The Tale of the Psychic Dreamer, a Book I Bought the Kiddo and My Wahoo is Broken

First, the book. I bought kiddo several books for his 16th birthday (he turned 16, today) and he was happy with all of them but this was my personal favorite find, Undercover Cat. While browsing at an Oklahoma bookstore that carries used books, I came across this book and thought, "Wow, that sounds like That Darn Cat." Then, I saw the little blurb that said it was soon to be made into a motion picture by Disney. Aha! Definitely the book that came first. It was only $2.95 and kiddo was thrilled. What more could a booklover ask for than a son who becomes overjoyed when Mom brings home a little box of books for his birthday? Uber cool.

So, I guess that's a big wahoo, isn't it? I just could not get up the energy to do a wahoo post, this week, and have gotten to the point that I think My Wahoo is Broken. But, it could be that I just don't feel much like posting. It's been a long month. Still, there is much to be grateful for. Eldest is now completely finished with his undergraduate work and in the process of moving his possessions to Memphis. But, he also has added to his Stupid Eldest Tricks by getting a credit card. Oh, son, did none of that Dave Ramsey stuff we pounded in your head get through? We are working hard at shutting off the parental control switch. He will hear the words, "There will not be a rescue if you get yourself into debt," repeatedly, in the coming months. That much I know.

And, on to The Tale of the Psychic Dreamer. Just a little chunk of mod fabric for a "WooooOooo" effect:

This is a Hanging Out at Burger King story. You've really got to love those gathering places with wireless internet access. People talk loudly on cell phones and their laptop screens are in plain view. And, sometimes they're so lonely that they see you playing on your computer and use it as an opener for conversation. That was the case with The Psychic Dreamer. An older fellow, silver-haired and very lonely ("Most of the managers from Pipeline Accounting are dead!" he said, and I realized that was why he was talking to me - the people he was friends with at our former workplace weren't around, anymore), he was a regular at Burger King and spoke to whoever happened to be nearby.

When I first met him, The Psychic Dreamer (TSD) and I chatted about the hostile takeover attempt of Conoco, Inc. by Seagrams, back in the 1980's, and how we'd both been working in one of the two "towers" that were then fairly new. TSD told me that space was now being rented out and that he had a dream that he was standing on top of the North Tower, looking at the tank field, nearby. The towers, he said, had been turned into apartment complexes in his dream. "I have psychic dreams," he said with a casual wave of his hand. "So, someday . . . "

Of course, you guys know I've had dreams that turned up in the news, later on, right? So, now I know just how weird that sounds.

Bookwise: I've meant to do a massive books-read post, but haven't gotten around to it. And, I was having rather a crap reading week. So, today, I decided to just spend some extra time on the futon and I managed to finish a book that never even made it into my sidebar: Time Windows by Kathryn Reiss. This one's a big thumbs-up for folks who like time travel and young adult books. Time Windows is the story of an 8th grader, Miranda, who moves from a New York City apartment to a sprawling, 150-year-old house in New Hampshire and discovers that she can see into the past when she looks through the windows of a dollhouse (an exact replica of the house she's living in). As Miranda watches scenes from the house's dark past, she realizes that the same events are being replayed through the women who inhabit the house - including her mother.

Time Windows would have been a great choice for the Readers Imbibing Peril Challenge and was perfect for a light, but suspenseful morning of reading.

I've just begun reading an ARC from Simon & Schuster: Leftovers by Laura Weiss. I'm finding it a tad annoying, so far. We'll see. Still also reading Night Train and plan to get back to The Worst Noel, which started out funny and turned toward depressing, so I've set it aside.

Off to bed I go. Hope everyone had a terrific week!