Surreal

I really enjoyed the movie "Stranger Than Fiction." I liked the concept of a fictional character becoming self aware. I don't think I'd like to find out that I am actually a fictional character in someone else's (extremely boring) story. But this morning I had one of those moments that make me stop and question reality. It was almost too weird to call coincidence.

I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection. It's one of those lights that give you time to look around because you sit there for several minutes. The song on the radio was "Superman" by Five For Fighting. Just as they sang following verse, I noticed a red balloon flying up into the sky about a block away.

I’m only a man
In a funny red sheet
I’m only a man
Looking for a dream

I thought it a rather appropriate image for the lyrics. Then I thought but it would be more appropriate if they were playing "99 Red Balloons" (or "99 Luft Balloons" for you purists). "Superman" wrapped up and I heard:

You and I in a little toy shop
Buy a bag of balloons
With the money we've got
Set them free at the break of dawn
'Til one by one, they were gone
Back at base, bugs in the software
Flash the message
"Something's out there"
Floating in the summer sky
99 red balloons go by

I looked for a logical explanation. Maybe I heard the DJ say they were going to play that song. But he hadn't. In fact, I turned to the radio station just as the previous song started. I decided not to question it.

The balloon flew out of sight, the light turned green, and I drove on, tapping the steering wheel in time to the song. It was my moment of Zen.

Co-conspirators?

We left the house for a couple of hours this morning. When we came back, the dog was chewing on her rawhide bone, and the cat was playing with his catnip mouse. What's so strange about that? Both the mouse and the bone were on top of the refrigerator.

I know which animal has the dexterity to make his way onto the refrigerator and retrieve his mouse. What I don't know is how the dog convinced him to also get her bone down. I'm thinking we may have to set up a nanny-cam if we're going to leave these two home alone.