Books and bracelets: A second-chance offer.

The random number generator liked Jennifer best this week: She’s the winner of “The Prepper’s Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster” plus the paracord bracelet woven by the author, Bernie Carr.

You can get one of these, too -- even if you didn't win.

A number of readers seemed to think the bracelet was too très stylin’. Here’s how you can get your own, and/or a personalized copy of last week’s giveaway book.

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The value of work.

100_0105I’ve got a nice new divot in my left thumb, worn there by a hoe handle. Earlier this week my father and I spent about 90 minutes grubbing out weeds in a field of Christmas trees.

It’s healing surprisingly fast (thanks, Neosporin!). You should have seen it a couple of days ago. Despite the work gloves, I’d dug a hole deep enough to accommodate a hearing-aid battery.

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Giveaway: “The Prepper’s Pocket Guide.”

If I’d been thinking clearly last week, this would have been the Aug. 26 giveaway. But Irene (or the threat of Irene, anyway) had me making enormous changes at the last minute.

The good news: This book will help you prepare for the next looming disaster, whether natural or man-made.

Also included, courtesy of the author, is a very unusual lagniappe.

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Getting out of town.

I got back from BlogHer 2011 late in the evening on July 9. Since then I’ve been hitting MSN Money and Get Rich Slowly deadlines pretty hard, and spending time (including a day in Vancouver, B.C.) with an old friend who’s here in town.

Just before midnight tonight I get on a plane for the East Coast, where I’ll be spending just over a month:

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