do mean, MOST of the time, right?

(Grin.) Maybe. Anywho, he invited me to come to the concert of the cigarbox guitar and cigarbox bass and cigarbox ukelele, so I agreed to go.
What a great idea!
I had expected my copper friend to be there, but she ended up changing her plans.
I did see my baseball foodie friend there and met some of his buddies.
And I did dance! By myself at first, but then joined by a fellow named Jay, who was pretty good on that concrete floor. Woohoo!
And to think, I had not planned to be there at all.
How fortunate that I was!
And afterward, I had dinner with my Quaker friend and his neighbor and she insisted on paying. What a treat!
And now, I am home, and gratefull to be in for the evening.
My librarian asked if I wanted to go out with her and her group tonight, but I need a night off, I think.
Or, if not off, at least early.
G'night, all. And sweet dreams.

no Professor Doom gonna stand in my way

My car broke down late last Saturday night, while returning from a long trip in the midwest.
Fortunately, it was not on the highway, but on an acess road, surrounded by lights and businesses.
Fortunately, I was with a friend who kept a good attitude and kept trying to reassure me and lighten my concern.
Fortunately, I have road assistance with my car insurance, so I didn't have to worry about the expense of getting the car towed.
Fortunately, the road assistance people recommended a mechanic who would be open on a Sunday to assess the problem.
Fortunately, I was on the outskirts of a town where I had family.
Fortunatle, my nephew was home and able to take in me and my friend and his furry companions, late on a Saturday night.
Fortunately, we found a rental agency that was open the next day and had cars available.
Fortunately, my nephew was able to take us there and patiently wait for us, keeping the cats safe in his truck.
Fortunately, my friend did an amazing thing: he took on the expense of renting the car.
Fortunately, we made it back here with no further difficulties.
Fortunately, he allowed me to keep the car for the next day, so I could easily get to a mandatory workshop.
Fortunately, he traveled with me the next afternoon to retrieve my car, even though it meant a late night on a weeknight.
Fortunately, he did it all without ever once complaining.
Not once.

Incredible.

mile marker!

So, there I was, driving through yet another cornfield, this one just barely south of Sandusky, Ohio. But was I watching the corn as it greened in the sun and rustled past my car? Oh, no! I was watching my odometer.

I was intent on catching the change in the dial as it flipped from ...999 to ...000. And I did! Of course, it may not have been particularly sensible to try to take a picture whilst cruising along!

luna pier

A new beach for me! This little town of less than 2000 inhabitants was incorporated in 1963 and is a beachside destination for folks in Detroit and Toledo. Me? I saw the name of the town as I was traveling south and decided to visit.
How could I resist? The name lured me in, tempting my imagination, snagging my interest. Caught by my curiosity, I allowed myself to be reeled in, offering no resistance at all. And I landed on a shore arching contrapposto to its crescent of pier, linked only by a red beacon pointing skyward.
The upcoming full moon is part of the reason I ventured there. All summer, full moons have encouraged me to walk toward craziness. There's a quote somewhere about actions not taken being those regretted most and the moon reminds me that I missed an opportunity for a kiss not taken.
Perhaps, indeed, no kiss was intimated that evening three months ago. Perhaps I was besot with the moonlight and jellyfish lightning and merely imagined the taste of kisses in the air.
Perhaps.
I do know the thought of missed kisses has brought many a bout of insomnia and cast a restlessness on my spirit. And every month, as the moon waxes full again, I lose myself to crazed longings.
How ridiculous.
No more!
Besides, I've already pledged big kisses and not yet delivered.
And I am a woman of my word.