retro-futurism or just kitsch?

I’m visiting in an old house that’s been converted to apartments. Victorian? In the basement is a kind of museum and i’m looking around at the stuff. There’s an old card table that’s unremarkable except for the fact that i remember my parents had one just like it when i was a kid. There are two chairs at the table. They’re mismatched. One is from a diner set and has red sparkly vinyl covering the seat and back. The other chair has a solid color covering but i can’t remember what now. Beige? That one doesn’t have padding at the back – just grayish metal. Other than that difference, both chairs are the same style. I really like the red sparkly one and can envision how it would look with its matching table and chairs. Very 50’s “Happy Days” rock’n’roll style. My attention is grabbed by ?? sitting on top of a chest of drawers. What is it? I can’t remember now. It’s art of some sort. Not sculpture so much but something poured into a mould like we used to make as kids. What the hell is that called? The substance hardens into a kind of chalky material. Plaster of Paris? Anyways, this is very ornate and red gel-like material formed into something i remember i found to be very pleasing. I continue poking around and there’s an old electric icebox from the early days. It’s in perfect condition and very deco in style. The outer casing is a kind of flesh tone pink color but inside, aside from the chrome bars that make up the shelves, the drawers and door shelves are turquoise plastic. (Now that i think about it awake i realize it’s a lot like an old Metropolitan.) I'm especially amused at how short the fridge is - it only comes up to about my chin unlike today's monster fridges that are taller than i am. I open the freezer compartment and there’s a round black tray with a bottle of wine and some chocolates on it. Inside the freezer compartment (which is chrome) the ice trays are the same turquoise plastic. There’s an orange price tag on the outside of the freezer compartment. $825.00. I think that this little refrigerator it’s exactly the kind that Sharon has in her kitchen and i want to take pictures of it, inside and out, to show her how hers would look if she emptied it out, defrosted the freezer, and cleaned it up. I’m thinking 800 bucks is a not a bad price if she wanted to sell hers.

Now i’m back upstairs in the apartment. I don’t know whose apartment it is but i’m sitting on a small couch (love seat) when two women come inside. One is apparently the person who “manages” the little museum and the other is the person to whom the antique refrigerator belongs. I can’t really see the manager, but the owner person is dressed kind of bohemian and wears wire rimmed glasses and a kind of slouchy black velvet hat. She addresses me with “YOU broke the seal!” and i realize that must’ve been her wine and chocolate. I admitted i did open the freezer not realizing it was sealed. I went on to explain how i wanted to take pictures of it, inside and out, to show my friend because of its perfect condition. I described how Sharon’s was fridge so full of stuff and the freezer frosted over that i didn’t think she realized what a treasure she had. The bohemian lady immediately became friendly and began to tell me a story about the red mold sculptures and how they went with the refrigerator.

Upstairs again. Apparently i have been back down stairs to purchase the red molded sculpture things. They’re very dusty so i decide to wash them. As i’m drying them off, i notice the larger of the pieces has holes in it and i wonder if it had been doctored to look in better shape than it really was and i’m kind of disappointed. I decide it still looks pretty cool and start to dry the smaller piece of the set and it pulls apart like it’s made of hardened pudding or something. It’s kind of gushy and gross but i put it back together and hope it will dry okay and wake up.

Odd. I LOVE that old house! Hardwood floors. Heavy doors. It might’ve been that half-round place i went a few nights ago. Same era. Same ‘solid’ feel like old houses have to me. I think that those red things were actually the mould FOR the plaster, and not the finished work. So the image was in reverse. That would explain the red rubber-like texture and maybe why i can’t remember exactly what the “picture” was (although i think i could see it plainly IN the dream). Plaster plaques. Some kind of pastoral landscape with flowers in front (along the bottom), and a fountain in the center. Cemetery art? Not sure.

Tarot Moon dream

I and a bunch of people are going to a party. We have to cross a big field and we’re running and laughing as we make towards the trees on the other side. There are probably about 15 of us, boys and girls. The full moon above us is extremely bright and i can see all of our shadows so it seems like there’s a lot more people. I look at the moon and see the optical illusion of many moons. Like when you stare at a bare light bulb and then look away, the imprint of the light bulb is still there. So everywhere i look i see big round silver moons all over the sky and on the ground. Something happens that makes us all turn around and head back to the house where we came from and as we’re running home we all stop in wonder at a moon illusion in the sky. It’s a castle and an entire walled city. It looks like it’s made out of fog and sparkles with the reflection of moon light. I want to see if i can get inside the moonlight city but everybody else keeps running back to the house and i follow.

At the house there’s some kind of party happening. I’m in the kitchen where there’s a man drying dishes and a woman washing dishes. The sink is completely full of water. I can hear the raucous noise coming from the other room but i really want to go back and see the moon castle. To avoid going through the crowd of people i push out the kitchen window over the sink and go out of the house that way. Right outside the window is a BIG sink. A water trough or industrial sized sink, i guess. It’s completely full too and i dump it over so all the water spills on the ground. It’s where the water from the inside sink drains out so i’m thinking it’s a good thing that i’ve emptied it.

I begin walking up a garden path. I come to a turn and there’s a very large turtle – a couple of feet across – zipping back and forth across my path. It’s really fast, like a hazard in a Super Mario game. I’m thinking that since it’s only a turtle it can’t hurt me so maybe i could just jump over it. Just as i’m thinking that though, i see that right at the turn in the path is a rhododendron type bush low to the ground. Hiding underneath, barely visible, it’s a crocodile. If i jump over the turtle it will put me right in front of the crocodile and i’m perplexed. Saved by Strawberry Fields.

The emptying of the water trough immediately brings to mind Lao Tzu. "Clay is molded to make a vessel, but the utility of the vessel lies in the space where there is nothing. Thus, taking advantage of what is, we recognize the utility of what is not." The very fast tortoise is a symbol i don't understand. Maybe it represents the unbelievable. Like the moon castle. Just because something seemingly defies reality doesn't mean it can't be real? Crocodile in the bushes = doubts? Thinking about this dream, it's like the tarot card brought to life. Very good feeling dream.

Dream buffet. Scraps of many dreams.

Manassas again. This time the road is the one Shari lived on. Can’t think of the name of that neighborhood or the road right now. A woman is walking up Kahn’s Road toward the neighborhood. But Kahn’s is different. It’s all “civilized” and built up with houses and sidewalks. I ask the woman where she’s going and she tells me she’s going to meet her child coming home from school. I’m thinking that maybe there’s a school now at the end of the road where the horse stables used to be. She invites me to join her sometime and i think i will. Now it’s another day and the lady is again walking towards the neighborhood road to meet her child. I’m with another person. A guy. Scott? And as we approach the woman from the other directions (from Trails End) i’m expecting her to greet us but she walks right by without acknowledging she’s met me. I’m confused but figure it’s because i’m not alone. My companion and i decide to walk up the neighborhood road to see parents meet their children anyways. There’s a man with jogging with a dog heading down the road towards the cul-de-sac. The dog has black curly hair. Might be a standard poodle or some kind of water dog. There are a few children walking up the sidewalk towards us on the other side of the road from the jogger and i try to guess which child is the woman’s.

Now i’m in another neighborhood, still in Manassas. Is it the neighborhood across the street from where Shari lived? Or maybe it’s an extension of what used to be Trails End. It’s where the Mennella’s live now i guess and Linda and her mom are standing out in the yard with other neighbors that i don’t know. Where BarbaraK lived? Barbara married JayMennella so maybe that’s the connection. Anyways, we’re standing around a decent sized pond that doesn’t have much water in it. We’re waiting for something. Fireworks? It’s nearing twilight and i see that all the houses have strange downspouts. Linda’s house has life-sized alligator shaped downspouts. I can see another house has caimans, another house has crocodiles. All of them are startling and very real looking. I mention to Linda and her mom that those downspouts would probably prevent burglars because they look so real.

Now i’m in a grocery store in a strip shopping center i’ve been to before in dreams. I need to buy ?something. Can’t remember. The store is large but there aren’t too many people shopping and the shelves are mostly bare. I go into a section (looks like one of the auction houses in World of Warcraft kind of) and i’m waiting for my turn to place my order. As i’m waiting, looking at the other people, i notice smoke coming from a piece of machinery behind a chain-linked fence. As i watch i see that other smoke is coming from other objects behind the fence. I can see glowing orange of flame. Other people are beginning to notice the smoke but they’re not doing anything. They’re just standing in line like nothing is happening. I yell “FIRE” and pull a lever to sound the fire alarm. A fire truck full of fire men arrives nearly immediately and begins to empty the store of people. I got outside and can see that the entire base of the building is in flames.

Now i’m in another store and i’m getting ready to go on a trip. Angie is there. And a young, fat, black teenage boy. A song is playing on a portable CD player and i can tell that the teenager likes it. I tell him that i have the CD and offer to let him burn a copy if he wants. He does so i drive to my house to get the disc but i can’t find it. I return to the store and tell him i couldn’t find it and feel bad about it. I leave and i’m in a large yellow construction vehicle riding on roads under construction. The roads are red clay but seem finished otherwise. Even the overpasses are red clay. I feel like i’m in an episode of the Gumby Show and nothing is quite what it seems.

I remember something i'd forgotten about. At the end of Trails End past the Harlow’s house there was a wild area with a pond. Angie and i used to go there to smoke cigarettes and dream. It was very quiet and nobody else ever came there that i know of. It wouldn’t surprise me it that was all built up now and an extension of the neighborhood. There was also the cow pond on the opposite side of Kahn’s from Trails End where we used to sunbathe on the dock. I’m not sure what these Manassas fragments are trying to get me to remember. Something i need to revisit and think through with new eyes? I can’t quite get the message but the visuals and feelings rising out of my memory closet are mostly neutral.

I just had an insight. Manassas was a crossroads for me. Maybe the dreams are offering alternatives to the paths i chose. That would maybe mean i need to go back and look at my foundation of beliefs and see if they are still valid? No. That doesn't feel right. Maybe i need to look at how i relate to other people? Choices? Hmm. I don't know. But that is where my life changed that caused me to enter a path that led to the road that got me to where i am now. Life is a maze of decisions. Right/left. Yes/no. Wait/move on. Black/white. Night/day. Anything that can be answered by a Ouija board or Magic-8-Ball. That's funny. Who the hell is programming this strange game?


Just remembered another dream from last night. It seems like it takes place where we used to camp at Thornburg VA. Snoball is in the dream! I don’t recall ever having a dream with him in it before. He’s nice and plump and healthy looking except for on his left side is a kind of blue plastic netting. I ask mom if the netting can be removed ever because it’s so visible against his beautiful white fur. She says he can’t have it removed ever. I ask her why he got it and she said that Brad Pitt accidentally shot him with a hand gun.

Brother Snoball! He was never as plump as he looked in the dream. He was large and lean. DAMN! It was great to see him again!

Manassas dream redux

I don’t remember what it is i need to fix, but i know where the part that will complete the fix can be found and i get on some kind of three-wheeled motorized contraption to ride there. Angie is with me and she’s riding a cruiser style bicycle. We ride through the paths to Sabula’s field and onto Hoadley Road. We’re riding like we’re going to Taylor’s store. There’s a lot of commuter traffic so we ride mainly on the shoulder of the road. At one point we have to “off road” and the ground is kind of murky and boggy. After we cross through an intersection at the light (total déjà vu from my Cages dream from a few weeks ago) we take a left turn onto a gravel driveway and ride up to a white farm house. I go inside the house and into a closet. There’s a secret way up into a part of the house that only i know about and i find the hidden staircase at the back of the closet and go up. The stairs are stone and spiral up to the next floor. Once i’m up there i can hear Angie downstairs looking for me. There’s also a road crew working on the road outside the house and i can hear them so clearly that it startles me at first because i think they’re talking to me. I poke around in the small space looking for the missing piece. Sometimes i forget what it is i’m looking for. I can’t find the part here although this is where i’m sure i left it. I get a sense that it’s a block of wood i’m looking for but not really sure. I realize i can’t find it and descend the circular staircase back into the closet. Angie is waiting for me. We leave to go back to Trails End but now my mom is with us. She’s riding on a motorized mini-bike right behind me. Traffic is very heavy and it takes a little while to find a break. I know my vehicle doesn’t have a lot of zip and have to be sure i have plenty of space to get up to speed. Finally, there’s a break and i go for it with mom and Angie right behind me. We’re on the paved shoulder and picking up speed when some red race car zooms around us and gets in front of me. I’m surprised that such a fast car would want to drive on the shoulder. We begin a climb up a steep hill and i’m losing power. I need to put my odd vehicle into a lower gear. I reach down to find the gear shift but my hand is tangled in some sort of plastic cover ?raincoat? and i can’t get a grip on the ball. I tell mom to keep on going and i’ll catch up but really i’m not sure i’ll make it to the top and i wake up.

What is it i was looking for? What was it supposed to fix? Even if i could have got hold of the gear shift would i have known what to do with it? Damned frustrating dream.

Strange but appealing abodes

I’m walking up a sidewalk path to the front door of a building where i’m looking to ?live? The building is in a city but i don’t know where. None that i’m familiar with. Somebody is with me. We enter through a heavy wooden door. Not fancy, but solid. I think it’s solid oak or some other hard wood. We’re walking down a dimly lit hallway. The walls are covered in old fashioned cloth ‘wallpaper’ with a faded pattern. I think it’s vertical stripes with ivy. Ivory and jade. The hallway isn’t very long and at the end is a sort of circular vestibule with two doors, side by side. I knock on the door on the right and a woman in an apron opens the door. We enter into a room that’s a half circle (quarter circle really). As soon as i see it i realize that this apartment and the one on the left should be one because then the circle is completed (half circle really but in the dream i understand it to mean ‘complete’). As i have this realization, the wall that separates the two apartments is gone and now i’m seeing the room how it was meant to be seen. Wide open, and rounded. Like being in the bow of a ship. There are large windows along the front and a large stream of water or maybe a narrow river. I’m disappointed to see that on the other side of the water it’s all built up with shopping and apartments and imagine how beautiful it must’ve been when the building i’m in was first built. I make a comment to that affect and the woman who opened the door tells me “It’s been built up like that since 1924” which i take to mean there never was the beautiful i imagined. I’m not disappointed though and begin to explore the left side of the place. There’s a kitchen with a long wall of stove tops and several people are making dinner. Multiple families share this space. We (the woman, my companion, and i) walk through a door into another room. I think it’s another kitchen but this one has stove tops and ovens. There are several people sitting around a table. The table reminds me of the kind in a diner. I don’t know what that material is. A kind of plastic? It’s white but there’s a pattern on the plastic, like ?triangles or teepees, maybe diamonds? in gold. It’s pretty tacky but i like it. Retro. We leave this room because there are too many people crowded into it and are back in the first hallway. I love this space but it would take a lot of effort to turn it from the multi-family apartments back to a “whole” house.

My companion and i leave the building and go back outside but now it seems like we’re somewhere else, not in the same city where we started. A car pulls up to the curb in front of us and we get in. The driver takes off in a hurry, tearing up the grass we’re driving on. He’s driving like a maniac. Now i’m alone with the driver in the front seat and the car is a pickup truck. He’s still driving fast and recklessly but i don’t care, i’m just trying to take in the scenery. We come to a neighborhood of beautiful old houses. They’re all attached to each other like townhouses, but great big places. Each façade is a different color and different trim, but all pretty much the same size so the roof-line is even. We drive up a narrow wooden road (like a dock) that runs in front of the houses and i realize it’s not a road and we’re not supposed to be driving on it but the man says he doesn’t care if the rich people don’t like it and keeps going further up the sidewalk until we come to the end of that block and have to turn right to continue. I don’t know where i am but i love these old houses and marvel at them as we speed by them.

That’s all i remember. Great feeling dream from an architectural standpoint! I love to go to strange new neighborhoods. I always wish i could get back to that one i dreamed when i was little. I still can distinctly see the piano house and the teapot house. Now that i remember that one i think that maybe the lady that opened the door in this dream was the same lady that opened the door and let me in to the piano house. That dream had noodles in the sink but i don’t remember a sink in this one. Just ovens and stove tops. How odd.