July 31, 2026: Welcome to our July cocktail hour. Let’s have a nice summer cocktail like a Gin & Tonic Sgroppino, with its scoop of refreshing lime sorbet. It has been miserably hot and humid here for most of the month, so maybe we’ll stay inside in air conditioning. Maybe we’ll be lucky enough to see the Buck Moon on the 29th. Sunset in Virginia is at around 8:25 in July and we can mingle and sip, while wallowing through damp layers of heat.
I have a variety of soda or seltzer water for those of you who don’t drink.
July marked our second of two months back in the U.S. before we leave for Europe. We started the month with Adam having surgery in Managua to drain and clean out an infection on his left hip and Mike spending time with him in Hospital Militar Escuela for 12 days. This made for a heavy and worrisome time for our family as we all pulled for Adam to get healthy again.
Homebody stuff
On the 1st of July, I had my stitches removed from my Mohs surgery. I also had quite a bit of bruising under my left eye that eventually cleared up. After the stitches were removed, I treated myself to a pedicure and did a little shopping so I wouldn’t sit around worrying incessantly about Adam.
We spent a lot of time simply hanging around at home and playing or interacting with Allie. We have needed to replace our refrigerator for some time, so on Thursday the 16th, Mike ordered a new one. On Saturday the 18th, we had a big thunderstorm and both Mike and I nearly jumped out of our skin when a bolt of lightning hit a tree in our neighbor’s yard, sending a large branch crashing into our yard. Another day, Mike got stung by wasps from a wasp nest beside the garage, so he bundled up in protective clothing to attack the nest with spray.
Mike and I took Allie to the pool at Oakton Swim and Racquet on the 14th, where she jumped around non-stop and then zonked out for hours afterward. We went again on the 19th, this time with Alex, while Jandira was at work. On Wednesday the 29th, Mike and I took Allie to the playground at Crossfield Elementary School, where she had a grand time chasing other children, climbing ladders, swinging, going down slides, and “cooking up” a birthday cake with wood chips.
I finished 6 books in July bringing my total to 40/48. I especially enjoyed The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millenium #2) by Stieg Larsson; The Arc of the Swallow (Søren Marhauge #2) by S.J. Gazan; and The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking. While Mike was in Nicaragua, I watched a movie Alex recommended, Crazy, Stupid, Love during which I fell asleep; I had to continue watching it the next day. I also watched and enjoyed Voicemails for Isabelle, The Devil Wears Prada 2, and A Tourist’s Guide to Love. We started watching a couple of new series or new seasons of old series: Broadchurch; The Moonflower Murders; The Marlow Murder Club; La Stagiaire (The Intern); The Gift (Atiye); Trying (S5); and Las de la última fila. We finished watching Your Friends and Neighbors (S2); Imperfect Women; and Alice and Steve (S1). We continued watching The Four Seasons (S2); AnotherSelf (Zeytin Ağacı) (S3); The Bear; Sommerdahl (S1); Marriage; Thank You Next (Kimler Geldi Kimler Geçti) (S3); Grantchester (S6); Wallander (S2); Love Life (S2); Old Money (Enfes Bir Aksam) (S1); and The New Adventures of Old Christine (S4).
Independence Day and America’s 250th Celebration
I have always hated the 4th of July in the U.S. I don’t enjoy fireworks, BBQs, 100 degree heat and humidity, gnats and mosquitos, the idea of American exceptionalism, and people wearing and waving the obnoxious colors of red, white and blue. Every day of the interminable weekend, the weather service issued extreme heat warnings. Not to mention that it was the 250th celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, an event hijacked by the orange goon and made into a partisan event that attacked the majority of American citizens. I despise this embarrassing and ridiculous timeline. I abhor our despicable president and everything he stands for, as well as the bunch of cronies and ass-kissers he’s surrounded himself with and the asshats that continue to support him. This July was simply the worst of a long line of horrible Julys in the history of this country. I refused to celebrate it in any way, and I mostly stayed indoors in air-conditioning all weekend.
Alex, Jandira and Allie went to a celebration in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Mike was still in Managua with Adam. So in a stroke of luck, I had the house all to myself. Pure heaven. I love nothing better than solitude: reading good books, watching movies and dreaming of travel. And I was lucky to be able to do all of those things without having to put up with macho displays of bravado and “patriotism.”
Dining Out
On Thursday, July 2, I took Alex, Jandira and Allie out for Korean food at Maru Ramen & Korean Cuisine. We had a lovely time enjoying Bibimbop, Bulgogi, hot sake and Sapporo.
On Wednesday, July 8, I went to Cinema Arts Theatre to see The Devil Wears Prada 2. I enjoyed it because, though I’m not fashionable, I find fashion interesting. Plus Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep are just so cool! After the movie, I went to P.F. Chang’s where I sat at the bar and sipped a Prosecco and ate shrimp dumplings that weren’t very good.
While Mike was in Managua, I went with the family out to Tsunami Sushi.
Once Mike returned home from Managua, we went out to eat at our favorite Japanese restaurant, Ariake, on the 14th.
On Saturday, the 18th, Mike and I went to our favorite vegetarian Indian restaurant, Woodlands. We’ve been eating at this establishment since the boys were young. I enjoyed my favorite Malai Kofta (green peas and cheese cooked with tomatoes, onions and Indian spices) and Mike tried a new dish, Paneer Mirch Ka Salan (A favorite dish from Hyderabad. Cottage cheese and Jalapeno Chilies cooked in sesame seeds gravy and Tamarind sauce). Of course, we also enjoyed garlic Naan.
On Monday, July 20, we went out with the entire family to Mazadar, where we enjoyed Meat Mantu, Lamb Shank, Lamb Kebab, and Shrimp Biriyani. We always love the food and vibe at this cool Mediterranean restaurant with Afghan and Middle Eastern influences. Allie, once she woke up from her nap, enjoyed playing in the restaurant’s fountain.
While Mike met up with his old friends in Ohio, I went out one night to Anita’s Mexican Restaurant where I enjoyed a margarita and my favorite Chile Relleno.
Finally, we went out to dinner with our friends Karen and Michael on Thursday the 30th at Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge at Reston Town Center. It was great to get together with them and find out about their travels and the trials and rewards of being grandparents to their little granddaughter Fiona. Of course Karen and I kept our tradition of having dirty martinis whenever we get together.
Walks
My walks have been miserable this month with temps near 100, high humidity, gnats and mosquitos. At least I encountered some pretty blooms.
Mike stays with Adam in Nicaragua during his surgery and recovery
Adam checked in to Hospital Militar Escuela in Managua, Nicaragua at 5:30 p.m. on June 30th. There the doctors examined him, did blood tests, and later took him for an MRI. The MRI determined the infection from his left hand, which he thought was healing after being infected (and drained several times) when he got a splinter in it, had settled into his left hip and he would need surgery to drain an abscess that had formed between his femur and hip; the surgeon would also explore the hip for early signs of anything else to clean up. Adam was terrified as he had never had a serious surgery before and was afraid he would never wake up. The whole operation, surgery and recovery, would take 6 hours.
He was diagnosed with Septicemia, commonly called blood poisoning, a serious and life-threatening bloodstream infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It triggers an extreme body-wide response that can lead to low blood pressure, organ failure, and death if not treated immediately. The Septicemia led to septic arthritis, when the bacteria travels through the blood and settles inside the fluid and tissues of a joint, most commonly the knee or hip. This spreading infection causes severe inflammation, rapid cartilage damage, and is a critical medical emergency requiring immediate hospital care. Staphylococcus aureus (staph) is the leading cause of both conditions followed by streptococcus bacteria.
Mike arrived in Managua late Tuesday night the 30th after his American Airlines flight from Miami was delayed for 2 1/2 hours due to a gate change, which led to a delay in catering for Business Class. He was extremely frustrated and angrily told the flight attendants that if his son died before he could get to Managua due to this stupid delay, he would never forgive them. It was so ridiculous that they held up a whole flight for a few spoiled business class passengers who might not get to eat or drink for the duration of a 3-hour flight.
The doctors took Adam to surgery early in the morning of July 1 and drained an infectious abscess in his hip and cleaned up another developing infection in his hip. The surgery went well without complications. But he would have a long and slow recovery as he stayed hooked to an IV with antibiotics, with blood tests every two days to make sure the infection was abating and didn’t spread elsewhere. At least Mike was there with him, as Maria had to go home to take care of the children on Wednesday. Adam had to take things a day at a time and follow the doctors’ orders religiously. We hoped he would begin to heal and wouldn’t encounter any setbacks.
The doctors said Adam would need at least a 10-day recovery time in the hospital to heal the wound and to continue getting antibiotics through IV. He wouldn’t be able to put weight on his left leg for 4-6 weeks. Slowly, day by day, he increased his food intake to regain his energy. He got up using a walker to both go to the bathroom and take a shower. Despite not being able to put weight on his left leg, the doctors expected him to do daily movement exercises with his leg and to get up and move around.
Mike stayed in Adam’s hospital room the entire time Adam was hospitalized.
On Saturday the 4th, Adam asked for a barber to come in and cut his hair. He hasn’t had short hair in ages, so I was surprised by this. He said having it short is simply easier to take care of. I think he looks handsome with short hair, but he’s handsome no matter what.
It was a long slow process with nurses and doctors coming in at all hours to take Adam’s vital signs, to jab him with more needles, and to administer the antibiotics and pain meds. He had several more ultrasounds and EKGs and another MRI to make sure nothing else was going on. He had a period of time where he had trouble breathing and found his lung had partially collapsed; this required him to do breathing exercises.
Mike had to go out to a food court to eat his meals but wasn’t allowed to bring food into the hospital. He became friendly with the guards and managed to sneak in fruits and smoothies, which Adam felt he wasn’t getting enough of. One time he was stopped and his backpack was searched, so he learned to be more cunning when he approached the guard. He would walk in as he was finishing up a drink and then would ostentatiously throw the finished drink in the trashcan as he walked by the guard. Thus the guard assumed he had finished his drink and didn’t search his backpack, which contained a smoothie or fruit for Adam. Once he figured out that this method worked, he used it repeatedly.
Mike slept every night in the hospital on a pull-out bed. Most nights were restless as nurses were in and out constantly. When Adam started to get off of the opioid pain meds, he started having night sweats and was utterly drenched. He felt the doctors should have weaned him off slowly because his body wasn’t handling the withdrawal well. Mike patiently helped him to change out of his drenched hospital gown, dry him off with a towel, and change the sheets.
On Saturday, July 11, the doctors agreed that Adam could return home to Ometepe as long as he followed certain protocols for his recovery. The infectious disease doctor said he would prefer to have Adam stay a couple more days, but Adam felt he could recover better at home being with his family. He took a taxi for around 3 hours to the port in San Jorge, where Maria met him with a wheelchair provided by the ferry. This newer ferry also had a room where he could rest for the 1 1/2 hour ferry crossing to Ometepe. Adam finally made it home late in the evening on Saturday, July 11.
Meanwhile, Mike moved out of the hospital room and checked into the Best Western across from the airport so he could catch an early flight home on Sunday, July 12. He enjoyed dinner and two beers while watching the World Cup, topped off by a Tres Leches dessert. He hadn’t been able to have a drink the whole time he was in the hospital with Adam.
Adam has been home since July 12 and is slowly recovering, having periodic blood tests to make sure the infection has cleared, getting his staples removed from his surgery, and doing exercises to build strength. He gets exhausted easily but knows when to take it easy. He’s supposed to be able to put weight on his left leg on August 5. He said he has learned a lot from this experience, which has humbled him considerably.
Mike’s annual “Ohighlander“ get-together in Dayton, Ohio
On July 22nd Mike headed out to Centerville, Ohio for his annual July “Ohighlander” get-together with eight of his George C. Marshall High School (Falls Church, VA.) class of ’72 and ’73 buddies. They have been gathering here since 2004, descending on Mike Chanatry’s house from seven states and the UK. A four-night scotch tasting competition, local beer contributions, backyard cookouts, City Barbeque and Skyline Chili fare, a golf outing, a disc golf outing, backyard games, trivia games, and a set of Casey Chanatry’s music at a local club kept the old guys busy and thinking they were young for four days. Mike missed last year’s gathering because both of us were living in Costa Rica.He enjoyed reconnecting with his mates.
He sent some photos of the gang now compared to when they were younger.
Here are a few shots of the gathering this year.
A Visit with Sarah in Richmond
On Wednesday and Thursday, the 22nd and 23rd, I drove to Richmond to visit my daughter Sarah. As I was driving down the highway a couple of rocks hit my windshield from a passing truck full of gravel. One bounced off without causing damage, but the second put a ding in the windshield just to the right of my sight line. This meant we’d have to replace the windshield before we left the country.
Sarah was thrilled to get the cheap butter dish of ours that she had admired in Costa Rica. She must have reminded me 10 times not to forget to bring it home in our luggage. She gave me a cowboy t-shirt from Bozeman, Montana, where she had gone for her brother Nick’s wedding.
We promptly went out for a carry-out sushi at Yellow Umbrella Provisions, eating outdoors in front of the market. Then we went on our regular shopping spree at Short Pump Mall, getting some stuff at Gap, H&M, Anthropologie, and dropping in to Madewell and Free People.
Later, we relaxed in Sarah’s apartment and then went out to dinner at Stock Bistro & Bar, a Nordic restaurant located in a restored railroad freight terminal that is also home to a stylish modern furniture gallery – Txtur. It was a delicious meal and a lovely setting in the midst of the furniture store. We enjoyed complimentary Fried Green Tomatoes (with house smoked salmon and dillsås), as well as Swedish Meatballs (Lamb and beef meatballs, gräddsås, cucumber salad and lingonberry jam), Smoke In Chimneys Trout (Pan seared Smoke In Chimney Rainbow Trout, herbed potato hash, braised leeks, “everything seasoning”crème fraîche and purple dulse), and finally, Smørrebrød, a traditional 0pen-faced rye bread sandwich served with Cucumber Salad (topped with Roasted Mushrooms, braised leeks, Goat Lady Dairy chèvre, crispy shallots). It was fun to get a preview of what Mike and I might encounter food-wise in our upcoming Scandinavian trip.
On Thursday morning, we enjoyed coffee and chit-chat and then went to Forest Hill Park for a walk and a run for Sarah. It was rather hot and humid, but we enjoyed the lotus blossoms and the heron at the pond on the property.
After showering, Sarah prepared a delicious burrata with sliced fresh peaches and tomatoes from her local farmer’s market, drizzled with a balsamic vinegar glaze, and served with warm crusty bread and watermelon. It was a lovely light lunch to top off our short time together.
Friday Night Live! in Herndon
On Friday, July 31, we went with the family to Friday Night Live! in Herndon. Allie had a blast running around with the other children and throwing beach balls randomly about.
Two bands played: The opening set by 8 Track Jones played favorite pop/rock tunes from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and today. The second set featured keeton, a northern Virginia cover band; the band played ’90s alternative hits such as Pearl Jam, Weezer, Foo Fighters, New Radicals, Eve 6, Better Than Ezra, Green Day. We left about a half-hour into their set because it was getting close to our bedtime! 🙂
Family Happenings
After Mike got bitten by a dog in Managua when we were there in late April, he didn’t worry much about rabies because Adam and his friend Manja had never heard of anyone having rabies on the island of Ometepe. Also, the clinic next door to the police station said it was a superficial wound and immediately cleaned it and gave Mike antibiotics. When we got home, our daughter Sarah mentioned that if someone is infected with rabies, it can lie dormant for 1-3 months, and even for years in rare cases. Because of this unpredictable timeline, it is critical to seek medical attention for immediate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if a person has been bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal. Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal.
This information disturbed Mike and when he got home, he went on a quest to find out whether he should get the post-exposure rabies vaccine. Apparently nowadays the shots are not given in the stomach, but are given in the arm over a period of weeks. However, after calling his doctor, emergency care clinics and the Fairfax County Health Department, he found the only place to get the vaccine is in the emergency room at a hospital. He talked with the Health Department and was told that he should find out if the dog is still alive; he was told that if the dog was infected with rabies, he would have died within 10 days. Before Adam went to the gymnastics event in Managua he tried to make some calls to find if the dog was still alive, but he couldn’t get any information. So, after Maria returned to Ometepe, she took a taxi to Altagracia and got a picture of the dog, which is luckily still alive.
Thus, Mike decided he won’t bother getting the post-infection vaccine.
We got some other photos of the family, with one adorable one of a fashion show in which the girls dressed up Mikey in different outfits. Alex and Jandira went on a few outings without us and shared photos of Allie sitting in a police vehicle in the City of Fairfax. They also went for a day outing to Calvert Cliffs State Park and Solomon’s Island.
My Summer BINGO card
This month, I completed a few more things on my Summer BINGO card. We didn’t get many of the things I hoped to get done while home in Virginia, as Mike was in Managua for almost half the month, and I was too worried and upset about Adam to feel like doing much of anything.
- Pedicure: Lavender (“sassy enough for you”) (July 1) ✓
- Pedicure: Bright coral (MOD-ERN GIRL) (July 31) ✓
- Pool dates with Allie ✓✓
- Hair straightening with Jian. ✓
- Visit Sarah in Richmond ✓
- Haircut with Tisa (no highlights). ✓
- Book Norway: Bodø ✓, Trondheim ✓, Geiranger ✓, Lillehammer ✓
- Out with Karen and Michael at Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge ✓
- Attend a music festival or outdoor concert (Friday Night Live! in Herndon on July 31) ✓
- Finalize sale of Mitsubishi with Suzanne in Costa Rica (Received final payment but she will close on August 3 when she arrives in Costa Rica) ✓
- Read 6 books: Lonely Planet Norway by Gemma Graham; The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium #2) by Stieg Larsson; The Arc of the Swallow (Søren Marhauge #2) by S. J. Gazan; The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking; Alan Opts Out by Courtney Maum; and The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. ✓
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I hope you’ll share how the year is panning out for you, and what plans you have for the summer.
How did your July go? Did you have any special family gatherings? Have you welcomed any new additions to your family? Did you celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries? Have you read any good books that can inform your worldview, seen any good movies, binge-watched any television series? Have you planned any adventures or had any winter or holiday getaways? Have you dreamed any dreams? Have you gone to any exotic restaurants, cooked any new dishes? Have you been surprised by anything in life? Have you created a Winter Bingo Card or dream list? Have you made any new friends? Have you learned anything new, taken any classes or just kept up with the news? Have you sung along with any new songs? Have you undertaken any new exercise routines? Have you marched or otherwise participated in political protests? Have you been battered, or alternately, uplifted by any news?
Please share your July with me by giving me the plot below, or a link to a post in your blog that tells about your month.
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