Like a Rat in a Cage

Sometimes weekends you intend to be relaxing become stir-crazy. You don’t have a lot going on, but enough so that it’s not a total nothing weekend. Then it starts raining. The water’s been coming down in puddles, steady and slow. Enough to get you wet, but not enough to be an energizing storm. Not light enough to want to take a walk, just the right amount to be a nuissance.

It really dampens the weekend. By Sunday evening you have no drive or energy to get going and do something. You feel sapped. Responsibility will return in 12 hours, so you don’t want to be responsible. You want to do nothing, but nothing doesn’t present itself. Many Sunday evenings we end up at Target, wandering the aisles and shopping for nothing as an activity.

I hate that stir-crazy feeling. It makes me want to spend money, wildly and uninhibited, as if that will ease the feeling. Movies, electronics, restaurants, food. Somehow I think any of those will make me feel better. In general I think I have a major weakness for comfort food. I think munching can make all things better. It’s a wonder I don’t have a weight problem.

Today I thought a Nintendo would be a nice solution to the stir-crazy feeling. That caged in, lack of responsible feeling demands doing something, something not necessarily productive, yet not totally wasteful. Not sitting on the couch drooling in front of the TV passive, but maybe moving an electronic character across the screen and lining up crystals and fruit will do the trick. That’s what I thought tonight anyway. A little $150 solution.

Stir crazy Sundays. They’re about as annoying as writing this entry, probably as annoying as reading it.

5 thoughts on “Like a Rat in a Cage”

  1. Wow — did I communicate that poorly? I guess so. I thought about buying a Nintendo. I did not buy a Nintendo. I probably will buy soon, though I need to justify the $150 (yeah, yeah, they’re only $99. But you need a second controller, a memory card, and some games). I can’t do that just yet.

    And yes, Mario Cart rules. We’ve had a Nintendo for the past few months, on loan from a friend who was living with us. He took it back on Friday, and I think I’m experiencing withdrawl.

  2. I got an urge for the fetus and $30 later I have 3 new CDs. That’s what I tend to do when I’ve got the stir crazy feeling. I have a lot of CDs.

  3. Hi Kevin, I have been reading your site. Did a search on Kevin Hendricks and a lot of things came up. I read your piece on Grandpa Hendricks, and I want to compliment you on it. You captured my father perfectly. I can see him leaning on the counter of the post office, calling you a turd. You had the cigarettes right too.

    I really struggled going to see my dad the last 3 years he lived, as he was so heavily medicated that he did not know me at times. I used to cry for 3 days after going to see him. But I was very fortunate to get to see and visit him for 2 days 2 weeks before he died. He was lucid, and we had a wonderful visit, and healed some deep wounds that dealt with Cassie and her husband. I made my peace with my father, and I was better for it.

    I did not go to the funeral, because I knew it was going to be a hassle, and I did not want to be a part of that. But the main reason was I wanted to be selfish. Every time I go to a funeral, whenever I think of that person, I think of their funeral. Every time I think of my mother, the image of her funeral is in my mind, and I hate it. The last memory of my dad was of him leaning up on his elbow in bed, and saying, “Thanks for being a good son. This is good bye, I won’t see you again. Go win some basketball games and when you do, think of me.”

    I was selfish, and did not want to remember his funeral when I thought of him, but to remember our last visit. So I did it, and have no regrets at all.

    Sounds like you are married and a homeowner. You mentioned that Ricky called and was getting married in Vegas. Did that ever happen? Let me know what is going on. Uncle Doug

  4. This is so interesting! I feel exactly like this every single Sunday unless I’ve got something big I’m looking forward to on Monday. I feel like my hours of freedom are dwindling and I want to really get everything out of them that I can, but I’ve got no options. So I just sit and pout and feel depressed, or sometimes I go out and wander the mall or Target with my spouse, just like you.

    Man, I thought I was the only one who experienced that.

    Oh, and I already have a GameCube. :-)

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