8.25.2003 McDonald's Outlets and College

Co-pregnancy - a concept about the partner of the pregnant woman takes on some of the characteristics or behaviors similar to the symptomatic pregnant person. I did not think it was real either.

But it is.

Oh, so real it is. Since the conception, I believe I?ve put on a few pounds and my belly is now protruding outward like a bubble. I go through these mood swings every now and then: People say it?s the hormones. And also, I have these strong cravings every so often for different types of foods.

While briefly waking up from a nap this past weekend [*], I really wanted a mutated Quarter Pounder from a McDonald?s Outlet. It occurs to me that there are no McDonald?s Outlets. I think I just stumbled upon a possible business venture that just may work - even in an economy such as ours. Yeah - whatever. I lower my head back down and fall back asleep.

Yes, I actually dreamt that Elizabeth and I dined at a McDonald?s Outlet restaurant. It was a humid summer day - one of those that was not too sunny, but more hazy and sticky. Elizabeth and I sat in this fast food restaurant. It was a pseudo-McDonald?s, but not as decorative. Not that McDonald?s are fancy, but the place where we were resembled more that of a generic cafeteria. I sat there eating mutant Quarter Pounders where the buns were too small for the beef patties. Obviously, they were rejects from the main McDonald?s restaurants.

It?s just amazing. These things are just fifty cents each. ?Fifty cents. I could eat a ton of these?, I thought to myself. And I attempted to do so.

"Would you like another one?" Elizabeth asked.

"Mmm," I replied.

She stood up to get me another mutant Quarter Pounder.

Later that day, my sister helped me with my boxes. I finished packing. She was driving me to my new college dorm. I enrolled in classes and am going to reside there for at least one semester - apparently a requirement for newly matriculated students. I wonder how the other students are going to treat me. Would they outcast me? I?m sure they would think I was some old dude. I remember the first time I lived in the dorms. I was seventeen. There was this man who was ancient - he must've been about twenty-six or so. These kids are going to hate me. Really.

I don?t recall exactly, but I think these two, the McDonald?s Outlet restaurant and leaving for college, were separate dreams. Either that or one really long one.

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[*] Last weekend was excellent. It was the first time in a long while we had the opportunity to do nothing. Alike a student in school with homework due midweek, we had tasks and chores to perform, but nothing of screaming urgency. We chose to stay in bed and sleep instead - and we slept a lot. At the end of the weekend, the bags under my eyes, which I thought were permanent, disappeared somewhat.