Well, I'm sitting here writing this blog and looking at my messy desk. I can see only about three square inches of actual desk top. Oddly, I can still find what I need, when I need it, but the look of my desk and therefore my office really bothers me. It's not like I've never cleaned it before; I have, but somehow it always ends up like this. All of the important papers (that I consider important anyway) end up on top of the desk. Certainly, some of this could be tossed.
The rest of my house is not messy. I hate a messy kitchen, and make sure I get all of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher before relaxing in front of the t.v. for the evening. I do have a few books scattered around the living room, but not many, so it's pretty organized too. And my bathrooms are clean, sink shiny, bathtub and toilet pretty decent too. When they start looking in the least grim, I have to grab the cleanser and do something about it. I've often thought it would be great to hire a house cleaner to come in once in a while, since vacuuming is one chore I could do without, but I know I would have to vacuum beforehand anyway (can't let anyone see it with cat fur on the rug or crud in the corners). I would hate to have anyone see my closet too, especially before I've done my spring cleaning and bagged the clothes I inevitably give to one of the charities. I usually have a bag or two and one or two of my daughter's bags. She always offers to let me dig through her stuff before giving it away. She has nice taste, and usually gets tired of her clothes long before they wear out.
So, I don't know why I don't clean up my desk more often. It would probably not take that long to organize. I even bought some new folders just for that purpose, plus I have room in a file drawer. Maybe psychologically it feels as if I am accomplishing something with all these papers in front of me, even when deep down I know I'm not.
Hmm, maybe this dissatifaction with my desk top is actually about a deeper issue. Guess I should make the effort to clean it up and see what happens... But maybe not today.
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered thought most bookstores.
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Jackson Hole Skiing - Record Snowfall Year
Just got back from a vacation in Jackson Hole a couple days ago. Whoa, I've never seen so much snow! Never. One night we got thirty inches, another night sixteen, and on and on. Avalanche guns went off almost every morning ... booming, triggering avalanches so we wouldn't end up in one. I brought the same skis I usually use up at Boyne, knowing I would likely demo skis depending on the conditions. I expected to be renting "all mountain" skis, but decided instead in favor of "powder" skis, the type most of the locals were using. I'd never tried a pair of fats, but was glad I did. My own skis threw me all over the place, and I couldn't bring the skis to a stop easily. It wore me out. The powder skis, on the other hand, seemed to float down the mountain. I used a lot less energy. Unfortunately, by the time I rented the skis, three days in, I was almost too exhausted to enjoy them. But that's me, trying to save a few dollars. Silly. The whole idea is to enjoy the vacation.
I don't consider myself a powder hound. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that in Michigan we don't get much powder. I actually was hoping more for sun and groomed slopes and maybe some soft forgiving moguls. I love to ride chairlifts on a thirty or forty degree day, relaxing and soaking up the warmth. Makes me feel like singing John Denver tunes about Rocky Mountain highs. But it wasn't to be. I knew this, after all it is Jackson Hole, famous for sub zero temps. Fortunately, I was spared the coldest temperatures. For Jackson, it was somewhat balmy, cold in the early morning (I think one or two degrees) but warming up to twenty or thirty most days. The problem was the flat light and sometimes blizzard conditions. At one point I could see about two feet in front of me, and only the pines on either side of the slope kept me on course. On two of the days they closed the chairlifts on the upper parts of the mountain because of dangerously high winds. Since it was also windy on the lower slopes, I didn't venture over there on those days. I have experienced chairlifts during high winds, not fun at all, especially when the lift stops and you're blown horizontal, your feet dangling over the tree tops, the wind sounding a lot like a locomotive.
I did enjoy the vacation though because a lot of my friends were on the trip, and really, how many times do I get a chance to ski that much powder? It was a record snowfall year for Jackson Hole, over five hundred and seventy-five inches, and I was there to see it happen. Think I'll be talking about this trip for a while...
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
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I don't consider myself a powder hound. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that in Michigan we don't get much powder. I actually was hoping more for sun and groomed slopes and maybe some soft forgiving moguls. I love to ride chairlifts on a thirty or forty degree day, relaxing and soaking up the warmth. Makes me feel like singing John Denver tunes about Rocky Mountain highs. But it wasn't to be. I knew this, after all it is Jackson Hole, famous for sub zero temps. Fortunately, I was spared the coldest temperatures. For Jackson, it was somewhat balmy, cold in the early morning (I think one or two degrees) but warming up to twenty or thirty most days. The problem was the flat light and sometimes blizzard conditions. At one point I could see about two feet in front of me, and only the pines on either side of the slope kept me on course. On two of the days they closed the chairlifts on the upper parts of the mountain because of dangerously high winds. Since it was also windy on the lower slopes, I didn't venture over there on those days. I have experienced chairlifts during high winds, not fun at all, especially when the lift stops and you're blown horizontal, your feet dangling over the tree tops, the wind sounding a lot like a locomotive.
I did enjoy the vacation though because a lot of my friends were on the trip, and really, how many times do I get a chance to ski that much powder? It was a record snowfall year for Jackson Hole, over five hundred and seventy-five inches, and I was there to see it happen. Think I'll be talking about this trip for a while...
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
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Tuesday, March 11, 2008
More on the Races...
Goggle is amazing. I wrote a blog yesterday about ski racing up at Boyne Mountain, and mentioned my daughter Angie, who raced this past weekend with me and the rest of the gang. She calls me up about a half hour after I posted the blog, and tells me she just typed in "Angie" and "ski" on Google (she was looking for something related to the races) and my blog came up. Somehow Google grabbed onto those two words and found my blog that easily. I find that truly amazing. I, of course, had to try it myself, and yes, she's right. It did.
I have no idea how many people actually read this blog. I enjoy writing it, and that's enough for me. Hopefully, it brings some enjoyment to others. It does remind me of when I used to keep a journal, and wrote about anything and everything that interested me. Of course, this is the Internet, so I can't be quite as personal as I was then.
But let me finish up about the races. We had three days of racing over the weekend, a slalom race on Friday, a giant slalom race on Saturday, and a race we call the Cantor Cup on Sunday, in honor of Larry Cantor, a former racer and an extremely nice guy. I knew him well. He died during a race. I was gate keeping his course when it happened. He had a heart attack, had a heart condition, and wasn't supposed to be racing at all, but he loved it. He was in his early sixties, I believe. When it happened, the day had been cloudy and ugly, but after he passed, the clouds parted and the sun broke through. A lot of us figured Larry was letting us know he was okay. So his relatives built him a bench that sits on the deck of the race shack, and we honor him each year with a race on the last day.
So, to finish up, we had the three races, and as a result, Angie was a finalist for the year, and won the third place World Cup in her class. Marty, her fiance, won his first race, the Cantor Cup, dual slalom elimination style. He was the last man standing ... literally (very icy course). And Bruce (husband) had good results for the last half of the season, but missed out on a World Cup. Not a problem. He won his class the past four years running, very difficult to do. I had the two trophies from previous weekends, but didn't finish one race this time. I'll be buying some new race skis very soon.
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
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I have no idea how many people actually read this blog. I enjoy writing it, and that's enough for me. Hopefully, it brings some enjoyment to others. It does remind me of when I used to keep a journal, and wrote about anything and everything that interested me. Of course, this is the Internet, so I can't be quite as personal as I was then.
But let me finish up about the races. We had three days of racing over the weekend, a slalom race on Friday, a giant slalom race on Saturday, and a race we call the Cantor Cup on Sunday, in honor of Larry Cantor, a former racer and an extremely nice guy. I knew him well. He died during a race. I was gate keeping his course when it happened. He had a heart attack, had a heart condition, and wasn't supposed to be racing at all, but he loved it. He was in his early sixties, I believe. When it happened, the day had been cloudy and ugly, but after he passed, the clouds parted and the sun broke through. A lot of us figured Larry was letting us know he was okay. So his relatives built him a bench that sits on the deck of the race shack, and we honor him each year with a race on the last day.
So, to finish up, we had the three races, and as a result, Angie was a finalist for the year, and won the third place World Cup in her class. Marty, her fiance, won his first race, the Cantor Cup, dual slalom elimination style. He was the last man standing ... literally (very icy course). And Bruce (husband) had good results for the last half of the season, but missed out on a World Cup. Not a problem. He won his class the past four years running, very difficult to do. I had the two trophies from previous weekends, but didn't finish one race this time. I'll be buying some new race skis very soon.
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
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Monday, March 10, 2008
Ski Race Season over for the Year
Well, the race season is over for another year, but it was fun. I actually managed to get two trophies, a second and a third place, in my Vet A Women class. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that my daughter can watch my races this year. Before, we ran at the same time, but she's moved up to Elite II Women, a step above my class (a big step) and now she can watch my race. It has to be the reason I won something, because my skis are five seasons old; I didn't train, and though I usually work out extensively over the winter, I slacked off there too. But I wanted to ski well for her, and so concentrated very hard on my technique and was extra agressive.
We just got back from Boyne last night. It was really cold all weekend, but the sun stayed out. I will take sun and cold over warm and gloomy any day. The flat light on a cloudy day really takes away from the experience for me. I, like most skiers, like to be able to see the terrain. And on a super cloudy day, even the best goggles don't help much.
But we had three days of sun. The snow squeaked it was so cold, I think a minus one on Friday morning, but no wind. The slopes were perfectly groomed, and easy to ski, except once you stepped into the race course. That was solid ice, so solid even the best racers could not even begin to put a dent in it. I've never seen so many really great skiers slide out, or heard so many complaints. It really tested your ability, and your balance. Every racer out there sharpens and waxes their skis diligently before each race. You could cut yourself on their edges, but it was as if no one had done anything. We stood and watched as one skier after another fell on their behinds. One second they're upright, the next they're not. Like watching bowling pins go down.
I took two runs on the Giant Slalom course, the first not so bad because a little snow remained, the next run I slid out about a quarter of the way down and missed the gate. It was too far to climb back up; I would have interfered with the next racer, so I just skied the rest of the course the best I could. I was okay about it though. I did think seriously of buying new equipment for next year.
More on the races later....
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
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We just got back from Boyne last night. It was really cold all weekend, but the sun stayed out. I will take sun and cold over warm and gloomy any day. The flat light on a cloudy day really takes away from the experience for me. I, like most skiers, like to be able to see the terrain. And on a super cloudy day, even the best goggles don't help much.
But we had three days of sun. The snow squeaked it was so cold, I think a minus one on Friday morning, but no wind. The slopes were perfectly groomed, and easy to ski, except once you stepped into the race course. That was solid ice, so solid even the best racers could not even begin to put a dent in it. I've never seen so many really great skiers slide out, or heard so many complaints. It really tested your ability, and your balance. Every racer out there sharpens and waxes their skis diligently before each race. You could cut yourself on their edges, but it was as if no one had done anything. We stood and watched as one skier after another fell on their behinds. One second they're upright, the next they're not. Like watching bowling pins go down.
I took two runs on the Giant Slalom course, the first not so bad because a little snow remained, the next run I slid out about a quarter of the way down and missed the gate. It was too far to climb back up; I would have interfered with the next racer, so I just skied the rest of the course the best I could. I was okay about it though. I did think seriously of buying new equipment for next year.
More on the races later....
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
race season over for the year, Vet A Women class, Elite II Women, daughter, watch my race, skis are five seasons old, extra agressive, cold weekend, super cloudy day, best goggles, three days of sun, sharpens and waxes their skis, Giant Slalom course, missed a gate, new equipment, mystery romantic suspense novel, Her Last Letter
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Tuesday, March 4, 2008
A Great Day for a Signing
I thought you might like to hear how my latest book signing turned out. I have to admit I was nervous about the weather, worrying that the roads would be covered with snow and ice on my drive to Fenton. But it was a beautiful sunny day, the roads clear and dry. The journey didn't take as long as I thought it would, about forty-five minutes, and I tend to be a cautious driver, rarely exceeding the speed limit.
The owner of the Little Professor Book Center stationed all of us at the front of the store. Previously I mentioned six authors would sign, but actually it was eight of us. And I liked everybody! They were all so friendly! Two were children's book authors; the others wrote non-fiction. I bought of few of their books, and they bought a few of mine also. I've read each and thought them wonderfully entertaining!
Normally, a signing would last at most two hours, but this one was scheduled from 11:00 to 4:00, and most of us stayed, enjoying talking to each other when business slowed. I had a great time!
My daughter Angie stopped by and took pictures of us, and brought me something to drink, which was sweet of her. She stayed about a half hour, bought one of the author's books, and chatted with everyone.
All and all, it was a very good day.
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
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The owner of the Little Professor Book Center stationed all of us at the front of the store. Previously I mentioned six authors would sign, but actually it was eight of us. And I liked everybody! They were all so friendly! Two were children's book authors; the others wrote non-fiction. I bought of few of their books, and they bought a few of mine also. I've read each and thought them wonderfully entertaining!
Normally, a signing would last at most two hours, but this one was scheduled from 11:00 to 4:00, and most of us stayed, enjoying talking to each other when business slowed. I had a great time!
My daughter Angie stopped by and took pictures of us, and brought me something to drink, which was sweet of her. She stayed about a half hour, bought one of the author's books, and chatted with everyone.
All and all, it was a very good day.
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
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Friday, February 1, 2008
Book Signing(s)
I'm happy to say I have three book signings coming up soon, two scheduled, and one in the works. One is at the "Little Professor Book Center" in Fenton, MI, and scheduled for Mar. 1st. It should be a big event, since I believe it will involve about six authors, one of them me. I'll be the only one with a mystery romantic suspense novel. I think two of the other authors write children's books, and I'm not sure what the other three write. I should be getting an email soon giving me the information. I'll send it to everyone I think might be interested.
The second signing is more informal, at my local chapter meeting for Romance Writers of America. That is on the third Tuesday in February I believe, the 19th. I and others will be signing during the break before they announce the speaker for the evening. I was told to bring about ten to fifteen books.
The last signing will be at a local Barnes & Noble, still waiting on the date for that one. At this point it looks like I will be by myself. Other than any advertising they might do, a mention in their newsletter possibly (I'll have to ask) the rest will be up to me. I plan to make some posters and flyers, and do everything I can to let people know about the event. I did read that the purpose of book signings is not just to sell books, but to get to know the staff and let them know about you and your book so they will be more inclined to mention your novel to book buyers. That makes sense to me. Since I like talking to people that should be a no brainer. I also plan to wear a pin which has a picture of my book cover and my name on it. Angie will design a nice one for me. B&N suggested I do the signing on a Saturday or Sunday, and that's fine except that a few of those weekends are already taken, especially in February, so it could end up taking place in March. That actually wouldn't be so bad as it would give me more time to promote the event.
I am excited about all three signings, and plan to buy a nice oufit to wear. I'm thinking a brown tweedy sort of suit, with a brown turtle neck shirt, brown hose, and nice shoes ... sort of Sherlock Holmes, but feminine. I may not be able to find what I'm looking for, but I'll know it if I see it.
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
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The second signing is more informal, at my local chapter meeting for Romance Writers of America. That is on the third Tuesday in February I believe, the 19th. I and others will be signing during the break before they announce the speaker for the evening. I was told to bring about ten to fifteen books.
The last signing will be at a local Barnes & Noble, still waiting on the date for that one. At this point it looks like I will be by myself. Other than any advertising they might do, a mention in their newsletter possibly (I'll have to ask) the rest will be up to me. I plan to make some posters and flyers, and do everything I can to let people know about the event. I did read that the purpose of book signings is not just to sell books, but to get to know the staff and let them know about you and your book so they will be more inclined to mention your novel to book buyers. That makes sense to me. Since I like talking to people that should be a no brainer. I also plan to wear a pin which has a picture of my book cover and my name on it. Angie will design a nice one for me. B&N suggested I do the signing on a Saturday or Sunday, and that's fine except that a few of those weekends are already taken, especially in February, so it could end up taking place in March. That actually wouldn't be so bad as it would give me more time to promote the event.
I am excited about all three signings, and plan to buy a nice oufit to wear. I'm thinking a brown tweedy sort of suit, with a brown turtle neck shirt, brown hose, and nice shoes ... sort of Sherlock Holmes, but feminine. I may not be able to find what I'm looking for, but I'll know it if I see it.
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
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Sunday, December 30, 2007
Skiing Soon
Well, Christmas was fun, got what I wanted, a new ski jacket. Actually, I knew about this gift beforehand, so it wasn't a surprise. (I picked it out and tried it on at the ski shop.) But I didn't wear it until Christmas day, so it did seem like a real present. I love it. It is black, with pin stripes on part of it, and looks good, and I've never had a black ski jacket. The one I've been wearing I still like a lot. It's sort of a gray blue, with purplish accents, and so warm.... That is a requirement. I hate being cold. I once had a ski jacket, a red one, that I talked myself into buying because I liked how it fit, but it was not warm. It was actually a shell, with no insulation of its own. For several years I froze wearing that jacket, convinced that if I just put enough sweaters on underneath it, it would be as warm as an insulated jacket. But it wasn't. I think I developed a lot of new blood vessels wearing it though, a result of my body searching for ways to keep me from shivering. I have noticed that when I'm biking now, I wear a lot less clothing than everybody else in the cool weather, and I stay warm. Of course, that could also be because I ski and many of my bicycling friends don't.
So, now I have this great new warm ski jacket to wear when we go up north to ski soon. I'll be ski racing again this winter, amateur stuff, as will my husband and my daughter. Angie is incredibly fast. She has been able to beat me racing since she was ten years old. She started skiing at three, and was really good then. I remember taking her out to our local ski area and lifting her onto the chairlift, holding her so she wouldn't fall, and then helping her off and skiing to the top of a moderately moguled hill. (A mogul is a small to large bump in the snow made by skiers skiing back and forth, pushing the snow into little piles, and also digging ruts around the piles.) By the end of a snowy day some slopes are covered with them. Many skiers find them intimidating because it takes a bit of finesse and experience to ski them well.
Anyway, I remember the two of us waiting at the top of that slope, Angie so tiny and babylike in her tiny skis and cute little ski hat, a number of adults and teenagers standing there with us, hesitating to ski down this heavily moguled slope. Then I gave the signal and my little Angie took off, skiing smoothly around each mogul, all taller than she was, and hearing a collective gasp from the onlookers.... She is and has always been an accomplished skier.
So, we will all be racing again this winter, and it will be fun. I am not as fast as I once was, but I still enjoy it. Shooting across the finish line, hoping my time will at least be competitive, is still a thrill. My daughter's fiance, new to ski racing, will be giving it a try this winter. He skis pretty well, and is athletic, plays hockey, a goalie, and mountain bikes in the summer. He's looking forward to it. It will be fun watching him, giving him tips etc. He also got a new ski jacket for Christmas, a Spyder. It is cool, and I just remembered, black also. Come to think of it, Angie's jacket she bought last season is also black. Guess all of us will match, except my husband, who has a wild looking blue and orange and yellow one. I never have trouble spotting him on the slopes.
Well, got to go. Hope you're enjoying the holidays and happy new year!
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
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So, now I have this great new warm ski jacket to wear when we go up north to ski soon. I'll be ski racing again this winter, amateur stuff, as will my husband and my daughter. Angie is incredibly fast. She has been able to beat me racing since she was ten years old. She started skiing at three, and was really good then. I remember taking her out to our local ski area and lifting her onto the chairlift, holding her so she wouldn't fall, and then helping her off and skiing to the top of a moderately moguled hill. (A mogul is a small to large bump in the snow made by skiers skiing back and forth, pushing the snow into little piles, and also digging ruts around the piles.) By the end of a snowy day some slopes are covered with them. Many skiers find them intimidating because it takes a bit of finesse and experience to ski them well.
Anyway, I remember the two of us waiting at the top of that slope, Angie so tiny and babylike in her tiny skis and cute little ski hat, a number of adults and teenagers standing there with us, hesitating to ski down this heavily moguled slope. Then I gave the signal and my little Angie took off, skiing smoothly around each mogul, all taller than she was, and hearing a collective gasp from the onlookers.... She is and has always been an accomplished skier.
So, we will all be racing again this winter, and it will be fun. I am not as fast as I once was, but I still enjoy it. Shooting across the finish line, hoping my time will at least be competitive, is still a thrill. My daughter's fiance, new to ski racing, will be giving it a try this winter. He skis pretty well, and is athletic, plays hockey, a goalie, and mountain bikes in the summer. He's looking forward to it. It will be fun watching him, giving him tips etc. He also got a new ski jacket for Christmas, a Spyder. It is cool, and I just remembered, black also. Come to think of it, Angie's jacket she bought last season is also black. Guess all of us will match, except my husband, who has a wild looking blue and orange and yellow one. I never have trouble spotting him on the slopes.
Well, got to go. Hope you're enjoying the holidays and happy new year!
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
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skiing soon, Christmas was fun, new ski jacket, keep me from shivering, I stay warm, go up north, top of the slope, little Angie, skiing smoothly, racing again this winter, Spyder ski jacket, enjoy the holidays, mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter
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