I shed a tear and sing In the Arms of an Angel by Heather McLachlan every time I do this. Even for a single noodle.

It’s definitely not required, but ever since we got one I’ve grown to like it. If you have a ceramic sink it helps prevent scratches. It also helps dishes stay put, like pot lids that normally slide around. Most of all I like it when I put a strainer down. I know the strained liquid won’t touch the sink and flow back into the food, even if the risk was low before.

When I was in 5th grade my mom tried to have a teacher fired for something and I was teased about it every day until I went to high school in a different town years later. This poor kid will never hear the end of it.