What's IN/OUT this week

I lied straight to your beautiful faces (inboxes) last week when I said we would be back to our regularly scheduled Tuesday posts. But NEXT WEEK, I swear we’re back. I have returned to Chicago and will remain travel-free for the foreseeable future. That means we (I) can get back on track and maybe regain some semblance of a routine.

IN: Sitting on my parent’s front porch. It remains unmatched in terms of porches and decks. I like when neighbors honk when they drive by! I also enjoy how fully covered the porch is, so you can enjoy it in a light rain (not that we had any on this trip). I saw a chipmunk and several squirrels! It’s a 10/10 porch, with very comfortable rocking chairs as well. OUT: Spotted lantern flies. I swatted so many dead while on said front porch (they are invasive, FYI). Doing my civic duty, even though I no longer vote or pay taxes in Pennsylvania.

IN: Airport wine. I had just enough time to have a single glass of surprisingly decent wine at Pittsburgh International when I flew out on Wednesday. It felt like the right way to toast the end of an exhausting month of travel. A crisp glass of Portuguese white wine, enjoyed while sitting in cool, recycled air, watching the service dogs go by: Peak American relaxation. OUT: Airport people. My hot take is that you shouldn’t be allowed to talk in the security lines. You should focus on having your ID and ticket ready, your bottles emptied, your items ready to be thrown into a bin. You should NOT be speaking at top volume about how many points you used for the flight and what your preferred airline is. Even in the precheck line — where one presumably finds oneself because they travel enough to warrant the cost of a security clearance — folks remain befuddled by the entire process. Thank you to Lindsey for sending me this.

IN: Lemon balm iced tea. My lemon balm plant has been popping off, and I’m not going to make lemon balm bread each time I have a big harvest. I started steeping a large bunch of the leaves in a mason jar in the fridge for about a week, and the resulting tea is so unbelievably refreshing. Does anyone have a contact at Polar Water or La Croix? This drink in sparkling form would upend whole societies. OUT: Walking fast. It is too hot to hustle, but we must still get our steps in. I’m splitting up Dottie’s longer walks into the morning and evening. And while I was at my parents’ house, I took full advantage of their treadmill. In fact, I kind of really dug being in a cold basement, staring at a wall while I ran. It was a nice counter to the swampy temperature on the front porch. I’m not interested in learning what my love for extremes might suggest, unless it’s proof of beauty and intelligence.

IN: Loose plans. Being a Very Tired Woman™, I am avoiding saying “yes” to most anything this weekend. Unlike the Great American State Fair, I do not wish to overpromise and underdeliver. Also I am loving all the reports from the fair. In fact, part of me wants to drive to D.C. myself because it sounds so downright bizarre: “At 2:41 p.m., Dr. Oz is talking with … Dean Cain? About Medicare fraud? No time! I can’t risk missing George Washington!” OUT: Big gestures. I do not wish to hear anything more about the possible T*ylor Sw*ft wedding extravaganza (although this tweet made me laugh)! Nor do I care about the two beautiful bozos who scaled the Empire State building then got engaged. Everyone needs to calm down: It is too hot and everything is too expensive. Buy some ice cream and call it a day.

Tell me what you hated this week!