Pure Imagination

So after the Sopranos season finale last night (which was alright but nothing special), I left the TV tuned to HBO. I watched an interesting documentary on women who make more than $200,000 a year. I’m in the wrong business. You can start calling me The New Dennis Hof.

Here comes winter. According to People in the Know, we should be gettting four to seven inches of snow tomorrow. Getting home from work will be “fun.”

… really screwed things up, at least here in New Jersey. I guess you could say that suburban housing development did as well. They were all in it together.

A long time ago, in a state close to home, there were boro(ugh)s, villages, cities and townships. For example, Princeton borough, Village of Toms River, Trenton, and the Township of Windsor were very different types of communities. As houses were built in former farm areas, the Post Office Department (and later the US Postal Service) created ZIP codes. For each ZIP code and post office, the group assigned a name, possibly linked to the name of the surrounding area. While it helped to standardize the spelling of place names, it also changed the way we think about where we live.

I used to live in Cranbury Manor. My house was located in East Windsor Township, but since I was closer to the post office in the Village of Cranbury, my mailing address was Cranbury, NJ. Suddenly Cranbury (which was no longer just a village but also a township adjacent to East Windsor Township, but that is irrelevant to me) was everywhere.

In addition, while I live in Lawrence Township, I am forced to use Lawrenceville in my return address when I send letters. The township and the village used to be called Maidenhead. I think I prefer the current name. When someone asks you where you live, do you tell them your mailing address or where your house is actually located?

NOTE: I know of only one town without a ZIP code.

I dreamed this morning that I was playing the character Roger in Rent on Broadway. Of course I didn’t know the lines so I was improvising. I guess this is a step up from the dreams I’ve had in the past. During college I dreamed I was on stage in a college play (without knowing any lines). In high school I dreamed I was on stage in a high school play (without knowing any lines). It’s only appropriate that I’m on Broadway now.

The dream started out on stage, with a recording of Leonard Bernstein‘s Mass playing in the background. Eventually people entered the stage and we started Rent.

Of course, this is all tied to real life. Our rent payment for the apartment is due today. Unlike the musical, I can afford it and we’re not in danger of being evicted.

Are elevators standard dream symbols? They seem to appear often in my dreams, and I don’t understand why they do. I’m never stuck in these elevators; they’re usually part of a quest, mission or task of some sort. There is usually more than one set of elevators, and they aren’t always consistent between floors. Anyone have any thoughts on their meanings?

Also, in my dream last night, I had had (heh) a baby with my former Jersey City roommate. Very odd.

Yesterday, on the way to the first part of the wake for Neese‘s grandmother, we stopped off at the hospital where Ken and Courtney were getting ready to come home after having their first child, Katherine Emma. So I took some photographs.

Stargazers are in for a treat next week for what could be the biggest natural fireworks display of the 21st century.

Count me in. Late Monday night, you’ll be able to find me in Princeton Battlefield State Park. There should be minimal light pollution from there.

Mr. Burns, what is the secret of your success?

Family. Religion. Loyalty. These are the demons you must slay if you want to be successful.

Yes, this is considered correct grammar:
He, where I had had “had had,” had had “had had had;” “had had had” had had “had had” written next to it as a correction.

And therefore by extension, this is also allowable: He, where I had had “had had ‘had had,’ had had ‘had had had;’ ‘had had had’ had had ‘had had,'” had had something else entirely. Weird.

Vs lbh gbbx gur gvzr gb svther guvf bhg, V pbatenghyngr lbh,
jvfr fve be znqnz. Gur ceboyrz vf V whfg qvqag unir nalguvat
gb fnl gbqnl, fb V pnzr hc jvgu guvf vafgrnq. Qvq lbh xabj
gung gur bayl ebg13 flabalz vf “irk?” Jura rapbqrq, gur jbeq
vf “vex” juvpu zrnaf cerggl zhpu gur fnzr guvat.

Lbh zvtug guvax guvf vf Xyvatba, ohg guvax ntnva. Vg’f n fvzcyr
yrggre ebgngvba rapelcgvba fpurzr, hfrq va gur byq qnlf bs ernqvat
Hfrarg arjf. Nu gur tbbq byq qnlf.

Bapr ntnva, pbatenghyngvbaf sbe orvat fhpu n nfghgr sryybj naq
qrgrezvavat gur fbyhgvba gb guvf (engure fvzcyr) pvcure. Qba’g
lbh srry orggre xabjvat gung lbh ner fb fzeg?