I know that something has been constantly on my mind when I dream about it in my sleep. I’ve dreamt of people, computer/video games and even exams.

This morning I was dreaming that I was filling in a questionnaire for one of the firms I was applying for. I was like, hey, what am I doing here. The dream was detailed enough that I even got to see a list of prior applicants. Heh, the dream was disturbing. I had to wake up.

* * *

It’s nearing the end of the month, and my job applications are mostly at 50% each. This totally reminds me of the time I had to do assignments. I was usually reluctant to do it until the very last minute. Unless of course, it was something I enjoyed or excelled at doing, then I’d finish it up faster than everyone else. With the 31st of March deadline coming up, there are no more excuses and I can procrastinate no longer. Heh, at least I’m quick with the pen when I need to be (or in this case, a keyboard). One of the questionnaires asked how many words per minute (WPM) I could type. I’ve never tested this before, and just searching the web, I found a site I could test my skills on. The score was at 73WPM, with an accuracy of 97% (screwed up only because I’m so used to Microsoft Word putting capital letters on the first letters in each sentence).

I always know how to sidetrack when it comes to doing things that are important (but boring) to my life. I had another dream while sleeping on the job of writing applications and was playing this computer game I recalled from my childhood days. It’s Lode Runner, something that ran on an Apple ][ computer. It had no discernable hard disk drive and could only muster its data from 5 1/2″ floppies.

I managed to dig a copy of the game, since I had no mood to do job applications whatsoever. It was the Championship edition of Lode Runner. Now, this game is hard, even for my standards, especially for a game that was conceived nearly 20 years ago. It really requires you to “think outside the box” and outsmart the baddies that are trying to catch you.

Below is a screenshot of the game in it’s monochromatic glory. A simple joystick or keystokes on the keyboard as input to control you main character. There’s nothing as sophisticated as Force Feedback/Pressure Sensitive joypads of the current crop of gaming platforms (the PS2 comes to mind). Well, frankly, there’s no need.

Heh, the guy who designed the level is definitely a computer programmer. The words HELLO is something all beginner programmers start of with, or rather, the phrase “Hello World!”. It’s just some proof that you can trick the computer into displaying something on a screen or printer, in those days anyway. How the world has evolved by now.