This past weekend was packed full of visiting family and friends.  It was a weekend right after a large event happened, that I helped to plan.  I hadn’t been able to work for about 3 to 4 days, and I was starting to go bonkers.  That weekend at his parents we visited Costco and picked up some goodies, and we also ended up watching that “Facebook” movie.  I worked on some blogging things, Robey helped his dad get the squirrels out of the garage roof area,.  Seems like the squirrels were chewing on electrical wires, and his dad was worried about them starting a fire.  All in all, a productive weekend.   

We were late heading home Monday morning from Robey’s folks and I was really antsy.  I wanted to get home and start getting some work done.  The more time it took, the more I fidgeted and the more grumpy I became.  I would pack things as soon as they were ready, not really allowing Robey to pack anything away.  It didn’t take long, and everything was packed in the car.  After a bit of chatting we said our goodbyes.  

Excited for my soon to be tasted Dutch Bros I revved up the car, and started heading out of the driveway.  As I started driving I noticed that the wheel wasn’t turning at all, and it took serious strength to move it.  Thinking at first that the power steering was shot, I stopped the car, gave it a second, and then moved forward again to check.  The wheel still wasn’t budging.  Robey and I traded seats, and he gave it a go.  No difference.  

At this point I’m starting to crack.  I had wanted to get back home and get started on work but it was starting to look like it wouldn’t happen today.  Robey calls his father right away, as he had changed the tires for us over the weekend.  His dad decided to come straight home to check it out for us.  He’s about 30 minutes from their house, so we go inside to wait for him.  At this point Robey and I start fighting.  I’m all stressed, wanting to get work done, and Robey’s stressed, wanting to help his parents and get work done.  We’re both just ready to head out, and subsequently steam is let off in not the most appropriate of places.  Our argument eventually winds down as I calm down a bit and we started figuring things out.  This happened about the same time his father gets back home, and starts working on the car.  

As we head out to check in on the ‘goings on’, his father speaks up.  “I think I know what your problem is,” he chuckles and walks us over to the car, oblivious to our having argued the past 30 minutes.  He lifted the hood and we peered in.  It seems the squirrels who had been in love with electrical wire, decided to make a new home of our car engine.  They had ripped up a good portion of the hood lining to create a nest, and then settled in for a nap.  When I started up the car, the squirrel had been sleeping right next to one of the belts.  Suffice it to say, it ended up getting caught in the belt, and the engine area was a ‘mess’.  It seems that fast moving items can spread bits of things quite a ways within an enclosed area.  


Moral of the story: Check under your hood before starting your car, especially if you recently removed a wire crunching squirrel from it’s home.  

Additional note: Our car is now thusly named the 'Squirrel Processor'