The Nadirs

We're now three days away from departure. I'm recording this to read when next we contemplate a study abroad, and to remind myself that I am never EVER going to rent or lend or permit anyone to live in my house while I'm gone again. It's like I'm trying to vacuum us into a corner and make a discreet exit with 6 people and hundreds of pounds of luggage.
Rob and I are not sleeping and we're working all day long. Yesterday in particular, Rob was a crazed demon: he gave up on sleeping at 5:00am, went running, read the Economist for a while, and fed the kids breakfast. After we got people off to school, we filled the truck with easily a thousand pounds of rocks and cement which he dumped by himself at his sister's/father's house where they are trying to fill a former root cellar (it will be an immense french drain after this). Then he picked up mulch and spent the rest of the day distributing it about the yard along with as much landscape renovation as one man can do with a rake, shovel and black plastic tarp. Then he mowed and was done by 6:30. After putting the kids to bed, I made him point from our bed while he decided what he should pack and I put it out. Then we retired downstairs and he packed three suitcases, weighing them each on a scale to appease the drones of Delta (would they be called Deltoids?). Finally, he selected the appropriate Lego pieces to take for his sons in order to build spaceships, which is what Legos are for. Then it was midnight and so he tried calling our people in Vienna to tie up some loose ends (like sending a van to take our screaming brood home from the airport with all of our carefully weighed crap). He didn't even take two union-approved 15 minute breaks.
I did a similar amount of stuff inside the house including, but not limited to clearing out two closets and a desk and cleaning the same, buying extra innertubes for the stroller and trying out/packing all of the acoutrements for it, doing laundry and dishes and packing up boxes and boxes of things that will be in the way of our renters.
It felt really good to get some suitcases packed yesterday, but each day at some point Rob has come in and said "Well, we're at our nadir." which panics me and I say "You said that yesterday!" and he tells me "I thought that yesterday was the nadir until I saw today."
Today nothing went right. I took Maddie out for an orthodontist appointment only to find out that her appliance was broken. Again. Every time we go in there it is loose and they have to cement it. This time it was sheared in half and they had to take new impressions and we have to go back tomorrow. I would be harder on her, but how is one supposed to be gentle and delicate with an object designed to torture your jaw? It's like having the Inquisition in your mouth.
All day people were calling or ringing the doorbell and I couldn't get anything done. Three times I was in the basement at the far end of the house trying to get kids to sort hooey and three times the doorbell rang. Beware that if you call or visit and you offer help, you're going to end up wiping down tubs and hauling boxes. Don't ask. Don't offer.
To bookend it all, I took the boys to the pediatrician where we waited an appallingly long time simply to have someone look into their ears. Will and Joss both have infections and we are now the proud owners of two amoxicillin prescriptions: two more things I didn't want to have to remember on the trip over. I will surely forget them somewhere or have Joss spit pink syrup all over me in an airport.
In the midst of it all, there have been a few bright spots. Rob and the kids made a tent in the backyard Sunday night where we played Apples to Apples in the rain and had FHE on Monday. Rob and I got a surprise lunch date on Tuesday when we decided to open the last bottle of Navarro.
And while we are talking about Navarro, there are two real restaurants in town -- we're so excited! We went to one a few weeks back, called Spark. It is totally non-alcoholic and among other beverages, they sell the Navarro gewurtztraminer and pinot noir that we love. Their service was good, ambience was hip, the clientele was dressed down a la dining in the Bay Area, and the food was surprising. I had sea bass with a pineapple salsa and lots of other adjectives I can't recall right now. Rob had sea scallops with a parmesan risotto and a granny smith and speck slaw that was also stellar. And we shared a dessert of chocolate pudding dipped in almond flour and flash fried, accompanied by orange and coriander ice cream. Portions were on the smaller, lighter side, which is also unique for this area.
For Rob's birthday we went shoe shopping and then I surprised him with Karen K's recommendation: Pizzeria Seven Twelve. I haven't confirmed it, but have heard that there is a Sundance chef and pastry chef behind it. It was busy even in the defunct Midtown complex, and had good decor and great art up by Brian Kershisnik (the artist who painted the breathtaking nativity which I hear is now up in Rob's building). We had a salad featuring our own Grandview Clifford Farms spinach and eggs (local! who would have thought it would reach us here!) and then shared a pizza with baby artichokes, red onions, pine nuts and a gremolata made up of garlic, parsley and candied Meyer lemons. It was fantastic. We were excited about all of it -- even the olive oil was good. We finished with rhubarb crumbles which the chef was worried about: Rob thought they were just right and not gooey or too sweet, but the chef's mother told him they were too tart. You can't please everyone! I was ready to go back the next night. I'd be ready to go back tonight, but I think I'm going to go to bed instead.