September 26
Quick dream (I should give this more time): Dan and I are in my car, Dan is driving. We are stopped and backed up by several cars at the corner of Prospect and Touhy; we are south of the intersection.
I take the opportunity to jump out of the car to quickly run an errand in one of the Prospect shops. I have some film to turn in and some old record albums I want to sell. There is a one-stop shop that can take care of both of my needs.
I turn in the film quickly, but they have to assess the record albums one at a time, and there are about fifteen of them. I wonder if it will take too long, but I decide Dan will have the sense to pull the car over to the side if the light turns green.
The shopkeeper looks at the albums. They are worth 5¢ ...15¢ ...10¢ ...etc., depending on the newness, popularity, size —all the obvious factors. The total comes to $1.75. It’s too small an amount, really, but I am ready to concede, wanting to collect the money and get out of the shop quickly. But then the shopkeeper convinces me that I ought to hold off on selling them until they increase in value. As a consolation he gives me a punch card which, when filled, will allow me to redeem a given number of records at a higher price.
I leave the shop ...and outside I find my car sitting sideways, perpendicular to Prospect Avenue with its nose in the middle of the right hand lane and its rear almost right up against the parked cars on the side of the street. Traffic is slowed down even more now, as cars have to drive around mine now. Dan is asleep in the passenger seat. I go over to the driver’s side —and it is crushed, beyond just a scrape, bashed in all along the side. I am able to open the door and I determine the car will be driveable, but Dan still doesn’t wake up.
I shout, in a panic. Dan wakes up groggily and continues to be only half awake for the rest of the dream... The cops come... We look the car over... I calm down a little... and Dan goes back to sleep.
from March to December
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