Just last night I was thinking about headlights (which gives you a sense of how little it takes to amuse me) - why can't headlights automatically adjust to ambient light conditions rather than having to shift between regular, high beams, fog lights? My car actually does have a sensor that will turn them on or off, but it's only a binary switch and it’s not very reliable (it doesn’t turn them on soon enough for me, so I leave the lights on all the time – one of the best features of my car is that it turns the lights off automatically when I turn the car off and open the driver’s side door). Our other car has a rain sensor that allows the windshield wipers to turn on and off on their own, although it’s overly sensitive and they come on with the faintest hint of dampness near the windshield, causing a grand screeching of rubber against glass. Even though I crave automation, I’m rarely happy with the implementation of it.

Dreams: They’re not very fanciful these days, just easily linked to real life. Last night’s were fraught with performance anxiety – I was to give a presentation to a large number of people in my company and I hadn’t reviewed the materials nor would my laptop (a stunning little bronze number) cooperate. I was naked in front of the crowd, but a statuesque blonde woman thoughtfully brought me a purple nightgown and robe. We took a company field trip to Sweden, although I couldn’t remember what city we were in. We were taken by boat to a large shopping bazaar. A man fell down a set of steps that were more like a ladder and I had to help him. Someone I was with bought several jeweled pillows and I wanted to know where I could buy some. The dog’s barking woke me up. I am always exhausted when awakened in the middle of a dream, no matter how many hours I’ve been asleep. I need an alarm clock that will only wake me when I’m through a complete sleep cycle. Perhaps Ron Popeil could invent this next, now that he’s made his fortune with the Pocket Fisherman and the Popeil Rotisserie.