Random.

/ With the previous weeks lack of quality sleep and upped anxiety and stress, I've been having a return/increase in night terrors. One involved me dreaming about then waking half up thinking there was a man with a metal tool with silver wavy prongs on it getting ready to swing down onto me - I know I said something outloud as I was in the middle of it but I don't remember what. It took more than a few minutes to come out of that one. Luckily, everyone is used to it and just tells me to shut up (not literally, of course). Many laughs have been had at my expense over the years, including from myself, because if you can't laugh, what can you do?

/ I'm beginning to learn to stick my fingers in my ears and close my eyes when it comes to the guy's backgrounds and activites on the street - the less I know, the better. Denial, it's not just a river in Africa. Unless there is a 'need to know' to assist them better or maintain shelter/housing rules, I will disregard it.

/ School - final project time and both of my in-progress projects have had wrenches thrown in. Can't get an interview for my writing class, no one is available or will return my call/e-mail. I hate bothering people so I may be stuck interviewing someone who was a last resort (the object is to interview someone in a career we are interested in and this person is doing something that I am only semi-interested in). The other project fell behind when I had to miss my group's meet-up to consolidate information. Christ! I can't fall behind now, the semester is nearly over!!

/ In continuing my independent study - I recently started Luis Alberto Urrea's first book, "Across the Wire: Life and Hard Times on the Mexican Border". It's been pretty eyeopening thus far. He talks about missionary work he did in the 80's and the families that live in the dumps in Tijuana in particular. In these dumps, not only is there garbage (which the families glean their belongings and food from) but they also slaughter and burn animals there amongst the shacks, rotten flesh mingling with their water and food supply when the rains come and mud forms, blue acrid smoke rising from the pile of bodies as they burn. Luis is able to describe this in just enough detail that you start to gag while imagining it.