We are at grandma's, but her place is a huge, beautiful estate with expanses of perfect lawn, magnificent Japanese-style gardens, a large clean swimming pool, and Greek arches. We're playing ping-pong at a table that extends out from a full, messy garage.

I'm playing against someone; I think Ed's wife Becky. I don't realize that we're keeping score, but suddenly it appears to be 3 to 3. Each time a point is made, the ball seems to get a wrinkle and I have to push the wrinkle out. But each time it gets more distorted, until the last time I throw it only the table as a joke, as it has become so ridiculous.

Scott is there, and he summons me to his van, opening the back hatch and showing me two large bags of dog food. Apparently I am supposed to tell Jennifer something about them. I think he got them very cheap and wants to pass the savings to her. But I'm a little confused about what to say, since I think he's offering them to her but expecting her to pay for them.

I go to the house, which is nothing like grandma's real house, but more fitting to the estate. I think I tell Jennifer about the dog food, in a vague way, like "Scott said something about some dog food he has for you or something."

Tiffany is there, and Molly, who is happy to see me, and jumping around. I tell Tiffany about Molly's story: apparently she was missing and presumed dead for two years, then later appeared at grandma's and moved in quite happily. She loves me still but prefers to live with grandma. In fact, I say, we were not quite sure she is the same dog, but from her mannerisms and the way she jumps, we're relatively certain.

Then I'm sitting on the couch beside Tiffany. I tell her how nice it is to see her, how I've missed her, and how good it feels to put my arm around her.

Meanwhile I'm working on a project, penciling a block diagram on a notepad. The diagram has lots of square blocks connected together with lines, and I'm adding some smaller blocks (which I think may be jtag access or something) to these. I'm concerned because there's apparently some technical limitation that I can only support 8 smaller blocks, but it appears that I need more. Tiffany suggests that maybe the problem can be overcome by an "election" among the larger blocks. I don't think that can solve the problem, but maybe there is the seed of an idea there that I will have to think about.

The first course is served, potluck-style, and I am the last to go to the table. I am surprised that the first course is actually a dessert, and not being disposed toward desserts, intend to have only a little in order to save my appetite for the main courses. But this dessert comes in a large ball which cannot be easily subdivided, so I take one.