Seriously, most vivid dream in awhile.

Last night in my dreams I competed to be a bridesmaid.

It started out small. A friend, actually a person who I worked with in college years ago, was getting married. She asked 20 of us up to this theatre, where we would all model outfits, and from there she would pick 5 bridesmaids.

I showed up and slowly but surely 20 became 300 and I found myself in a backstage existence, trying to find the two dresses I was supposed to model. Around me flurries of activity were taking place. The women were completely dressed in full makeup, while I was standing there with my hair in a bun and completely unsure when I was supposed to 'go on.' I eventually am handed my gowns by a stern wardrobe assistant, who tells me I should've known when everything was happening, as it was on my card. She hands me a new card, which includes a middle act, the obstacle course.

My first dress is by Stella McCartney. I know this because one of the girls with me is going on and on about wearing a designer dress. As I step out onto the stage, that's when I realize that this is a show. A sort of "Who wants to be a bridesmaid?" sort of thing. We walk and pose and then are asked to leave the stage. I can't remember if, before I got there, I had my hair and makeup done.

The obstacle course is a partnered affair. We have to swim, using a lifeguard orange lifesaver, around obstacles and to the finish. As a former lifeguard I know what I need to do, but my partner can't swim. So I flip over, placing my knees around the lifesaver, and I tell the girl with me to grab on behind. I begin to use my arms to pull us and am shouting instructions for how she should kick. By some miracle this works and out of the four teams, we're first. However, as I get out of the pool I hear the announcer asking the bride to be what she thought. "Well, Cristin didn't suck in her stomach as much as she should."

I return to the theatre, magically dry and pool smell free, and go to look at my final dress. It's this green horizontal stripe, which I and another contestant loathe over. The partner of mine from the obstacle course steps out in this fancy final number and we 'ooo' and 'ahh' over it. But before I put it on I suddenly wake up.

I know where the bridesmaids came from - there was a wedding in town on Saturday and a gaggle of them were wearing pea green with these little furr shawls. The obstacle course could be from finally watching Survivor last night, plus all the inner jokes I make about an obstacle course in existance as part of my interview process. The competiton - well, a little Survivor, a little of this whole job thing. Seems with how the economy is going the numbers are only continuing to swell for who I'm competing against.

It's been a long time since I've had a dream that seemed to carry on, making complete sense, from start to (near) finish. What this all means, I'm not quite sure. But apparently if I'm ever asked to just pop by a theatre and try a few dresses on the answer will be no.