Sticky city, crispy home: Summer's back again

Well, it seems the nation's capital has decided to calm down a little. The fireworks have faded, the tourists are slightly less determined to walk directly into traffic, and summer has settled into what I can only describe as "organized chaos." Around here, that's practically peaceful.

Of course, with summer comes the weather, and Washington, D.C., has once again reminded me that air is apparently optional. Every morning feels like walking into someone's bathroom five minutes after they've taken a hot shower. You don't step outside so much as you marinate.

Back home in Eastern Washington, we c...