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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Oh, the things I’ll miss
The thing I will miss most about being a teacher is the conversations I had with kids, often outside the curriculum, but oftentimes even more Read More
How many phone numbers do you know?
The ubiquity of cell phones has caused people to stop memorizing phone numbers. Scroll through a list of names or start typing their first name, Read More
It’s “Matty and Bengi.” Not the other way around.
My longest and best friend, Bengi, and I met behind the counter of a McDonald’s restaurant in Milford, Massachusetts, in the spring of 1987. For Read More
Exposed in Victoria
I’ve been to Victoria, British Columbia six times over the past decade — first to consult with a company, then to speak at a university, Read More
Crossword quandry
Spotted at the McDonald’s in Berlin, CT: Anyone want to guess what the bottom vertical word off of “Grandma” is supposed to mean? “Apple” is Read More
RIP Jalloul Montacer
Back in February of 2022, I wrote about my former McDonald’s boss, Jalloul Mantacer, and the profound impact he had on me. About a month Read More
Angus update
In March, I wrote about Angus, a cow with a precarious future. In 2024, an art collective embarked on a new piece called Our Cow Read More
Creepy crib
For reasons that were never explained to me, there was a crib in my hotel room in Victoria. Unusual and a little unsettling. But the Read More
Sleepwalking at 36,000 feet
I sleepwalk. I’ve been doing it all my life. Most of the time. I find myself doing simple things: Sitting on the couch with a Read More
Newington’s slogan is okay
I live in the town of Newington, Connecticut. Our town’s slogan, at least according to our seal, is Growth & Progress. This is a fine Read More
The Ladies Bridge is indicative of ladies
Here’s something I learned while in London: The Waterloo Bridge of London, known as “The Ladies’ Bridge,” earned this nickname because women made up the Read More
My new friend, Yared
When I landed in Seattle after a week of work in Victoria, BC, I was hungry and hopeful. In less than four hours, I would Read More
Resolution update: July 2026
Every month, I record my progress toward my yearly goals to hold myself accountable and, occasionally, seek help and advice from readers willing to offer Read More
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
