Bad Dream 226 -- Djembe or Donuts?

 My dream starts with me in some kind of office setting.  There's not much detail here, which is okay because I'm on my way out.  Shortly into my dream, I realize that having a Djembe would be an excellent thing.  (Like the office setting, the reason for this is a bit vague.  I know I would play it myself, but there are other reasons involving other people.  No details available.)

So I leave the office and go downstairs to the street level and across a backstreet or alley -- taking a shortcut to a store where I think I can buy a Djembe.  My shortcut takes me into a building that is quite empty but looks like it was heavily used at some previous time.  Dusty, dirty, well-worn.  Crossing to the other door of this room -- to get out towards a more major road -- I come across Al Meador, who is not surprised to see me.  While I am astonished to see him.  

Al explains to me why it would be an excellent thing for me to purchase a dozen or so donuts and take them to a place we both seem to know populated with people we both know.  Clearly, this would garner favor with those folks, but I'm not clear as to what good that good will would do for me.  He then suggests a donut shop which is only a block or two away.  He assures me that it's an excellent donut shop.  He gives me directions, which I understand and might well know that donut shop, although I can't recall ever going inside.   

I leave the building in the direction that Al suggested and soon find myself in front of the donut shop.  It looks rather shabby, but clearly occupied.  

When I get inside, I see the place seems quite chaotic.  It's difficult to impossible to figure out who's an employee and who's a customer.  I walk over to a guy who's actually making donuts and try to place an order.  He's mildly irked I would ask him such a thing and redirects me to a counter.  I take a seat there, and the waitress -- a young and pretty girl -- places a handful of change (coins and bills) in front of me and announce that this is my change from my order.  I explain to her that it must be someone else's change since I haven't  placed an order yet.  She looks embarrassed unsure as to what to do.  She announces this must be my change since there's no one else whose change it might be.  So she leaves the change in front of me and walks away towards other customers.  

Bad Dream 225 -- Where's the Office?

In my dream, I am standing outside in some city-type environment -- not doing anything special.  I see a young man nearby who is asking directions from passers-by.  He reminds me of Pickles from my time at University Camp for Boys -- that is, a pleasant enough 40-year-old-man stuffed into a 14-yearr-old body.

I overhear some of what he's looking for, but none of the folks he's asking seem to know the place in question.  But I'm pretty sure I do know. So I walk over to him and point to a large office buidling on the other side of the street, somewhat set back from the road.  In fact, some of the building is hidden from our sight by another building of equivalent style and size of the building I'm pointing to.  

Since I don't have anything else to do and I've already given him these instructions, I decide to go with him to see if we can find the office/business that he's looking for.  We cross the street and enter the building I pointed out.  The building is clearly designed for a considerable number of independent businesses -- and it has a large "open atrium" design.  The structure and decort in this main lobby are quite impressive: Beautiful stone flooring and walls and brass fittings everywhere.  And everythig is as neat as a pin.

The lobby is quite busy, with suited business types moving quickly from place to place.  It feels like a beautifully appinted train station full of people on their separate missions.  I'm still pretty sure we're in the right place, and that the office my newfound friend is seeking is somewhere on an upper floor in this building.  

All of a sudden, I realize that I've forgotten the name of the business/office that my friend is looking for.  So I ask him, but he seems to have forgotten as well.  I think he may be overwhelmed by the size and commotion of the lobby.  He shrugs his shoulders.  He goes over to a wall-mounted directory -- I guess to refresh his mind as to where he wanted to go.  I feel that, if I concentrate, I can recall the name as well.  And I'm feeling a bit guilty in having brought the young man over here and not able to help him complete his task.  

I concentrate on recalling the name we're looking for and block out, as best I can, the noise and commotion around me.  I recall the "sound" of the name and a few of the letters.  And then the name pops into my mind.  I go over to my friend and announce the name:

"We're looking for Amnesty International!"  

I wake up.    

Bad Dream 224 -- The Slip Knot Doesn't Work

In my dream, I have just discovered a quick and easy way to tie a Slip Knot.  The normal way requires three or four motions but this way requires only two.  And, in either case, you didn't need access to either end of the rope to tie it.  

I tie it and untie it several times, just to confirm that the procedure does in fact produce a legitimate Slip Knot, and then prepare to show it to a friend.  In my mind, the knot produced will be useful in securig a rope to support a tent or other equivalent tasks.    

I tell that to my friend about this discovery and then try to repeat the tying procedure I had been practicing.  It doesn't work.  I try to recall the exact procedure I've discovered, but the images in my mind don't result in the knot I want.   So I tie the knot iin the normal way, and it works just fine.  I show the result to my friend and tell him about its use in holding up a tent.

My friend expresses doubt on this point -- although I don't recall whether he says anything or just frowns -- but in either case, he walks away.

After he's gone, I recreate the Slip Knot (but don't recall which way) and, in looking more closely at the path of the rope to make the knot, realize that it's totally useless forf securing a tent or any equivalent use.  

At the right time and in the right place, a Slip Knot can be quite useful -- moreso than any other know I know -- but in this case, it's useless.