Happy New Year, everyone! We’re finally back from a little yet much-needed break from teaching, students, classes, grading papers, and, well, more students. After a bit of R&R in Wisconsin, central Minnesota, and just hanging around our lovely cities, we’re heading into ’08 with our usual optimism and expectations of great things!
As we do so, we’re taking a moment here to share a few thoughts on, highlights of, and reflections about the past few weeks since our last post (the good, the bad, the ugly, and …. ta da … the iphones!):
1. We had our first book-signing event at the University of St. Thomas and tons o’ people came (and bought books for themselves, their loved ones, their husbands and wives, and their family and friends)! How fun was that? It felt like a party. The funniest was a young, scruffy looking, finals-exhausted, sort-of-stinky college guy who’s girlfriend reportedly had gotten him “the coolest” Christmas present ever. How in the world could he match something “so outrageously cool” ? Ah … a book about relationships … “How can I go wrong with this?” he pondered aloud. Smart man.
2. We made our lists and checked them twice … then gave the gift of a book to each and every one of our family members (even those who have been naughty and, well, not so nice). If you’re reading this and have to ask “is she talking about me?” the answer is probably “yep.” It’s bad karma, you know, if you sell a gift book on ebay. Bad gift-karma, as in you’ll never get a really great gift again! From anyone. Really. They’ve done studies on this stuff. Empirical studies. It’s true.
3. “Lovely, just, lovely.” A quote from a dear friend who read WHCD and gushed with joy and praise. And it’s been that X1000 from all of our dear friends … far and wide, close and near, in touch and out. To all of you — dear, generous, loving, giving, and priceless companions — you have supported us, sang our praises, and been silly and wonderful cheerleaders from beginning to end. Thank you. Truly, thank you. You are the most lovely, just lovely, people. We are nourished, day in and out, by you. Wow.
4. Can you say i got an iphone for christmas?! Yep. Actually, we both did. Necessary business expenses, you know. Can you say “i am so cool?!” That’s what we’ve been saying (although no one is answering). Call us. You’ll hear the coolness in our voices, no doubt. Because if an iPhone can help your coolness, what can?
5. If you’ve been reading our blog, you know that I (Carol) am a caramel corn fanatic. It would be the single food of choice if I were left on a deserted island (a scary thought in an of itself, as anyone who knows me would agree). Anyway, if you’ve been reading this blog, you also know that Anna totally snuffed me out of my favorite caramel corn in the whole world (Garretts of Chicago) during a recent visit to Michigan Ave. The good news: 2008 is starting out sweet with the arrival, at my front door, of a gallon of hot (really) gooey (totally) buttery (beautifully) Garrett’s caramel corn. From Anna. The greatest co-author and business partner anyone could dream of. Thanks, doll. I (kid you not) ate pretty much all of it in 2 days (and shared very little with my little ones … because I was feeling a bit thin after the holidays and wanted to be sure to beef up before the cold, cold days of January arrive here in MN). I think I succeeded. Thanks a LOT, Anna.
6. What’s next? … preparing for a Valentine’s day media tour about our book (including a trip to NYC in February where we’ll be doing approximately 20 satellite TV interviews all over the country!) Stay tuned. We’ll be sure to share all of the juicy details. We are also getting ourselves and voices prepped for about 2 dozen talk radio interviews scheduled for around Valentine’s day too. Whew. Can you say Cliff Bar? Good thing we have iphones so we can write blog entries where ever we are. Because we’d hate to leave our blog-fans a hangin’.
That’s all for now.