Coffee Break: Ponytail Sun Hat

116 Comments

1. While this hat may be incredibly dorky, it would have been so useful for me on river trips! It was always a pain fitting a sufficiently sun-protective hat over even a low ponytail. I might buy this for a future trip.

   1. I was just thinking the same.
      Everytime I put on my huge sun hat that I love I think shoot… I have to fix my ponytail.

   2. It is incredibly dorky, but I own it and can confirm that it’s perfect for river trips and gardening in the dirt.

   3. I have this hat! I wear it every day (no car so I walk a lot). Admittedly I don’t care that it’s dorky. I love the sun protection and that it is lightweight and foldable to stuff into a bag.

      1. I have this hat too! it’s not cool, but it has drastically increased my hat usage in the yard, at the beach, on the casual afternoon walk when I really don’t care how I look.

      2. I also have this hat. Just took to Maui. Was perfect to stuff in my suitcase or bag, and the chin strap is necessary for boats and crazy trade winds. I do not regret my dorkiness–I’m pale and it’s hard to find a good hat. I love it and even bought one for my best friend I love it so much.

         I have cuter hats for other activities, but when I need a Really Good Hat, this is the one.

         The ponytail holder only works with medium ponies, not high ponies, but I’m willing to adjust my hair for this bad boy. I love it that much.

   4. I wore this hat for a 8+ hour hike in Colorado last weekend. Fits well and provided great sun coverage for my face, ears, and neck. Can’t beat the price at $10. I’m going to buy 3 more for my teenage daughters.

2. When did you get rid of your shoebox of sentimental items given by/related to your ex? I’m moving in with my boyfriend and I asked what was in a particular box in the corner of the closet. He said it was sentimental items from an ex that he “couldn’t bring himself to throw away.” I threw away my box of ex items long before meeting my current boyfriend, but is it weird he still has his? I’m weirded out by it. He does have a bad habit of never throwing anything away so I know that is a factor here. I asked if he was over his ex and he assured me that he was. What would you do here? Ask him to throw it away? Not say anything further and let him do it on his own time?

   1. Eh…I’d say if it’s in the box tucked away leave it for now. I pared down over the years, but I still have a handful of love letters (I got a beautifully illustrated one from an artist I’m likely never going to give away) and trinkets or other mementos and it 100% doesn’t mean I don’t adore my spouse! I just keep them mixed in with my other special mementos in a box on a high closet shelf.
      I guess it also depends on what’s in there. Cards and like…a little keychain is one thing, lingerie, clothing, intimate pics and things like that are another, ya know?

      1. I agree on both counts.

      2. +1, I think it would be overstepping to ask him to pitch them if they’re just stuffed in a corner of the closet. Even though it’s an ex, it’s still years of your life.

      3. I agree on this – both on it not being a huge deal but that cards/notes/vacation photos/normal mementos are different than intimate pictures/clothing/etc.
         Fwiw my HS ex died suddenly (we’re in our 40s) and I really appreciated the ability to look back at old notes, photos, etc. We weren’t close when he passed but I still mourned him and the role he played in my life.

      4. Spot on.

         I have some mementos and gifts from my ex, who I last saw in…1999? Not in a special box all of their own, but just interspersed with my other stuff throughout my house. While some of them were meaningful back at the time, they are now just part of the accumulated things I have collected and I enjoy them for their own sake now.

   2. I think you can be totally over an ex but still have an attachment to the memories or want to keep things for nostalgia purposes. It was an era of your life, like any other. I wouldn’t be concerned about this at all unless like NaoNao said it’s lingerie or something gardening-related, or if there are any other red flags that he is unresolved about her or unsure about you. I would definitely not ask him to throw it away, since that seems quite controlling. Secure adults recognize people have pasts and allow them whatever emotional space they want around their pasts.

   3. He gets to decide what sentimental things to keep–this isn’t your call one way or another. I would say the same thing even if you were married.

      If it helps put you at ease, often items like this are a way of remembering a certain time in life versus a person. Just like some folks hang on to mementos from high school that they may never even look at. It probably doesn’t cross his mind much at all if ever.

      But asking him to throw it away is way overstepping boundaries.

   4. Thanks all, you’re right – it’s not my place.

   5. My DH, married 13 yrs, together for 20, still has a framed photo of his college girlfriend in a box stored in a closet. He graduated college 30 years ago, doubt he’s seen her in at least 25 years? I admit I may have questioned it 15-20 years ago, but now? Just funny that he still has it.

      1. The framed photo is part of his personal history, like snapshots of people you used to work with and no longer remember their names. Ultimately, he chose you.

   6. I’m the wrong person to ask, since I have things from several exes: Christmas tree ornaments, a table (one ex made it for me – it’s beautiful), a cat tree, etc., in addition to some cards and such. They are good men; we aren’t the right people for each other; it’s a reminder of kindness and caring.

      IMHO, I would draw the line at anything gardening-related. That just needs to go, whatever it would be.

   7. I agree with others saying a shoebox of chaste mementos in the closet is probably not concerning. I have my own ex shoebox, but my boyfriend of about 9 months has love notes from his ex prominently displayed, open, with other cards and letters. I’m pretty sure it’s just cluelessness and sentimentality, and I don’t want to seem controlling or jealous, but it definitely bothers me.

3. Dorky gardening questions: is there such a thing as a gardener’s manicure? Also, does anyone have thoughts on how to find out which nativars might be less evil than others?

   1. I have what I call the ‘Food Network’ manicure – short, rounded edges, with a very pale polish (maybe red for holidays). I cook almost every night and if I don’t keep my nails short and functional they get in the way. I’d imagine a similar style would work for gardeners/guitar players/nurses/doctors.

   2. Gloves.

      1. Love the Atlas Showa nitrile 370. Saw it on some Wirecutter or strategist list and they are for real the best. My nails aren’t caked in dirt when I take them off.

         Second Mt Cuba.

   3. for your second question, check out the Mt Cuba Center. but generally changing the color or adding more petals makes it hard for pollinators.

   4. Oh you meant actual gardening… On the second question, this article has some helpful info: https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/article/native-species-or-cultivars-of-native-plants-does-it-matter/ (on the first, I’ve given up on my nails and keep them short–it takes roughly 2 minutes in the garden before I break one if they’re long)

      1. I was about to say, if you like women, there’s definitely a preferred way to do your nails.

         1. Which also works great for real gardening!

   5. I keep my nails short and rounded. I actually like wearing polish; I feel like it gives my nails some degree of protection.

   6. I use a bamboo nail brush in the shower after doing yardwork to get the dirt out from under my nails and from around all the crevices. For whatever reason, working up a lather while washing my hair always takes care of any straggling stains that the brush doesn’t vanquish.

4. I’m spiraling. I work in marketing, and about a month ago I sent a marketing email on accident to an existing client. Said client was quite upset, and called their account manager to complain. I wrote an apology email to the client explaining I am new to the company and wasn’t aware of the relationship, and promised to take them off of any future email campaigns. The client responded very kindly and said they understood the mistake. Today I find out that they will be halting their service with us. I am panicking that this is the result of my mistake and that I sabotaged a very important account. How do you guys cope with making mistakes at work? I feel so guilty and bad.

   1. Your mistake seems REALLY minor. If they dropped your company, I’m guessing that it’s a pattern of other stuff that’s been going on for awhile.

      1. + A client that got that mad about a marketing email instead of just hitting delete is mad about other stuff.

         1. +1 Unless your marketing email had something crazy in it, like you were highlighting work you did for their direct competitor or something, it’s ridiculous they even got upset in the first place. I get marketing emails from my vendor partners that I’m already a client of all the time. Them losing the client is 100% not on you.

         2. +1000%

   2. disclaimer that I’m not in marketing but – this seems like a very small mistake and VERY unlikely to be the reason they are halting service.

   3. there is 100% a bigger reason than an accidental marketing email.

5. is it just me or is the supreme court totally out of control? i really don’t see how we can fix this without adding more justices.

   1. Nope, not just you.

      1. It’s been bad ever since Bush v. Gore. And now we know more detail about how genuinely corrupted the Conservative justices are. A Democratic Justice reported when she got pastries from an outside group, and Thomas didn’t report a free motor home. I think the first step is a code of ethics that can be enforced.

   2. If you’re worried about Project 2025, you should be glad about the Chevron decision. Everybody likes a strong administrative state until the other side is choosing the administrators.

      1. but they already chose the judges? so choosing the administrators seems like a belt and suspenders situation for authoritarian control?

      2. I’m not finding thar much comfort; some of the Republican House members don’t want to help run the country, they just want to legislate in their religious agenda. At least the Deep State keeps the country running.

   3. No? I do not agree with their legal conclusions politically and would probably have ruled differently, but I don’t think that the major decisions that came down this week are invalid logically, textually, or legally. (I haven’t read the minor ones).

      To the extent you’re basing that on the NYT, I have found their coverage this week unusually bad. It much has felt like they’ve rushed to print on the major opinions, which is understandable, but have not done their normal more thoughtful and nuanced piece the day after, which is a shame. They also usually are quite good at actually engaging with the legal arguments and contrasting the points of disagreement, and their coverage this week has instead focused on political implications—again, understandable to focus on the implications, but the failure to actually highlight the arguments in the majority and minority opinions makes them much less accessible to non-lawyers, and it’s a bummer they aren’t doing both.

      1. I’ll be interested to see if the other appellate lawyers feel differently.

      2. They have completely tossed out stare decisis and are reaching a bunch of results oriented decisions that have inconsistent legal underpinnings. Justice Barrett has been pointing this out. I have no idea how the lower courts are supposed to apply this mass of inconsistencies.

         1. What opinions, specifically, are you referring to? I don’t think they “completely tossed out stare decisis” even in Loper Bright, which is probably the closest argument. (I do think Kagan made a compelling argument on why stare decisis should’ve saved Chevron, but I don’t think the majority “completely tossed” the doctrine out).

            1. In fact, they are overruling fewer existing precedents than the Warren court did.

      3. NYT has been so bad this week I’m considering canceling. But I get most of my legal analysis from msnbc people like Hayes/Maddow or leftist lawyers on Twitter like Elie Mystal, Joyce Alene, Neal Katyal, etc.

         I’m definitely in a silo, though.

   4. Please help me understand. If more judges are added to get a balanced court that you agree with, what stops the other side from adding more judges to achieve the balance they want down the line?

      1. Maybe instead of packing the court, as an official act, Biden could order drone strikes on two or three of the right wing justices? Kidding. Mostly.

         1. So treason IS funny when the targets are the opposing team.

            I am voting for Biden, so don’t label me a bigot. I just think what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, etc. One set of rules that apply to everyone. Otherwise, it’s hypocrisy all the way down.

         2. Joking about killing people, even people you don’t like, isn’t funny, and joking about the executive branch using force to kill members of another branch is way beyond the pale. Don’t talk like this — it’s beneath you (and all of us).

            1. Meh, speak for yourself. I found it funny and would not be able to survive this world without gallows humor.

            2. @anon 6:37 – is it also funny when Democrats are targeted by this type of humor?

            3. Not to me because I’m a liberal, but I wouldn’t stop others from finding it funny – as long as it’s obviously a joke, which it is here too. To each their own.

      2. Well, there’s a pretty clear stopping point: when it’s 50/50 (or some other designation that allows for an even split in a non-two-party set up). So if “someone” adds judges to make 10, 5 are Side 1, 5 are Side 2. Adding more of either side means unbalance, so the stopping point would be 50/50 IMHO.

         And the confirmation (and election or appointment) process is a slowing factor as well, as well as the fact I’d imagine there’s a limited number of genuinely qualified people out there.

         But if you mean theoretically what is stopping a bizarre race to stuff as many judges in the court as will allow, I guess nothing?

         1. Interesting.
            Wouldn’t there need to be an odd number of judges so that there is a majority decision is reachable in every case?

         2. Everyone will tip the court to their favor every time they have the ability to do so. No one will get to a 50/50 split and call it good. It will just swing forever back and forth. It’s a fool’s game.

            There are also Justices who do not clearly align with “their side” each time — Gorsuch, Kagan, and Roberts each do so semi-regularly, and Scalia also routinely went against the “expected” position for a Republican appointee on the Fourth Amendment. Ideally, we will have a system that optimizes for those sorts of Justices, and packing the Court disincentivizes that.

6. Help – can I wash these dresses in the washing machine? They say dry clean only but wondering if there’s any leeway there.

   First dress: The tag says 97% polyester and 3% spandex.
   https://www.belk.com/p/kasper-womens-stretch-crepe-split-neck-sheath-dress/110028310814688.html

   Second dress: The tag says 43% rayon, 30% polyester, 24% nylon, 3% spandex
   https://www.belk.com/p/calvin-klein-womens-sleeveless-printed-solid-sheath-dress/1501156CD3EAE8K.html

   1. The lined one will need to go to drycleaning.
      I’d risk washing the unlined one . . . with the caveat that I’d put it in the dryer for about 2 min. to help the wrinkles release and then hang to dry the rest of the way. By no means dry it fully in the dryer.

   2. I wouldn’t wash a lined dress – the two materials won’t necessarily respond the same way to getting wet.

   3. is either one of them lined? if there’s lining do not put them in the washing machine. you could maybe do a spot test?

   4. I would (and have) washed dresses like these in the washing machine, but would do so on a delicate cycle and would not tumble dry them for more than a few minutes to steam the worst of the wrinkles out. If you have a lingerie or sweater bag, use that to help keep the lining intact.

7. I can’t say this in real life because it is super petty and awful. But a few years ago, I was suddenly let go after my company hired someone with a similar background. This individual took credit for the work I produced, presented my ideas as his own to our boss, and was incredibly condescending and mean on any call when it was just the two of us so no one could witness. He took a vacation during one of our busiest times of the year while throwing all that work on me, and I don’t know if anyone else ever knew because I was too afraid of looking like I couldn’t be a team player.

   Fast-forward a few years, and I’m a VP at a much larger company doing way more interesting work with a group of smart, kind, creative people.

   And I just learned he was let go. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving person.

   1. FAFO! but yikes that he was there for so long.

   2. Haha join me in Petty Town.

      A fellow manager I used to work with (lateral to me) lied to me and as a result I signed off on something I shouldn’t have, because I took him at his word. I didn’t lose my job but had, let’s just say, unpleasant conversations with people up the chain from me for a long time.

      He left the company before the crap hit the fan so I bore the brunt of it. Lesson learned.

      About 10 years later, he was back, interviewing with the company I still worked for, but talking to all new people since that time due to turnover.

      He’s such a conceited ass, he actually said “I used to work with Anon, ask her, she’ll vouch for me.” Delusional.

      So then I had the great pleasure of very, very much NOT vouching for him.

      1. Damn, you really won the long game. Delicious.

   3. Did you work for my former manager? I cheered when he was (expletive)-canned.

   4. Sometimes Karma comes to the rescue — usually later than we would like, but patience, patience!

   5. I’m the mayor of Petty Town, glad to hear it! Karma sometimes takes a really long time, but then it is SO DELIGHTFUL when it happens.

8. general TV question: do you prefer binging shows or watching a weekly show?

   i wish there were some third option like having a show released every 2 days or something. like the Bear right now i’d love to talk about but I’m only on episode 4 so I don’t want spoilers. and my DH and i prefer to binge but there’s this frenetic energy around it like you have to watch it asap if you want to talk about it with people or else it’s totally irrelevant after that.

   but we honestly lose interest and forget about weekly shows. we love Ghosts but they take so many breaks it isn’t even weekly.

   1. I’m with you on the downside of binge culture – I just don’t want to watch 12 hours of the same story in a row in 3 days. Like as of today I’m through the first mini-release of Bridgerton 3 but haven’t started the second one yet, but the world has moved on.

   2. I like binging shows that have many seasons already complete, so that I have weeks/months of watching one show. Like all the Law and Orders, FBI, NCIS, etc. For the shows I watch with my husband, I don’t watch any weekly shows any more – for the new Law and Order’s, we will wait until there is a couple built up. I do like a new show that releases 10 episodes all at once but haven’t gotten in to them lately.

      I think the only weekly shows I actually watch weekly during the season is Grey’s Anatomy (at this point after 20 years, it’s just a part of my life LOL) and The Kardashians (hides face in hands), mostly because they fit well into my week.

      Not your question, but having the ability to watch whole seasons of shows easily has made me dislike movies. I feel like they’re too long without a little natural intermission break (between episodes) and yet too short to invest the energy to get to know/like the characters, and by the time you do it’s done and there is no more, and what was even the point of that? LOL.

      1. Haha I feel the same way about a lot of movies now! (Some are still so good but not many!) My husband finds it funny that I will sit there and binge 5 episodes of a show with him, but he suggests a movie and I’m like it’s too long!

   3. Tbh, I only watch old favorite shows on my iPad while cooking or cleaning or folding laundry. There are great new shows out there, I’m sure, but I’m already on screens SO much and I find myself craving time away from them. Having SATC on while I fold clothes feels like enough right now.

   4. The only weekly shows I watch are reality trash or competition shows. And those are fine in small doses. Otherwise, at this point, I binge and will wait until all episodes have dropped to start watching (e.g., The Sympathizer). I am okay not having discourse about TV most of the time, and for shows close friends are obsessed with, I find they’ve been interested in talking even when I finish later. That said, if I ever pick up Game of Thrones, I will probably miss out on some of what made it an obsession because the moment has passed. I may be one of the few to go to my grave never having watched an episode.

   5. I pretty much only binge. If a show comes out weekly, I almost always wait until the end of the season and watch it then.

      I wasn’t a tv person at until streaming made it possible to watch an entire season or all of the seasons of something. It’s just not that interesting to me to only see a show strung out over one hour a week. I think it comes from being primarily a reader and fast one who likes to read the whole book at once. I refused to watch Game of Thrones for the longest time because I wanted to read the books first, but didn’t get around to it. I finally read the whole series in less than a week right after the show ended and then watched the show too.

      1. For me it’s partly that I like to read one book at a time, but I want to read most evenings. I guess when novels were published chapter by chapter, I would have waited for them to be finished and read them all at once too!

         With shows, I don’t want to weave back and forth between different shows since it feels jarring to switch from one story and world to another. That probably depends a lot on genre, but I like more immersive worlds and stories best, so the shows I most want to watch are the ones I’m mostly likely to save up.

         1. Though I should add that for me binge watching means “only watching one TV show that is already out until it is finished” even if that takes weeks. It doesn’t mean that I watched it all in one day or something like that.

            1. Me too. I might read an entire book in a day but I limit my tv to a couple episodes a day.

   6. I’ve given up on being part of any TV pop culture moment. I truly do not have time in my current life to binge watch anything, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. It kinda stinks to try to dodge the spoilers and it limits what I can talk about with other fans, but oh well. Even if I had time to binge watch, about 2-3 episodes is my max for anything.

   7. I switch back a forth I think between binge and pacing out episodes. Sometimes a show is so good I dont want it to end so I pace out the episodes. Or its a show works for background noise (Ive been watching White Collar for an example during dinner)
      Other times I just need to mentally check out from thinking and all responsibilties, and take a brain vacation (cue a friday night bridgerton binge).

      I binged each of the bridgerton seasons.
      I binged a couple kdramas.
      I paced out M A S H
      I’m currently pacing out White Collar
      and recently binged over 2 saturdays a show I had watched week to week when it aired 3 years ago.

      I have a tumblr account and its fun to join the bandwagon for currently airing shows or rewatches that way. You get the speculation, fan theories etc in between episodes. You can also tell when other people go on a binge for a show because youll see their reblogs .

   8. I love the Bear! I watched it pretty quick though. It wasn’t that many episodes, so it went fast. I do binge my favorites for sure.

   9. I usually watch on rainy or stormy weekends when nothing else is going on, so I binge several hours of a show with breaks to change laundry or whatever. Even if there is a once per week release I want to see, I just don’t sit down and watch that frequently and will save it up to binge when convenient.

9. What’s everybody eating tonight?

   1. Leftovers: a late spring bounty skillet saute of chicken sausage, summer squash, zucchini, corn,cherry tomatoes, and onions

   2. I have a ton of dill in my garden so I have leftovers of these that both came out pretty well

      https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-lemon-dill-greek-pasta-salad/

      (Made with fresh dill and some other modifications)

      https://ohsheglows.com/easy-lemon-dill-tofu/

      1. I can never grow dill!! Share your secrets! I currently have 10 seedlings about an inch high and one flowering stem 10” high. But with only 3 branches. More pinching? Earlier sowing?

   3. Like one of the Anons, I like dill too. I’m going to try to replicate something I had at a casual restaurant recently: Roasted broccolini, cauliflower, and baby carrots with a quinoa and garbanzo mixture, and lots of herbed (mostly dill) yogurt. There was a good amount of olive oil on the veggies and grain-bean mixture so that, along with the herbed yogurt, added plenty of flavor.

10. I need another book reco. I just finished the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I didn’t love it – it was just okay. I guess I didn’t love the Evelyn Hugo character since she seemed just too self-absorbed (I guess that was the whole point, but she didn’t have any counterbalancing qualities). I loved reading Pachinko, Crazy Rich Asians, Rodham, the American Wife, the Interestings, and Gone Girl. Hated the Underground Railroad (too serious and sad), couldn’t get into Eligible or the Vanishing Twin. Any suggestions?

    1. If you liked Gone Girl, I’d suggest Sharp Objects

    2. With the caveat that I loved Pachinko but hated Gone Girl- I just tore through The Ministry of Time and thought it fantastic.
       I also recently loved: The Monsters We Defy, Landslide, the Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, Frozen River, and The Marquess who Musn’t.

    3. Totally different from the titles you listed, but it’s short and fun and made me laugh out loud several times. I’ve heard the author, Kevin Wilson, speak at an event and he was delightful. The book is Nothing to See Here. The audiobook is awesome and only four hours long.

    4. I recently liked:

       The Great Believers
       The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
       Tom Lake (the audio book is read by Meryl Streep and is excellent)
       The Christie Affair

       If you liked Gone Girl and generally like psychological thrillers, try anything by Ruth Ware or Paula Hawkins

    5. If you liked Rodham and American Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld has a bunch of other books.
       The author of Crazy Rich Asians also has a new one I really enjoyed.

       1. I loved both Prep and Eligible (despite hating the premise & after much reluctance) by Curtis Sittenfeld.

          I just started reading The Husbands by Holly Gramazio and am enjoying it so far. I also loved Where’d You Go Bernadette, which seems like it would be in line with the other books you list.

    6. Try Necessary People or really anything by Anna Pitoniak.

    7. Counterfeit; The Latecomer and the Plot

       1. Agree with all three of these recs.

    8. It’s nonfiction but how about Katherine Graham’s Personal History?

    9. Not sure if you’ll see this but I surprisingly loved Elin Hildenbrand! Engaging and light, but not too fluffy (the Nantucket series especially). Other books I loved are The Nest and Commonwealth (family dramas), Once There Were Wolves, and Remarkably Bright Creatures. You might also like Ruth Ware – she writes fast-paced thrillers that sucked me in like Gone Girl (esp. Zero Days and the It Girl).

    10. A Wolf at the Table is an incredible book (fiction)–it follows one family in a series of single-day snapshots from the early 50s to the 90s (or thereabouts) and it manages to be both allegorical and realistic/down to earth/relatable at once. The skill of the author to draw characters you care about in just paragraphs is enviable.
        I *adore* this book called Cheat and Charmer-it’s a historical fiction set in 30s to 60s Hollywood, mostly during the Red Scare era, and it’s got it ALL: the post-war expat Paris writer scene, Golden Age Hollywood, love/romance, drama, family saga, lush-lose-yourself-in-them descriptions of places, people, scenes. I’ve read it like 20+ times and it’s tied for my fave book along with House of Mirth.

11. I’m headed to a conference in Chicago in a couple of weeks and will be staying for two extra days afterward. I have a 3 yr old and 18 month old at home and a less than helpful spouse (but that’s a whole other issue) and this is the first time in literal years that I’ll be in charge of just myself for multiple days in a row. I am thrilled and want to make the most of the trip! I’m pretty introverted and could easily spend all of my non-conference time reading in my room, sleeping, and working out, but I don’t want to take visiting a new city for granted. Any recommendations for cup-filling Chicago activities, preferably that can be done alone? Yoga studios you love? Places to visit that you come away from feeling happier than when you walked in?

    I’ll be staying on (in?) the Magnificent Mile but have no problem taking either public transportation or an Uber.

    1. I am from somewhere on the East Coast and was just gobsmacked at how large Lake Michigan is. Lakes where I’m from . . . you can swim across. This is a LAKE. So if this resonates, even if you are used to the ocean, go somewhere a bit high up (some hotel gyms have a good view) and just look out and soak that in. It is amazing.

       Otherwise, I walked in the Lakeview area and found on a walking path an interesting history of Chicago (they had to reverse the flow of the Chicago River so that they pulled drinking water from Lake Michigan and gray water (and worse) was discharged so that it flowed away from the lake). Fascinating!

       I am a fan of the version of The Fugitive with Harrison Ford in it. Chicago represents well in it.

    2. Two favorites for good weather
       -walk or bike to one of the beaches and just enjoy lounging and reading! Lake Michigan is sandy and the beaches feel like actual beaches as opposed to gross slimy mystery mud lake water. Water is chilly but swimmable.
       -architecture boat ride

    3. I’m from the area – Chicago is a wonderful place for a few solo days! Some recommendations:
       -Architecture Foundation boat ride – the docents are excellent and you learn so much about the city.
       -Pilsen – this is the heart of the strong Mexican community in Chicago. There are amazing murals, great little taco joints, a really cool furniture store, and a very good arts and culture museum. If you search on Chicago magazine and Time Out Chicago, you’ll find more specific recs.

    4. I have never been, but have always wanted to pay a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago. What a luxury to be able to visit at your own pace, without deferring to anyone else!

    5. The 94th floor of the John Hancock building provides a lovely view.

12. I feel like I am on the verge of a complete breakdown and I wish I could visit the “spa” that Selina Meyer goes to in Veep.

    1. Hahaha. “It was a SPA.” But seriously, I feel you. I hope things get better soon.

13. Reposting from the weekend thread that didn’t get any hits –
    Please suggest easy to use project planning templates for a project management newbie?

    Like a downloadable Excel template, or some other user-friendly application where I can enter some broad categories of work and track progress?
    TIA.

    1. Weirdly, outlook’s tasks is pretty great.

    2. Asana is pretty user-friendly.

    3. Trello has a million project planning templates! If you’re working with others that’s a great system.

       https://trello.com/templates/project-management

14. Too late tonight but can we all just have a primal scream into the void about our MILs? I’ll be over here howling at the moon.

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