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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Kay is not a fan
A comment on my blog, posted yesterday, on my February 2026 post about the television show “Sofia the First” and my opinions of the program: Read More
Lettuce eaters beware
As a non-lettuce eater, I have to say: When foodborne illnesses strike, it seems to me that lettuce is often to blame. I often lament Read More
DeNiro’s restroom rule
My friend, Andrew, explained the rule that Robert DeNiro follows regarding restrooms: “Always use the restroom whenever one is available, even if you don’t think Read More
Weird doors open
David Sedaris’s essay “What I Learned,” originally published in The New Yorker in 2006 and later collected in “When You Are Engulfed in Flames,” contains Read More
No rest for the wicked
The family and I flew from London to New York on Saturday. We landed around 4:30 PM at JFK Airport in New York City. By Read More
A few more observations after a week in the UK
Now that I’m back in the United States, a few more observations from a week in London and the surrounding area: _______________________________________ The British have Read More
Nostalgia horses
We were walking through forests and fields in the British countryside of the Cotswolds along a footpath called Warren’s Way. A river poked in and Read More
Clara’s fellow film nerd in Notting Hill
Walking down a street in Notting Hill, we pass a young couple holding hands. Clara pauses, points at the man’s shirt, and says, “I like Read More
Even better than Shakespeare
When I asked the kids to return to The Globe last night to see one of Shakespeare’s plays, “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” I was worried. The Read More
Not my favorite day
A slightly less enjoyable day in London yesterday: My wallet was stolen on the train. I was aware of the dangers of pickpockets on the Read More
I visited The Globe. At last.
We visited The Globe Theater yesterday — the third iteration of Shakespeare’s Globe after the first burned down in 1613 (thanks to a cannon shot Read More
RIP Maria Augusta Murray, whoever you were.
We ate dinner yesterday in London at the Cafe in the Crypt in St Martin-in-the-Fields, beside Trafalgar Square, which is a restaurant in an actual Read More
London: First impressions
First impressions of London: I love this city. We are staying in the West End and, thus far, have loved nearly every minute. Some of Read More
Sneaking to the park
For many years, I would sneak my class of fifth graders through the forest adjacent to our school and into the adjoining park on the Read More
Twenty years of marriage today!
Elysha and I are celebrating 20 years of marriage today. I wrote extensively about our wedding immediately after our wedding, so happily, a great deal Read More
Pool hopping: Yes or never?
When I was a kid, I would spend my summers pool-hopping with my friend Danny and my girlfriend Laura. It wasn’t difficult. We would find Read More
My 15 year storytelling anniversary!
Yesterday marked my 15-year anniversary in storytelling. Little did I know how important this day would be in my life. Truly, it was one of Read More
Kevin needs help
I listen to “The Indicator” — a short, economics-based podcast produced by NPR. On Monday’s episode, young Americans trying to decide whether to purchase a Read More
Team logos
Washington has a history of choosing controversial names. The Washington Wizards of the NBA were originally the Washington Bullets until 1997, when they rebranded themselves Read More
