In my dream, I am standing in front of an ice cream store -- at the window where you can order a choice, pay money, and get your ice cream creation handed out to you. No need to go inside the store. I've visited this place before, but am not a regular customer.
Looking at the list of choices, I make my selection. When it's my turn, I tell the lady inside the window the flavor of ice cream that I've chosen and that I want mine served in a cup rather than a cone. (Down through the years, I've had cones collapse on me, leak the melted ice cream all over my hands and clothes, etc.) I am informed that the name I've given is incorrect, and then told the name I should have used. The name "Coppertop" was one of these two names, but I don't recall which -- either the name I asked for or the name I've been told was the correct one.
Not being fussy about such things, I agree to the second name. As I'm waiting for my treat to show up, I overhear a conversation concerning one of the people who normally work at this store. That person not well and she won't be back at the store for some time. Not being a regular customer here, her name doesn't mean anything to me, although I'm sorry to hear that anyone is not feeling well.
I'm also told that they can't serve my order to me in a cup, and the reason has something to do with the lady who's sick and therefore not at the store today. This makes little sense to me, but I'm in no mood to pursue the issue. I wait a while for my treat to be delivered.
When my order comes out to me, I am handed a glass of orange juice. It looks like a perfectly fine -- if somewhat small -- glass of orange juice, but certainly bears no similarity to the ice cream I've ordered. During my presence in front of the store, I've seen several people order ice cream and later handed their ice cream. My serving of orange juice seems to be an exception to this normal procedure of things.
(It may be of interest that I am never asked to pay for my order -- either when I place the order or when it's served.)
My dream gets a little fuzzy at this point, and I experience a reprise of being given the orange juice.
I certainly don't want to raise a fuss, and the store has other customers placing orders and being given ice cream. They're pretty busy. So I don't feel comfortable even asking why I've been given orange juice and/or asking for the product that I actually ordered. I understand that if I drink any of the orange juice, I'm committed to accepting all that's happened. My only way of getting ice cream at this point would be to take the orange juice back -- interfering with the store's line of customers. No one around me seems surprised or puzzled that I'm holding a glass of orange juice when everyone else is holding ice cream.
