Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Wake Me Please

Perhaps it was dinner last night that brought on the dreams. I wouldn't think that turkey, stir fried with zucchini and red pepper, a side of chinese rice and another side of mandarin orange would do that.. But Lynne had the mad dreams too!

In my dream, I was back in Montana, visiting friends. My red car ( the right-hand drive I have now) was stolen from where I'd parked it outside and I was naturally in a panic. I called the police, thinking they'd easily spot it.. steering wheel on the wrong side, Chrysler (huh?!?) Neon .. should stand out. After more messing about, my friends proceeded to drive me home, with a stop at the gas station first. While there, my car pulled in. I confronted the thief, who easily returned my keys. Home, in my dreams, was the house I lived in growing up in California and my blue Ford pickup was in the driveway. Once inside, I found my daughter and I shared my bedroom.

VERY scattered. I also remember a recurring element throughout was the availability of candy everywhere. At the friend's house someone had been dipping millions of pretzels in chocolate. The gas station had a glassed off display ROOM full of sugary confections.

Lynne's dream was even more strange. She ALWAYS wins THAT prize! Let's see if I can remember what she told me.. She and colleagues from school were flying in a helecopter, all dressed in wet suits. (That kind of clinging garb would not make her happy!) She also said that the building they went into had slanted floors, they couldn't walk but had to slide down.

Far from the confusing creases in my cranium... things might be getting better at work. Daniel, my friend from college, has returned to be our line manager. He said he was cracking down on absences. I told him that he could crack down on me if he wanted, but that I was calling in sick this Saturday. I moved here for Lynne, not for the job and I haven't spent one Saturday or Sunday off in over a month. (Didn't tell him that the last I had weekend time with her was another fake sickie either) I wanted him to have a chance to arrange cover for the 8-5 shift I'm going to skip out on.

He was shocked they'd been working me both days every weekend. Said he'd be the one doing the scheduling from now on and that wouldn't be happening anymore. Then he gave me Sunday off.. and told me to go ahead and call in Saturday too, that they had too many people on anyway! YAYYYYY. It's incredible how much this has lightened my heart, knowing that I get a bit of regular time off with my honey. That has been the worst part of this job!

I did my regular Sunday kid calls this week. My daughter wasn't home but my son was. I had been fearful of speaking to him, he'd been SO depressed last weekend. The gf he thought he didn't want had officially dumped him. Of course, only then did he realize how much he cares for her. When he's depressed, he puts the guilt onto me for moving. Ugh.

This week though, he's excited. He tells me that the Air Force recruiter had seen the tattoo on his wrist, said it was too visible and would bar him from joining. I'm secretly relieved. Then he says he spoke to the Marines recruiter who has painted an exciting future, full of money, cool uniforms, scientifically balanced meals, travel and guns. I'm not sure he's committed on paper, but says that in March he goes for the physical to see if he can join. OMG.

I'm scared he'll be cannon-fodder in Iraq. Part of me knows that the service can do wonderful things for such wayward boy/men. It can push them into responsibility, into respect for authority and give them a boost towards adult life. The service is something I used to promote.. before Iraq. Now I'm just scared.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't blame ya. If I had a woman, I would be taking some time off too. :)

Hugs!

nelle said...

It is understandable you would worry, hell we worry about our kidlets anyway, but the military adds to the worry... but many many many go in and are helped and are fine.

Yay to having a weekend off (or as I recall Max saying it "owf..."

I'm glad not to be alone in the weird dreams department, last night was setting on wooden stairs in a schoolbus, then drove the thing like a bat out of hell down a hill. At least I wasn't flying a helicopter, or in a wetsuit!