It stopped raining, so we decided to bring the show outside.

I just woke up, 7am, replaying the dream that just took place in my head... taking mental notes of all the different events, places, and people.

Last night, I had band practice for a performance out at Jack's place next weekend... and thus, here it comes: THE GIG ANXIETY DREAM. Oh, and you will be named.

In the earliest part of the dream, I drive out to Spack's mid-day, and there are tons of people there, waiting... not for me, but for a wedding. What? Why is there a wedding here the same day as MY big night? People are standing around. I'm in street clothes... wearing jeans and some red, white, and beige button down that I'm not sure I even own anymore. I walked into a dressing room, in the barn, looking for space to put my stuff, but there is none for me. All of the doors have names of the groomsmen on them. I don't know where exactly I was for the next while. Maybe at my best friend's house from growing up, telling him and his family that I'm moving. I just remember ending up the beginning of some insane, jungle gym like structure, similar to the stuff I saw at the City Museum in St. Louis this summer. Eventually, I end up walking around in wet grass and ferns, in my socks, and then on to so some stone steps that lead up to the barn. The wedding ceremony is beginning. Lindsay and Kendall are getting married. I rush in to catch the ceremony, knowing that I'm not exactly dressed all that well, but what I had on one do.

After the ceremony, Jack and Lauren are out in the driveway, cleaning up and what not. Jack ensures me everything will be set up for the show in time, and that they'll clean up the mess. He then says to me: "8 over 70?" I just stare at him. Huh? "8 over 70!" Me: "I don't know what that means Jack. Are you talking about money? You'll have to give me an example." He then goes off, and comes back with a paper package. He hands it to me, and it reads 2 numbers on the outside, both the same: 1100. I open the package and there's a CD inside. On the CD are more numbers. It says: "For 220,000 people, you'll make $153,000". I still don't really get it, but good enough. I then it realize it's suddenly about 7:30, with the show at 8:00 and I still have to go home and get dressed.

Bring on the eternal half hour. I go home and head into a basement. My sisters Ginger and Jenny are there with the boys (I'm just now reminded of a dream earlier where my sisters and I all started getting high together off of these green leaves that you eat, and then make you hover... so we hovered above the garden, darting back and forth... magic peyote... I dunno). The basement looks like the duck room in St. Louis. When you go upstairs we are in the Yahn house from childhood (next door neighbors and best friends, etc). I tell them need to get a move on it and get out there. I go over to our house, and into my bedroom, digging for a nice snap shirt. I find my blue one and it is ripped in the side. Then I find my black one. Black it will be. Then I run down the hall and into my old bedroom to do I'm not sure what. Maybe look in the mirror. I go in and some strange blonde is in there. She kind leaves, but flirting while doing it. The next thing I know my black shirt I just had on is mixed up in a pile of shirts behind my dresser. I try to find it, and do eventually. Then I leave.

I stop someplace along the way, not sure where... picking something up maybe... and there a bunch of young folks waiting in line in this place. I walk by some of them, and this gets smart ass with me and swings a gift box at my head (like the kind that would contain a suggestive dress for his date). "What's you're problem, man?" I get in his face, and say "Do you want crammed?" He doesn't back down, and take a few swings at me. I dodge both of them, and easily grapple him into the ground. I hold him there for a moment just to teach him a lesson. I tell him's a good person, and that people shouldn't fight. His girlfriend, however, is not at all impressed with him and keeps calling him a "pussy". I slowly start to let him up, and he still wants to come after me. So I put him back down. "That's now you're supposed to protect me," she yells. She's just some 20 year old sorority gal. I finally let the kid up and he's cool, but she's still busting his balls.

I'm not sure if I got what I went there for, but I had back to Jack's. He's getting the stage put in place, and tells me to RELAX - I don't go on for another 90 minutes or so. All sorts of people are filing in. I look for Misty and Matt. I see Misty. She says she's going on second and that Beezy's band is playing first. What happened to Matt? I try to help her get her band set up. Beezy tells me that Matt didn't play because his foot was all screwed up, and he didn't want to play anyway. Her band starts playing and it's cool... kind of jazzy, with a lot of pots and pans, trash can lids, accompanied by some cool guitar and vocals by Beezy. I see Jim in the crowd, and I try to get his attention, but he seems to be ignoring me, on purpose. I walk out out of the barn and into the yard to check my phone. It's my old Nokia phone. Why do I have this thing? I try to make sense out of what's on the screen and work the keys, but I can't. Then I magically find me iphone. 2 new voice mails. Matt Jones called you at 7am. So I start to call him back, and then he walks up on crutches, about to my answer my call. We yak a little and everything's cool. I'm running around like a madman.

I go back inside and my sister Jenny is about to perform some stunt, where there's a 30 foot long spoon, pivoted and going between some tunnel. She is sitting at one end, on the spoon, and some fat guy is at the other end of the tunnel, ready to dive onto the spoon. He dives, and Jenny goes flying off somewhere. I'm not sure where. Beezy is done, and Misty is about to get up. Again, I try to help her get set up, but I don't succeed at it.

Ginger then walks up, carrying my wallet. She took some money to get herself some candy and refreshments because my Mom wouldn't give her any. I jar with mom about it for a second, and then she starts to get all bent out of shape. Annie Palmer is sitting there, and tells my mother she needs to cool it. I can't believe it. My mother starts to tell Annie to mind her own business, but I point my finger at her, and tell her no, she'll be quiet. Other family are there are and are pretty much trying to hide their faces. The stage, as it turns out, and has now either been shifted to the other side of the room, or people are just sitting with their backs to each other, much like you do on an Amtrak coach car.

I see Laura off in the distance, walking around with Picky. It's like there's a fair out there now. She is having a smoke, and me, feeling stressed out, feels the need to sneak one so my family can't see. I look to borrow, but then reach around in my ear, and fine one I'd been saving (my ears weren't normal, they were like shirt pockets). Anyway, I'm aghast, and tell Laura what just happened: "OMG, you're not going to believe this. ANNIE PALMER TOLD MY MOTHER TO COOL IT." We then look to the stage that has now since been moved outside. Misty is up there getting ready to play. There are 2 funny looking farm dudes with giant faces on stage with her, both playing guitar. And some little skinny guy to play drums. "It stopped raining, so we decided to bring the show outside", she says.

I don't remember much after that, so I think I'll leave it on what seems to be a rather profound note.