This week in the fort, Roo wakes up sore and confused, and Aimee warmly welcomes her to her 30s—where pain just comes with the territory. They reflect on the strange, sneaky ways aging shows up, and how the youth of today are out here saying things like “babes” and “no… stop… wait” with complete sincerity.

Roo reluctantly watched the movie Substance and gives a full-body cringe recap that’s heavy on things crawling under the skin. Despite the pain (and the trauma), she still wants to be a star student in her exercise class. Gold stars forever.

They also chat about Roo’s recently shared school photo, featuring a very cute and very angry little Roo. Her mom told her not to show her teeth when she smiled, which leads to a conversation about how hard it can be to teach kids things—and how they don’t always want to learn. That said, Aimee refuses to let that justify toothless smiling advice.

There’s also some good-natured commentary on Philippe, Roo’s cat and “only son,” who may or may not be a little too round. The two talk about what it’s like to spend time with people who had peaceful childhoods and how that energy be… boring.

Finally, Roo shares a moment with her cleaning lady about the sacred cast iron skillet (and why it absolutely cannot go in the dishwasher), and Aimee makes a compelling point: everyone, everywhere, fights about dishes. It’s just what we do.

Another honest, funny, and thoughtful episode from your favorite spot in the fort.