November 26, 2006

A FINE CHILL IN THE AIR

The view from my deck yesterday. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to see anything through the stinging crystals of blowing snow and -23 C windchill. And yep, the forecast is for even colder temps and MORE snow! I think I’ve had my fill of power cuts … let’s hope those stiff heavy trees do NOT blow onto the power lines, or you won’t ‘see’ me again for awhile.

Today is the last day to vote in round two of the Romantic Times AMERICAN TITLE III contest!!!! Please head on over and vote – or simply fire off an email to webmaster@romantictimes.com with the title (preferably ’RISING SIN’ ) in the subject line. Remember, all these entrants have been deemed good enough for a contract with Dorchester … it comes down to a numbers game now …

November 24, 2006

CAUGHT WITH THE SULTAN!!

Molly from Texas relaxes with the SULTAN  — earning owner Kristen a second entry in the Shadow Soldiers Contest.

Gotta love those Texas cats!!

* For a chance to win an RWA membership, or six months of good reads, send a photo of yourself, or your pets …. or anyone  … with one of the Shadow Soldiers trilogy books. Or two. Or all three. Because each one counts as another chance to win. For full details –>> click here.

* Honolulu Marathon — 15 days to D-day!! (Eep). My last ‘long’ run is this weekend — a 10 miler (between 16 and 17 kilometres), and then it’s tapering as we count down …..

I’ve got to be careful not to slip on the ice outside — we have a cold snap blowing in from the Yukon. And a fall could scuttle a year’s worth of training along with the race. So I might be taking it a little easier on that long run, or doing a snowshoe alternative instead. Wish me luck. I’m feeling a little nervous now …. just hoping everything holds!

November 22, 2006

AEROBIC GOES ANAEROBIC …

It’s no wonder I felt like I had two left feet on my run today! If one could call it a ‘run’, that is. My heart was beating so fast it boomed like a drum in the silent forest. Trying to move at speed in this knee-deep ‘wet concrete’ can kill you, I’m sure. Well, it did kill someone last year … but we won’t think about that … mostly I’m thinking about how I can use this in a book. And yes, I do have a plot in mind

Honolulu Marathon — 16 days to D-day!!

Watch for a photo of Molly with the SULTAN tomorrow .

* For a chance to win an RWA membership, or six months of good reads, send a photo of yourself, or your pets …. or anyone  … with one of the Shadow Soldiers trilogy books. Or two. Or all three. Because each one counts as another chance to win. For full details –>> click here.

November 21, 2006

TEXAS TWIN — CAUGHT WITH THE MERC!!!

What can I say — I was born to write National Enquirer headlines  But hey, I did leave the ‘in bed’ part out.

And Mickey from Texas does look like Brunswick’s twin, don’t you think? Even his owner Kristen thinks so Thank you Kristen!!! You are now officially entered in the Shadow Soldiers Contest.

Those are some pretty intelligent felines you have down there.

* For a chance to win an RWA membership, or six months of good reads, send a photo of yourself, or your pets …. or anyone  … with one of the Shadow Soldiers trilogy books. Or two. Or all three. Because each one counts as another chance to win. For full details –>> click here.

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Honolulu Marathon — 17 days to go!! Sorry, no snowshoeing to report today. I was pooped after the training conditions Monday, and decided to take today as my rest day for the week. Did my decision have anything to do with the snowfall warning today? Probably. Most likely. Okay — YES!!! But I WILL get my butt out that door tomorrow.

Um … did I mention there is another snowfall warning???

November 20, 2006

BACK IN BUSINESS …

 Photo by Paul Morrison.

Opening day at Whistler-Blackcomb. Our mountains are back in the business of winter. And tonight — another snowfall warning.

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Honolulu Marathon — 18 days to go!! I had one of my toughest training days today — conditions conspired against me, and I arrived home looking like the abominable snowman re-incarnate  Tomorrow I think I’d better crack out those snowshoes. I’ll let you know how it goes …

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And an interesting sidebar to the Honolulu race :

Honolulu Marathon plans third race in war zone

By Associated Press HONOLULU (AP)

For the third consecutive year, a Honolulu Marathon satellite race will be run in the Middle East war zone. Finishers in Iraq will receive the same T-shirt, medal, shell lei and official certificate as their Honolulu counterparts, and they have to send applications to be processed in Honolulu. The 105-dollar registration fee is waived for the Iraq race.

The Honolulu Marathon at a base in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle is scheduled for December 10th, the same date as the Honolulu race. The Iraq race will be held within Speicher, home of the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division. About five-thousand military personnel are stationed at the base, including units of the 82nd Airborne Division and Air Force and Marine Corps elements. Runners will do four laps of an unimproved road within the compound.

Because of the 13-hour time difference, the Iraq runners will get a head start on the big race in Hawaii. They’ll be starting their awards banquet at about the same time of the start of the Honolulu race.

 Runners struggle up ‘mini-Diamond Head’ halfway around Forward Operating Base Ripley in southern Afghanistan during the 2004 “Honolulu” marathon. Image by Sgt. Jeremy Clawson.

That looks like some brutal terrain — I think I’m pretty lucky to be doing mine on the island itself.

CAUGHT WITH THE SULTAN!

Libby dog, from Brookfield, Wisconsin . Do you think owner Ellen used those doggie treats as a bribe??? Thank you Ellen (and Libby) for your second entry in the Shadow Soldiers Contest!!

For a chance to win an RWA membership, or six months of good reads — check the details –>> here.

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There is one week left to vote for your favorite entry in the second round of the Romantic Times AMERICAN TITLE III contest!!!! Please head on over and vote.

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Honolulu Marathon — 19 days to go!!