Discombobulated

It’s one of those nights. It’s one thing to get home from work early, but quite another to have supper an hour and a half earlier than usual while thinking that it’s the normal time for the evening meal. 

I got off early today to meet my wife and kids at the orthodontist. My older boy was due to get his first braces today, and he wanted me there for it. I ran into a former coworker when I got to the dental office; she was having her final appointment for the invisible alignments that we adults can use. I wish my kid could have those, but he has to have the wires and all that.

At any rate, things progressed pretty well until the wire and rubber band had to be installed, and then the brackets began popping off his teeth. The lad had been pretty brave up until that point, but his patience and good humor was wearing thin, and the tears and frustration began to break through. Instead of “working on the front four” as “Dr Brad” intended, they decided they’d just have the front two be the point of this visit, with follow-up in about 7 weeks. 

We left, he with his mother, and his brother with me. As it turned out, they had to go back to the orthodontist, because as soon as they got their drive-thru supper, the remaining brackets popped off his teeth. I mean, really, people. Everything he underwent today failed to take hold. He went through all of that and got no further along with his dental treatment than he was six months ago. Poor kid. Next appointment Jan 8. At least he gets to enjoy Christmas.

But home early, supper early–all that has left me discombobulated. Then again, this whole work week has been like that. The National Day of Mourning for George H.W. Bush yesterday contributed to the disjointed feel of the usual rhythm of the week, although I was grateful for the day off. Now, it’s just after nine-thirty in the evening, and I feel like I should be in bed already.