Nightmare

I was principal horn for this semi-professional group, and we were getting ready to perform. None of the other hornists, however, had shown up yet. I pulled my horn out to doodle around a bit, but there was water in it. As I emptied the water, I was horrified to realize (and I can say "horrified" because it was a dream, and emotions are always intense in dreams) that I hadn't emptied the water the last time I played, which had been some years ago. In fact, there had been so much water back when I put the horn away that now the tubes were all crusted and covered with a thick layer of crud, kind of like an almost-blocked artery. The third valve slide had so much water, it was like I'd stuck it in a bathtub. I was trying to find my snake so I could clean out all the gunk.

For some reason there were green-painted wooden boards set up as thin walls--perhaps to act as baffles?--but they were in front and on the sides of the horn section (who still hadn't shown up yet), not the back. I really wouldn't have cared about the boards except that they were too high: I couldn't see the conductor. As first horn, I had an important part that was key to the music we were to perform, but I couldn't even see unless I stood on tiptoe on the chair--not a safe position in which to play.

The saxophones showed up and told me I was in the wrong section, and was supposed to be over there. I contemplated the logistics of how to move my horn, which was in pieces on my lap (so I could clean it).

Then my roommate woke me up and asked if I could give her a ride to work since her car had a flat tire.

What a weird dream.