At the end of a day, someone had left me a bag of work. It was all pieces that had been around for a while and were due, so I would now have to stay late to finish them. I saw the VP, who works part time and would not be in for a few days, in the women’s room and had a monstrous temper tantrum about how we work and how this simply could not continue. It was the proverbial straw.

Later, I realized I was at the community in Teaneck, New Jersey, which didn’t look like what I was expected. There was a porch all the way around, with Gothic windows looking inward to Gothic windows. I’d decided to eat my work instead of doing it, because it was appetizers and desserts. Just as I noticed that there was a lot and that maybe I couldn’t finish it, I realized there was a big party inside with lots of lights and hundreds of people. The chefs and wait staff were looking for what I had to set out, and I panicked. Then I saw Martin waving and thought, “Oh, maybe I can get away with thinking he left it for me as a thank you.” They really weren’t looking for the food, and he had, at least I think so. I found myself being waved at by the chefs, the executive director, and the sales director. Everyone seemed very happy I was there.

Suddenly, everything was gone. I was on the Gothic porch/hallway. I started panicking about getting home. A housekeeper came out and resentfully said I probably expected to be taken somewhere where I could get to New York (so I could catch a flight). I said that would be wonderful. She got in a car in the parking lot and drove around the block, I thought so she could be facing the other way. Someone else came out and pointed out that she was being difficult. Meanwhile, there was a pony pulling a carriage, and the pony accidentally bumped a woman who looked homeless, so she started abusing it, which horrified me. I thought the driver would try to back the carriage up to get away from her but there was no room.

Suddenly I was home, which turned out to be only a block away, and the community was still there. I could still see the Gothic porch/hallway as though I were still there. But I noticed now the brick work was painted in places, but irregularly, as though the paint had come off. I found a brush and remnants of paint and tried to cover up a spot, but overdid it. Just then the lights came on, and another huge party started. I felt like I’d been caught again doing something questionable or wrong, just as with the food, only this time I was giving instead of taking.