Friday, August 31, 2007

Joburg Detox


I've never thought much about detox. Detox is something that my friend's older brother went to during junior school. It's something that Lindsay Lohan or those Full House twins or (fill in the child actor) go to routinely, as reported factually by Star. I've read a bit about the massive physical withdrawal symptoms that patients go through during detox - screaming, groaning, living a nightmare.

I'm in detox. I haven't screamed. But I have a nasty cough right now and whine a fair amount. You see, my boardgames are in boxes. Not the boxes that boardgames normally come in, but moving boxes. The kind that sit in storage in >100 degree weather in Dallas. They're also screaming. It's hot and their boards are undoubtedly warping. I miss them and they miss me.

The kids and even Jessica have tried to help me through this trying period. They've played a couple of games of Through the Desert with me. But as you can see from the photo, it is unlikely that a game with pastel colors is going to help in a big way with withdrawal symptoms caused by hard-core drugs like Caylus and Twilight Struggle.

I went on a total binge before detox where I bought a boatload (perhaps more appropriately a moving van load) of new games. Some of them have not even been played, only opened, punched out and rules reviewed. How would you like to be Die Macher, Tide of Iron or Goa, knowing that you've been taken home to a moving van?

Is the level of delusion and hallucinations I've suffering from clear?

I NEED A GAME NIGHT!

They say the first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem. I do. Detox. I can't wait to fall back off the wagon some day.

4 comments:

Dean said...

Game nights. Now those were the days! We'll have to live in the same retirement community, so we can have our daily game.

Gayle said...

Dear John, Oh, dear,dear John! I had no idea that you and Katie had over looked the essential things that should have been packer to Joberg! Toys for the little girls and your games! I, as a meddelsome Mother- in-law would have stepped in and made sure one of those 16 ppieces of packed to the limit baggage that went from my little living room to the air port and on the Joberg had at LEAST one board game in it. As your loving Mother-In-Law I will rush right out tommorrow and send off by snail plane our 3 board games for you to use in this time of famine...after all you gave them all to us and without you in SLC they are just sitting on the shelf. What do you say? You'll make due with Through the Desert and grow through this rehab process...or should I spend the bucks and get you a fix? Love you, John! Mom Gayle

Katie said...

Did anyone notice that John didn't say his loving wife was helping through this crisis? Sweet sis-in-law Jess will sit through a fun game with the kids, but where is Katie? The one who is supposed to be the rock? the one that should be holding JOhn's hand through this whole withdrawl ordeal...she's in the same place she was when John was able to feed his addictions at least every first thursday of the month and alternating sunday nights: hanging in the kitchen or sneaking time while john distracts the others with a game to read a book or write the grocery list. What a pathetic excuse for a support system-so sorry not to be by your side in this one. I'm a sorry June Cash to you Johnny, a poor excuse for a detox wife!

John said...

Actually Katie is exactly where she always is - keeping the little kids occupied in another room. She's the best June this Johnny could ask for.