Archive for May 2020

I was teaching a fraction lesson to a small group of kids this week over Google Meet. Dividing fractions. Something you probably can’t do anymore but is required of fifth graders. One of my students was struggling with the concept, so I was trying to explain the rationale behind a strategy to help her understand…

I’d like to point out that while waiting in line for a cashier at Stop & Shop yesterday, the man in front of me acted like a jerk and attempted to draw me into the conflict, and despite every atom in my body wanting to join the fray, I resisted. Instead of waiting in the…

I’ve been interviewed by quite a few podcasts over the last two months, including podcasts based in Scotland, Canada, Australia, and throughout the United States. Everyone has time on their hands, and I find myself much more available in the evenings than ever before. This was a recent appearance on The Inspiring Show, which was…

Exciting news! One of my stories will be featured on The Moth Radio Hour this week! If you’re living in Connecticut, you can listen to The Moth Radio Hour on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9:00 PM on WNPR. If you’re outside of Connecticut, check your local listings here: https://themoth.org/radio-hour-stations You can also listen to the…

I’m not upset that My Cleaning Trolley – a toy which is nothing more than a small, pink custodian’s trolley – exists. I’m not even upset that it comes in pink, which all but assures that this item will be purchased – and was designed – exclusively for little girls. I’m admittedly upset that early…

As I ride through the streets of  my town on my bike, looking for new streets and trails to explore, I’ve noticed lots of interesting things. Many of them existed long before the pandemic but simply went unnoticed by me until now, but others have appeared as a result of the coronavirus. One of them…

Microsoft has put its typographical foot down: Two spaces between sentences is too many. For the first time, Microsoft Word will mark two spaces after a punctuation mark as an error, underlining the extra space with its authoritative blue, squiggly line. To this I say: It’s about damn time. Only typographical savages are still placing…

Both of my children left their training wheels behind yesterday and rode on two wheels for the first time. It took years of encouragement and a bit of courage on the part of both kids, but once we began the process, both were riding on their own within 15 minutes. As Charlie made his way…

An Alaska school board recently voted to remove five books from their high school curriculum. The books are: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” I’ve read all five of those books, including three…

He leapt from the step-stool to a high counter by the microwave, and from there, onto the refrigerator. Then he opened a cabinet and squeezed inside. Once inside the cabinet, he found the container, three cabinets over, and started pushing. A minute later, the container fell to the floor, breaking open, scattering cat treats across…