zzzzzzzzzzz

so much happened in last night's dream.... this is really only an excerpt.

it was present day, and i was back in champaign-urbana. i had my own apartment, in a very old building, and it was always a little dark inside due to the beautiful detailed dark wood everywhere. i was lying on my bed reading a book (it was dark in the room except for the dim glow of the small lamp), and i could hear the cats walking around in the bedroom. everything was very quiet. i looked up, and there across the room on a table was a single grasshopper. 'that's odd,' i thought.

switch scene to the next day - when i went over to one of the dorms to visit frannie. the dorm was in urbana, but further east than isr, in an area i didn't remember being there before. it was strangely built like an up-side-down pyramid, so there was only one small door as the entrance, the front desk, and then the elevator. i checked in at the desk and went up to see frannie. it was the first weekend back for school, so everyone was bustling about. i found frannie's room, which had both our names on the door. we were supposed to have shared the room, but i had decided to ditch the dorms, especially since i was no longer in school. i winced a little. i hoped frannie wasn't mad at me. the door was slightly ajar so i knocked lightly and opened. whew. sigh. frannie was happy to see me. we visited for a bit. people stopped by and asked if i lived there too, but i explained the situation. all in all i was extremely happy to be back in a place i loved so much... after a little while i was on my way...

once outside the dorm i came across some disturbing information... i don't know how exactly. but i discovered that i was the only person living in my apartment building because everyone in it last year had died. "what? why?" i asked. "something about grasshoppers," someone said. i remembered the night before, when i had since the little green omen of death. i began to run back to the dorm- i was going to need a place to stay, but before i got there i remembered there was no way they were going to let cats into the dorm. i thought of a few ways i could try to sneak them in, but gave up, knowing that option was closed to me. i dashed back to my apartment - crazily scared that i would find merlin and dinah dead. as i ran i thought "crissy! she'll let me and the cats stay with her. at least a few days until i can find something else." then as i was running i thought "maybe i can sue aim (the realty group). yeah, i'll tell them if they don't give me another place with an extremely nice upgrade for no extra charge pronto, i'll sue them."

when i reached the building i noticed there were no lights on in any apartment, and all the windows had large, square, red stickers on them - i really was the only one living here. i also noticed a police car, and saw an officer going into the basement. i called after him and followed him down there, and asked him if it was true that the people had died, and what the deal was with the grasshoppers. he was looking for the circuit breaker box, but he confirmed and explained there were thousands of grasshoppers there, and you're ok during the day but at night there was some sort of toxic fumes associated with them. i was probably ok since i'd only been there a short while.... but don't be there at night, he said.

i went up to my apartment. the cats were ok.... it was dusk, but i knew i still had a little time. i showered, and then went to call aim. the landlady appeared on my bed, sitting across from me. we were both holding phones. i heard the "for security purposes, this call may be recorded," on the line. I looked at her incredulously and asked if we still needed to do this over the phone, since she was sitting right there. she said yes, so that it would be recorded. ok..... said i.

and then i was leaving the apartment, my belongings possibly magically transported, as i was on the back of cathy's bicycle. as she rode around through the night (to crissy's house?) i said "i can't believe you remember how to get around my school so well, cat, since it's been so long since you've been here."