When I start dreaming of something it's a pretty good sign that I've shifted the focus of my obsessive nature. It's usually the point where I realize something in the back of my mind is popular enough to shift to the front. It's weird, since this wasn't even in the running when I was speculating what I was to obsess about next. It's weird how this happened.

It's part of a larger personality shift. This started around the time I started this blog, and has been picking up steam since. I've been trading in my social crutches for social tools. I was just thinking about the magazine, and how crappy some of the pictures we had to choose from for one section were. I thought about how much better I'd be, and then I realized that walking around with a camera is no different than standing behind a table giving out free wine. It's an excuse to give people something free and have an opportunity to chat. It's a social tool instead of a crutch.

Now I might be heading out to Chicago for a trade show, so I can walk around and take pictures of people and chat about what they do. I'm giving them free publicity and making myself known. It might not have an immediate effect, but getting myself out there could be an important thing. One day when I have something to hock I'll already have a rapport with potential customers.

I've never thought of anything like that before. I'm the geek who sits in front of his multi-monitor setup all day and tries desperately not to make eye contact with customers.

This all coincides with the release of the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I owned a film Rebel seventeen years ago, so since the digital version came out I've really wanted one. It looks like I've been waiting long enough. New model! Same price! Can't go wrong really. There's a lot of buzz behind this camera too.

It would be nice to have a step above the consumer version, but until I have enough lenses, there's a lot better places I can spend the extra money. Maybe when it's time for an upgrade in a few years. Plus it's a work expense... something that's been missing for a while actually. I'm probably even going to keep it there.

So this morning just before I woke up I was dreaming that I was just outside of work. They were doing construction on the CN Tower (which had mysteriously been moved to the 401 and Neilson). There were some upgrades, and there was some high-tech moving scaffolding on part of it. I think they were building it stronger and bigger.

I hopped on my bike and started riding west, when at Progress I stopped. I parked my bike in a parking spot (with a kickstand?) and started walking to the centre median in the road. Someone in a car was trying to get me to move my bike, trying to shoo me off. I got pissed and started shooing him too. "Get the fuck out of here... I have as much of a right to this road as you, buddy."

It became twilight, but the stars were out in full force already. It was still mostly bright out, and I had no idea how it happened. I stood in the median under a tree, trying to get a good shot with my Rebel. I had the tree's branches in the pic, the futuristic CN Tower and the stars. There were so many opportunities, but I was rushed. The best pics were with me standing in the middle of the road. Hard to do when cars are coming for you.

I got some good pics in, but before I could frame the best one I had to wake up. I have an uncontrollable desire to make a stop by Henry's on my way to work. <sigh> I have good reason to justify this purchase... but wow... this came out of the blue.