The Kestrel's Dreams

June 29, 2014

---

Amusement Parking Troubles

I was at the amusement park with Kristin, her boyfriend, Zukin, and my family. I was either high or slightly drunk, and we got in line to go on the Top Thrill Dragster. I remember being in the line and a bit wobbly, and then we were in the seats, and I was getting nervous because the harnesses were a lot more sparse than I remembered them being the last time I was on the ride... But I was trying to look unphased because Zukin, sitting next to me, was freaking out, so I was like putting my arms up in the air, then remembered that you're not really allowed to do that on this ride, because of how fast it accelerates. I was trying to explain the ride to her, but the red light turned green really quickly and we were off. I had been leaning forward when we started moving, and I was having trouble looking up again. I felt the ride go up, and the weightless feeling as it summited the peak and started going down, and I actually almost lifted right out of the seat, so I was grabbing onto whatever I could to keep from flying away.

After that, we were all walking toward Millennium Force, but we got separated, and decided to meet up at a restaurant-type place. We walked around to the back, and waited there. It was empty; there were barely any people there. It was all brown and not well lit, it actually reminded me a bit of one of the parties Zukin and I had tried to get into in Berlin, but one of the guys in our group hadn't been let in because he wasn't 21 yet; so we'd all left.

As we lounged around, waiting for the rest of the group to get there, two cars came driving through the outside portion of the cafe/restaurant. I asked the driver on one of the cars what they were doing, since this wasn't a road or parking lot. The driver had thought this was a parking lot, but I told them it wasn't again, and then left, trying to find a place to park. It was strange.



Research Award

I was in school, and had had to write and present a science research paper. I had done my research on Burgerfi frozen custard and what made it different from other frozen custards (haha!). I ended up getting an award for it! I was out of the classroom when they announced the award winners, so I didn't know I'd won anything until one of my classmates came and found me near the bathroom, where I'd been. He told me I'd won, and I was super surprised, because I had completely BS'd the ENTIRE thing. My classmate handed me the award certificate, and told me the actual award was in the fridge in the classroom (dunno why there was a fridge in the classroom)

We went back to the classroom (which was like a small movie theater) and I opened the fridge at the front left corner of the room to get my award, but I couldn't find it in there. I saw the other three awards, but not mine. I told my friend this, and he was all embarrassed. He'd forgotten that he'd put it somewhere else for safe keeping, and went to go get it. The awards were these delicate and intricately folded pure-white papers. They were folded into little pouches, with red ribbon curling delicately around it, and inside the pouch was a white orchid of some sort. My classmate came back with my award and the feedback sheet. Pros: The work I'd done with a component of the frozen custard (I can't remember what it was called, but it started with Ly---) was excellent. Cons: I shouldn't name chemical formulas that are not used anywhere in the research (evidence of my BSing the whole thing, but I guess the rest of it was great). The other thing we all got with the award was a whole pineapple, haha!




Adult Children's Museum

I was at some sort of conference for women. I was with 9 other random women, and we were choosing the location for the conference; we picked a sort of hands-on museum for adults. If you've ever been to the children's museum on Navy Pier in Chicago, it was a lot like that, but designed for adults. We got into the building, which was all colorful and fun looking (I saw it first from a top corner, so I got a bird's eye view of the whole place), and I was so excited because I'm such a kid at heart. I found out they had a man for each of us. I think the deal was that we would each get to pick one of the men to go around the place with, and they had to basically do anything we wanted for the whole day (and night ;D).

I picked a 24-ish-year-old guy with dark hair and blue eyes. I swear whoever organized the event had made sure that all of us would find our ideal guy in that group of men. The oldest woman in my group, who was maybe 40, picked the youngest guy, who was 19 and looked like Rocky (skin-tight gold underwear and all).

February 25, 2013

---

I was walking with a class that I was in through a garden and around a town. We were on a field trip, but I don't know where it was. The class was all made up of characters from anime I've seen over the years, and some generic-looking anime characters I didn't know.

While walking past a construction area for an amusement park addition, I talked to one of them about homework; it was nondescript and not memorable.

We entered a building; an indoor garden of sorts with paths and stairways and whatnot. I set down my bag because I don't think there will be any other people. But soon after that, I see another group of people and figure I should go back to get my bag in case someone tries to take it. So I turn back to get it, telling the group I'll catch up with them n a moment. We had been on a single path, and yet I almost got lost, and there was a somewhat annoying guy following me and always trying to get my attention by surprising me or something. I finally get to where my bag was left (it seemed to take much longer than it had going the other way), but my bag is no longer there, and I start to freak out. It's not there, but there ARE three other bags. I turn circles trying to find my bag, and spotted it at the bottom of a dim stairwell. I hadn't put it there, and I didn't know how it had gotten there, but then I woke up.

November 26, 2013

---

I was with my best friend from high school, who I no longer really talk to. Let's call her Jasmine for privacy's sake. With us was one of my at-the-time-classmates, Max. We were at a Theme Park/Mall combination type place, and we were browsing clothing stores.

I remember picking up this long silk scarf; it was yellow with orange polka-dots. I tried to get Max to buy it for me, but he didn't have any money.

We all decided we were hungry and thirsty, and went to a Frozen Yogurt cafe, where I ordered a shaved ice (though I can't remember what flavour it was). When we got our food and drinks, there was a tiny cat named Maurice. I remember thinking, Oh, they allow cats in here? I picked up Maurice and put him on my shoulder, where he stayed for the rest of the dream.

Then, my cousin walked into the cafe and asked us all if we wanted to go on a roller coaster with her. Now that I think about it, it's a roller coaster that has appeared in several of my dreams; It is tall and fast, a bit like the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point in Ohio. But it had a corkscrew portion and the cars actually jumped off the track at some point. I am always terrified and anxious waiting for this dream-coaster.

So, we all take a tram to the roller coaster, and I notice that the line has been remodeled. The line itself seems a bit like a ride; It's a Pirate Ship up high in the air (think: swinging ship rides), over a miniature city/lake model. We get in the line, and my little brother had joined us. I feel the ground beneath me start to rumble, and I grab onto the mast of the ship, which I happen to be near.

Then the ship starts rotating. The ground starts to slope and I try to get onto the large pole from which the sail extends. I get on it just before I would have lost all grip on the almost-vertical floor of the ship, expecting it to start rotating back toward normality; but it keeps going, and I'm terrified. I try to maneuver the beam so I'm always on top of it, but hand-holds quickly disappear and I yell that who ever is in control of the ship needs to stop it from doing this, since we're so high up and no one in line has a harness. My cousin, who's ahead of me in line, calls me a Big Baby, and then I woke up.