Dreamlife March 6 - Robin

Type: Episodic
People: My family and Ziggy (she is a person, right?)
Featured: "spring in a bag," a family play, and rats

We were preparing for the Alaskan break-up of winter where slush and mud are abundant, and a salesman offered us "spring in a bag."   It is a service, sort of like a diaper service.  They bring you all you need to mud-proof and drop a new one off every day.  We got the dog service: mud booties, mud coat and towel to clean.

My family was together and we had to do a play.  We chose Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.  Someone asked, "which one?"  I said they were all essentially the same so that didn't matter.

I had to leave early after the play for a flight to Central America.  I thought the flight was at noon and Shelly (my ex-sister-in-law who was part of the play) offered to take me. I was packed and we were about to leave when I looked as the tickets and the flight was actually at 7:45.  Panic.  Oops.  Then I saw P.M. Relief.  I made it down to Central America somewhere on the coast, where it was stormy and cold and I had no idea why I was there.

*******

Ziggy was chasing after rats.  I send her down a hole to get one (and I followed) and there was a big cave of rats with people in lab coats releasing them to the world.  Ziggy grabbed one and left.  I was confused about these rat people.  Why are they putting them into the world?

The rats were also at the dining hall kitchens at UCSC.  I was working on a machine there.  They told me that they are getting rid of Jesse's kitchen mechanic unit and having the maintenance people do it instead.  That is an insane decision and I am glad I no longer work there, I thought, as I continued to work on the machine.

Annotation

Break-up mud: Our house here is very nice with carpets that are in good shape, so Leslie and I have naturally been a little concerned about the period of break-up, when Ziggy will get covered in mud.  We went to the Salvation Army and bought a sheet and two large towels.  We think that will help us keep the house mud free.

Family plays:  My family hasn't done a play for many years, but when Leslie and I met both of our families did plays at Christmas.  Leslie's family kept it up for many years with a spectacle called the Krapp Family players doing various musicals, including Cinderella.  There are 3 versions that have been done on TV:  the original with Julie Andrews, one with Lesley-Anne Warren, and one with Brandy.

Shelley:  Though Shelley is no longer married to my brother, she actually spends more time with my parents most years than I do.  In our last family photo, she and Kevin's current wife were both in the photo.  So modern.

Ziggy: She has not caught a rat, but she has caught a gopher.

UCSC: My mantra as I go to sleep is: I don't work at UCSC so it is a dream if I am.  It hasn't worked, yet, to clue me in but at least part of me knew I didn't work there in this dream.   I supervised the dining hall mechanics of which Jesse was the head.  We had lots and lots of rats in those dining halls.  I set traps and killed several dozen.  Is it any wonder that they should show up in my dream? (And I felt bad about each and every one.)