Something was missing…

from our weekly routine.  I knew we were off-kilter after moving across the country, then taking a week-long vacation and topping that with visiting friends and family for another week.  A good off-kilter, mind you, but the move was beginning to sink in…as well as the realization that I needed to get settled and fast. I tried to get back into the swing of things on Monday while Peter began his consultations, but came to the conclusion rather quickly that I no longer knew what the 'swing of things' was for our new life.

So instead I stressed about everything.  Stressed about the unpacked suitcases, stressed about the unpacked boxes and realized that unpacking with the kids around simply wasn't a good idea.  Lest I sound like the worst mother on the planet (or a close second), I have decided to be selfish and need time for myself to get settled.  As much as I know the kids can help, I really, really want to simply want a day to myself with no one around.  I want to put my headphones on, crank up the iPod and get back into my mad decluttering/organizing/box-emptying mode that I was in the day the movers arrived.  Mercifully, I will get my wish tomorrow.

I was given the above news last night, when I really, really needed to hear it.  In fact, just hearing about my 'free time' gave me the inspiration to get through an entire box of china and crystal.  It's not put away yet, but in a staging area (like that, S.?) for tomorrow. It also gave me the idea that getting out of the house today and setting very few goals (rather than too many) might be the best plan.  By the time I was really awake this morning, I realized our morning would have one goal, and one goal only.

We woke up way too late as we have been less than strict on bedtimes and I have not been sleeping well. Nicholas and I ate breakfast, roused the girls and tried to hurry them along so as not to miss our first trip to the local farmers market.  Yep, that was it. That's what I needed…not more coffee, not to worry about where to put the crystal, not to cry over a lack of exotic summer plans…we just needed to get out and visit a familiar place that would put us all in a good mood.  Call us simpletons, but that place was the (comparatively speaking) tiny, but chock-filled with fresh produce goodness farmers market in Annandale.

We pulled up into the lot 15 minutes before closing, but we were there (hint: going late also often means lower prices).  It had been over 5 years since I had attended this market and wondered if any of my old favorites such as Valentines's Country Bakery or the Greek lady who sold baklava from her trunk would still be there.  Sadly, Greek lady* was not there, however in the past she left when she ran out of her homemade delights, so not surprising.  

The Amish bakery was there and now also offered a wide variety of grass-fed meats, which we will have to sample soon.  Five years ago, the booth was attended by a young boy (maybe 8 -10) and his father.  He was no taller than Kelsey is now, very quiet and unassuming.  Five years later, and the stand is still run by the same family.  The young boy now towers over me and seemed to exude friendly authority rather than shyness.  How reassuring that the business was not only run by the same family, but seemed to thrive in our absence, despite us having not purchased a single whoopie pie from them in over 5 years. 

 Other farms also had young help, logical since most are family businesses.  At the very next stand, we found plump grape tomatoes and cucumbers perfect for slicing and tossing with vinegar (Kelsey's favorite). The cashier could not have been more than 10, but chatted fluently in both English and Spanish with customers. She weighed, counted, bagged and made change without missing a beat in either language.  

We finished up with fresh peaches across the way as the stores were beginning to shut down.  As we were walking down the aisle of the market, I realized that I had finally started to feel normal again.  Funny how one tiny routine task can make a day or, in my case, a week?  Now lest one think I am attached to this particular market, I have already researched others in the area and have heard the Falls Church (among others) is well worth the trip.  It's held on Saturday mornings and I am thinking we will have to mosey over there next weekend. I'm quite grateful we have an entire year here, as we will also have to hit the markets in Alexandria City, Reston, and Annapolis, to name a few.

 Now I made us sound a bit lazy, as though we did nothing but run to the farmers market and back home again.  No, we also had a chance to meet up with our friends Jack and Janet for dinner.  We had recently heard of a new burger joint, Ray's Hell Burger (and Ray's Hell Burger, Too).  It was rumored to be exceedingly good and could possibly trump Five Guys.   Peter is always up for a good burger, and even more so now with the count-down to departure clock rapidly ticking away (11 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes, not that we are counting…), no time like the present!

 We found a metered parking spot in front of the restaurant and headed into the most unassuming burger joint we have seen as of late.  The menus were simple and had been typed up and photocopied.  Despite the plain appearance, the burger styles had me unable to choose until the last minute.  And the toppings?  Too many to list here, see the menu.   The girls went with plain burgers and Peter and I created our own burgers with the lil devil option (supposedly small, but quite enough in my opinion).  

 Yum, yum, yum. Perfection on a bun.  In fact, the brioche bun was the only negative.  Tasty, but a bit weak for all of the toppings we had them slather on the poor burger (which was excellent).  If you are in the area and have a hankering, definitely worth the stop.  Tasty and the tab was easy on the wallet.  Delish burgers and good friends…not a bad way to spend the evening and a perfect wrap-up to the day.

*From a Yelp review, it sounds like she is also a regular at the Falls Church farmers market…yippee!