Busy Bookworm Challenge Update

I figured it might be time for an update on the Busy Bookworm Challenge that I decided to participate in. Before we get to that I'd like to mention a few things I've learned since starting:

-I'm not good at writing reviews. I can talk about a book til the cows come home! Writing those thoughts out sometimes proves harder than I imagined. I think this is in part due to the fact that I am not an annotator. I've never seen the point in taking notes while reading a book. When I'm reading, I want to read. I'm starting to see the merit in jotting downs thoughts or feelings as you read though. When I go to write a review, I often wish I could remember more concrete examples of what I'm trying to express.

-I'M NOT GOOD A WRITING REVIEWS. :) Seriously though! I typically write the review as if the person reading it has already read the book/seen the movie. I never know how much to give away of the plot. I don't really want to re-write the entire plot out for someone. I only hope that my descriptions will be enough for somebody else!

Without further ado, my updated list!

As you may have noticed from my original post, the list stopped at 13. Which means of the 4 books that have been crossed off only one is from the original list! Eek! Well at least I'm reading right? Besides, some of these books haven't been released yet or have just come out so nanny nanny! :)

1. Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

2. The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter

3. The Darkest Lie by Gena Showalter

4. Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh

5. Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh

6. Demon Forged by Meljean Brook

7. Demon Blood by Meljean Brook

8. Go Ask Alice

9. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

10. Demon From the Dark by Kresley Cole

11. Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley

12. Glass by Ellen Hopkins

13. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

14.The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

15. My Life In France by Julia Child

16. One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare

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The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel--demon-assassin--has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting--and falling for--Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this "mortal" with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?

Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't....(from Goodreads)

With each new Lords of the Underworld book I find myself feeling more and more....confused. Which ends up being a good thing! The first three books in the series had me hook, line and sinker. I really enjoyed Ashlyn and Maddox in The Darkest Night. We were introduced to each of the Lords and their basic backstory and I COULD NOT wait to read more! The Darkest Kiss is probably my favorite and I equally enjoyed The Darkest Pleasure. This is the point where the confusion started to settle in. The Darkest Whisper was the next in the series and it featured Sabin who was not one of the original six Lords first featured in The Darkest Night and I didn't feel a strong connection to his character. I enjoyed the story but actually put it down for months before finishing it. When I did eventually pick it up again, I came in right on all the action and was immediately drawn back into this world and was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened next!

For me The Darkest Passion was the same way. Even though Aeron was one of the original six warriors we came to know, I never felt like we really got to see HIM. He was consumed by bloodlust for much the first books. Olivia who is his angel heroine is introduced in a previous book but we really only get glimpses of her presence. When The Darkest Passion starts we are just thrown right into their story and I felt like I was missing something. We don't get to see Olivia in heaven at all. We don't see her struggle with choosing to fall to be with Aeron. I felt that I'd missed out on important character building, BUT Gena Showalter has a handle on this series and she knows what she needs to do to bring the story together. I was charmed by both Aeron and Olivia. Olivia's actions sometimes seemed so out of place that I had to laugh out loud and realize I was underestimating her character (punching Legion in the face is one such thing that comes to mind). Much like with The Darkest Whisper, the climax of the story happens at the very end of the book. Hence the confusion! I had NO clue how Showalter was going to fix the mess that she had gotten us into with so little time left to do it. I was quite literally sitting up in bed going, "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" and then BOOM! It's solved. I will say that it felt like the problems were tied up a little too nicely but I was just so happy to have a cohesive ending that I didn't mind that at all!

There were numerous other threads started in this book to set up future stories and battles. I'm still waiting on tenterhooks for Paris's story and am now also pretty excited to see what happens with Strider. All in all a great addition to the series that keeps the story moving forward.

Etsy seller - StudioCherie Part 2!

I previously mentioned my obsession with this bag for sale on Etsy from StudioCherie. Well handy dandy Google Alerts did it's job and let her know that I'd mentioned her Etsy shop on my little blog here. She commented! That comment spurred me on to a purchase because she said the fabric I loved so much was almost gone! I decided to break down and invest in some handmade goodness :)

Since most everything is made to order by hand, it took a couple weeks for my bag to arrive. I finally got it on Tuesday of last week and I am VERY pleased! My first reaction was---"It's gigantic!" Seriously!

Here it is in it's box all wrapped up!

This bag is truly a fantastic travel bag. I could easily fit a weekend's worth of clothing in it! Depending on how you packed, it would also work well for longer trips. There are no hard or stiff (bwhaha) edges so it could be molded or made to fit in smaller spaces. There are two pockets on the outside. One has a zip top and is large enough to fit extra little items like chargers or jewelry pouches.

The best part is what drew me to it. The fabric! It's vibrant and interesting and I love the straps! It's certainly a unique travel companion and I can't WAIT to use it :)

It is SO much larger in person. These pictures do NO justice!

Sorry for all the crappy camera phone pictures but it's all I've got to work with right now! There is a MUCH better picture at her Etsy shop.

Cherie has been so nice throughout the whole process and very kindly agreed to answer some questions! It's amazing what Etsy Conversations can accomplish :)

When/Why did you learn to sew?

Growing up, I sat at my mothers feet as she sewed for herself. I can still remember my favorite garments and wishing I was big enough to wear them too. I used to take the scraps and make clothes for my Barbie. In 6th grade I made a small quilt, and in 7th grade I started sewing my own clothes.

When you get the idea for a new product, can you just sew it on the first try or does it take a few go rounds?

I probably have a dozen unfinished things rolling around my studio that did not come together the first time. They sit waiting to be reworked. A lot of things come together great the first time, but then I have to remake them in such a way that someone else can do it too, simplifying and changing the order of the steps usually.

Your shop is quite prolific! Do you also sell your items anywhere besides Etsy?

I get requests to sell wholesale, but I turn them down. I just don't have time to fill orders like that. Etsy is the only place to buy my sewn items.

Are you the only one who 'works' in your shop? Do you sew each piece yourself?

I do have a gal who quilts the duffle fabrics for me now. She does a better job of it than I ever did.

Where do you source your materials? Are they mostly vintage fabrics?

There are a couple of local fabric boutiques that I frequent. I have to say they know me at JoAnn's pretty well too. I don't use vintage fabrics much. What you see in my shop are all current designers. It is overwhelming sometimes to think about the variety of fabric being produced right now.

What made you decide to start selling PDFs of your designs? Do you ever worry about other people selling your designs as their own?

I never wanted to be a manufacturer so I spent some time looking into having my designs made elsewhere. What I found was a business model that involved inventory, sales reps, trade shows, and a whole lot of paperwork and follow up that made my mind swim. I could get investment capital and hire those things out, but then I would be a boss and have a boss, neither of which appeal to me. I really just want to stay creative and license my ideas to other people. The PDF patterns make my ideas a concrete product that can be licensed. When someone buys a pattern from me, it comes with a cottage licensing agreement, so as long as they are making it themselves and mentioning me in their marketing materials, we are good. I am open to manufacturers for commercial licensing deals as well. Simplicity approached me to license my patterns for their catalog, so that is happening next. My patterns are copyrighted, so I don't worry about them being stolen.

Her shop really does run the gamut from travel bags, clutches, patterns, eyeglass cases...everything! Go on and stop by! Now....where to travel with my bag first?

Summer Movies

Just a quick little movie weekend update!

Went and saw Eclipse today! I hadn't decided if I actually wanted to go or not. I saw Twilight at the midnight showing but held off on New Moon since the Twilight theatre viewing experience was so awful. Too many crying, laughing at inappropriate times, chatty girls! I ended up Netflixing New Moon and it was just as bad as Twilight. I am a sucker though and liked it just the same.

At our AMC Theatres they have $6 (used to be $5!) showings before noon on weekends. My friend Mimi (she loves that nickname ;)) and I braced ourselves for abs and overacting! I must say that I was pleasantly surprised! Someone finally told Pattinson to take it down about 5 notches and Kristin Stewart seemed to have a little more personality this go round. Speaking of abs...one thing I don't get is how Lautner is SO ripped and all the other werewolves look kinda puny. If it was me, I'd be hitting the gym everyday trying to keep up with Abs McGee!

One thing I really enjoyed was the backstories for Jasper and Rosalie. One aspect of the books that was always my favorite was the interaction of the Cullen family and getting to find out more about them. That seemed to be missing from the first two movies but played a much larger role in Eclipse.

The scenery was amazing but that is something that has stayed consistent throughout all the movies. All in all I'm glad I went to see it on the big screen. I'm also glad I only paid $6! I think I'll stick to the same formula for Breaking Dawn. I wish they'd keep the same director. Bill Condon will be directing both parts of Breaking Dawn. He directed Dreamgirls and a couple other smaller, well received movies so it should be interesting to see what he does. Maybe when Bella is having her daughter ripped from her womb someone will break into "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going".

Pants and I also saw Toy Story 3 a couple weeks ago. He was not excited to see it at all, (he doesn't like that Pixar does sequels and wishes they would just keep making new material), but I was very happy with it! Almost all the same faces are back and the plot felt fresh. It made sense in the timeline of the story. I will say that it didn't always strike me as a movie best for small children. I'm sure a lot of the material would go over their heads but the scene at the end at the dump...whoa! I won't give too much away but they were all so resigned to their fate and it was just.....heavy. The final scenes with Andy and Bonnie had me in tears! I swear Pixar is like Tears Crack for me. They ALWAYS get me. I literally can't watch Up without crying for the first 20 minutes. I've tried. Four times. Not possible.

As far as summer movies go the only things that we are looking forward to are Inception and Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World.

I seriously love this poster!

Sometimes I with there was a movie version of book club. It would be movie club and everyone would get together to watch a movie and then talk about it. I think it's a good idea! Plus you'd only be committing two hours, maybe three, of your time instead of the amount of time it takes you to read the book PLUS the two hours where you get together to talk about it. Movie Club! Who's with me!?

Win some sweet loot!

These people are even celebrating!

People!

Everyone who reads my blog reads Becky's blog Love Everyday Life. If you don't---for shame! Get started! She is a MUCH better blogger then I am AND she'd got a year of blogging under her belt. To celebrate this momentous occasion she has assembled an impressive amount of handmade items for one of us lucky people to win! (Shouldn't we be getting her something though? ;)) Oh and if by chance you are my reader solely (delight! as Becky would say) then make sure and mention that you found out about her giveaway right here on my little blog! I will love you forever!

I'll even give you a link to get there <-----you're welcome!

I hope I win because that Brookish mug is calling my name like whoa.

Happy Friday! :)

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Netflix Challenge #7 - Say Yes to the Dress Season 4

My seventh pick for my Netflix Challenge is admittedly, a guilty pleasure. I had no intention of making Say Yes to the Dress-Season 4 my next challenge but once the holiday weekend was over and I'd watched the whole season on instant, I figured why not?!

When I started this challenge I created some vague boundaries and rules in my head. One of these rules was that I couldn't just watch one disc or one episode of a tv show. If I was going to use it as a pick, it would need to be the whole season. Mission accomplished! (Another rule is that it can't be anything that I've seen before and so far I've stuck to that one too!) There are 18 episodes in season 4 but they are only 21 minutes each so the time flies as you are watching bride after bride find her dress. Or in many cases, NOT find her dress.

When it comes to reality tv, I turn up my nose a little bit. In my day I've watched a season of Survivor here, a season of American Idol there, but it's not something I really enjoy. The premise of most reality tv ridiculous and sad. The few exceptions are shows like Project Runway or Top Chef where having a legitimate ability is what lands you on national television. The drama and hissy fits are not the focus of the show...for the most part. ;) While Say Yes to the Dress doesn't feature talented chefs and there are no weekly challenges, I feel that it's pure in what it does offer. Women shopping for their wedding dress. That's it! Some are nice brides and some of awful bridezillas. Some are sample sizes and others fight to find a decent plus size dress for their big day. You have supportive families who cry when the dress is discovered but also family members who criticize and name-call. It's fascinating!

In case anyone isn't hip to my TLC guilty pleasure, Say Yes to the Dress is a show that goes behind the scenes of wedding dress shopping in a large NYC shop called Kleinfeld's. Each episode features 3 brides,usually two who are looking for their dress and one who is having a fitting. There are all manner of divas and snafus and it's just ridiculous! Pants HATES it! If I'm flipping through and see it on, I immediately stop and keep it on that channel even if I've already seen that episode! When I saw that Netflix had season 4 on instant I might've screamed out loud a little bit. Maybe. Yes, I did. :)

I am aware this post and choice is frivolous but come one! I'm at about the half-way point and I needed something fun and quick to keep me going! :) I don't expect everyone to want to queue this one up but I still recommend it if you're looking for fun, fluffy stories about what can be the happiest day in people's lives.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

Yes.

"I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have."

-Abraham Lincoln

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Puppy butts!

I'm having a blah kinda week. I've been working the same temp job for over 3 months and I really loved being here. A position became available during my time here and I was excited that I might have a chance to stay on permanently! For various reasons I won't drag out here, I got the impression they weren't considering me for the job. I still applied because I knew I'd regret it if I didn't at least try. My thinking was I'd at least get a pity interview.

Wrong.

I got the requisite form email saying thanks but no thanks! An email! Not even someone who I WORK WITH everyday could say..."Hey Megan, thanks for applying!"

This added onto the fact that I thought I'd be staying until the end of summer but was randomly told that no, the 9th is now my last day, is making me grouchy.

A place I used to enjoy coming has been awkward and unpleasant for the past week and a half.

PLUS, Pants is going out of town tomorrow for a week! :(

This is my long way of telling everyone that I think we need some puppy butts. If you are having a grouchy Wednesday like me, then I hope this lifts your spirits like it did mine!

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Lonely Chair

If you are a fan of Becky's blog, then you will know that on July 4th I spent part of my day wandering around my old elementary school playground being sweaty and playing with a fancy camera! I hadn't been back to that playground for quite a few years and was baffled by how different it looked. Not just the feeling of being bigger but everything was just...out of place. Equipment was missing and trailers had been turned and I felt a little lost.

Not as lost as this chair though! Randomly stuck behind some bushes and shrubbery was this little fella. Out of place and unloved and random!

I like to think it's where the naughty kids have to sit at recess.

One Dance with a Duke- Tessa Dare

From Goodreads:

"A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members — yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing “Duke of Midnight.” Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke — until Lady Amelia d’Orsay tries her luck.

In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?"

I don't know how eloquent of a review I can write for this book. At multiple points during my reading I was yelling out loud with displeasure! It's hard for me to put into words what drove me up the wall exactly. Well...there are two words: Amelia d'Orsay. UH! The heroine in this story deserved a good smack as far as I'm concerned!

Now with that off my chest I can hopefully give a more clear-headed review. Everything starts off well enough. I love the 'spinster becoming the Duchess' type stories. I actually liked Amelia quite a bit for most of the story. She was clear-headed and knew herself. She wasn't a great beauty by Society standards. She knew her strong points and wanted to be of use. I felt the story stayed true to it's time period in the sense that what Amelia was good at was being a wife. She loved caring for others and being in charge of a household. She was well-read and intelligent and didn't want to change herself just to suit a man.

As for the hero, I LOVED Spencer Dumarque aka The Duke of Midnight. He was in no way perfect but really what good romance hero is? We love them because they AREN'T perfect. In his defense, Spencer also had a firm grasp on himself and his faults and also his admirable qualities. He never tried to be something he wasn't and he quite often made an effort to change when he realized he was in the wrong. Which actually made him perfect...sigh! :)

The interplay between Amelia and Spencer was a good thing indeed! Neither one shied away from the other or held back. They were honest and up front and all the sexy time scenes were scorching! It took me back to some of my favorite romances of old where I would get butterflies in my stomach from a conversation between the two! Not the sex mind you, just the words the hero and heroine would SAY to each other. Getting inside their heads and seeing how desperate they were for each other. This book has that in spades!

Now that we've covered what I liked, I'd like to address what had me yelling out loud. Amelia is described as a nurturer and giver. Her joy comes from her family and taking care of others. She has a brother, Jack, who quite frankly I don't think added ANYTHING to the story. His character fell flat for me and just felt like someone there to stir up trouble between Spemelia. He is a wastrel and pathetic and I didn't care one way or the other what happened to him. Throughout the book Amelia goes on and on and ON about helping her brother find his way and "if only Spencer would help him!" but it's NOT Spencer's job to help Jack. Jack made his bed and it's HIS problem to try and figure out how to sleep in the mess! Amelia frequently gets upset with Spencer and claims he is making her choose between her family and him. As far as I could see...not the case in the slightest! Spencer could see how Jack was taking advantage of Amelia and wanted to save her heartbreak! He never said she had to give up her family, (she had 2 other brothers) he merely wanted to know that HE came first in her love. Instead she kept picking her brother who, not once was given a redeemable quality.

The clearheaded part of me said, "Megan, this is a book! Deal!" With that I tried to decipher how irrational I was being. If I was Amelia and it was my brother and my life, what would I do? If I had a husband who wasn't always the most forthcoming with information and tenderness, how would I interpret it? The answer was: not too much differently. Family has a way of getting under your skin like no one else. From a young age she had to become mother to her younger siblings and for reasons discussed at the end of the book, she feels guilt and that she owes them much. As the reader I was allowed inside Spencer's head and saw how much she mattered to him but she had a slower journey to that discovery. I still felt that for as much as she was supposed to be a nurturer, she sorely neglected how her siding with her family might affect her husband. The man who is her new family! When all was said and done, I liked Amelia better by the last page but she still wasn't a heroine I could completely sympathize with.

I wish I could give half stars. As of right now I want to give One Dance with a Duke 3 and half stars but I decided to go with 4. The writing was excellent! Spencer was a magnificent hero and I enjoyed most of the side storylines. I think that my problems wouldn't effect everyone reading the book. It would be very easy for anyone else to find no fault with this book. I definitely recommend it if you are a fan of historical romance and I'll certainly be seeking out the rest of this trilogy.

Netflix Challenge #6-Herb and Dorothy

a fascinating true story about a girl and her herbs. <-----Pant's summary :)

As with last week's pick, I let Netflix do the choosing! Herb & Dorothy was recommended as something I might like based on my interest in...well I don't really know anymore! I tend to go on sprees adding things to my instant queue and don't always remember the path I took to get there.

From Netflix:

"Chronicling the story of unlikely art collectors Herb Vogel and Dorothy Vogel, filmmaker Megumi Sasaki demonstrates that it's not necessary to be wealthy in order to build a significant collection in this fascinating documentary. A postal clerk and a librarian, the Vogels share a passion for art, which they pursued over decades, becoming two of the most important collectors of minimalist and conceptual art with more than 4,000 pieces."

To be honest, much of this documentary went over my head. I am not an art aficionado and know basically nothing about minimal or conceptual art. Of the countless artists mentioned and interviewed in this piece, I was familiar with two or three of them. I had never heard the names Herb Vogel or Dorothy Vogel before. Regardless of that, I still found their story immensely watchable.

The Vogels were not beautiful people, or rich people. They live(d?) their lives in a small, one bedroom New York apartment. Into that apartment they stuffed what amounted to almost 5,000 works of art! Not all at one time, of course. When they decided to donate their collection to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. they were able to clean out and start again!

A few things that stood out to me:

-I loved their choice to GIVE their collection to the National Gallery. They could easily have sold their art for millions of dollars but made a vow in the beginning to never sell one piece. They had a strong desire to keep the collection together as they felt it was meant to be. Herb worked for the Postal Service his whole life and Dorothy was a librarian. They loved the idea of being able to continue their government/service jobs by giving their collection back to the people. The National Gallery, as all museums and national art galleries in D.C., has no admission and they wanted the people to have access to art easily and cheaply.

-I couldn't help but think of the show Hoarders as they showed footage of the Vogels apartment. Boxes, crates and loose art are stacked from floor to ceiling and entirely covers the walls. The idea of collecting being an addiction is touched upon and I feel like the Vogels are prime examples. Their entire life was devoted to the act of collecting art...and having cats. :)

-There is a little extra scene at the end showing Dorothy buying her first computer. I love it. LOVE IT.

One thing I will say about this Netflix Challenge is that I'm keeping my mind open to any and all choices before me. Knowing that I have to fit nine more movies in before August 31st has got me a little panicky. I'm not allowing myself to be choosy and I think it's working out pretty well! I've now watched at least 2, if not 3 or 4 movies I might not otherwise have taken the time to see. I certainly feel like a more well-rounded individual!

If you're interested in the art world or eccentric pop culture figures, I would recommend giving Herb & Dorothy a spin.

Challenge, One, Two, Three, Four, Five

Happy Birthday America!

Happy 4th!

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Friday! Friday! Friday!

Thank goodness it's Friday indeed!

Lots of ups and downs for me this week, (mostly professionally) and I'm looking forward to some time off. Although for me it will just be a regular two day weekend seeing as how I work at the Bookstore on Saturday!

I really enjoyed Amber's post yesterday about Canada Day. I considered doing something similar about the 4th of July but don't feel like I have the mental brain power for it! I will say that I've had the words to You're A Grand Old Flag stuck in my head all week and am kinda proud I still remember all the words! Well...to the chorus at least!

Anybody have fun plans for July 4th? Looking forward to the long weekend?

July

As I was walking to my car this morning, it dawned on me that today is July 1st.

!!!!

Six months of this year are already gone! Flown right past in a blink. At first I was discouraged thinking that this year has been a waste. I've accomplished nothing and wah, wah, wah. The temp job ending is still getting to me obviously :) After about a minute of self-pity, I realized it wasn't as pathetic as I thought.

Do I have a full time, permanent job? No.

Am I now back living at home with my mother? Yes.

Are both of those things pathetic? Kinda....yes.

Even with my life being in a time of setbacks, I feel like I've accomplished a few good things in the first half of the year. Most of them are small like getting my car registration paid for the next two years and buying a year's supply of contacts. In the overall scheme of life those things don't matter. In the day to day that I'm currently battling, they are huge! Two less things I have to think and worry about.

I've also managed to get my life more organized thanks to my new obsession with Huggable Hangers. My closet now only contains clothes that fit me and I wear! I've made at least 2 trips to the Salvation Army and plan on more!

Besides the car registration, I've also had my car inspected and had some work done to it.

I've read 5 books! This actually makes me sad because there was a time where I'd read 5 books in 2 months not 6. I'm making more time to read though so I think this number will start to go up!

Also, I started this blog! It's about a month old now and still going strong! I've pretty much capped out at 11 followers but I'll take them and give them as good a time as possible!

All in all pretty boring stuff but one thing I've learned is that life is about the little stuff. If you can accomplish something that makes your day go smoother then it's a wonderful thing!

Here's to the next six months!

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