What Would the Setbacks Do?

Email questions to advice[at]thesetbacks.com

Mouse Dreams

September 19th, 2003

Mouse Manic writes:

I have recently discovered a strong affinity to a mouse. He or she lives under a baseboard in my tired kitchen. Now mice and I have always gotten along, why I remember days of yore, resting on too crunchy grass welcoming the tiny scurry of minnie mice feet across my sun warmed body. How we would frolick.

Late at night, while bedknitting before sleep, I often sense the mouse resting nearby--sometimes at the tip of my head. I steady my breathing and can just make out the delicate chirp of my kitchen friend. I think he/she is trying to tell me something, but I am too afraid to look behind me. I'm not entirely certain why. The true reason for my letter however is this: I had a dream about mouse. Mouse and I were vacationing in Malta. Mouse had purchased me a darling polka dot string bikini with tiny tassles on the front bikini bra clasp, for the trip especially. Why everyone was overcome with envy on the plane when I modelled it. I was even offered a martini by a short bearded man with bad breath. Imagine, a martini and a bikini. So mouse and I settled in to our 5 star and proceeded to go to dinner. What happens next is the disturbing part. Mouse out-of-character suddenly runs into an empty parking lot after another mouse; a rather grey thing with a horribly dull coat. I called "Mouse, mouse we have reservations" but mouse did not respond, but rather appeared to be rescuing the other grey thing. It appeared it was having trouble walking for mouse had to bruskly hump it along. Poor thing. At that point a woman kissed me on the mouth and shook my hand that turned into butter which I ate. I love butter.

I have a number of questions.
a) Does it mean I'm gay if I'm attracted to a female mouse?
b) How well do mice cuddle?
c) In an emergency situation, could a mouse drag 100 times it's body weight out of a burning building?
d) Are there others like me?
e) I like to dream.

Thank you for your help, Setbacks.


Trevor		 Dear MM,

This is a tough one. Dream interpretation is always tough. However, here is some insight into what your dream could possibly mean.

-To dream of mice is not a very good omen as the dreamer can expect disappointments and ill will from others if the dream centers around the mice.
-To dream of drinking (your martini) is an inner need to escape reality or your life situation. Same is true to dream of doing drugs. This also indicates a feeling of alienation and quite possibly guilt.
-To dream of eating fresh, golden butter, is a sign of good health and plans well carried out; it will bring unto you possessions, wealth and knowledge.

So my guess is this, you will come into good fortune, but this will make others jealous and bring you ill will. This in turn will lead to your attempt to escape reality.

To answer your specific questions: a) your attraction to the mouse seems to be non-sexual, so it's likely that you are lonely, and not gay.
b)Mice do not cuddle well, especially if you accidentally squish them in your hand while trying to cuddle.
c)The only mouse you can expect to save you from a fire is Mickey. He's so brave and big. I don't know why Chip and Dale (the disney chipmunks) were so small despite being a rodent in the same family as Mickey, when Mickey had somehow attained a human like stature. Also, mice hate fire.
d)There are others like you. Simple statistics dictates that, given the vast number of humans inhabiting this planet.
e)Last night I dreamt I was in the mafia, but I think that was because I was watching the A&E biography on the mafia before bed.

Steve		 i have a number of answers:
a) yes
b) grab a toilet paper roll, call richard gere, and see for yourself
c) no, mice are too small and weak
d) probably, but they have enough sense to keep it to themselves
e) that's not a question

Paul		 I think you have brought up a very important point here. I ALSO love butter.

Butter has got a bad name lately. The couple people that have over indulged in this spreadable wonder and paid the concequences are ruining butters reputation. This all-in-one miricle block can do no wrong. Delicious on toast, to die for on mashed potatoes, and not to mention the main (by main I mean the best tasting) ingredient in almost every dessert/pie/snack.....

For shame on those who lift your nose to this bovine cream delicacy. Cast away your bland margerines and your "can't believe it's not butter's" and embrace taste bud exctasy that is butter.


Chris		 Dear MM,

I understand your issues, and hear them with an acute ear.
Mouse is unable to effectively communicate with you. It's passionate desire to help others is obviously underscored by his wish to be your companion and see you model string bikinis and such. Bringing rodents into restaurants where reservations are required is ill advised. I would suggest Swiss Chalet from now on or the hearty goodness of a Quizno's where toasted tastes better. There...if mouse decided to suddenly "help" anyone, man or rodent alike...it will be less embarassing for all involved.

I was enjoying a BK Broiler the other day, and it occured to me that my one desire,....my one and only desire was to see that others are happy and fruitful in their lives. As I ate my hamburger, loaded with a incredible amount of mustard and ketchup, I asked myself why there was a Burger King....and why there wasn't a Burger Queen. I assumed that the King and Queen at one point before I was born probably had a Burger Kingdom or Burger Empire, that probably did not serve the delectable poutines that they now have, but was much more representative of the unified marriage of the burger icons. I approached the cashier and asked what the King did, to make the Queen hoof off, and rediscover the joys of soft serve ice cream, and invent the modern day DQ treat, Blizzard. The cashier gave me a nod, and divulged the details. Apparently Burger King went out to a gentleman's club one night and got more inebriated than Charlie Sheen circa the Wall Street era in his career. Emilio Estevez was there. There was a dipping into the restaurant's petty cash fund, and apparently the King got out of hand with dual lesbian champagne room dances. Emilio was busy discussing The Mighty Ducks 2 which he was filming at the time, and was unable to prevent the King from getting out of hand. One thing led to another, and the King put out enough money, that he ended up being serviced and cheating on the Queen. The King came clean with the Queen, but only after refusing to attend the premiere of Loaded Weapon with Emilio, who quickly stopped calling the King. The animosity between the younger Estevez brother and the restauranter continues to this day. The King and the Queen however, split, as the Queen could not deal with her husband's enormously bad judgement and inability to be truly intimate. A settlement was reached, and now the King is introducing new incentives to his astonishing chain of restaurants, especially if you have less than $3 to eat.

Mouse is a flip flop friend. You need more from this relationship. Ensure that you tell mouse, and decide to move on or move forward.



Page: