Do you ever dream about chess? Here’s a typical dream I had a couple nights ago.<\/p>\n
I am at a chess tournament in Las Vegas, and eating lunch at Harrah\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s casino. The tournament is in another hotel, and suddenly I realize to my horror that (of course) it is time for the next round to start, and I am going to be late. I quickly leave my table and head for the exit.<\/p>\n
This part of the dream takes a long time, because as you know casinos are very large and the pathways through them are meandering. Plus, I am riding in a wheelchair (don’t ask why, I don’t know) with a maximum speed of about 2 mph, and I have to get out of it and lug it with me every time I get to a staircase or an escalator. But after going up and down and over and around, I finally get to the front desk, and for some reason I have to stop and pay for something. (Maybe the wheelchair rental?) I get out my blue American Express card and put it on the counter \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and then it suddenly hits me that I never paid for my lunch!<\/p>\n
There are actually two American Express cards on the counter, but I quickly pick up the one I think is mine and head back to the caf\u00c3\u00a9. Naturally I have to retrace my entire path, around and over and down and up. I get back to the caf\u00c3\u00a9, find the waitress (she is black, with long curly hair) and apologize profusely, saying I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean to run out on the check. She of course remembers who I am, rings up the bill, and I hand her the credit card.<\/p>\n
She swipes the card and says (even though this never happens in real life), \u00e2\u20ac\u0153124 Clares Street?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m barely listening, and I say, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 NO!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Obviously I picked up the wrong credit card at the front desk. I tell her to take the credit card and return it to the rightful owner, and I will go back to the front desk and reclaim mine, if I can. Meanwhile, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m thinking that I there is no way that I can do this in time, and I am going to forfeit my chess game. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What a nightmare!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I think. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s when it hits me \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 it IS a nightmare, and I wake up.<\/p>\n