I couldn't get to sleep last night. Just kept falling into these strange dreams and then waking before they were finished:

Two separate instances of being mugged. Walking down Main St. Las Vegas (my hometown. But this was the Vegas of 10-15 years ago. A little more subdued and lots less glitzy). Get to the intersection of Main St. and Sahara and I'm pulled aside by a guy telling me to take a walk with him. I am pretty scared and think about the 40 bucks in my pocket. I wonder what to do, as he pulls me around the back of the McDonalds. There're people around but somehow the thought of screaming or asking for help just doesn't occur. I just go along with fleeting thoughts of escape going through my head. Finally I make my break and twist away. I run down the street as fast as my legs will pull me. A bus passes me and I strive to catch up. It pulls over to the next bus stop but I am too late, the bus is already pulling away. I bang on the back door, screaming that I'm being chased and robbed. I see the face of the driver: she's not going to stop. The bus pulls away...I feel the man clasp my wrist again. Then I woke up. The other dream was similar but didn't stick as well.

This other dream was very different. I'm in this alien type desert landscape. There's are all these mechanized attack units around. Think anime style lumbering attack bots. I have no idea why I'm there, I only know that if I'm spotted they'll kill me. I can see three or four in the distance. I'm hugging the wall of a seemingly abandoned building. I creep along, hoping to not be seen. I'm sure the one closest to me has finally spotted me. It's turret-like head begins swinging in my direction, and I run. I follow the edge of the bilding and see the droid gaining speed to follow. Suddenly the droid seems to slow. It's movement become slower, and finally it stops. All at once I'm in a flow of Japanese kids. They seem to be the pilots of these robots. We're all heading to a classroom of sorts. We all sit down in a pinkly-flourescent lighted building. The class seems to be starting. Then I wake up.

So these dreams kept coming. And I feel like I got no sleep. Just these random dream images that left me more scared and confused than rested. I left work a couple hours early because my head was just not right. Delirium and vague aches twinged me along. I like the vivid dreams but the cost is quite high. I wouldn't mind sleeping a little tonight.

Thanks to Wilma, I got a call on Saturday saying I'll be working FEMA starting this week. My schedule is Mon-Sat 3:00PM-11:30PM. Blah. I get to sleep in, but this is one week where that Friday and Saturday night are seriously gonna hamper my partyability (truthfully maybe it's a good thing that I don't start drinking til midnight...i dunno).

Here is an article that lists a bunch of "hygeine" products and some potential side effects. It is pretty scary when you consider that these products are barely tested and yet the "average" American uses 9 or so a day. The real problem is the so called "cocktail effect" - the daily mixing of many different types of products. This is yet another excuse for me to maintain my uncouthness. I think I only use 2 products: soap and tooth paste. I guess if you count the several soaps I use because of public bathrooms that total might rise a bit. But in the end I'd rather be a little stinky than a little poisoned.

First of all to dad,

[size=l]Happy Birthday Dad!!![/size]

second to my good friend far away,

[size=l]Happy Birthday (e:Southernyankee)!!![/size]

and finally, to a friend not so far away,

[size=l]Happy Birthday (e:Tina)!!![/size]