LIFF 2018

In addition to volunteering at Louisiana International Film Festival (Wed April 18 through Sunday April 22) this year, I contributed $1000, putting Mary Lou and myself into the category of Sponsors. We were assigned as Sponsors of And then we go, directed by Vincent Grashow, who was scheduled to attend the festival. I was totally unfamiliar with the film or the director. The VIP visitor coordinator emailed to ask if I'd be willing to be the liaison for Mr. Grashow. I was. Soon I received a "Warm Welcome" email with his itinerary:

Hotel: Courtyard Baton Rouge Acadian Thruway

Res #: 98012527

Check-In: Fri, Apr 20

Check-Out: Mon, Apr 23

Flight Arrival: Fri, Apr 20, MSY, 5:41pm

Flight Departure: Mon, Apr 23, MSY, 1:30pm

Flight #:  Arrival: Delta 1780, Depart:  Delta 1975

Liaison: Owen Scott

LIFF Events

Saturday - April 21 (2:15 PM): Film showing - Cinemark 11

Saturday - April 22 (3:50 PM): Q&A

Sunday -  April 22 (12:30-1:15 PM): Filmmakers in Competition Panel

Sunday - April 22 (3:45 PM): Red Carpet

Sunday - April 22 (4:15 PM): REPEAT Movie Screening - Cinemark 11 Q&A

I exchanged emails with Vince, who seemed to be an unassuming and friendly individual. He asked me if someone could pick up his girlfriend, Amanda Lim, at BTR @ 11pm on Friday. I was. Initially, I was slated to pick Vince up when his flight arrived. However, Ian Birnie, the co-program director (i.e., person in charge of selecting films) had already asked me to introduce a documentary 1000 Year Flood about the August 2016 floods that inundated thousands of homes in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas Friday at 6:15pm. Ian and I had become friends at LIFF 2017 a year ago through spending time together while I assisted him in various ways. As I was unable to be in New Orleans to pick Vince up and in Baton Rouge to host the documentary, the LIFF staff arranged for a van to pick up Vince and another arriving VIP. Hosting the documentary caused me to miss the film I most wanted to see, Brimstone and Glory, but those are the sacrifices one makes to serve the cause of the festival.

Perhaps I'll write the long story later, but to make it short, I had a fabulous time with Vince and Amanda culminating in driving them to New Orleans on Monday for beignets at Cafe du Monde and their flight at MSY.

All I remember

from over 8 hours of sleep is a fragment- Bobby Daniels somehow rolled around on my MacBook and returned it to me all bent up. I was dismayed, of course.

The dreams just keep on coming

Last night it was an elaborate, detailed story, another variation on trying to find my way out of a disorienting situation.  I was driving my car to visit a musician friend who lived outside a little country town. I made a right turn at the town and found the house without difficulty. I had a pleasant visit and conversation with the musician and some other people who were there. Actually playing music didn't come up. Dave Stammer was also present. Afterwards, we went back and stopped in the town, maybe to go to a grocery store. To my surprise, there was Conner Tribble walking up (carrying a load of laundry?), who it occurred to me lived there. We greeted one another warmly. Dave was in the men's bathroom. I went in and told him that Conner was there. Dave was pleased, naturally, and went out to see Conner. Sometime after this, I found myself in a local auto mechanic shop no longer in the company of friends. My car needed some kind of repair. The mechanic seemed unsure of his ability to fix my car, saying "We're doing our best" several times. He seemed sincere and I wasn't particularly worried about it. But later, I was unable to get them to let me have my car back. I became frustrated and annoyed and I remember being outside, walking around the building looking for it without success. Then, I realized my cell phone was missing. I went back into the shop and angrily demanded that whoever had it give it back. No one admitted taking it. The dream ended with me stumbling around in a disoriented, vulnerable state reminiscent of bad LSD experiences, wondering what I was going to do. In the dream, I was aware of the connection with bad trips and had the thought I just had to trust Jesus I would be OK.

It was a relief to wake up, of course. I wonder why I keep having disorientation dreams similar to this one? I realize, being a psychologist, anxiety dreams are very common. In my case, I think it has to do with the transitional period I'm in where I feel unsure of myself and worry that I'm wasting a priceless opportunity to use my creative abilities and knowledge being engaged in life.

Njeje River

was the name of an African river in my dream last night. The context is lost to my memory but I was responding to a statement the agent of some authority made, perhaps having to do with climate change. I was looking at a map showing the Njeje River flowed south toward Chad from Libya or Sudan. There was an image of a cliff on the western end of Lake Chad with a narrative about the local people using data to make adjustments to the ongoing drop in the water level.

I woke up and went back to sleep until a few minutes ago. During this period, I dreamt about driving my car or maybe a motorcycle and stopping at a place that combined features of a college campus and a tourist motel. For some reason I went into a small rectangular concrete pit at the foot of a building carrying some possessions. I got out of the hole and went a few steps, then went back to fetch something and it was missing. My vehicle had also disappeared and I wondered if it had been stolen. I started looking for a way through the building. An elderly guest peeked out of one door I was trying. I asked someone if another door led to a hallway or a guest room. I went into an empty hotel room and lay down in the dark. A housekeeper or clerk came in and turned on the light. I jumped up and said, "I've overslept" to give the impression of being the rightful occupant. I grabbed all my possessions and made a hasty exit, anxious not to be identified as an intruder. I found a precarious set of stairs (almost like a series of ladders with people around the various levels) and started down them, then realized it was dangerous to do this with an armload of stuff. I managed to get down two levels. Somehow I would up at ground level around a swimming pool where tourists were sitting in chairs around tables with beach umbrellas. I noticed cobwebs in the rigging and discovered that swinging a pendulum like weight on a circular track went through the cobwebs and cleared them out. I was still trying to find an escape from this entire complex when I awoke.

And today's dream is

I am at a government banking office of some sort. I want some information about my funds deposited there. Two women behind desks are conversing with me and some other people also there for the same reason. I'm doing the talking and the woman to my left is answering for the agency. She is obviously being evasive and not actually answering my questions. I am assertively calling her out on her evasion, asking her why she won't just give us the information.