Last night I dreamed that Tom was reading something that came in the mail about a chance to win $1 million along with something else that evening. Whoever was hosting this contest or game or whatever it was was going to stop by the house in the evening.

Eventually, I took a nap and later woke up afraid I’d overslept, but the lady from the game/prize company showed up at some point. I don’t know if I won anything because as I was going to give her my phone number and put her number in my phone, I then realized I couldn’t find my phone anywhere and that became the focus of my attention. I searched everywhere, including both our beds which seemed to be in the same room.

A split second later I was in a restaurant and standing by a long table at which eight people sat, including my mother. I stood next to her. Across from her was Ruth. She eyed me in a very condescending and angry manner and said something that I ignored as I explained to my mother that I lost my phone. Mom said I would have another one that night and I suggested we wait until I could talk to Tom because he would have a better idea of which phones were best for our provider.

I then began to write down my phone number because I still wanted to give it to that woman but it didn’t look right. I showed it to my mother and asked if it looked like my number and she said the area code was wrong.

I was clenching the phone, which turned into a hairbrush, so tightly in my hand that someone commented on it and warned me to be careful. Not wanting Ruth to think I was some hysterical nut, I made light of the matter by taking a brush out of my hand and holding it up to my mother with the palm facing her. I then said, “Look, mom, no blood,” indicating that I hadn’t been holding it that tight. Everyone laughed but Ruth.

In the last part of the dream, I was mentally drafting a future letter to my mom once she left the area, explaining that I understood if she might think I was wound up all the time like that, but that I was only tense that night due to losing my phone.

Sometimes I wonder if we should go back to country living when he retires simply because I’m so sick of being surrounded by so many people and so much activity. I just can’t get any peace in here during the daytime, and that makes it extremely hard for me to concentrate on my work. By 8 o’clock sharp the peace was gone. I just didn’t have any idea that retirement communities would be jumping with so much activity. I thought “active” community meant that they went to the clubhouse regularly, went swimming when weather permitted, rode bikes, took walks… and they do. I just didn’t think it mostly meant that they went on a daily landscaping and project frenzy right along with the park itself.

But rural life has its drawbacks, too. We should know. We spent five years in the country in Arizona and another five here. Wells, utilities and loose dogs are a huge problem out in the country. I guess it’s just a matter of what one considers the lesser problems. City living may be much noisier, but it is definitely more convenient.

Tom said that what the Twenties are doing could get noisy should they decide to remove the old retaining wall altogether. Oh, I’m sure I’ll hear enough of whatever they’re doing. You can’t have someone barely 20 feet away and not hear what they’re up to.

Turns out I thanked Laurence for nothing because I heard the woodpecker just before 7:30.

The last couple of days I’ve been drained of energy as my body fights and fails, fights and fails to generate a period. I know it will succeed sooner or later; I only hope it’s not until after Dr. G’s appointment.

I dreamed I was standing by a dock somewhere and watched a small ship dock nearby. Due to overcrowding with all the ridiculous things Arizona throws people in jail for, they decided to confine Jodi Arias to a ship. They thought it would be harder for her to escape that way, only she would be allowed to roam around when the ship was docked. I caught a glimpse of her as she was returning to the ship before it was to move on to its next port of call. She wore a long black coat and when the breeze blew a flap of it aside I could see that she wore white bikini bottoms. No one seemed to care or even notice, much less recognize her.

In another dream, I was hanging out with some VH sisters and went in search of one in particular. “There you are,” I said when I found her. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

So we started talking and a few other sisters looked on curiously, although we didn’t seem to be discussing anything serious.

In the last dream, I was at home, and as usual, it didn’t look like home. I sat at a small table with my laptop in front of me when I noticed Jim approaching the house to the left of me where I’m pretty sure there was a garage along with the front door. My dream self knew that some vicious rumor had been spread about Tom and I or maybe just one of us, but I wasn’t in the mood to open up and explain myself to him. I just didn’t feel I was obligated to do so. Then I spotted some woman approaching the place on my right and I hit the floor flat on my stomach in a second. I then shimmied out of view as fast as I could. I guess I was worried they might try to break in if they saw me.