grin and bare it
A blog by Matthew Dicks
Devil on the rise
Two firsts today. Neither very good. 1. My daughter’s preschool teacher informed us that our normally angelic child misbehaved today for the first time. She yelled at her teachers and classmates and was non-compliant. She is…
Read MoreMcDonald’s and Charlie Sheen would be bad titles, too
In regards to yesterday’s post on author’s acknowledgements: The Ottoman Hotel, Christopher Currie’s novel that includes a marriage proposal within the acknowledgement section, is poorly titled. There is a real Ottoman Hotel in Turkey that…
Read MoreThis is how moms want to spend their weekend?
This week Living Social alerted me to the gomom.me convention taking place this weekend in Hartford, Connecticut. As far as I can tell, this is a convention dedicated to mothers. There will be a “motherhood…
Read MoreA proposal in an author’s acknowledgements? How do I top this one?
After thanking his publisher and various bosses in the acknowledgements at the end of The Ottoman Hotel, first time novelist Christopher Currie thanked his girlfriend. “If it’s possible to fall more in love with someone…
Read MoreNo exaggeration
My father-in-law once asked a former student of mine if I had a tendency to exaggerate at times. “No,” the boy said. “Mr. Dicks doesn’t exaggerate. He either tells the truth or he lies.” I’m…
Read MoreIf only they were real…
If only my daughter’s new washer and dryer were real, my wife’s life would be so much easier, because Clara loves to pretend to do the laundry. My wife does almost all the laundry…
Read MoreProfessional best man for hire
New job idea: Professional best man. While I meet many outstanding best men in my role as a DJ, I also meet many who are too nervous to deliver the toast, too drunk to assist…
Read MoreSuper Grover to the rescue
My daughter refused to take a nap today. After spending about 30 minutes playing in her crib, she began calling for Super Grover to rescue her from her nap. “Super Grover! I need help! Super…
Read MoreCan the wisdom of the near-death experience be passed on without the experience itself?
Having survived two near-death experiences and faced death at the end of a gun, I understand Ric Elias’s TED Talk with great precision. I’ve found someone who truly understands how and why I live my…
Read MoreThanks you, Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond, for saving me from my own stupidity
My daughter experienced her first Easter egg hunt yesterday. While she slept in the early hours of Sunday morning, I came downstairs and hid the ten candy-filled eggs. My initial hiding places were brilliant. Inside…
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