Marley and Me
Friday, March 24, 2006
Rocky Mountain High
If this blog has seemed quiet for the past several days, it is because I am on the road, making book appearances. In the last couple weeks, I've been in Atlanta,
Brooklyn, Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut,Denver, Boulder and now Detroit.
I flew into Denver a day early so I could go hiking in the mountains with my good friend Doug Brown, who is a writer at the Denver Post. The weather didn't exactly
cooperate....cold and gray with a mix of freezing rain and snow...but we had a great trek nonetheless. But for this lowlander, the altitude was definitely noticed.
Saturday night at dinner, I had two beers and my head began to spin. I always knew I was a cheap date, but this was ridiculous. It was like someone had slipped me
a mickey. "No more alcohol," Doug ordered. "Drink lots of water." It did the trick. The next day, Sunday, as we set off on our hike at about 5,500 feet above sea level,
the thin air again got to me. I was winded before we were out of the parking lot. I reguarly trudge all over the Appalachian Mountains that run through Pennsylvania,
but this was a whole other game. No matter how much air I gulped, I couldn't get enough oxygen. Meanwhile, Doug, who actually thinks it is enjoyable to RUN in this
oxygen-starved environment, was chattering away, breathing effortlessly. What surprised me was how fast I adapted. The first half mile was killer, the next merely
brutal. By the two mile mark, I was only slightly winded. And after that, I was fine. At every trailhead, signs were posted warning of mountain-lion activity in
the area. We plowed on regardless (don't tell Jenny) and, except for some muddy paw prints (definitely NOT from big dogs), saw no signs of the large hungry cats.
Monday, March 20, was my birthday, and my always thoughtful HarperCollins publicist Seale Ballenger arranged to have a cake sent to my hotel room. Fortunately, he did not arrange to have 49 candles crammed onto it. Who needs those reminders? That night at the Tattered Cover bookstore in Highlands Ranch outside Denver, I walked in and 180 people greeted me by singing Happy Birthday. How did they know? I wondered.
Then someone reminded me that I had posted my birth date in the opening sentence of my autobiography on this website. (Honest, I wasn't hinting!) Pretty darn sweet
of them. Of course, there were dogs in the audience barking along. Thank you, Denver, for making me feel right at home.
Also while in Denver, I was interviewed by phone as I drove to the Boulder Bookstore in beautiful downtown Boulder (I now understand the high property values) for
a Michigan-based podcast that is available for free online. If you have 20 minutes to kill and want to hear me blathering on about anything and everything relating
to Marley & Me, visit this link: www.spartanpodcast.com
Tonight at 7 p.m., I speak at Borders in Birmingham, Michigan, and Saturday I sign books from noon-2 p.m. at a Sam's Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan, near Flint. Then
it is home, sweet home. I get a break until mid-April, when I'm again off, this time to Chicago and then the West Coast. To everyone I've met on the road, from the
Marley readers to the booksellers to the reporters, DJs and television anchors who have interviewed me to my drivers and escorts to Seale, Shari and everyone at
Morrow/HarperCollins who have made this tour come off with nary a glitch, let me say a big thank you. Everyone has been incredibly wonderful.
posted by John Grogan at 10:45 AM
 
13 Comments:
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Add one more teary-eyed 51 3/4 year old to your list.
BTW - reading Marely & Me at lunch alongside the Hudson River is a great way to meet chicks walking Labs. Try it!
I think she felt sorry for me because she could see I was near the end of the book ...
Happy late birthday!
I'm going to Colorado this summer, and after living my whole life in Virginia, I'm sure it'll take me a little while to get used to the air there. I'm going hiking in the Rockies too, and I'll be sure to remember you when we're all winded.
~Sara
Hey, I saw you at Schulers Books in Lansing on Thursday--it was my birthday and I gave you my review of your book from the Spartan Edge online newspaper at Michigan State University. I was wondering if you liked the review. I hope your other signings are going all right.
I was unable to be at the book signing at Schuler's in Lansing because of my nursing classes, however, my lovely daughter went for me and waited in line with my book along with pictures of our dogs (I know you saw LOTS of pictures)ours was the little black lab on the couch with pancake batter on her. Just wanted to say thank you for writing the best book I have read in years and being so patient that night...I know it was a long one for you.
I'm just asking how old Jenny is
Happy Belated Birthday!
Add yet another teary-eyed person (fine, add another all-out sobber) to the list of people profoundly moved by your book.
We've got a lab mix named Gypsi. We've had her since I was four; she'll be turning ten in June. People might say that dogs are just animals, but those are kind of people who are strange and just asking to be mocked by the dog lovers, who've definitely got the right idea.
Our Gypsi has taught us tons already, and I know there's a lesson coming that I really don't want to learn about mortality. Especially since Gypsi will probably one of the only people (and I use that term loosely) to pass away before I do (which will be roughly at the age of thirty-four, twenty or so years from now). I, too, am desperately clinging to the hope that she'll be some sort of everlasting wonder dog. Denial is bliss.
Reading your book, I have to say, makes me feel like she's a saint. She never chewed, licked, tore, or broke anything that we didn't give to her for that purpose. She doesn't jump, lick, eat by the barrel, or destroy. From what I hear, I'm beginning to think I'm missing out.
I cried for quite awhile over Marley, then spent the day fawning over Gypsi and telling her how wonderful she is. Thank you for everything your book did for me. I am another person that will never forget Marley, and in this way, he's preserved forever in the hearts of many people.
Loved it !!! We met at Borders in Birmingham, MI. We are having the largest (and possibly only) 5th Canine Cancer Fundraiser again May 19th in Birmingham. All proceeds go to Leader Dogs for the Blind and Paws w/cause dogs WITH CANCER. Also to researchers at various institutions linking human cancer to canine cancer due to all the similarities. WE NEED YOU TO SPEAK AT NEXT YEARS EVENT !!! IS THIS POSSIBLE?? Another good chance to come home and see mom!!
email us at: winstonccf@aol.com
Sincerely,
Paul and Mindy
We just met in Birmingham !! Bought 10 books. As mentioned my wife and I are the founders of the Winston Canine Cancer Foundation and are about to have our 5th Annual Fundraiser for Canine Cancer. All proceeds go to Leader dogs for the Blind and Pause with a Cause dogs WITH CANCER. Also to amazing research discovering cures to HUMAN cancer through dogs with cancer. Our speakers each year are incredible and WE WOULD DO ANYTHING TO HAVE YOU SPEAK NEXT YEAR. A great chance to come home and see mom too!!! Take a look at Winston (who died at 8yrs.) and you'll see Marley. We now have Abbey and Lucy whom are both yellow labs. OUR WEBSITE IS www.winstonccf.com. PLEASE !
Paul and Mindy
Well I must say what a great book. I laughed alot, cried some (especially at the end) and just plain loved the book. I'm looking forward to meeting you when you come to Warren PA in October.
GREAT,GREAT book!
Hello John. I'm a producer of Radio City, BBC's Associated in Ecuador - Southamerica. We loved your book and we would love to contact you for a telephonical interview.
Can you contact me to: jvique@radiocity.com.ec
Looking foward to tlak to you.
Best,
Johanna
I loved your book. Have you been to St Louis, MO to sign yet?
A friend suggested your book and I have told many other dog lovers that they have to pick up a copy.
Hope to get my copy authographed.
Elaine in St Louis
Great book. I just did a review on my site about it:
http://conversationsfamouswriters.blogspot.com/
Loved it!
cindy
Marley & Me is right up there with one of the very best books I have ever read. I laughed out loud so many times, and cried my eyes out for the last 70 pages or so. The anticipation of knowing what would happen in the end was both heartbreaking and moving beyond words. John, you are truly a gifted storyteller! I read this book in two days, with two big Lab-mix male dogs taking turns sitting on my lap. Towards the end, they were pretty upset due to my sobbing. I lost my 18 year-old Black Lab 5 years ago, on a beautiful spring day on Memorial Day weekend. She passed away at 6:00 a.m., in my arms, in my back yard, on Memorial Day. We buried her in our side yard underneath a grove of trees, and we named the area "The Timba Memorial Park". Two years later, we buried Timba's favorite cat, Mr. Kitty, right beside her. We were blessed, both times, by not having to make the decision to euthanize. Mother Nature took our pets before we had to make that choice. Now, we have our hands full with two young, male Lab mixes, who are the loves of my life! Thank you, John Grogan, for bringing your story to everyone. This is a book I will treasure.