• Mood: contemplative

I had a dream... annotated

I had a dream last night that I was on the Green Line and noticed a very, very fat (1) hooded rat (2) underneath the seats (3). I wanted to pick it up and take it with me, but I wasn't sure if I should or not. I asked Vic (4), expecting him to say no, but he said of course I should take it. So I scooped it--her--up. I wasn't sure whether she was tame, so I offered her my finger, and she did bite, but not hard, just testing (5). I carried her in to work (6), up many dark escalators. When I got to work everything was a mess--in particular there were candy wrappers (7) all over the floor. And I discovered that I had other cages with rescued guinea pigs in them. But I found a cage for the rat, and shavings. I accidentally left an extra smaller cage bottom in the cage I put her in, and she discovered she could crawl under that one and look out, and she made a little rat noise (8) of astonishment and pleasure.

Notes:
1. Rather like badriyaz's Ronan the first time I met him.
2. I went to Petco in the afternoon, and they had adorable rats. Too old for adopting, really, but adorable. Actually I would say the same of their ferrets.
3. Went to Stop & Shop that evening and saw the bug that I have always called a "water bug" but which is really a house centipede (do not click that link if you are squeamish). I used to have a horrible phobia about these things. Totally unreasonable--there's no way they can hurt you, but the terror that they might run across your bare feet in the basement is somehow far worse. Anyway, last year in my attempt to find out what they really are I learned all kinds of things about them. They eat other tiny insects. They can live to be five years old! ["house centipedes feed readily on cockroach nymphs, flies, moths, bedbugs, crickets, silverfish, earwigs, and other insects and small spiders. They capture prey by half pouncing and half lassoing them. They can capture several prey items at one time. They feed on one specimen while holding the others with their quivering, lashing appendages (Lewis 1981)"] So now I think they're actually pretty cool.
4. Lots of mail from Vic in the last few days.
5. Reminding me of Larry the Rat, who only came close to biting me once--I put my hand over her back when she was asleep, and she woke frightened and swung her head around to bite. She realized in the process that it was me and never closed her jaws, just hit me with her teeth. Totally my fault.
6. This wasn't work--I think I have been wherever it was, but I don't know where it is. I did speculate at Petco about keeping a rat at work, though.
7. Had gone to Target in the afternoon and bought a ton of candy. Mini mint Kit Kats! Milky Way caramels! Also bought basics: ink cartridges, a new cutting board and a heat-safe spatula, plastic containers for birdseed, etc. etc. Spent about $200 without feeling like I really got anything useful.
8. I miss having rats. :(



I also slept until about 11:00am, which doesn't bode well for getting to sleep tonight.