Speaking of sleeping . . .

. . . as I was in my previous post, I have to write down the crazy dream I had the other night.

I only remember from the middle of the dream. Something had led up to where I found myself in the part I remember, but I don't know what it was.

In my dream, I was in a store, a big store with shopping carts like Wal-Mart or Sam's Club. Instead of products loose in my cart, I had a rather large cardboard shipping box. The flaps were open (I mean, not taped shut) but folded back closed so you couldn't see what was in it. The box was probably big enough to hold 10 copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, or, well, about the size box that 10 reams of copy paper come in. Maybe a bit smaller. As far as I can remember, it was the only thing in my cart.

So I pushed the cart over out of the way of the traffic and lifted one of the flaps to see what was in the box. There were other items in it, but right on top was a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It had the cover and the title and it looked just like the little animation on the Leaky Cauldron, the one that spins around, except it was full-sized and not spinning, just sitting in the box.

Now, in my dream I know I was a bit surprised to find the book there but I seemed to know I hadn't stolen it. However I'd gotten the box and its contents, it was legal for me to have them, I'd paid for them or whatever, I hadn't stolen them from the back office of my local Borders or whatever. But I also knew it wasn't yet July 21 and I wasn't supposed to have a copy this soon.

And I made up my mind, I just had to close the flaps and nonchalantly go to my car, not running or drawing attention to myself, but just calmly and like I wasn't doing anything wrong. Like I said before, I wasn't stealing. I have no idea how the box came in my possession but I hadn't stolen it, I know that much. Maybe the store had a parcel pickup window like a post office and I'd picked it up, and somehow my pre-order came early. Maybe my brother came across a copy and mailed it to me. Maybe Jo realizes how hard it is for me to wait and sent me an advance copy. Who knows.

So my plan was to go to the car, drive home and lock myself in my room and read the book, then try to keep quiet about the plot till July 21. Not to tell anyone, not to spoil it for anyone or try to make a bet on the outcome, just to enjoy it because, well, because I had it, because I could. (The hardest part about that would be keeping it from my children, esp. my youngest. He's the one who sneaks into my room to borrow my magic wand and play with it. And it's a rather large book to hide. But he can't keep a secret to save his life so I wouldn't be able to keep the book if I told him. 45 min. later the news media and the police would be at my door, wanting the book back.)

But then I woke up. My light-sleeper of a son, who's light it seemed I'd just turned out a few minutes before, woke up, went to the bathroom and then wanted me to tuck him in again.

And the moment was ruined. The book was gone. It looks like I'm going to have to wait till July 21 like everyone else.

:::::sigh:::::