The Weekly Wrap: October 12, 2025

One of the rudest parts of aging is the sleep injuries.

​On Thursday, I woke up with a back spasm. No idea where it come from. I felt totally fine going to bed but, come morning, I couldn't move comfortably. This is not my first back spasm, but this was the first one that happened with no warning. Thanks goodness the last two days of the week I work remotely because I kept having to slowly make my way to the floor to stretch. At one point, I even took an internal Zoom meeting on my phone so I could just walk around to help loosen things up. 

I'm doing better now, but I'm still moving stiffly and having to take things slow. 

---

• What you should be asking your family members? [The Atlantic - gift link]
• The books readers find confusing (with some data caveats). [Book Riot]
• A little bit profane but very powerful opinion of AI art. [The Oatmeal]
• Should we pay grandparents for the childcare they provide? [The Atlantic - gift link]
• Mapping air pollution and poverty. [WaPo - gift link]
• One surprised scientist. [PetaPixel]
• Sometimes a research breakthrough hinges on a little bit of luck. [The Atlantic - gift link]
• Tariffs come for interlibrary loan. [404]

• How to be there when someone is undergoing medical treatment. [Life Kit]
• What GLP drugs are doing to relationships. [The Daily]
• Reading is resistance. [The Academic Minute]
• The power of the joystick. [99% Invisible]
• How bad is sugar for you really? [Science Vs]

• I'm creeping through episodes of Nashville when I get the chance. I forgot just how much of a soap opera the plot is. Dare I say this might be a melodrama? There are just so many characters with so many dramatic things going on. Rarely is this one light or funny. [Netflix]
• The Husband won tickets to the opening of Capitals hockey season. He entered a contest sponsored by their streaming network and found out he won at the end of last week. While he did all the fun pre-game stuff, I got to join him for the game. I love watching on TV because the action is easier to follow, but something about seeing it from the 100-level seats reminded me of just how physical the sport is. [Monumental]

• I had a victory this week. I made ground beef and mushroom stroganoff for dinner and the kiddo ate everything on her plate. Although, I should say this dish was inspired by. We ended up using the ground beef earlier in the week and I had to substitute in chopped Italian meatballs. Still worked! The only pain with this dish is my noodles always take more broth and more time to cook than the recipe says. [Budget Bytes]
• Chillier weather let me bring back a favorite, one pan garlic and ranch chicken and veggies. I skip the brown sugar rub step because I just can't be bothered with it. I'm sure it would add an extra dimension to this dish, but I think it's still tasty with a bit less effort.  [Damn Delicious]