you were wearing a dark top and long skirt

Guess what I'm wearing now?

We were in an old-school passenger train, the kind with red plush seats and metal overhead racks

Oh, I've never traveled in one of these! I like your dream even better now.

I remember thinking I might know something about what was in the nuclear power book, but then being daunted by its being mostly numbers

And yet, you most likely know way more than I do about these subjects (these are what you used to write about, right?), even with the numbers. I hardly know anything about nuclear physics, other than a not-so-good class in elementary particles I took for my BA.

Anyway, Ginger, I've been so much into talking about me and dream-me [Edit: meMeDreamME], I didn't even ask you about you. So, how are you doing lately?

I like trains, but I'm not sure why my subconscious put me on one with Nilly.

I've been doing pretty well, Nilly. I went to Washington, D.C., with my mother and sister a few weeks ago and got to see Vortex, Hil, DebetEsse, Maria and Toddson. Vortex also put up with dinner with my mother and sister, which was way beyond the call of duty, and showed us the Franklin D. Roosevelt monument at night, which was really cool. I stayed in Atlanta for Thanksgiving and got two Thanksgiving dinners, one on Thursday and one on Friday, and my hosts sent me home with lots of leftovers.

Hi Nilly!

Nilly! It's been forever since I posted "with" you! Our Thanksgiving was nice, too. And we've been lazy all weekend, pretty much.

Happy Birthday Daisy Jane!

I'm just boggled by the thought that there's someone out there who could form a dislike of you, Nilly.

Burrell! Beverly! Matt (who has "B" in his board-name, so he fits nicely with this line of exclamation points)!

More people I hadn't posted with in a while and would love to know how they're doing, please.

Our Thanksgiving was nice, too. And we've been lazy all weekend, pretty much.

Well, I guess these two are connected. At least lazying around is a very respectable option for a good vacation, for me.

Matt, you're so sweet to say that! But, well, the facts are on the side of the please-don't-get-huge-ego, since she clearly couldn't stand me.

I think it was a case of "broadcasting in completely different wavelengths", so to speak. Like I was talking to her in blue and she was hearing red and answering in it, so we just couldn't get any common grounds. We did end up getting along, in the sense of sharing an apartment without fighting, and I think I've managed to learn a lot from the experience, like where my limits are at being pusjed and what is important enough to fight about and how to try to speak my mind in a way that may be heard by the other side and not just be a venting for my frustration. But I was very much relieved when she moved out (for a job in another city). And the girl who got her room was wonderful, so it was sort of worth-the-wait of having the room wait for her, if I'm making any sense.

[Edited because "souldn't" isn't a combination of "couldn't" and "shouldn't", but just a typo.]

Within an hour last night my ATM card perished and I accidentally locked my phone. I felt like the modern world had turned on me.

Belated Happy BIrthday, Daisy Jane!

Like I was talking to her in blue and she was hearing red and answering in it, so we just couldn't get any common grounds.

I know that one. One of my very closest friendships in college began that way, oddly enough.

Nilly, it's always lovely to see you. My weekend has been good, perhaps a bit more stressful than it needed to be. The best moments have been with the kids, and Thanksgiving dinner itself was nice. But there was a lot of chaos going on, and family issues threatening to blow out of porportion, etc. And not enough grading getting done, for which I am paying the price right now.

And while it drives me nuts that my family has made going through the estate a slower process than aging balsamic vinegar, I do enjoy looking at the old letters, etc. My parents saved the goofiest stuff.

I felt like the modern world had turned on me.

Did you make any specific wish to travel back in time around these events?

One of my very closest friendships in college began that way, oddly enough.

How did you manage to get past the first barrier, to get to the purple, so to speak?

The best moments have been with the kids

Oh, stories, please! And could there be pictures? I think I've only seen the one of Isaac, when he was a very wee baby, and I can't even imagine how grown Franny is.

family issues threatening to blow out of porportion

I hope they remained in the "threaten" area, not getting to actually doing it. Though, sometimes it seems like "family" has built-in, as part of its definition, the chaos and the stress and the lack of proportions. At least, most families that I know (including my own) have that.

I do enjoy looking at the old letters, etc. My parents saved the goofiest stuff.

And that reads lovely. Which is another part of the definition, I guess, mostly, again.