Dream Journal

Context: This time frame was in my mind because Chip had mentioned a very familiar name a few days earlier. I couldn't remember where I knew him from, but suspected it was from around this time.

The characters and context from this dream are all from about 20-25 years ago, when I was working at Definition 6. The first thing I remember is a sort of stand-off with my boss. I’m talking with him, and some of his . . . henchman, it feels like, and he’s got this evil grin, and I can tell that he thinks he’s being very clever. He’s trying to subtly antagonize me into revealing if my server is at home or elsewhere by suggesting that I “go home, to the garage” to turn off the accounts, as if they’re hosted from a computer at my house. His ploy works at revealing that I have a server, though, as I say that I can do it from here. In my mind I see the server, which is being hosted offsite (as it was 25 years ago), and I see my home computers, which are from that era, too. I go back to my work computer and he sends someone along to watch me. I log in remotely and then have trouble remembering the file structure, making guesses while he watches. But I decide this is too dangerous, and the idea of a key logger occurs to me. I stand up and say, “I’m going to do this from home.” I get up to leave, understanding that I’m fired. I notice a few USB drives connected to the keyboard and computer that could have had a key logger on them, so I pull them out and stuff them in my pockets. But I can’t know if they have the password now or not. The boss is walking away now. Knowing they may have won, I sarcastically shout out to him “NICE”.

I arrive home in our present living room and close all the blinds — they are slat blinds like we used to have in the house we lived in then, not the folding blinds we currently have. We didn’t live in Hibernia house 25 years ago, but returning “home” meant coming back to the near realm where I’m sleeping. It’s mostly dark (as it actually is) but there is some dim light. My goal is to go in, change the password, and secure the computer. But I fall into a short dream. . . . Waking up, I find most of the blinds are OPEN, and I wonder if my boss’s guys are outside, somehow messing with the blinds to observe me. I close all the blinds again, one by one. I fall into another dream.

It’s related to one of the other houses I frequent in dreams. In this case, it’s lightly laid over the living room at Blaine House, but in the dream I consider it an entirely different house. I’m putting up Christmas presents and decorations with Rebecca. The room seems kind of under construction, with a folded white tarp hanging over the mantle (where a fireplace was intended but never built). I’m pushing things around trying to make room for the presents I have. One is a big gift with a funny pink and yellow design on it rather than regular wrapping paper. It’s my main gift for Rebecca, I know, but I can’t remember what’s in it. Among the Christmas decorations which are now appearing thickly on every surface, I see two crafted easter bunnies and two brightly colored eggs. I ask Rebecca if she wants to clear out the Easter stuff, and she says yes.

Just then I hear three loud BANGs. I’m suddenly back in my current darkish living room where I was dreaming, and the three front-facing BLINDS ARE UP. Someone had just opened them from outside on the front porch. Someone was out there NOW. I was certain that my boss from Definition 6 has sent someone. I’m terrified. Without thinking, I open the front door and SHOUT AS LOUD AS I CAN. As I’m shouting, a person I don’t know moves into sight right in front of me. I see his face clearly but don’t recognize him.

I’m awoken by Rebecca, as I actually shouted in my sleep.