What a week!!! I'll be doing some major blog-hopping, tomorrow. I've had limited internet access, this week, and yada, yada on the no-time thing. Now that I'm back, I can tell you why I had such a busy week. I've been on vacation in Ann Arbor, Michigan!! Wahoo! I had such a blast. Kiddo attended swim camp at the University of Michigan and loved it. We spent plenty of time at the pool and were very impressed with the organization of the U of M swim camp (two of us were on vacation; the youngster was hard at work). Those calves in my most recent Wahoo Wednesday post belong to Olympic gold-medalist Michael Phelps (who is featured in the July issue of Men's Journal magazine). He and several other top Michigan swimmers dropped by for an autograph session on Tuesday.
Best of all . . . . I met two fabulous authors, this week!!! Our own bloggy wonder, Colleen Gleason, met me for lunch on Monday (waving to Colleen!). If you think she's wonderful on the internet, you really must go to one of her signings of Rises the Night and meet her in person. Colleen is loads of fun and a total sweetheart! Here's a link to her website.
And, on Thursday, I met Simon Van Booy for . . . well, it was supposed to be "brunch", but we got a late start and I guess it turned into a long lunch, instead (waving to Simon!). Simon is utterly captivating and he's also touring, right now, reading and signing The Secret Lives of People in Love. Anglophiles, take note: he has a lovely accent and he is a total charmer (that bit's for the females).
I'll be writing up interview articles of both for Estella's Revenge and will post links when the time comes. Photos forthcoming when the husband isn't nagging at me to please hurry up and finish so we can go to bed because we left for the Detroit airport on Friday morning and didn't arrive home till tonight (Saturday) at 7:00 pm. After numerous delays and a night in a skanky hotel (yeah, yeah, more on that, later), hubby managed to get us on a direct flight to Jackson. I loved the way the pilot, Dan, introduced our flight attendant: "The one, the only, the incomparable Sue!"
We had only one big bump, caused by "wave turbulence from another plane that flew in this area, quite some time ago." Have to watch for those disturbing air currents, you know. And, then we actually sat in the plane on the tarmac for nearly an hour, upon arrival in Jackson, because there weren't any gates available. Our pilot asked us to kindly open all the air vents - it was 97 degrees outside. No point in baking while we waited.
We ran so much that I was hardly able to read at all, this week, apart from The God of Animals (hope to post a review of that, tomorrow) and most of Simon's book, which I reread so it would be fresh in my mind when I spoke to him. I had a million questions; his stories are incredibly thought-provoking. I also managed to get about halfway into Kathy Little Bird, during the flight home.
Our other flights were really interesting - loads more stories to tell but I have to run!
Hope everyone's having a terrific weekend! I missed visiting your blogs and can't wait to catch up!
It sounds like you had a great time, Nancy! I look forward to reading your interviews in Estella's Revenge.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've been busy! Lunch with 2 authors! I'm jealous ;) Sounds like a blast.
ReplyDeleteI wish I got a fun pilot every now and then...I always seem to get very dull pilots who have monotone voices and make flights not so fun...not that I need excitement in the air with the way I like to go into panic attacks :p Sounds like a fun flight though despite the delays.
Good to have you back! I was starting to worry about you there...
Sounds like you had a wonderful time! Those were very nice calves I agree:)
ReplyDeleteI hope you have caught up on your sleep, I am off to look at the sites you have recommended.
OH! I wish I had known you were coming to Ann Arbor, I would have come out there to meet you! (Just realized...maybe that's why you didn't tell me.) :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a great visit.
Welcome home!! Sounds like you had a great trip! I keep trying to get Colleen to travel a little farther South! Central Illinois preferably, but I'd even settle for Chicago!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of Simon Van Booy though. I will have to check him out!
Hi, I just found your blog, and am really enjoying it! Sounds like you had a really great trip. I think that meeting someone like Michael Phelps must have been so much fun for kids at a swim camp.
ReplyDeleteLit Kitty,
ReplyDeleteWe had a fabulous time, thanks! :)
Chris,
Yep, very busy and loads of fun. I'm hoping both authors will eventually expand their touring farther South. We seem to miss a lot of great authors, down here, don't we?
I think those fun pilots are really rare. One of my friends in Jackson has to take some strong medicine to avoid panic attacks on airplanes. Do you medicate? I'd think an airplane would be a lousy place to have a panic attack, since you can't just walk away.
Aw, thanks. We were having fun and I just didn't have the time to post. :)
a.book,
We did have a wonderful time! I wasn't kidding about the muscle walking around that natatorium - those are some muscular kids and coaches!
Not quite caught up on my sleep because Delta called to say they have our luggage. We'll have to go fetch it. Darn, I was hoping for a full day at home!
Joy,
I thought of you when I got to the pool with kiddo, actually, but I didn't have your private email address with me. I would have loved to meet you!!! Because we've experienced burglary, we live in a small town, and you never know who might be reading, I decided it would not be wise to post a message in a comment section to let you know I was nearby - or I would have done so. I'll have to remember to warn you the next time we head your way. I think kiddo will want to go back to swim camp, next year. :)
Stephanie,
I have a feeling Colleen will travel farther with each book, as she becomes more widely known. The best way to get her there is to send all your friends out to buy her books, so the publisher will sit up and take notice that she's successfully selling!
Simon is in your area, right now!! I just checked his website and he'll be at Seminary Cooperative Inc. on 57th Street in Chicago, 7:00 pm, Monday. Please go!!! Buy a copy and read it, so I have someone to discuss it with! :)
Bridget,
Hi! I'm glad you found me and thanks for visiting! The kids were obviously very excited to see Phelps and the other award-winning swimmers. The mom in me was simply watching what they ate before they began signing swim caps and t-shirts (fruit and salad). LOL
Glad you are back!
ReplyDeleteYou neglected to mention that those were famous ankles when you posted the picture!
Hope the weather was nice for your stay.
Did Simon wear the hoopty suit? You make him sound so sweet, I may have to rearrange my schedule to go to his signing.
Hi Kookie!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm kind of glad to be back (but not really) - just because it's home, but not for any other reason. It was nice to have a week that was almost completely free of chores like laundry.
I didn't mention those were famous ankles because I live in a small town and I've experienced having a door removed from its hinges and my possessions tossed - not here, but . . . it sticks with you. I've never replaced my stolen engagement ring. But, now I feel like I can talk freely about vacation, if I can get myself to stay awake long enough!
The weather was fabulous!! Even the rain was great - it smelled fresh (it just makes things smell moldier, here) and brought cool air.
Simon wore a jacket and tie, but not the hoopty suit. It's definitely worth the time to see him do a reading, so please do go, if humanly possible! And, buy the book so we can chat about it!!!
A squared, huh?
ReplyDeleteThe would make much more sense if I could do an "A" with an exponent like it should be. My brother went to U of M (Electrical Engineering) and that's how he referred to it.
And to think, you were only 330 miles south of me!
I'm glad you're back but even more glad you enjoyed your visit to the great state of Michigan.
CJ,
ReplyDeleteYep, A squared. I know what you mean; we lived there for a year. I always thought that was a funny way to abbreviate. A X 2 makes more sense to me. Call me picky. LOL
Only 330 miles south!! And, about 1200 miles closer to you than I normally am!
Thanks. I'm sort of glad to be back. I love Ann Arbor and Michigan in general, but home is where the big bottle of sandlewood bubble bath lives. I think I'll go indulge before I settle in to read. :)
Welcome back! Sounds like you had a pretty good time. Lunching with authors is very cool! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Nat!
ReplyDeleteYep, we had a blast and lunching with authors is very, very cool. Writers and readers are the coolest people on the planet, IMHO. ;)
*excited screeches*
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize author weekend was already upon you! I can't wait to hear how it went!
Andi!!
ReplyDeleteI missed you!
Yep, I managed to meet both authors. *Squeeee*! Have to transfer my notes from one computer to the other, but they are both lovely people and I had such fun!
You are so cool, sitting down with two authors for lunch and discussions! Glad you're back and that you had a great time!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed Ann Arbor! :)
ReplyDeleteCamille,
ReplyDeleteI think it's the other way around - they were cool for meeting up with me! Thanks, being home is growing on me. I spotted our neighborhood red-headed woodpecker, yesterday, and felt much better about being home (I love Michigan). :)
bookloversdiary,
Thanks! I do love Ann Arbor. We lived there a long time ago and when our year ended, I didn't want to leave. :)
Of course you were missed! :)
ReplyDeleteAwww, thanks Tristi!
ReplyDeleteMissed you, missed you, missed you! Wow, you do manage to pack in so many things into your week Nancy, I'm half envious! Going to play catch up with some of your other posts now. Very glad to have you back!
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you, Lotus! I missed you, too! Your blog is on my agenda, today. I'm trying to catch up on book reviews and articles for Estella,when I'm not blog-hopping, so I totally forgot yesterday was Wednesday. Wahoo Thursday sounds a little weird, doesn't it? ;)
ReplyDelete