Cabin Fever

Cabin Fever:"A condition of increased tension, boredom, blahs, etc. caused by living for some time in a confined space or an isolated area, especially in winter."

I like that definition but in all honesty I think I would have to add a few things, like increased, yelling, screaming, fighting,.... (OK--maybe increased tension covers it.)

This little poem makes me think of my kids:

Little bug inside my head,
why I wish you hadn't said,
all those words to make me antsy,
now I've got you in my pantsy.

Yes, I'm thinking they have some kind of fire ants in their pants and they are driving me insane. Why? I am convinced it's because we have not been able to go ANYWHERE as a family for over two weeks. ARGH

Our family car needed a new engine so we are getting that replaced. Unfortunately, the engine supplier lacks regular human intelligence and will probably soon be bailed out by our government. We took the car to the mechanic who took THREE part numbers off the engine and the VIN number and called his supplier. They sent an engine from their warehouse, we dropped off the car and then the mechanic took out the old engine and went to put the new engine in. BUT it was the WRONG engine! So he called the supplier back and they said something like, "Oops. Sorry 'bout that" and then ordered us a new engine from somewhere far away--it takes 4 days of road travel for the engine to arrive.

That engine was supposed to be here last Thursday afternoon BUT the highway into our town was closed for a shooting and fires so the engine arrived too late to for the mechanic to start work last week. So Monday morning our mechanic, Ed, started putting in our new engine. Except it was the WRONG engine! Now we've had TWO wrong engines! These guys are only slightly smarter than the guy who drove with live baby snakes in his pockets!! So Ed called them and yelled at them. We like Ed! And so they asked for the part numbers again and he gave them the SAME numbers he gave them the first time and they said something like, "OH. We should have sent you this other engine. Sorry 'bout that."

Meanwhile, home life is deteriorating. We are crossing our fingers that the engine comes without anymore trouble tomorrow and that it can get installed quickly. Then I'm going to take the kids to the library. And let them all check out books. At the same time. And they can play with the library toys because we won't be in a hurry to go home and let someone else come to the library. Then we will take our books to the park and have a picnic and I will sit on a blanket in the shade and let them run like Indians and pretend they don't belong to me. Then I will drop them off at the swimming pool (probably not, but hey, I'm daydreaming) and they can swim and play in the water for a few hours so they come home EXHAUSTED and sleep and I will not be tired and then I can stay up and enjoy the peaceful house.