Dreams, Comics, Mason, Life

[lydamorehouse]

Do you ever have reoccuring dreams?

I have a lot of them. Thanks to a very memorable experience being trapped in an elevator in college, I have a LOT of "elevator out of control" dreams.  Also, I have what I would call the "lost at the convention hotel and forgot to register and I'm missed seven panels already" dream.  But, because I periodically teach writing at the Loft, I also have a cyclical teaching dream. Usually, it involves what I would call classic dream tropes: I'm lost, I can't the classroom, I was supposed to be teaching months ago, the bus is late/my car has no brakes, etc., etc.  My mind is actually not terribly complex when it comes to picking metaphors.  Car without brakes?  Do you feel like you're speeding out of control, Lyda?  Perhaps?

Yeah, anyway, last night, I had the weirdest twist on my usual teaching dream. In the dream, I showed up to class with my syllabus and a cheery attitude, but I quickly discovered that everyone taking the class knew each other from an on-line group. (scary!  Okay, no, that wasn't really the spooky part.)  They had even appointed a specific woman to be the "moderator" for the class and she started handing out syllabus that the on-line group had created. Of course, the things on their list I knew nothing about... I specifically remember that I was supposed to lecture on the topic of "children in science fiction." I tried to explain that I structured my syllabus to actually, you know, teach the craft of writing, and everyone started to get in a huff and called me totalitarian.  Anyway, when I tried to gain some control over the class and suggest some compromises between my plans and theirs, the moderator woman got up and basically organized a walk-out.

Am I worried about class tonight, Dr. Freud? What do you think?  Do I feel unprepared, perhaps?

Yes, I do.  I actually totally hoped that this class wouldn't go, even though we always need the money.  In fact, Shawn has to keep reminding me that class is TONIGHT, and do I have my stuff together?  But, hey, misery loves company, and if you're local and you suddenly want to take my class, you can still sign up. Here's a link to the details: Mars Needs Writers.

In other news, I bought a whole LOAD of comicbooks with my Dreamhaven store credit yesterday, although they didn't have the missing issues of Winter Soldier/Red Menace (though I ordered them).  Mason got the lion's share this time, because, for some reason, they had a lot of the Marvel All-Ages titles and he's recently decided to branch out from the Fantastic Four, so he now also reads Spider-Man and The Avengers.  We must have bought thirty comics all told, and I still have enough store credit to pick up the Cap issues once they come in.  As Mason said when we headed home to lay in bed and read comics, "We have a great life."

Funny thing, Mason has been catching a bit of a cold, and so yesterday while I was reading a Thing/Hulk team-up (not slash!)  he fell asleep with his head on my shoulders.  It was amazingly cute. Shawn, whose turn it was to put him to sleep, blamed me for the fact that he didn't go down until 8:30 (usually he's out by 7:30 - 8:00), but I just couldn't wake the guy.  He was so passed out, he drooled.

I worked out this morning, despite the rain.  I have to say, my arms are looking pretty buff.  When I see y'all at WisCON next year, be sure to say, "Wow, your arms look just like Steve Roger's!"  It will make me so happy.

Oh, and I'm writing slash.  I'm about four pages (standard, not manuscript format)  into some very wicked Morningstar/Mouse.  I'm actually kind of embarrassed by the depravity of my own mind.  But, you know, I noticed when I was out looking for Captain America slash,  I noticed there's not NEARLY enough hardcore, rated-X stuff.  I might as well be the one to satisfy that niche.  Anyway, I'm giving myself the rest of the week to finish it, then I really have to start working on, well, that stuff I'm getting paid to write.

Comments

[karenhealey.livejournal.com]

Hi, Lyda! I don't think we met this year, but when I see you at WisCon next May I'll be sure to comment on your Steve-like biceps!

I wonder, would Mason be interested in any of the titles on this recommendation list (http://girl-wonder.org/kids.pdf)? I personally really love the Power Pack digests, which are at about the same level as the All-Ages comics.

[lydamorehouse]

Mason has looked through the Power Pack stuff at Dreamhaven and shown no interest currently, but having read through the list I'd have to say *I'm* excited by Runaways. The description sounds awesome... children of supervillians!

[karenhealey.livejournal.com]

Runaways is *awesome* - written by Brian K. Vaughan and latterly Joss Whedon, with teenagers who feel like teenagers and some really snappy dialogue in the middle of dire situations.

Also, there's a dinosaur.

You can get it in manga-size digests (about six issues), or in comics-sized hardcovers (about 18 issues? I think).

[ashkta.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, recurring dreams. Not uncommon for me. Actually, it's more like a recurring setting... Ever since I had a nightmare that involved our local mall, it's become a recurring location. Especially in dreams where I'm lost or rushing to find something/someone.

Have to say - Morningstar/Mouse slash? *Squeak* I'm so there. In fact, I'm already there, and I'm waiting anxiously.

Good luck with that class. :) I'm sure it'll go off better than you think.

[lydamorehouse]

When M/M is done, I'll post it here (under a cut, as it's awfully graphic) and also over at "Mouse's House" under the penname Armand LeBeau.

I should say too, in my list of strange reoccuring dreams -- I often dream I'm on the run from some crime I've committed (VERY OFTEN it's robbing a bank, although sometimes someone's private jewlery stash). I also have a breaking out of prison dream that I've been through more than once. That one isn't as easy to interpret because the feeling in it isn't about being trapped or "imprisoned," it's more raw excitment at the thrill of the chase. Past life as a criminal?

[ashkta.livejournal.com]

If you're robbing places, do you also have a penchant for shiny objects? :)

I once dreamed I was Starbuck (the fighter pilot, not the coffee chain), which was...sort of awesome, actually.

((Oh, yes, Mouse's House! I can't tell you how much time I spent hanging out there while I was reading the AngelLink books.))

[nohx.livejournal.com]

Good luck with your class! It sounds interesting--wish I was local and could take it! :-)

[planetalyx.livejournal.com]

Recurring dreams, the bad--plane crash dreams, courtesy of my having witnessed a plane crash as a kid, I've had to go back to secretarial work dreams, I've somehow been forced to go live with my family of origin dreams... hmmm, this may be bordering on TMI. I have a fair amount of control over my dreams, and can usually turn the bad ones around.

Recurring dreams, the excellent--so many fun ones: exploring an endless house full of cool stuff dreams, superheroic action/adventure dreams, bittersweet but pleasant visits with long-lost pets and friends, and ludicrous delightful water-chase scenes, which usually involve my piloting something the size of a BC Ferry at the speed of a Zodiac, making huge, tidal-wave wakes when I turn on a dime in the water, the whole ferry wheeling around as if it were the size of a swallow, and everyone getting sluiced, safely, by sheets of wonderful, warm ocean as we caroom off after whatever it is we're pursuing.

[lydamorehouse]

Wow, how old were you when you saw the plane crash, if I may ask? Yeah, I'd have a lot of reoccuring nightmares about that, too.

Fun ones? I'm sure I have fun reoccuring dreams, but I can't remember any off hand.

[planetalyx.livejournal.com]

I was six; it was a small plane, but it made a definite impression. I can usually lucid-dream the worst of them away, so they're pretty rare now, though they came back six years ago after I watched too much news coverage of the 9/11 disaster.

[tiernsshadow.livejournal.com]

I never have recurring dreams, only recurring themes (questing for some object, finding it, and then having to give it up, for instance - but always a different object and place).

Mouse/Morningstar! Awesome! I was hoping someone would write that pairing - I was thinking about it myself...but first things first.

Psst!

[xochiquetzl]

Off-topic, but...

If you're thinking of signing up for yuletide, fandom nominations are open. If I didn't include any characters you want to request/offer to write, you can add them to the list. (I was very thorough, though.)

recurring dreams?

[warriorofworry.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah! I've been queen of nightmares since I was a little girl. I have three different houses which I dream about regularly; each one is on fire and I'm always trying to a) avoid the fire or b) put it out, but never c) smart choice - leave!
My favorite "how banal can your dreams get?" dream was the nightmare about drowning in a supermarket. . .
Hope Mason feels better!

[xochiquetzl]

I once wrote jelly bean porn because someone dared me to (jelly beans as a sex toy, not jelly beans having sex). I'm not sure if that makes me depraved or just pathologically unable to resist a dare. I suppose they're not mutually exclusive.

What are y'all looking at? I didn't say anything! Nothing to see here. You can go about your business. Move along!

[lydamorehouse]

How depraved am I that I know EXACTLY what you mean by jelly bean in this context?

[xochiquetzl]

I dunno. Maybe you didn't think people were daring me to write stories about candies having an orgy in the candy jar? (I'm kind of surprised they didn't, actually. Maybe I shouldn't phrase it that way in case someone gets ideas.)

[xochiquetzl]

Oh, and this may be more than anyone wants to know about me (like the last comment wasn't, heh) but... I don't have recurring dreams often, but when I do they really suck.

My recurring "lo, I am stressed out" dream is that instead of six cats, I suddenly have over a hundred and must evacuate them from wherever I'm living before something horrible happens to them. The degree of horribleness is directly proportional to how stressed and overwhelmed I am.

I also have a standard "breakup" dream--whenever I have it, it's usually a sign that it's time to end the relationship--in which me and my soon-to-be-ex are trying to hide a corpse because we're afraid we'll be accused of murder, only it keeps reappearing in places where people will think we're guilty, like the trunk of our car or the living room, and the more we try to hide it the more public the places become until it's on the front doorstep or tied to the roof of the car. I've actually only had that one two or three times, but THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH! GAH!

[lydamorehouse]

It's funny, but the more people talk about dreams, the more I think, "Oh, yeah, I've had that one too!" I've never had your dead body to hide dream, but I've totally had the pets out of control dream. It used to be that I'd find something (a gerbil or an extra cat) that I realize I haven't properly cared for in months. Now, with the fish, it's been that I discover that I was supposed to be in charge of a pet store while the owners have been out and there are literaly hundreds of fish tanks that have dying or near-dead fish in them... some even with their tanks completely dried up.

Bleah.

[xochiquetzl]

NoooOOOOOooo, save the fishies!!!!!!!!!!!

The hundreds of cats ones is usually that the house is about to be demolished or something, but once I was rescuing them from scientific experiments where they were all scheduled to be killed in some gruesome way.

I really hate that dream.