The Husband and I both have a habit of starting conversations when one of us is trying to go to bed. Something about the clock striking 11 PM drives us to have these deep and productive exchanges. We could have said nary a word to one another all night and - BAM - I start brushing my teeth and we decide we need to talk.

This week, just as I was starting my bedtime process, the Husband brings up a "homework" assignment he has for a work event. He needs to list the top three people he sees as leadership models. That led to us chatting about possibilities and me Googling many ideas. We discussed pros and cons, how options could be perceived, and which leaders actually "felt" like my husband. Before you know it, it was midnight and I really needed to go to bed.

This happens about every two weeks. We've discussed work, parenting, politics, local happenings, travel, emotions, and just life issues. I have no idea what causes us to wait until bedtime to hold these conversations, but I kind of love them. It's when we connect and communicate on a deeper level that goes beyond, "So, how was your day?" 

Maybe there's something about the dark quiet hours that keeps this time sacred. Whatever the reason, I'm just glad we talk.

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I’m about a third of the way through Wonton Terror. This is book four in the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien. The murder has been committed and the suspects have been listed. Up next, shenanigans! Our lead character always gets into shenanigans. My money is on the son.

*Books shared here are affiliate links for Bookshop.org

• "But achieving control is not the same as achieving happiness." [Culture Study]

• Why you get blinded while driving. [Insider]

• "trains" explained. [Link in Bio]

• How to clean your walls. This is going on my summer to do list. [Real Simple]

• What's your internal age? [The Atlantic - may be paywalled]

• Fungus zombies are real. [Short Wave]

• Upending some Hollywood business. [Planet Money]

• How ancient seeds may save us. [Short Wave]

• For as good an actor Chris Pine is, I feel like I should hear more about him. In All the Old Knives, he plays a CIA spook looking to uncover a mole. It's a quiet and subtle performance. This film, which includes Thandiwe Newton and Laurence Fishburne in strong support, is a deliberately paced suspense. The plot jumps seamlessly between time periods to build the tension. This is one of those films you can tell is based on a book. There's an intricacy to the storytelling that comes from having a previous narrative.  [Amazon Prime]

• Sign me up for this tradition. [@isabellebertolami]

• The Husband made herbed gnocchi and mushrooms. It was soooooo goooood. Like, restaurant quality good. This dish has less than ten ingredients, is simple to make, and stuns on the palette. A restaurant would probably drizzle some truffle oil on top. While that sounds excellent, it's not necessary. This dish wows on its own. The main change we made was baking the gnocchi instead of boiling. It gives them a nice toothsome feel. [The Kitchn]

• For my meal prep this week, I tossed together sweep the kitchen pasta salad. I love that everything gets thrown into a bowl and coated with Italian dressing. Super easy to whip up and has a decent shelf life. I doubled the recipe and it lasted me all week. [Budget Bytes]

After listening to the Atlas Obscura Podcast on the Jadeite Cabbage, I had to know what it looked it. A quick Google led me to this magnificent thing. That is one piece of carved stone. Stunning! [Google Arts & Culture]

We went to a Washington Capitals game in person for the first time since the pandemic started. While our team lost, I was overjoyed to be in the arena once again. Hockey is just better live. Getting to eat a bowl of bulgogi tots as we watched was icing on the cake. [Instagram]

You don’t have to be productive all of the time. Productivity Blocker is a Chrome extension that turns off any online service you use to be productive. It’s okay to take a break! Not all time needs to be filled with action items.

The Husband is on the road again which means more solo parenting. Should be fine. I’m actually looking forward to watching some movies he has no interest in.