A Delightful School Visit

Once upon a time, there were four beautiful and smart seventh-grade girls who loved to read. They banded together and formed a book club. Their fearless librarian recommended a book: I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES. The girls dove in and were amazed to discover places in the book that were right by their school! An ostrich farm. A fruit stand. The Wild Animal Park.

The brilliant girls did a little online sleuthing and located the author. She was local. They emailed her.

And this is how yesterday's author visit to San Pasqual Union in Escondido came to pass.

Here I am with the book club. (Hint: I'm the more mature-looking girl in the green raincoat.)

I had a BLAST. Other students, teachers and parents joined our kick-back chit-chat. There was lunch, a HUGE bowl of licorice, a book signing and lots of laughter, chatter and questions.

Thank you, in alphabetical order, B, C, D and S! And, of course, a special thank you to Mrs. MacDonald, too!

Back at home, I admired my flowers and sign!

Sherry spotted in Scholastic Catalog

Child #4 raced in from school. She couldn't get her Scholastic Book Catalog out of her backpack fast enough!

"You will be so surprised, Mom!" she said.

Awww....brings tears to my eyes.


And here's a look from afar. Just so you can see who else we're hanging out with on the page.

Thank you, Scholastic!

My Town Monday: Ruby Foos, New York City

I have wanted to eat at Ruby Foos since the spring of 2007.

Oh, you say, why in the world would a woman living in San Diego have Ruby Foos on her mind for three-ish years?

The story goes like this:

On Wednesday, March 28, 2007, a literary agent by the name of Kristin Nelson was visiting New York City and had lunch with a Delacorte Press/Random House editor named Wendy Loggia. About 2,800 miles away, an aspiring San Diego author snacked on too much licorice.

That night, in her hotel room, Kristin Nelson kicked off her high heels, donned her comfy sweats, and fired up her laptop (I don't know that it happened EXACTLY like this, but it might have! ). She blogged:

It’s late so I only have time for a quick blog entry. Today I had lunch with Wendy Loggia from Delacorte (a children’s imprint at Random House).

We ate at the yummy Ruby Foo’s on Broadway (which is an editor hang out by the way). You can always spot publishing folks here around lunchtime because of the close proximity to the Random House Building.

Wendy mentioned that she would love to see a MG or YA mystery (think a modern Joan Lowery Nixon-type author who can reinvent something fresh).

Even later that night, the San Diego woman woke up with insomnia and a stomachache. She decided to forget about sleep for a while and padded down the hall to her teeny tiny office to surf the net. Lo and behold, she stumbled upon Kristin's blog. "Oh, oh oh," the aspiring San Diego author squealed to no one in particular as everyone in her house was fast asleep. "That could be my little Sherry!" She immediately cut and pasted the blog post into an email and shot it off to her agent, Rachel Vater, back in New York City.

Rachel added Editor Wendy's name to the submission list. And by May 17, we had a two-book deal for I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES and I SO DON'T DO SPOOKY. (Naturally, it wasn't quite this cut and dried. Agent Rachel worked her special brand of magic. She got other editors interested. She negotiated a two-book contract. But, by the end of an exciting day in May, we did sign with Editor Wendy. Yay!)

So, on October 27, 2010, Child #4 and I walked to Ruby Foos for our pre-theatre dinner (la di da!) before seeing Wicked (beyond amazing!) at the Gershwin Theatre.

At Ruby Foos, I ordered the house salad (which came in a bowl made of cucumber slices!) and sushi. Child #4 had dumplings and white rice (She's a bit of a carb fanatic.). And while I was waiting for my food, I gazed around the restaurant and wondered where Kristin Nelson and Wendy Loggia had sat and what they had eaten on that fateful day in Ruby Foos back in 2007.

This week, I'm the hostess with the mostest for My Town Monday. So, if you've put up a MTM post, let me know in the comments section here or on the official My Town Monday blog. And I'll link to you on both blogs. Happy Monday!


Oh, and here's a link to Kristen Nelson's momentous blog post.

My Town Monday: Coronado Beach, CA

Coronado Beach at sunset in June (taken with my Blackberry last week)

Welcome to another My Town Monday!

This is the last week of school for my high schooler, my middle grader and my fourth grader.

Which means....Hello Summer Vacation!

And in San Diego, this means Hello Beaches! Because we have, uh, SEVENTY MILES OF BEACHES!

The Travel Channel calls Coronado one of America's best beaches.

A couple of times a week, Child #4 and I drive Child #3 to long-course swim practice at Coronado High School. Given the length of the practice and the distance this school is from our home, Child #4 and I ARE FORCED to spend the evening on Coronado. We generally wander down to the beach with a picnic dinner.

The first thing Child #4 does is slip off her flip-flops. The sand in the evening is pretty cold, and there's often a breeze. (taken with my blackberry)

Last week, we found this treasure! Look at the size of this sandcastle. (taken with my blackberry)


Here's Child #4 climbing on the breakwater. There was originally a scene on this very breakwater in I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES, but it got cut.


Eventually, Child #4 and I hit Spreckels, the candy store located under the Hotel del Coronado. A scene in this candy store was added to I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES.


LINKS TO OTHER MY TOWN MONDAY POSTS:

Travis Erwin of One Word, One Rung, One Day: posts from Amarillo, TX about, uh, meat.

Gabe of Gabe's Meanderings: posts from Winnipeg, Manitoba about the Harte Trail. Welcome to MTM, Gabe!

J. Winter of Edged in Blue: posts about how to take a honeymoon in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.

Debra of From Skilled Hands: posts from Peninsula, Ohio about Mr. Lincoln's visit to her town.


Patti Abbott of Pattinase: posts from Detroit, Michigan about her town's Passport to the Arts.

This week, I'm the hostess with the mostest for My Town Monday. So, if you've put up a MTM post, let me know in the comments section here or on the on the official My Town Monday blog. (Thanks Clair!) I'll link to you here and on the MTM blog. Thanks also to Travis Erwin for getting the whole My Town Monday ball rolling. Happy Monday!

Update on Bone Marrow Donor Drive + Misc

A quick update on Christina's Bone Marrow Donor Drive this past Sunday. Are you sitting down?
Over TWO HUNDRED people showed up to do mouth swabs!!! In fact, the San Diego Blood Bank ran out of forms at Person #198! They ended up giving people a flyer with the info about registering online. Thank you to everyone who participated!

To put all this in perspective, a drive usually gets 20 people.

And about every 200 people will yield one match. Not necessarily for Christina, of course. But mostly likely Sunday's drive will help save someone's life. Wow!

Here's a link for registering online FREE IN THE US UNTIL MARCH 28 and having a mouth swab kit sent to your house. Please pass on the word and the link.

Oh, and here's a link to the TV coverage on Sunday.

And while I'm going link crazy, here's a link to a review of i so don't do mysteries and an interview with moi by Mitch Wallace of the Sphagnum Patch. The review was in the March 2010 issue of the Mission Valley News and Views. Thanks, Mitch!

And, just so you're in the know, I'm currently in Baltimore, Maryland (much to Child #4's chagrin!) doing school visits, chilling (LITERALLY! It's cold and rainy here!) and eating crab cakes. No doubt, my next post will be about Baltimore stuff. ;)

Scholastic Makes Sherry A Book Trailer!

This book trailer for I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES is fantastic!

It's cute, funny, captures the mood of the book. It's a nice length: 1:22

But you know what I really truly love about this video? The voice.

The voice is perfect for Sherry. So perfect, it gives me the chills.

So...whose voice is it?

A little research uncovered that this is the voice of Caryn Clark, The Hip Chick Voice.

Caryn's a Floridian (a fun word to type and say) who's done professional voice overs for a variety of products. In fact, you probably recognize her voice. From TV commercials for the upcoming Olympics. And TV commercials for Hannah Montana and iCarly products. As the narrator for the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus game. To name only a few.

Thank you Scholastic for the wonderful book trailer with the perfect voice!

And thank you, also, to Stacy of the Cat's Meow for her recent review of I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES. It's lovely.

(p.s. Sorry Facebook friends. I know I already mentioned the new book trailer, but I don't know how to turn off the auto feed from this blog to Facebook. And if I did figure out how to turn it off, I'd probably never figure out how to turn it back on. And then you'd miss all these delightful blog posts! :) )

Scholastic!!!

Guess what Child #4 brought home in her backpack?


Look closer...


A little closer...



Sherry's in Scholastic! I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES is an Editor's Choice!

Yes, yes! The Summy Family is so excited that they're dancing around in their pajamas!

Beauty in a box...

This morning, there was a knock at my door. When I opened it, a large cardboard box sat on the stoop.



My author copies of the paperback version of I So Don't Do Mysteries! They'll be in bookstores around Nov. 10. For now, they're in my living room. And in my kitchen. And in my office. I'll probably carry them around with me for a few days, showing them the house, making sure they feel welcome.

I'm really excited about the paperback and the new cover.

But I'm also a little sad to say goodbye to the Sherry on the hardcover of I So Don't Do Mysteries. Of course, she'll always be on the hardcover of Mysteries, but that's the end of the line for her. She won't be featured on the hardcover of I So Don't Do Spooky or I So Don't Do Makeup or I So Don't Do Famous. Sigh.

And then I remembered a post I meant to put up back in September when I got back from Oklahoma. A post that really shows the old Sherry in a great light.

Take a gander at the size of that cover!!

Who created this amazing masterpiece?

MARYANN WALLS! She's a talented artist, mother, and volunteer at Oakdale Elementary in Edmond, OK. Here's Maryann Walls' website

Here's a shot of Artist Maryann Walls standing next to Sherry.

This is Robbie Wheeler, School Librarian Extraordinaire, who set up the school visit. There are many things to love about Robbie. She's friendly, organized, laughs at my jokes and brought me lunch. Not to mention that she loves putting students and books together.

Thank you, Robbie Wheeler for inviting me for a school visit. Thank you, students and staff of Oakdale Elementary for a fun time. Thank you, Maryann Walls, for this larger-than-life Sherry!

And we have a cover!

Yes, we have a final cover for...

I SO DON'T DO MAKEUP!!

I So Don't Do Makeup--Book #3 in the Sherry Holmes Baldwin humorous middle-grade/tween mystery series will be in bookstores, May 11, 2010



And, in case you've been tossing and turning at night, worrying that you're not in the know, here you go...


I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES--Book #1, paperback version, Nov. 10, 2009

A girl. A guy. A ghost. A heist. Yikes!
Meet reluctant sleuth Sherry Holmes Baldwin!



I SO DON'T DO SPOOKY--Book #2 in the series, hardback,

in stores December 8, 2009.

(Which is practically right around the corner. Ack!)

Sherry Holmes Baldwin is baaack!! Sherry and her ghost mother team up in a new mystery involving The Ruler (Sherry's stepmom) and a stalker. It's scary. It's spooky. It's fun. Oooooo.
(And for those of you have emailed, yes, Josh is back too!)


All these books are available for pre-order.

In the U.S.: amazon and Barnes and Noble

In Canada: Chapters Indigo



And so as not to leave out any of the covers: Book #1, hardback version, is currently available all over the place.








Many thank-yous for indulging me this blatant self-promotion post. At least you know I don't do this very often. ;)

End of commercial.

High School's Out for Summer

Yesterday was my 15 year old's last day of school before summer vacation.

On the way home, we stopped at our local convenience store to pick up a cold drink. This place has, hands down, the best fountain diet coke in San Diego County. But I digress.

So, I'm standing in line, sipping the best diet coke around and thinking about that summer-vacation feeling.

The cashier says, "What's new?"

"It's the last day of high school," I reply.

"Oh no," says the postman standing next to me. He slumps.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

"Now, they'll all go home and let their dogs out."

How very very interesting. I would never have equated high-schoolers-home-for-the-summer with increased danger for mailmen.

It's all in your perspective.

And I'll all about characters and their perspectives at the moment. I got I So Don't Do Makeup back from Editor Wendy. And, while I'm taking care of the suggested revisions, I'm also checking to make sure the dialog and actions and metaphors fit the character. Such as, does the character who loves snacks and junk food uncover the hot sauce clue?

Oh, and, by the way, the revisions aren't too bad at all. Yay!!

And, now about something totally different (sorry, I couldn't think of a smooth segue!)...



A contest where you can win a $75 gift card to spend on books!

Eileen Cook is celebrating the six-month release anniversary of her book, What Would Emma Do? Click over to Eileen Cook's blog for details.

SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS! Yowzer!

A Cover Story

This is a true cover story story.

Once upon a time, a wonderful publisher by the name of Delacorte Press/Random House decided to change the cover for the trade paperback version of I So Don't Do Mysteries.

They looked and they looked through lots and lots of stock photos and finally found two brilliant and magic pictures of the perfect girl to represent Sherry (short for Sherlock) Holmes Baldwin.

Why two photos? One for I So Don't Do Mysteries. One for I So Don't Do Spooky.

Enter Book #3: I So Don't Do Makeup. A book who deserves a brilliant and magic cover with the same perfect girl. But, alas, there are no more stock photos of this girl.

I get an email from Editor Wendy which cautions me in upper case letters not to get my hopes up. It's highly unlikely that this perfect girl will be located. And if she even is located, the odds are slim that she'll be the right age.

Three days later, I get an email from a dad. From a dad who got a phone call from a local photographer who got a phone call from Delacorte. Yes, it was the perfect girl's dad. I'm guessing he googled I So Don't Do Mysteries or I So Don't Do Spooky or me. I'm guessing he found this blog and saw on the sidebar jpegs of the covers with the perfect girl.

Guess what? She wants to be on the cover of I So Don't Do Makeup.

Guess what else? She's the right age.

Guess what else? Last weekend, a bunch of photos were shot of the perfect girl in order to choose a brilliant and magic cover for I So Don't Do Makeup.

This is SO exciting!

p.s. I am dying to see these photos. HINT, HINT! :)

Available now!                      Coming November 2009           Coming December 2009

Please, please, please, come over to the Book Roast where I'm being GRILLED today starting at 9:00 AM Eastern time. Yes, it does sound scary. And I'm not a brave soul. It took me three years to work up to a flu shot. Plus, 9:00 AM Eastern time is SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING Pacific time. By nature, I am not a morning person. Yikes.




And, while you're tripping merrily through bloggy land, please leave a comment on Eileen Cook's interview with me for a CHANCE TO WIN A SIGNED COPY OF I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES. Seriously. There aren't that many comments, so you have good Vegas odds...









And, finally, be good to yourself. You deserve it.

An INCREDIBLE book launch!

On Saturday, I had the MOST INCREDIBLE EVER book launch at The Yellow Book Road.

At home, before the launch, I was pretty much freaking out and worrying and giving my family fits. What if no one shows up? What if I forget how to spell my name? Why did I ever agree to do a presentation?

Anyway, my family totally put up with my neurotic behavior. Even my poor in-laws who came here from Oklahoma to enjoy a peaceful (?Say what? In my house where we don't even know the meaning of the word peaceful??) Christmas with the grandkids. So, to keep me quiet and out of a straitjacket, they all covered Hershey miniature chocolates with little sleeves of the book cover, stuffed disposable coffee cups with candy, said chocolates, cute I So Don't Do Mysteries pencils, notebooks, rhino tattoos and I So Don't Do Mysteries tattoos.

Child #4 and her streaky blue hair

Child #4 and I escaped to see Jamie the Wonderful Hairdresser who pinned teal streaks (yes, to match the cover!) in our hair. We picked up the cupcake cake on the way home. By this point, I was hyped beyond belief and talking three million miles a minute. I may have frightened the cake lady.

THE cupcake cake!

Then, it was off to The Yellow Book Road where my very amazing friends Eileen B-R, Eileen C and Vicki S set up the food table with cheese and crackers (Eileen B-R created extraordinary cheese trays), raw veggies and dip, m&ms, Chex Mix, water bottles, the cake and wine.

Mary and Kristin and Anne of The Yellow Book Road were remarkably calm and professional and did not even come close to slapping me around even though they probably wanted to see if that would snap me out of my hyperness.

DH set up the screen, projector and computer for the powerpoint while I tried, in vain, to convince The Yellow Book Road personnel that there was no real need for me to do the powerpoint. They good-naturedly ignored me and rolled book cases out of the way to make room for a signing table. And then they set up the raffle table.

And then the guests arrived. And more arrived. And they kept on arriving.

And they bought books. And more books. And more books. Until The Yellow Book Road ran out of books. And DH brought in some of my author copies from the car for the store to sell. And those sold out. So, DH raced home and got the rest of the author copies.

The signing line went right to the door.

Here are some people waiting to have their books signed. I signed way way over 100 books!

And people hung around and chatted and ate and drank and got to know each other.

It was truly an EVENT.

Me in the middle of the powerpoint presentation. It's not the most flattering photo, but I'm giving it to you anyway!

The powerpoint went very well. Although I did cry a little. Mary and Kristin said I did an awesome job, one of the best author presentations they'd even seen. Which I'm sure is an exaggeration, but does mean I didn't fall flat on my face. So, yay.

Now I feel like Sherry is well and truly launched. Thank you to everyone who helped. Thank you to everyone who came. Thank you one and all.

before and after









Sigh. And now I can put up my feet and relax. Oh no, I can't. Because it's CHRISTMAS and I have bought a total of THREE gifts. You might remember that I have FOUR children. So....if you see a blur with teal streaks fast-forwarding through the stores at the mall, it's just me in a holiday panic.

The First-Ever Book Signing

Thank you so much for all the support! It's been very amazing and wonderful. xo

Last night's book signing went very well. I actually had lots of fun. Who would've thought I'd enjoy chatting with strangers about kidlit? And then signing my book for them?!!

There's a little more detail at the Class of 2k8's blog. Plus a picture of an unexpected mystery guest.

Barrie and fellow blogger San Diego Momma who is incredibly cool!

Guess who else showed up? Blogger San Diego Momma. She is cute, fun, interesting. And she has a really nice dh and adorable kids. And she has a tres fancy camera. In short, San Diego Momma has it all! I even forgive her for looking so much better than me in the photo. Oh, and, thank you to Vodka Mom for introducing us in the blogosphere.

Okay. I'm getting a little sick of talking about myself, so I'll only share a couple more things. I teared up in my local Barnes & Noble today when they told me they had to order a bunch more I So Don't Do Mysteries. I cried when Bookseller Sue Ellen told me she was handselling the book because she'd read it and it was fantastic.

All that crying; Child #2 was fit to be tied. Can I just point out I generally don't cry so it was fairly new territory for him.

I'm wisening up, though. When Mary from The Yellow Book Road mentioned on the phone that they'd done a really nice display with I So Don't Do Mysteries and did I want to come in and see it, I replied:

I'd love to, but I just redid my mascara.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2008

Holy Publishing Toledo!

My launch date has finally arrived!

Welcome to the world I So Don't Do Mysteries!

Welcome to the world Sherry Holmes Baldwin!

In real life, I'm having coffee with a really really good friend who delayed her flight back home in order to spend this launch morning in a coffee shop with me. After coffee, we'll wander over to the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore who have absolutely promised to display I So Don't Do Mysteries out on a shelf so that my friend can buy a copy and I can sign it. My very first signing!

You might remember this friend who was little too candid when it came to my author photos. All, joking aside, she's great.

And then this evening, I have a signing with a couple of other mystery writers at Warwick's. Followed by drinks with some friends.

It's going to be quite the day!

Also...the Class of 2k8 is hosting a surprise cyber party for me. A least, they think it's a surprise. They forget that I have four children, three of whom are teenage boys. It's not easy to get one over one me. Please pop over for a visit if you've got a sec.

But first, check out my book trailer. It brings tears to the eyes. It's that cute. If the video isn't working on the screen below, you can check it out at YouTube

And.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER!!.

One day to go!!! And my mantra...

             In case you're wondering, this is NOT me.

Hola Bloggy Friends!

One short-and-long-at-the-same-time day to go before my little heroine, Sherry, is out in the world.

I'm trying really really hard to enjoy each and every second of this experience. Until I get all caught up in the worry and the freakiness of book signings (I have abominable handwriting) and readings (I have this cough that won't vamoose) and the million and one things that need to get done (I have a to-do list the length of Yonge Street**).

And then I just slap myself upside the head (mentally, of course because, come on, I'm not a total nutcase!) and say (inside my head because, like I just said, I'm not a total nutcase): This is the one and only time in your life you'll have a first book released. This is a dream come true. Get over yourself, Ms. Worry-Wart Summy. Have fun.

So that, my dear friends, is my mantra for the week: Have fun.

You will NOT hear me saying things like "I gotta get caught up on the laundry" or "Hey, family, here's a home-cooked meal" or "I paid all the bills today and vacuumed and dusted and tidied and hemmed that pair of jeans that's been in the basket for a year". No sirree. In fact, I may not say those things next week either.

So, I am off to have fun. I wish more of you were here with me to keep me on track.

Come visit the Class of 2k8's blog where I'm the star for the entire week.

And a loud shout-out to TeensReadToo for a lovely lovely review and FIVE stars and for posting said lovely lovely review on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Thank you!

And another loud shout-out to Bookworm Readers who gave I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES an A rating. Thank you to you too!

One last practice of the mantra: Have fun. Have fun. Have fun.



**a very very long street in Toronto. It may even be the longest street in the world, but I don't have time to check this fact for you. Not that you don't deserve conscientious blogging; it's truly a time thing.

A veiled chameleon falls ill...

Here's a picture from healthier days. The male veiled chameleon drinking water from a ficus leaf






You may or may not remember that Child #2 became the proud owner of two veiled chameleons. They were his big birthday present about a year and a half ago. Then, last May, the female died.

Well, last week, the male stopped eating, got big knobby and swollen joints and was barely crawling around. Thursday evening, Child #2 (who is fifteen, and I'm sure that one word, fifteen, tells you a lot) spent much time wringing a wet facecloth above his still chameleon so that a gentle rain cascaded over his pet. The chameleon turned the most beautiful turquoise we have ever seen.

Fast forward ten minutes. I tucked in Child #3 who shares a room with Child #2. The chameleon had fallen off his little log and was lying at the bottom of the cage. His eyes were somewhat sunken; his eyelids dark. Oh dear. I did not want Child #2 to Learn a Life Lesson that evening. He'd already had a water polo disappointment; he still had a lot of homework; and he needed a decent night's sleep. So, I dusted the little chameleon off and propped him back up on the log. We could all face the Life Lesson in the morning, or better yet, after school.

Imagine my surprise the next morning when I saw the chameleon had crawled a little higher up the log. DH had the day off. We got the kids to their various schools, then carefully placed the chameleon on a bed of his special mossy stuff in a cut-off milk jug and drove him to the reptile expert at the pet store. Yes, this is what happens during these crazy busy times of Christmas and a book launch when you're the parent of a child with a pet. Don't think I'm some kind of saint. I'm not. I wasn't happy with the turn of events, with the to-do list sitting at home on the kitchen counter and the milk jug on my lap as we headed into San Diego.

The reptile expert took one look at our fat-jointed lethargic chameleon and pronounced: Metabolic Bone Disease.

It's curable! I texted Child #2 who responded with Yay!!!

Now our chameleon is eating crickets dusted with calcium powder + extra Vitamin D for absorption, housed in a smaller cage so he's always close to the UV + heat lamp, basking on fake wood laced with fake ficus leaves which stay stable for his sore joints. With proper care and a certain measure of good luck, he will live to a ripe old age. When he's a little bigger, we'll find him a female and help him settle into married life. It'll have to be a female accepting of gnarled joints because these won't return exactly to normal. This is all doable.

And now I up with insomnia, working through the to-do list, because...
IT'S EXACTLY TWO DAYS UNTIL TUES DEC 9 AND THE RELEASE OF I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES!

I would post an updated picture of the chameleon, but the entire house is quiet and sleeping as it's only a little after 3:00 am.

My Town Monday: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Before starting with our regularly-scheduled My Town Monday post, I'd like to send you over to Larramie at Seize a Daisy.

Why? Because she wrote a big beautiful brought-tears-to-my-eyes post for I So Don't Do Mysteries. Larramie is one of those bloggers who puts a ton of effort into each post. I can't tell you how it feels to be on the receiving end of all that energy. Incredible. So, please pop on over to see what Larramie is saying about Sherry.

And now, without further ado, onto My Town Monday. And Ann Arbor, MI.

Yes, I know I live in San Diego. Yes, I know Ann Arbor is, like, many many miles away. Believe me, I know. I was squished up like an uncomfortable bug for the entire plane ride at the beginning of November when Child #3 and I ventured to Ann Arbor for water polo. For him, not me.

But pretty please indulge me for just one more Ann Arbor post. Then it'll be back to this side of the country. Pinky promise.



So....if you're ever in Ann Arbor, you absolutely must go to Zingerman's. Everybody knows the joint. Everybody goes there. Everybody loves it. It opened in 1982 and has been growing in popularity ever since.

With good reason. The food is GREAT! The service is FANTASTIC! Even the MENU is fun to read!



I ordered the #2, the MOST popular sandwich: Zingerman's Reuben--Zingerman's corned beef, Switzerland Swiss cheese, sauerkraut & Russian dressing on grilled, hand-sliced Jewish rye bread.

It was like I'd died and gone to corned beef heaven. Of course, I couldn't finish the monster sandwich. (I'm expecting a comment on this from Travis Erwin). I requested a to-go box. The waitress goes to wrap my leftovers. She picks up the pickle.

"This is too soft," she says. And promptly orders me a new one.

Seriously? My standards are obviously too low.

A member of our party ordered the wrong sandwich. His mistake. No biggie. When the waitress found out, she brought the sandwich he thought he'd ordered. Free of charge.

You can try out Zingerman's Deli, 422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor, MI

Or Zingerman's Roadhouse (a sit-down restaurant): 2501 Jackson Ave, Ann Arbor, MI

That's it. You'll thank me if you're ever up that way and get a chance to test out Zingerman's.

Please visit to Travis Erwin's blog. He's our Fearless Leader for My Town Mondays. Along with his own MTM, he'll have a list of participants.

And, uh, just in case you've forgotten...

EXACTLY NINE DAYS UNTIL THE RELEASE OF I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES!