|
Gracie on Good Morning America
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Uh oh. This can't be good.
I'm going to be on Good Morning America on ABC-TV this Wednesday morning (May 17, probably between 8:30-9). That's not the problem. I'm thrilled to go on the show. And oh, heck no, I'm not nervous. I mean, it's only about 13 gazillion people watching, so no big deal, right?
But what's raising red flags is who is going to be on the show with me. The GMA producer called my publicist a few days ago and posed the question: "So, could John bring his new dog, Gracie, on the show?"
I asked Jenny what she thought. Gracie is our "good dog," or at least she is good when compared to Marley, which isn't saying much. But she still has her moments. She leaped up and slobbered the photographer for People magazine right on the mouth. She rummaged through the purse of an Italian television reporter who visited our home. She found my son's cell phone the other day and took off with it across the yard. By the time we got it back -- after bribing her with bologna -- it had teeth punctures right through the casing. She can get a little excited when she's around people she doesn't know.
Jenny, of course, said, "Count her in!" Easy for her to say; she doesn't have to be out there on national television with a wild dog racing off with Diane Sawyer's high-heel shoe.
With just a little trepidation, I said yes. So on Tuesday, GMA will send a Town Car to our house to take Jenny, Gracie and me to New York. They found a hotel near Times Square that takes dogs. The hotel is right across from the studio. The next morning we walk Gracie across the street. Piece of cake, right?
Except for one thing. I'm still trying to figure out the potty situation. Gracie is trained to only use grass. She ain't no city slicker. Using pavement as a bathroom...no way! How low rent! So I'm going to have to find a park or some other little patch of green earth for her. If the NYPD sees a half-crazed man racing through the streets at dawn with a plastic bag in his hand and a big yellow dog trotting along at his side, they'll know they found me.
Wish us luck. And tune in if you can... I can use all the moral support I can get.
Arf!
posted by John Grogan at 3:49 PM
 
21 Comments:
<< Home
Previous Posts
|
|
|
Wonderful book. We have a blond lab of our own, calmer than Marley but into some of the same tricks. I laughed and cried through the book. Where can I find the farwell column about Marley
Hey John!
Can't wait to see what happens on GMA now! No pressure...Ha!
We are still missing our dog, although not a lab, a toy poodle, I have never had a bond with a dog like this. It made his passing (decision) that much harder. To understand the bond, take a look at a recent entry I made on my blog: insanely dull
Thanks again for the wonderful book.
CD
Glad you're back, John. I've really missed your blog entries over the last few weeks. Btw, for great lab humor, I LOVE Chip Dunham's comic strip Overboard. It's about a bunch of inept pirates & their shipboard lab Louie. Thanks again!
Good Luck John!! I'm looking forward to seeing you on Good Morning America Wednesday. I set my DVR to record in case I forget to watch. I just wanted you to know, although I'm sure you have heard it many times before, I loved your book! It is now probably my favorite book of all time. It combines 2 great loves of mine, reading and dogs. I have always loved to read and I have always been an animal lover, especially dogs. They are closest to my heart. I read your book a couple of weeks ago and it touched me so much. I read it within 36 hours of starting. It wouldn't have taken me that long but I am a mother of a 2 1/2 year old little girl and I don't have much time to myself these days! I'm 32 years old and I got my first dog when I was 3 years old. I haven't been without one for more than a few months at a time since, so I can relate to a lot of the situations in your book. I laughed and cried all the way through. I have been married for 5 and 1/2 years and we got our first dog together 6 months after we got married. We got another as a playmate for him 6 months later. So I felt like I could relate to your situation when you got Marley. However, our dogs seem like saints when you compare them to Marley! We do have some funny stories though. I'll just share one with you then I'll close. Our dogs are both mixes from our local Humane Society. One is a Husky mix and one is a Doberman mix. My husband bought harnesses for both the dogs with lead lines attached to a belt that he could wear around his waist so when we got a sled or cart they could pull us behind them, which we have yet to do. Anyway, one night my husband decided to take our Husky mix, Tundra, for a walk. Instead of using a leash, he decided to use the harness and lead line attached to the belt so he could walk him hands free. I took our other dog, Brisco, for a walk in the opposite direction as we have never been able to get them to settle down enough to walk together. When we met back at home my husband told me the story of his adventure. Everything was going fine until he went past a house with a lady working in her flowers out front. She looked up and saw them coming and a look of alarm crossed her face. About that time, my husband saw the cause for her concern. A few feet away, her cat was laying in the sun. He said " Oh, don't worry, He's okay with cats." She said " You don't understand, the cat hates dogs!" About that time, the cat saw our dog and my husband attached to him by the waist and took off after them, chasing them for about a block, hissing, spitting, and trying to swipe them with his paws, before he finally gave up. I laughed so hard thinking of my husband attached to my wussy dog by the waist, running down the street from a cat! I imagined the neighbors were all amused, I just wish I could have seen the little scenario! My husband said Tundra kept looking over his shoulder with a look of total terror on his face. Hopefully, you found this as entertaining as I did! I'm not as good at telling stories as you are obviously, but it sounds like you have a great imagination so maybe that will help. Best wishes to you and your family,
Lisa
John, this is just the START!!! I'm spreading the word... I'm taping it for my son to see Gracie!!! (oh and you too). Poor Gracie - wonder if artificial turf would work?
Since you are from Michigan, if you have any say in who plays your part in the upcoming movie, you should try contacting Jeff Daniels here in Chelsea, Michigan. He owns two large dogs and he is a major actor to draw in an audience.
GMA is a great show. Best of the lot in the morning. My wife and I watch it everyday while we are getting ready to go into the working world. I will record it just to make sure I don't miss it. Tell Charlie, Diane and Robin hey from us.
JP - Feeder of "Charlotte" the Wonder Lab of Imminent Destruction
Wow, I can't wait to see Gracie! I'm a bit tired this morning...I got your book for Mother's Day from my mutts, Harley and Bella. I started reading it and couldn't stop. I was up until 1:30 am last night finishing it. The tears were flowing and I was even blowing nose bubbles, I was such a slobbering mess!
What a fun book!
I'm glad I'm done because my 11 year old daughter and I were trying to read the same copy at the same time...now she can finish it and we don't have to share.
I'm thinking of a lot of people to give this book to as a gift!
BTW, in the end of the book, there is a dog called Lucky that you adopt...is that Gracie, renamed, or a different dog????
Thanks again!
lauren
Nevermind my question about Gracie,...I just found the answer in your posted interview.
But I have a better question...
I was just checking out your tour dates and was disappointed not to find anything where I live...
PALM BEACH COUNTY (Boynton Beach). Did I miss you promoting in this area or will you be coming in the future?
The Florida aspect (and I'm originally from the midwest) is wonderful!
-lauren
John, make sure you read the message board before you leave for NYC! Pawprintzz recommends a park you can take Gracie to in NYC and there is another reply with a great recommendation (studio supplying a makeshift grassy area for her). Apparently they had trouble replying to this blog (as I did too).
GREAT JOB JOHN!!! - so much you could have said - so few minutes. But one-on-one with Diane Sawyer! Gracie did good too! She kind of looked like "this is no fun sitting here with you two blabbing! Let's go check out the back room!" Seeing Marley on home video thrilled my son and I - especially the licking part. All-in-all, for as short a time it was, the message was put out. Was that blush on your cheeks? And PLEASE tell us all how Gracie managed the bathroom problem!!!
Hi John,
You and Gracie were great on GMA! You were very relaxed, a real pro and sweet Gracie was.... well.... a lab under the age of 5, as she should be!
Is there a possibility you can post more and different photos of Marley or possibly some video. I feel silly asking this but I am enamored by Marley (rest his soul). I read the entire book in 11 hours. I had a very tough time the last hour or so as my reading glasses were flooded so much I had to use a dish towel from the kitchen to dry them every few minutes.
Marley had the best and worst traits of many of our beloved pups, but your ability to paint such a wonderful landscapse of his life with you was truly what made Marley come to life. That is why Marley lives in the hearts of everyone who has had the blessing of reading your book. I cannot look at the cover with out tears coming to my eyes. I hope that people out there who have dogs like Marley, read this book and develope a greater understanding of the blessings in making a commitment when they walk into a shelter and take home a dog. For better or for worse, with lots of love and patients they will give back more than we could ever have anticipated.
Thank you for this blessing of a book.
You did a great job! It must be daunting to have so few mintues to talk about the book. You looked very calm, and Gracie didn't do anything crazy. She seems like a great pet.
I'm hoping you'll come back to New York City or even upstate to do a book signing.
My Yellow Lab loves the library. *wink*
Hello:
I missed the GMA live interview, however I watched in online. You and Gracie did great. I also finished your book last night at 2:00am. Costing me 2 hours less sleep :-)I used to be a director of a lab rescue group in Memphis, TN. Unfortunately, we have so many labs here in the south which gets dumped for so much less than Marley did. In an era where everything is seen disposable (furniture, TVs, marriages even lives), some people can never get passed the feeling that dogs are just like furniture or cars... to be replaced by new and better. Fostering and owning many labbies; mixes and purebred, I have seen that dogs like Marley qualify for the best of jobs as drug and bomb dogs. We have cherished, loved and adopted many like him. Unfortunately, so many go unnoticed in shelters, just a statistic in books. Your book is a tribute to all those doggie souls, who know how to love unconditionally, where humans are yet to succeed. It is amazing how not giving up on the inconveniences of a dog, teaches us not giving up on our lives, family and human qualities.
Warmest wishes to you and your family,
Gokce Baser
Hi! Did Gracie enjoyed herself?
I saw your book at SAMs and immediately purchased it as we have a lab / shepherd mix that is unbelievable like Marley. Read the book in almost one sitting. Almost because I just did not want to read the chapter of Marley's death, but I did. Alone. Crying like a baby.
Thank you for sharing such a heart-warming story for us all.
I just finished Marley and Me. We had Elvis the yellow Lab for a little over 11 years. He died Easter weekend in 2003. I laughed uproariously and cried reading this. Marley has to be related to Elvis. Ate our spa cover, lawn furniture, windowsills, and had a special fondness for socks up til he died in our arms on our lawn.
We have BB King the black Lab, who is 11 and is still a circus dog and a lover.
Thank you.
John
I'm a 52 year old concrete construction worker and just finished your book late last night! Then spent the next 15 minutes in my underwear on the floor hugging my lab and bawling my eyes out! Big guys do cry ( well at least when it comes to their dogs!)Thanks for opening your heart to us! Chocolate Lab lover from Maine!
Hi John,
We too have a crazy dog,not a lab but just as goofy.Our
's is a golden retreiver named MGD ( beer we drank at the time) So we call him Miller God Dammit.Of course,Miller for short.I read your book in less than a week and completely enjoyed it.I was able to relate Miller to Marley totally ! Aren't dogs GREAT !?
Hope to see more books from you soon !i
Hi John,
We too have a crazy dog,not a lab but just as goofy.Our's is a golden retreiver named MGD ( beer we drank at the time) So we call him Miller God Dammit.Of course,Miller for short.I read your book in less than a week and completely enjoyed it.I was able to relate Miller to Marley totally ! Aren't dogs GREAT !?
Hope to see more books from you soon !
Hi John!! I´m Lucia, from Brazil and I live in Sao Paulo. I´ve just finished your book... by the way, I read it in less than 2 days... As most of the people said, I just coudn´t stop reading it... you made me cry like a child,because as an animal lover I could visualize every movement Marley did on the book.I myself have a dog named Sunny, my passion, my life, and she´s 13 years already. I could feel your pain and how hard it will be to me and my family when her time between us finishes...I don´t want to think about this, but I know that sooner or later it will happen...I´d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this touching story and to show people that animals deserve to be as well treated as any other living thing that breathes.By the way, I´m married, and I have a 27 year old daughter and a 25 year old boy... both singles,graduated and independent.That´s why my beloved Sunny fullfil my life now. If you write me few lines I´d really appreciate and I´ll be very honored.Thanks again and forgive my poor English.With love, Lucia.
I love the book, Marley & Me. It is now my favorite book. This book is very funny and very sad too. I hope you write another book about Gracie.