Reading Harry Potter (no spoilers)

Just like the last book, I was in a bookstore at midnight to get the latest and last of the Harry Potter series. My bookstore of choice was the University Bookstore on the Ave in the U District. While the party was larger, had live music and more activities than for the last party, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. The black frosted cookies and trivia game contest suited me better.

I did have company this time around. Kate came and kept me from standing in line for my book. Turns out it was the smart move. Last time, the pre-paid reserved book line went quickly. This time, it didn't seem to be moving for the first five or ten minutes. Last time, I was out of the store at about 12:05. This time it was about 12:30, but I spent less time in line hanging out with Kate.

I started the book when I got home, and read for about two hours. After sleeping, though, my reading slowed and I found myself doing housework and other chores rather than reading, telling myself I had the whole weekend to read it.

I don't think I wanted it to be over. I made it to 30 pages shy of the half-way point when I went to bed at midnight. Today, knowing that spoilers were bound to grow as folks finished the book, I hunkered down, finishing it a little after 5PM.

I was fortunately able to avoid almost all the pre-release spoilers, hearing only a quote from the author about the headcount being different than she'd thought it would be. (it was more detailed, but since I said no spoilers...) I'm realizing that I can't really say anything without slipping into potential spoilers. I'm just hoping the rest of the Web is being considerate about what they write, at least for the next week or so. If I believed I could have counted on that, I probably wouldn't have read so quickly.

07/07/07

I didn't really expect today to be special, just because of the numeric alignment of month, day, and year, but I guess I had some hope that it would be good. I think, for whatever reason, the sevens in particular have everyone expecting something magical. I just finished reading the sixth book in the Harry Potter series and it speaks of seven being a magical number (although it does seem bias for a series of seven books to bring up).

For me, this triple seven has been a day of heat, emotion, and general thwartedness. I watched the movie 'De-lovely' earlier and it made me sob. I was introduced to Cole Porter by my ex-fiance, so between that and the fact we could have been like the Porters the movie portrays, if poorer and less talented, had not the world become more tolerant in the intervening fifty years, it all seems oddly personal.

There's a scene where Linda Porter is dying, and all I could think about was all the loss that will happen in my life and I didn't think I could take it; I've had enough already. I feel like I've been thinking more about the inevitability of loss in my future. I'm just hoping, like 07/07/07, that there isn't any deeper meaning to my thoughts.

Big Gulp

Summer is going full force in Seattle in terms of blue skies, sunshine, and high temperatures (well, for the Pacific Northwest at least). It almost makes me wish today were a work day, with the comfort of air conditioning to exist in, since that is almost unheard of in Seattle-area abodes. Instead, my boyfriend and I headed to the mall and other cool shopping spots, although we were directed more by need (desire?) than heat.

When we started back, we swung by 7-11 so I could get some Dr. Pepper (when did they change the slurpees to squishies?). I wound up getting a Big Gulp, which was scarily now the 2nd smallest out of 5 cup sizes. I have vague memories of how large Big Gulps seemed when they first came out, so I was disturbed by how normal they now seem to me. I know American portions have gotten out of control, but the Big Gulp gives me an important reality check of what really big should be.