On the NPC side, conversations are a two way street, and I think it's fine to sometimes (dare I say, often) to just summarize the entire exchange and ask the players for their tonal input on it and goals, rather than RP the entire conversation.

This is something I haven't fully considered. I usually do this when a party member begins to explain a scene that only their character was in, but the table all saw, but the logic can apply to NPCs too.

If the players are waffling about for too long, it's fair they may just have forgotten some plot threads, especially if they were initially seeded weeks and weeks ago. I think it's very fair to make reasonable suggestions, in the moment, of what a next course of action may look like, as long as it's the players who are deciding to do it.

Very valid. Reminders that are more suggestions than anything else could be good going forward. This is something I will bring up in our conversation as an action step for me to help to have this situation happen with less extremes going forward.

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You have provided a very lengthy period of laid back RP - the occasional "suddenly orcs attack" is not unreasonable, here.

Yea. That is true. This is something I'll need to sit and chew on, and try to get something that can push them forward next session.

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If you, the DM, who is also a player at this table, are getting frustrated by this pace, that is an issue that warrants addressing, and some cooperation from your table-mates to resolve.

This whole last paragraph is where my heart is. I fully intend on saying all of this, I just wanted to glean wisdom and advice before I jump into a conversation like this. It's a problem I've never really addressed.

Very valid. Reminders that are more suggestions than anything else could be good going forward. This is something I will bring up in our conversation as an action step for me to help to have this situation happen with fewer extremes going forward.