A few weeks ago, I was awakened from a dead sleep at 3 am by a sudden, constant noise. I got out of bed and followed the noise into the hallway, where I found it was coming from the bathroom.
It was the blow dryer. The blow dryer had suddenly switched on as I slept. I picked it up, stared at it, and switched it off.
I stumbled into Gary's room where I droned loudly, "Blow dryer turned on. I turned it off. Going back to bed now."
"What?"
"The blow dryer turned itself on and I shut it off."
"Go to sleep. You're raving."
I thought about the blow dryer the next morning, and I wondered if it had been a dream. Because, you know sometimes I get up in the middle of the night to let my dog out and then he magically becomes two dogs, or a dog relieves himself ten times and I wake up the next morning to wads of toilet paper through the house. They do say it's the brain stem that keeps you immobile when you sleep. Call Oliver Sacks!
At any rate, I checked the blow dryer and thought, "Well, it must have turned it off. Here it is in the off position. Wait ... that proves nothing."
So. Does anyone know of anything that could turn a blow dryer on in the dead of night?
Clearly it's haunted. By a ghost who needs a good blow-out.
All kidding aside, I've done things like that: thought I got up to turn something off (or on) and woken up to realize it was a very vivid dream.
Posted by: Kathy | October 30, 2007 at 05:08 AM
Ditto the poltergeist thing.
I once woke up to find my pajama bottoms in the middle of the hallway floor. Wha?
Posted by: Becs | October 30, 2007 at 05:16 AM
PS - Unplug the blow dryer. Seriously.
Posted by: Becs | October 30, 2007 at 05:17 AM
I have a hallway light that's operated by two switches, one on either end of the hallway. Occasionally someone will hit the switch at one end just far enough to turn it on, but not all the way. And then if you turn it off again at the OTHER switch, leaving the first switch in this purgatory between off and on, you can no longer turn the light on until you go fix said switch.
I know it's an elaborate plot to prove you weren't dreaming, but I'd run with something like this.
Posted by: Candy | October 30, 2007 at 08:49 AM
My bedside lamp turned on by itself in the middle of the other night. I am convinced it was a portent of some kind (though of what I remain uncertain). Maybe your hair dryer is trying to tell you to make an appointment with Mr. Steve or whatever his name is...
Posted by: Christy | October 30, 2007 at 09:05 AM
Ghosts. Tis the season and all.
Posted by: Marriage-101 | October 30, 2007 at 09:24 AM
I have a lamp that sits between the couch and the wall (it's a dorm, I have no room for end tables) that has a loose circuit. Sometimes it turns itself off and I forget to flip the switch to actually turn it off, so it comes on again after a while. Usually while it's leaning against flammable things.
It could also be a ghost.
Somewhat unrelated, what can you tell me about Great Big Sea? They're on the side of your blog, so they must be good, but what do they sound like? Could you recommend a song? I feel like I should be studying up for the cruise. I need to dig out my carbon leaf stuff...I know I have some somewhere.
Posted by: Erin | October 30, 2007 at 10:37 AM
Oooh, GBS...I saw them in concert back in the day when they were just doing kitchen party / Newfie music. Kind of ... folksy with an Irish thing going on. The first time I saw them was on TV, on "Out of Ireland". Don't know what they're up to now.
Posted by: Becs | October 30, 2007 at 05:06 PM
I'm glad people other than me have crazy dreams that they're not sure are dreams. I used to wake up after dreaming that I'd gotten up, taken a shower, and possibly even gotten dressed for work, but had just lain down for a few minutes because I had extra time.
Of course this was never what really happened.
Posted by: Marcia | October 30, 2007 at 08:36 PM
Be afraid....be very afraid....unplug it!!!
Posted by: stljoie | October 30, 2007 at 10:35 PM
Kathy - What worries me is I've stopped waking up. Usually now I wake up the next morning and think, "Why is there toilet paper on the floor?"
Becs - Pajama bottoms on the floor - you must have a cat with puppy tastes, if you know what I'm sayin'
Candy - Well, I'm telling myself a far more complicated lie about the "Test Monthly" switch resetting itself already.
Christy - Yeah! Why is it that I've seen lights do that, and it doesn't freak me out. Light has a short, blow dryer has a short. Except - it would have had to short out at the instant I turned it off.
Marriage-101 - Poltergeists messing with my head. Can a 19 year old house be haunted when you are the only owner?
Erin - GBS sounds Irish, and energetic. Becs review is accurate. For some reason the multiple repeat of "Consequence Free" had me in bliss last week. I have a Carbon Leaf song iTunes just gave me, but I haven't heard it yet. I don't want to study for the cruise!
Becs - They're up to going on the BNL cruise in January! Many have rejoiced.
Marcia - I had the opposite - I dreamed I got up dressed, and was running for the bus, not laying down for a nap.
stljoie - Well, I wasn't going to, but now with all this talk about shorts and ghosts...
Posted by: TheQueen | October 30, 2007 at 11:44 PM
I'm having an existential crisis!
Posted by: Friend #3 | October 31, 2007 at 01:10 AM