Flaxseed oil worked for me too, but that tomato acid is brutal on a good patina...

Noticed this same thing at work with our team retreats... everyone wants quiet time to think but then nobody wants to be the first to speak up after, so the whole thing just dies. Sounds like the real issue was picking a format that didn't match the room's energy that night, not the format itself. Maybe next time try the silent read but give people a prompt to write one specific sentence before sharing, kind of like a ticket to talk. That way the quiet folks still get their thinking time but there's a clear starting point for the group when time's up.

Crack above a garage door usually means the house is settling, not a patch problem.