GRIN & BARE IT
Read (and subscribe to) Grin and Bare It, my daily blog on storytelling, productivity, current events, teaching, my family, and other musings.
I have been posting to this blog every day since 2005.
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Resolution update: October 2025
Every month, I record my progress toward my yearly goals to hold myself accountable and occasionally seek help and advice from readers who are willing Read More
Charlie does it right all around
I dropped Charlie off at the skate park yesterday. He wanted to practice some of his scooter tricks. On the way over to the park, Read More
Halloween SOS
I took Charlie trick-or-treating last night while Elysha took Clara and friends. Charlie and I had a great time. Admittedly, it was more fun when Read More
Joanna Gaines faith in God is lovely. But I still have issues.
I was listening to Chip and Joanna Gaines on “How I Built This” —a podcast about entrepreneurs and their stories about the businesses they have Read More
Complicated
Here’s a thing that happened: I received a call from a man who wanted to possibly hire me to work with more than a dozen Read More
Sometimes saving a little money is a stupid decision
The typical pay for an NFL cheerleader is around US $150 per home game. Some make more, of course, but the average is about $150. Read More
Don’t talk about getting old
Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney almost never engage in age-based self-deprecation. They never make jokes about getting older, like so many people do. Poet and Read More
Relief at last!
In case you didn’t notice, the Patriots are back on top. They are an excellent football team once again. After blowing out the Cleveland Browns Read More
Based on a true story
This website — Based on a True Story? — is brilliant. It’s a scene-by-scene breakdown of Hollywood movies that purport to be based upon a Read More
Miracles and edges
On the opening day of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Seattle Mariners had an inter-inning race inside the stadium featuring four salmon mascots Read More
Better than a homerun
Charlie played his final baseball game of the regular season on Tuesday night in East Hartford, Connecticut. The first chilly night of the season. Charlie Read More
The myth of the work-life balance
“There is no such thing as work-life balance. Everything worth fighting for unbalances your life.” —Alain de Botton I read this quote and thought, “Yes!” Read More
Jeni is prepared for “Matt & Jeni Are Unprepared” — even if she says otherwise.
Tickets for “Matt & Jeni Are Unprepared” are selling fast. This is our storytelling improv show where Jeni and I compete to craft and tell Read More
These are not “young boys” and “kids.” They are monsters. Nothing more.
If you’re wondering what at least some (but a lot) of young Republicans in this country are saying or allowing to be said absent opposition, Read More
Snapshots of Kids Bike Jumping in the 1970s
In Charlie’s baseball game yesterday, a runner from third was heading home when the catcher received a throw from the outfield and took about five Read More
Know nothing. It’s better that way.
Clara and I went to see “One Battle After Another” last night. I went to the movie knowing nothing about the film. As we sat Read More
“All Well that Ends Well” – depending on the target of your honesty
“I begin to be aweary of thee, and I tell thee so before because I would not fall out with thee” This is a line Read More
Grossest things I’ve ever seen
A student asked another about the grossest thing she’d ever seen. Her response: “What a dumb question.” True, given we were solving math problems, but Read More
Defaulting to mom
In American society, it is often assumed that the mother is the default parent and the first contact for schools and other caregivers over children’s Read More
