Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)

[phoenelai]

phoenelai, that would definitely be cool to do and for sure i'd be interested in hearing the results! 

i think as a musician or producer, there is a much needed desire to combine the dream world with the love of music.  for us (i am a basement-songwriter), i am surprised it doesn't happen more often, since (i know for me) there's always some random song or tune or beat or riff in my head that i carry around for the time-being.  that's kinda why i wasn't surprised when i was singing in my dream above, but i've yet to pick up a guitar, etc.  would love to. 

have you been able to do so at all?

I'm really going to do this for next task. One time I tried playing music by the snap of my finger..I was fighting some guys and wanted to play a kick ass matrix track, maybe Meat Beat or something similar but it didnt work. I'm surprised as much music is in my life my themes haven't been music oriented. Like maybe next dream play a laser harp and try to remember the melody.

[Moonbeam]

oh and this dream was remembered with word associations, or maybe i should say band name associations.   

Good job!  I've gone to writing single words during the night, rather than the whole dream, but I don't know if I'm ever going to get the other to work.  I'll keep trying.   I sort of almost remembered another dream from last night that way, but I just couldn't get it, because I thought too hard about it and made it disappear.  >:(

[analyst]

FRAGMENT
a friend and i were out eating a meal and he explained how much he liked a certain incubus cd.  i was surprised as i gave him one for a gift once and he never commented on it.  i asked him for directions and cost of something i saw on a house, a porch and windows i liked, but it was in the woods somewhere and i didn't know how to get there, so i asked.

FRAGMENT
ai and i in the mall at a pancake house.

+TTMBS+

[analyst]

HOME IMPROVEMENT
i was outside with ai and looking at the building materials which the contractors bought for my house and noticed that there was a difference (not good one) with the gutters that we ordered and that which was there for install.  it made me mad, but i didn't follow this thought, as i looked up at the roof and i saw a small man up at the top of it taking off shingles.  it was raining lightly, and so i was worried about them doing the roof with the rain.  i yelled up, "you shouldn't be up there!  it is raining and you can't do the roof!"  i thought, it is slippery and he could fall off in the rain too.  as soon as i thought this, this small man started tumbling off the side of the roof down the slope and changed into a baby, and then once reaching the ground, turned into a fetus (wearing a small tool belt and holding a hammer!).  i walked over to it on the ground and picked it up in my hand and examined it.  i took it inside the house with ai and was wondering what to do.  i called outloud and other workers came out of some rooms to take the fetus from me.  the answer was, "don't worry, we will take care of that."

DAD DYING
i am at mom and dad's house and mom comes out of the bedroom, down the hallway.  she is crying, but happy in some way (relieved).  i ask her what is wrong, and she says, "it is your father."  i look at her with an inquisitive look, and she nods.  i know what it means, and i hug her, as it is clear that she was very upset also.  i walk back to the bedroom to "verify" and i see him sitting up on the side edge of the bed with his head tilted all the way back his mouth full open.  he seems lifeless but i go near him and poke a little.  ultimately, he wakes up and then mom really starts crying... "oh god."  dad is sad now also as he was hoping it was all over too. 

BABY FISH
i am in the bathroom with ai and i have one baby fish in a cup and it wants to jump out of the cup.  i hold my hand over it to protect it from jumping.  ai is happy that i found another baby.  i look into the sink and there are hundreds of small fish all ready to swim but only minimal water.  they are writhing all over each other.  i fill the sink with a little water, but wonder which of them i can rescue and how i can do it.  i look at my cup and think, "i will just scoop them into here and carry them back to the aquarium."  but then i notice there is plastic wrap on the cup to prevent the fish from jumping out, so i don't know again how i will manage.

+TTMBS+

[analyst]

SAN JACINTO
i finished watching a movie in a theater and i am walking to leave.  i notice that 2 other people are in the theater but not with me.  i notice they are leaving also at the same time.  one is a male, the other a female.  we walk towards the back door and a conversation begins.  the music at the end of the film is peter gabriel's song san jacinto playing and offers a starting point.

i mention how much i like this song.  the girl smiles and the guy is agreeing with me.  as we get to the back doors of the theater, the scene morphs into the entrance of a mall and san jacinto is now playing over the PA.  it is an old-style mall with a pathmark supermarket inside which i would like to stop at.  i mention this to them and they want to come along.  we are in the mall and commenting on how it seems dead and falling apart.  was it closed, but the doors were open?  we walk towards the supermarket and the gates are closed.  i want to wait for it to open, and the girl comments that the entrance of the market looks like a frathouse.

i was thiniing about this for a little bit, and at the same time the girl starts talking to the guy about a guy she knew from san jacinto who she dated, but was a real ass as she got to know him.  i was half-listening, but interrupt their convo saying, "it WAS a frathouse prior".  the girl smiles at me then goes back to the convo with the guy.  i listen again and then comment that i have never been to san jacinto, so i couldn't be the guy. 

she wants cigarettes.  so we stay and wait it out.

+TTMBS+

[analyst]

THE TRYST
i was flirting at night with a girl from my highschool job.  she had her same long straight brunette hair, petite frame, and such full kissable lips.  it was heaven to see her again, in person, as she was always the height of intelligence, beauty and humility.  too bad i wasn't ready for such a girl at that time in my life.  i remember the same vibe was there in this convo, where both of us were locked in to conversation but also enjoying the double layer of it all...  the intelligent convo, the passionate but tentative kisses.  the moisture on her full lips.  needless to say, i get her number at the hotel where she is staying.

i call her the next day as i am driving towards her hotel.  we are planning to meet for lunch and then.... (?)  heh heh.  it feels so good to talk to her again and we are 100% honest where we both are in our lives.  once i even mentioned about a certain dream i had recently and it was in the context of it being very important to me... (like LDing but not necessarily i think).  i can taste her on my lips during the drive...  the alarm then wakes me up.

+TTMBS+

[analyst]

COMMENT
finally a dream!  what a dry-spell!!!     with so much going on in my life right now, and with my inability to actually get any consistent time for sleep or dream-intentions, my dream recall has taken a serious beating...  at least i have one remembered today, and it is semi-epic in length and detail.  horrah!   

HIDING
i was alone at first and hiding in a small hidden room which was attached to another room in the basement of some large place of business.  i felt there was some secret which i was responsible to keep hidden and i should not be found by the people from whom i was hiding.  i heard footsteps and talking above me, and then in the room which was attached to the room i was attached to.  but i was pretty sure that they didn't have any idea about the room i was in. 

this room i was in was very small and L-shaped.  it had bedding on one leg of the L, on the floor.  i was laying down in the room on the bedding and realized the lights should be turned off... so i got up and explored the room some more.  there was a closet with many clothes hanging in there, and there were several wall switches which i noticed and tried to use, to turn off the lights so i could stay hidden.  i was worried that the light could be seen under the lip of the entry door to this room.  i clicked a few switches, but they didn't work to turn off the lights.  i thought, "hmmm, perhaps it is for the outlets", and never realized this could be an RC (oh, how many times!).   

one of the switches operated an exhaust / intake vent which was to help deliver air to this room (thankfully!)

i then noticed that the light outside my room was on, but people weren't there.  i thought, "oh, i should make sure that light is off first, so that no one notices how to get to this place."  i found the switch for this and turned it off.  the little light that i noticed under the door was extinguished and i felt safer as i listened for these people to leave.  it ultimately got quiet and i felt comfortable to leave the room after a little while.

i found myself in an apartment in japan with ai, and we were awaiting the arrival of her sister (IRL, she doesn't have one, duh!).  her sister was supposed to arrive at this apartment to hide from something in her life which she needed protection from.  we would provide it. 

the apartment had concrete block walls and it was all grey and damp.  very depressing decor overall.  the apartment was in the basement of a large tall building and there were many similar places all with no-name doors down a corridor which was even more dark, damp and depressing than the apartment. 

+TTMBS+

[analyst]

FINALS INVESTIGATION
i received a text message on my cell phone to go see the main office of my highschool.  i was in the halls of the highschool when this happened, although clearly i knew i was long since finished with being in highschool.  i walked to the front by reception / admin and i noticed my name on an official report of some kind.  there were two women there working and one was talking to the other.  when i inquired about the report, and told them my name, they asked me to wait until... suddenly a man entered the room, he was quite tall and thin and wore a suit.  he picked up the report and i told him i was the man he wanted to speak with.  he pulled me into another room and told me what the report was about.  apparently, there was an investigation into my possible cheating on a final exam back in 11th grade.  if i was found guilty, then my highschool diploma would be revoked and i would have to take summer school.  i was outraged!  i told him this was nuts, and asked him the reason for the investigation.  he told me that there were some answers on the exam which clearly could only have been known if i had prior knowledge of the test.  i said, "so i am being penalized for being prepared for the test and knowing the topic really well?"  he looked at me with distain.  i told him, "the only reason you are investigating me is because i got a perfect score on this test!"  i asked to see a copy of my exam and he showed me.  when i looked through it, it appeared not like any test i have seen.  some pages were psychedelic colored clouds on it and others had random words all strewn around the page.  i saw some page where he wanted me to look, and when i tried a little later to see it again, i couldn't find the page.  in essence, there was no repeatability in the booklet and i knew this at the time.  this should have been an RC for me, but i didn't become lucid.  i left the office angry but explained my case to the investigator.  later i was in my car and i got another text message.  i thought it was the investigator saying that the case was dropped, but instead it was a message saying that the investigation was opened and now had my input.

FLUTES
i was sitting on the ground at the corner of the street my parents' house is on and the main road it intersects.  i had a bag with me and some flutes were within.  i pulled each one of them out, one by one.  i noticed there was only three.  i saw a man walking towards me and as he approached i saw he looked very much like a thug.  he doen't pay attention to my flutes and asks me if i know so-and-so, and where he is.  i told him i don't know that person, and he moved on past me.  the sky was growning darker at this point and it was clear it was going to rain.  i realized i should put the flutes away for this and so i did.  at the point of me trying to get the 3rd flute in, i noticed that the rain was starting, and it was coming down...

CARESSING AI FRAGMENT
ai and i were in a bar that i am quite familiar with.  one of the regulars there walked over to us and interrupts us and caresses ai's cheek with his hand.  i got quite pissed.

+TTMBS+

[analyst]

RESTAURANT CRYING
i was at a restaurant with a crowd of people and sitting at a booth.  ai was asked something about her by someone at the table rather directly and a little fun-style-rude also.  she didn't know how to respond, and took the comment rather seriously.  she basically froze and started to tear up.  i was at the opposite end of the booth seat so i couldn't talk to her without everyone noticing.  she got up and went to the bathroom to cry.

TAXI CONVO
ami and i were in the back of a taxi and there was a woman driver.  we were getting into a pretty deep convo, again about how we relate to each other.  she accused me of not being attentive to her or not paying attention to her enough.  i told her how i felt, and she was quite stunned.  i was stunned at her response.  she said, "wow, i really guess i misjudged you, and what you thought and felt.  i am so sorry."  i almost didn't know how to respond, but we were very happy after that.  we got to our destination, but the taxi driver just said, "it seems like you two could use more quiet time together, so i will drive you around for a while without charge."  i was appreciative.

GERMAN RESTAURANT
i was again at a dinner party at a restaurant.  i was sitting at the table alone since everyone went to the bathroom or something.  i noticed on the table beer glasses filled with beer at other people's seats, partially drank, but nothing at mine.  i felt jilted from this, and looked for the waiter / waitress.  i noticed this was a german restaurant, and a big waitress came over to me and asked me how i was since i looked sad or bothered.  i replied that i wanted a drink, but no one gave one to me.  she apologized and told me what beers they have.  there were 3 german beers on tap.  i ordered the 3rd one, which was a beer called "baten".  it is funny how i modified the name spaten to create a new brand, and i seemed excited to try it.  she mentioned that this choice of beer works well with a honey glaze sauce with my meal and so when i choose my food, i should keep this in mind.  i thanked her.  she also mentioned about olives in these meals with the glaze, so if i don't want the olives i should mention it now.

BAR DRINKS
mom and i at a bar, and we were ordering drinks.  she didn't know what she wanted, so i asked the bartender to show me the options.  the bartender kept showing us a menu of expensive drinks.  i kept turning the page to so that i could see the less expensive ones.  we ended up ordering something fruity and cold with alcohol.  mom and i were having fun.

FRAGMENT
ai and i were looking at a house.  i don't know if it was ours or not, but on the way back from the house i tried to make a left turn onto another side-road, but i noticed that there were pipes in the road making it impassable.  we decided to go straight.

VACATION HELP
i was at the beach, on vacation of sorts, but i noticed many people from work there.  my boss' boss asked me if i wanted to contribute to the work being done for charity. i helped them build something out of wood (house, dock?) and then tried to enjoy my time also a bit.  a week later i was back at this same beach and met a man and his son.  the son had a large black eye and i was trying to help him.  he introduced me to his dad who was james from "good times", the 70's t.v. show.  he told his son to just walk away from the problem. 

FRAGMENT
i found myself in a cartoon, as an observer.  i saw a pendulum swing back and forth within a room and people were trying to run by it without getting hit.

+TTMBS+

[Moonbeam]

Good, you recall is coming back.  I hate dryspells.  >:(

Do you think your conversation in the taxi was really helping you figure out something in IRL?

[analyst]

Good, you recall is coming back.  I hate dryspells.  >:(

Do you think your conversation in the taxi was really helping you figure out something in IRL?

hey Mb, thanks for the comment!

recall is getting better at times, but mostly still too many nights of blackness and don't even mention an LD... they have just flown out my window recently!  but the busy-ness of life is hopefully toning down a bit.  i hope i can make more time for this.

i think i am mostly sad that i couldn't find time to complete working within seeker's workshop for may and contribute to yours (and other's dj's) or posts that interest me.  i have had only time minimally to just keep things going.  i have incorporated one of the recall skills into my daily dream life, by spending time to think of having a dream prior to going to sleep.  unfortunately, this is the ONLY thing i can practice, as my hours of sleep have diminished to so few... =P

about the convo in the taxi... oh yes.  it is trying to...  who knows if i will ever learn this one lesson though...  seems i am a glutton for punishment (to use a coined phrase) and always seem to come back for more.  too bad i am the type who always seems to give the benefit of doubts and forgets easily about wrongs.  =/

[analyst]

COMPOSITION
i composed a song which was like a combination of 3 bands' music, king's x, japan, and popol vuh.  odd combo, to be sure, but i awoke singing the song so clearly and hearing the music in my mind.  in my dream i recorded the music and produced the music video.  the people in my dream who i showed it to were very impressed.  friends were very supportive.

MOUSE FROM HELL
since a coworker was telling me of his mouse, in his house, and my soffit isn't yet complete, my head put it all together, and i had a dream of the mouse from hell.  it enjoyed taunting me and playing hide-and-seek while i tried to find it to evict it from my house!  i remember ai going to go get a flashlight for me to see into the darkness.

+TTMBS+

[Moonbeam]

recall is getting better at times, but mostly still too many nights of blackness and don't even mention an LD... they have just flown out my window recently!  but the busy-ness of life is hopefully toning down a bit.  i hope i can make more time for this.

i think i am mostly sad that i couldn't find time to complete working within seeker's workshop for may and contribute to yours (and other's dj's) or posts that interest me.  i have had only time minimally to just keep things going.  i have incorporated one of the recall skills into my daily dream life, by spending time to think of having a dream prior to going to sleep.  unfortunately, this is the ONLY thing i can practice, as my hours of sleep have diminished to so few... =P

Well, it's bound to happen that we just get to busy sometimes.  But now that we know about lucid dreaming, we can do it when we have time, it won't go away.  I hope things slow down for you soon!  Don't worry about being too busy to post; your dream journal is the most important thing anyway.

Oh i just thought about you a few minutes ago, because I had no memories of any dreams last night til I read the word "bear" and a scene of coming face to face with a bear came back to me.  If it had been earlier, I might have gotten more of the dream back than that.  So your technique does work!  If I can think of the right word.

about the convo in the taxi... oh yes.  it is trying to...  who knows if i will ever learn this one lesson though...  seems i am a glutton for punishment (to use a coined phrase) and always seem to come back for more.  too bad i am the type who always seems to give the benefit of doubts and forgets easily about wrongs.  =/

That doesn't seem like a bad way to be.  Better than suspicious and unforgiving.   

[analyst]

FILES FRAGMENT
i was at work and had a binder in my possession which had a client name of V_____ on it.  i was trying to put this back in the correct file folder / cabinet, and i couldn't find the match.  i kept looking and looking, hoping to, but it was no use.

MUSIC TALK
while waiting for a bus, i am somehow listening to a sublime concert, some footage maybe, and i remember watching through a storefront window.  i say to the 2 guys who are with me, "what a great band to listen to while at a bar!  it is chilled, yet aggressive."  one of the 2 guys responds, "you know, they're german!"  i say, "doesn't surprise me, very little good music comes from the u.s."

i look down and see the guy pull out a 4 disc-CD set.  i recognize the CD instantly and say, "hey.  that's boud deun... astronomy made easy."  the guy actually says it at the same time also, like an echo.  i am really surprised, as this is an incredibly obscure avant-prog band.  i say, "you got the 4 CD set ? ? ? ?" (truth is, it would NEVER exist knowing how obscure they are, and i should have used this as an RC... oh well!)  "now i know how sick you truly are!"

+TTMBS+

[analyst]

FOOTBALL GAME PLANS
i was either going to a golf tourniment or a football game.  mom, me and someone (?).  i was leading the way, and mom got lost.  i went down a HUGE set of outdoor stairs.  it was really cool, and i remember almost flying down them!  mom caught up to me but when i got to their house she scraped the side of her car on the brick mailbox when trying to pull in their driveway.  my dad came out of the house in full Vikings' attire, uniform, and helmet and asked if he could come with us.  i told him we didn't have enough tickets.  he replied, "but i got dressed specifically for this!!!"  we got to a place to wait.  i remember my cell phone dying and somehow i was able to recharge my battery through the cell phone service itself.  we stayed in a hotel overnight.

+TTMBS+