dream

I was in a big meeting hall, in which hundreds of people were gathered - it was one of those buildings that seemed to be able to contain more than its size would indicate. Some people started talking (apparently out of the blue) about how "Jesus didn't allow smoking". I explained to them that I'd read the bible several times, and that nowhere in the bible was there any indication that the smoking of any herb was prohibited by either Judaic or Christian law. In fact, I gave them quite a discourse on it and admonished them to read the King James Version and see. I continued that Jesus was concerned with the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law, and that the intent of this gathering was in agreement with the spirit of "Blessed are the peacemakers" and "Love thy neighbor" (the most important law of the New Testament). Having said that, I looked up and Orren Whiddon (the owner of Four Quarters Farm) pulled out the same tobacco hookah that someone had brought to WtT, and started passing around a peace pipe full of "Longbottom Leaf". Everyone who wanted to partook, including the guy I'd been talking to, who had a change of heart. So essentially I got to participate in the smoking of a peace pipe full of Frodo's Finest last night. What a wonderful dream! I can't remember if I actually had any - I don't think so - that would make sense, as I don't smoke, actually). I got distracted by Dorothy, an older lady (70+) who I talk to every morning when she walks her dog in real life -- she was eating chocolate and vanilla ice cream. She thought it was just vanilla at first, but I showed her the chocolate part. The feeling was that she'd wandered quite far from where she usually goes and was enjoying the ice cream greatly... I was left with a really good feeling after this dream, as opposed to the troubled feel of problems left unsolved after dreams that I don't remember at all. This is very strange - the fact that I even remembered it. I thought I'd best write it down before it escaped me...

The Toasted Tidbit of Tindalos

We'd already agreed, no more animals. No. More. Animals. There simply isn't enough floor or wall space to put any more tanks. So a few weeks ago, when rialian walked into the house saying, "you are going to kill me, but I had to", I knew what had happened. Instead of asking "why am I going to kill you," I asked,

"What do you have?"

He opened the box, and inside was a tiny iguana (about 3 inches long). Its owners had left it in a tank with a heat rock which had malfunctioned (as they often do). If an iguana is on a heat rock which gradually becomes hotter and hotter due to a malfunction, the iguana will not feel it - their system adjusts to whatever the temperature is if the change is gradual. A sudden change would be noted and responded to, but not a gradual change. So as the heat rock continued to heat up, he didn't get off of it, and his underside was badly burned. There were crusts and scabs all along his belly, legs, and tail, and his back was dry and brittle. He was literally toast. As soon as I saw him, I was also toast. I, who would never *ever* consider getting a klutzy, messy, dangerous, crotchety, silly-looking animal like an iguana, was instantly adopted by this little toasted dragon. The first week we soaked him daily in a dilute solution of betadine to make sure there was no infection. Gruadually, the crusts started to fall off as he shed the burned skin and scales. The areas where he was burned are not green - they're sort of a transluscent grey - he lost all of his scales on his tummy. I still take him out every day to get him used to being held, and soak him in the sink to help keep him moist so he doesn't get brittle and dry again. When Rialian first brought him in, I asked what his name was, and he said "Something that starts with a T, but I don't know what it is". I don't think I'm going to name him "The Toasted Tidbit of Tindalos", but that does start with a "T"...

Weird things in movies that bother one

I was talking to my mom about movies on Sunday, and the subject of "weird things about movies that have bothered us over the years" came up. My pet gripe is the intergalactic exploration team that invariably encounters carbon-based aliens with humanoid characteristics. It's a big universe and there are many other elements, temperature ranges visual and audio frequency ranges, types of consciousness... Oh, never mind.

So my mom then told me what *her* pet gripe was. "How come in EVERY movie, the main characters always 1) find a parking space right away, and 2) it is always the BEST parking space. They can be driving to a public building, or a shopping mall, or anywhere, and they ALWAYS find the best parking space!!!"

My mummy is funny.