July Wrap-Up

July was a wonderful month! The highlight was our trip to DC for the 4th of July weekend. SMS and I stayed with my parents. I love seeing them and it was great to have the quality time together. We were also really lucky in that my sister and her family were in town for their final weekend in the area. Yes, she graduated residency and was about to move to Minneapolis! You can tell we’re sisters because in the course of three weeks, she went to Europe with her family to celebrate a friend’s wedding in Portugal, finished residency, and executed a move.So busy! And, of all the shoes in the world to pick, we both had red Rothy loafers. Sisters!

But the woman above is not my sister- she’s one of my college friends who lives in Alexandria! I had actually forgotten she lived there, but remembered once I was in DC. We texted and were able to meet up for about an hour in Old Town Alexandria- we got coffee, went for a walk, and had the best conversations! It was too short of a time together but at least it was something!

The whole weekend was absolutely amazing. So much family time, bonus friend time, and my heart just felt so full! It also meant a lot that SMS was there. I sometimes see my parents for a quick trip that involves a high flying:actual time on ground ratio, which is not as much fun. But a longer weekend was great and really a special time. We ended with hangout time at a restaurant patio near my sister’s place before heading out. I love my little nephew and niece- they are cutest with the best personalities.

Other social events in July included solidifying our DINK status with a pickleball meet-up hosted by my college’s alumni society. I see the appeal. We had a fun first match where we played with other beginners. Then, we played with two people who had played before. We tried to beg off but they insisted it would be fun. Well, maybe if you call handing our asses to us in 3 minutes or less fun…then it was. We then split up with one good/one newbie player on each side, which was still kind of painful but we muddled through. For three games which was a little weird since it seemed fun/not-fun at the same time, especially to the older better player. Before I play pickleball again, I would like to practice getting a feel for the ball and how much strength is needed behind different hits- especially the serve.

We also had several dinners/meals with friends. A couple that I met at a prior Williams event, SMS’ co-worker and his wife, and our friends Michelle and John from San Diego were all around the same weekend so it was a very social time!

This list came out from the NYTimes and included an interactive way to brag about how well-read (or not) you were. It’s mostly a mix of literary fiction and some excellent non-fiction from the last 24 years. But the list lost a lot of credibility with me when My Brilliant Friend was listed as #1. Blergh, boo! It was so boring, like a bad Sicilian knock-off of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Yes, I know it’s an International bestseller with a very mysterious author but it is so not my cup of tea. And I say this as someone who really loves books that are character-driven deep dives rather than interesting plot-focused. I did like the reader’s choice list more.

I tried the “Competition Cappachino” from our local coffee shop, which won third place in the nation! Impressive. It consisted of a very fruity, berry espresso shot; milk with some creamy-making agent and freeze-dried coconut(?); and the cappauccino itself. I was impressed with how the bright acidity flavor of the espresso alone changed so much in the cappuccino. I mean, obviously this happens with mild and acid combining but to taste the differences in the head:head comparison was really cool.

And this happened! Hooray!