This is it, I promise
As promised, I'd like to share my thoughts on the final book in the Harry Potter series. Just to warn those of you who have not read/finished the book yet, there will be spoilers ahead, so (if you care) you should probably stop reading now. Again, there will be Harry Potter spoilers ahead, for those of you who have not read the book. Some of you reading this will be thinking, "Uhm, you already said that." But those of you who are true fans will understand how important it is to stay uncorrupted by the spoilers I am about to give.
Now for some general comments.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. This really came as no surprise. I picked it up around 1:30am on Saturday (after waiting in a surprisingly long line for my area) and read through the night, stopping only for a couple hours sleep. Some books could not keep me awake as long as this one did, so I think that should show how engrossing the book was. I found the ending to be very sweet and actually much happier than even I suspected (and I didn't expect Harry to die). Fred's death was sad, but I think he died how he would have wanted to. I felt bad that Tonks and Lupin died, especially leaving their new baby.
I appreciated the epilogue and felt that just enough information was given to keep me satisfied, and enough left out to keep me wondering. What does Harry end up doing with his life? He doesn't work at Hogwarts, or he would have either been on the train, or already there. Does he work at the ministry? I'm sure he could easily have been Ministry of Magic? At first I thought this was improbable, given his dislike of the Ministry. But then I realized that he could change things and make a good difference. Plus, Dumbledore implied that while he felt he could never have dealt with that kind of power, Harry was man enough for the job.
I also found the name "Albus Severus" very poignant. What a sweet uniting of Gryffindor and Slytherin names, as well as two very great men.
OK, on to my predictions. I could kick myself for not including my "Snape was in love with Lily" prediction. I really did think that, but for some reason forgot to include it.
As to my prediction from "HP Part I", I honestly think the book would have been better if that's how it had ended. Obviously, Pettigrew's debt came into play a little bit, but not to the extent I thought it would. I found the "deathly hallows" to be superfluous and, as my friend pointed out, the end came down to "Harry being rubber and He Who Must Not be Named (screw it, Voldemort...that's right, they'll never get me) being glue so that the spell Voldemort cast merely bounced off of Harry and stuck to himself." Basically, it came down to luck. What if Harry hadn't defeated Malfoy to get his wand?
So that's it. The book would have been better if my prediction had been right, and the deathly hallows had not even been a part of it, but overall an excellent book.
Whose house is this?
Last weekend I had the privilege of spending Saturday with one of my best friends. But it wasn't just any Saturday. It was the day before her wedding. Besides the normal pre-marital jitters, she was doing quite well and seemed very on top of things. We had a couple hours before the rehearsal and dinner, so we decided to check into the house her family had rented for that night. We arrived at the Inn and they directed us to the house across the street. It was not available yet, as the cleaning crew was still inside, but we were welcome to sit on the porch and wait. While we waited, my friend finished up some last minute notes and her fiance, her sister, and I sat around chatting. It was a beautiful day and we were content to just sit and wait for the house to be available. I, being curious and just a tad nosy, pressed my face to the windows and peeked into the interior of the house and commented on the lovely furnishings and its size.
Suddenly the phone rang and my friend jumped to get it. "Where are you?" her mom questioned on the other end. "We're waiting at the house!" my friend answered. "But I'm at the house and I don't see you!"
We looked around to see her mom, and finally noticed her at the house next door! I thought, she's at the wrong house! But then I noticed the cleaning crew coming out of that house's doors, and the shoes and jackets hanging up inside the house whose porch we were lounging. And then it dawned on us.
HP Book Review... coming
I would like to comment on book 7, as it is probably the last time I will comment on Harry, except in passing reference. (Did I just hear a cheer?) But I am going to hold off, because I am sure there are still just a few people out there who have not yet read the book and I do not want to spoil it. Plus, I am still digesting it myself. Look for it in the next week or so!
A Tip for Other Bloggers
Ever wonder why you're not getting much traffic to your site? Well, here is the secret: Spend most of your time discussing the most popular topic of the time. And what is bigger at this point than Harry Potter? So if you want to get tons of traffic: Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter
That should do it...
HP Predictions, Part II
These are just some other random thoughts, because I probably won't have time between now and tomorrow night to get all this down into specific theories. Why all the phoenix imagery around Dumbledore? Like when his tomb bursting into flames? Does that mean he's coming back to life? I doubt it because he always made a point to say that Voldemort's greatest flaw was that he didn't realize that there are things that are worse than death and it's not a horrible thing to be mortal. My general thoughts on this: We will see Dumbledore coming back to life through Harry. In other words, Harry will become the only wizard that Voldemort ever feared, etc. This is how Dumbledore will "rise from his ashes".
Why did D. finally gave Snape the defense against the dark arts job if he knew it was jinxed? Perhaps, JKR simply overlooked this, or maybe it was a clue. Did Dumbledore suspect Snape had gone bad and wanted him out? Or did he know that things were drawing to a close? And along those same lines, why did Snape want the job in the first place? He must have known it was jinxed.
I kinda feel like Snape must be good, and Dumbledore had asked him to kill him to keep his unbreakable vow, if that's what it came down to. (Remember the fight that was overheard between Dumbledore and Snape?) I'm also thinking Draco might come around as well. Often in the books we hear things like "once you are on the dark side, no one else matters to you." Well, Draco was trying to kill Dumbledore because Voldemort threatened to kill his parents. Obviously he still has love in his heart.
My last thought is about Voldemort's end. If my prediction in part I does not come true (and that's a big IF), I think that Voldemort will somehow have his soul sucked out by a dementor. Remember that his greatest weakness is that he never realized there are things worse than death. We are also told many times that living without a soul, due to a dementor's kiss, is worse than death. Coincidence?
HP Predictions, Part I
In this week preceding the final book release, I am going to be posting some of my predictions for year 7. I have purposely kept myself away from "rumors" and "leaks" of the book, so these predictions are 100% original to me. That is not to say that other people have not come up with them, but I thought them through myself, and have not seen them anywhere else. Before I begin with my predictions, I want to warn you. My first prediction that I am going to share is so good, I'm 99% sure it's actually going to happen. So if you don't want to practically KNOW what's going to happen in the book, do not continue reading! OK, so now that you all are assured of my brilliance (or maybe my prophetic power?), I will elaborate.
I do not think that Harry will die, and here's why. Dumbledore has left Harry with one last protection that Harry doesn't even know about. Keep in mind the magical transfer scenario that we have seen through the books (this is a term I use to help illustrate my point). One example is when Harry's mom died for Harry, her sacrifice runs through him, which saved his life seconds later. But once Voldemort gets Harry's blood to bring him back to life, Harry no longer has that protection, because now they have the same blood.
In book 3, Harry saves Pettigrew's life by having mercy on him instead of allowing Lupin and Sirius to kill him, therefore allowing Pettigrew to escape. Dumbledore points out to Harry that Pettigrew now owes him and in his debt. Harry says he can never imagine a time when he will want to have any sort of favor from Pettigrew. Then, in book 4, yes, Voldemort gets Harry's blood, but he also receives Pettigrews FLESH. The flesh that is only alive because of Harry's mercy. Voldemort doesn't know that his faithful servant is in the debt of Harry Potter. Pettigrew probably doesn't even realize it, but Dumbledore does. Remember when he has a look of "triumph" when Harry is relating the events at the graveyard in book 4? That always puzzled me, but I think it relates to this. He saw the "magical transfer" that went from Harry's mom's blood sacrifice into Voldemort, so he must have realized that there would be another magical transfer: the debt that Pettigrew owes to Harry, Voldemort owes it now too.
So, all this to say that I think that Harry will live. I think that once again he'll be face to face with Voldemort, having destroyed the other horcruxes. Once again Voldemort will use the adavra kadvra curse, and once again it will reflect off Harry and onto him. Only this time he will die because there are no more horcruxes. I think JKR might let us believe Harry to be dead a couple chapters, but he won't be.
Crazy has kids
Since my work often does not require my mind, sometimes I let it wander off wherever it wants to go. Well today it got me thinking about sperm banks. This is not as random as it sounds. I just recently learned that a co-worker had visited such a place and now had two sweet little girls as a result. The mom, however, is better known as "Crazy" around the office. So today, while I was mindlessly working and hearing her screaming, I started wondering about these banks. I mean, is there any kind of screening process? Can any crazy woman go in there and request a withdrawl and hence receive one? These women are going to be mothers, so shouldn't they have to pass some sort of physical and psychological exam? What about a criminal record? Shouldn't all of these factors be checked beforehand? For all I know, they are, but I got to thinking this would make an interesting undercover investigative story. So for any would-be reporters out there, feel free to use this idea and find out for me how easy it is to get a baby this way. And to my family: this is not a hint of anything that is going on in my life, so get that out of your head right now! I just want to know how Crazy managed to get some kids!
Things I'm excited about this summer
So, news flash! It's summer! OK, I realize I'm a little late in realizing this, but better late than never, right? And, because summer is my least favorite season, instead of listing my least favorite things about it, I've decided to be positive and list the best things about it.
I love how it stays light later. This is a new one for me, since I used to prefer earlier nights, but since I have to drive home on very narrow and winding roads, I prefer the daylight.
Vacation! We have a big family vacation planned in August and I can't wait! Plus, anytime I get time off work is good for me.
This weekend I get to see my bestest friend and she's getting married! I'm so happy for her!
HARRY POTTER!!! (Come on, you knew this was coming!) This is a big season for Harry! A movie and a book! And not just any book, it is THE book! (More on this later...)
Visiting friends in DC over the weekend. Fun!
That's all I can think of... my mind kept wandering to the humidity and heat, the thought of wearing shorts and bathing suits, the heat, excessive sweating... oh right, I wasn't going to make that list!
11 Days and Counting...
Some of you will know what this means. The rest of you, just ignore it... it doesn't concern you.
Chocolate Categories
In case some of you feel that my categories are useless, this post is to prove you wrong! I don't arbitrarily choose "milk" over "M&Ms". They each have their own unique purpose. So here is the list: bitter - I'm writing about something I do not like or am upset about
dark - This is something that is good for me, but I might be upset about it too
hot chocolate - It's just something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over
M&Ms - OK, I really don't know what this one means. The idea was to add it for color.. (get it? man, I'm hysterical)
milk - Just everyday stuff
semi-sweet - My official definition originally was "un-fun stuff, but it has to be done". Whatever the heck that means... Hey, maybe I'll put this post under that category! From now on, semi-sweet is "blog business".
truffles - These posts contain pictures.
unsweetened - Any posts that relate to projects that I'm working on (and we all know there are many...)
Great Chocolate - Any posts that are part of a series, including my "What Makes a Great.." series, and any book reivews.
Chocoholic - Addiction! Must keep coming back for more! And that is why this category will bring you to all the posts in the serialized story so far.
And that's that! See? I am the epitome and embodiment of organization! My organizational skills, they just abound!
My new project
What is it with me and projects?! It's like my life isn't fulfilled unless I have around 20 half-completed projects, and around 674 unfinished projects that I've thrown by the wayside. Anyway, here is my newest:
As you will see if you visit the site, it is going to be an encyclopedia completely devoted to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as The Hobbit. If you're a fan of the books, keep checking back for new updates (and also to keep me on my toes!). If you're not a fan, look at it anyway. It's cool. I'm the coolest.
Once again...
Here it is July and I have no new posts! I know what you're thinking: You hope that this lack of posting isn't a sign of the progress with my other resolutions. Well, guess what? It is! I, like most people, am failing on my resolutions. On the up side, I'm probably one of the few people still trying to make my resolutions work.
My Fear Lists
Those of you who are my very faithful readers will know that I like to make lists. Well, in order to enlighten you further about the events that have transpired in the past several minutes, I need to share my lists of fears. Yes, that's "lists" - plural. My first list of fears includes what I call the "serious" fears (by no means to imply my second list is not serious). They typically include a family member dying or developing a fatal disease, or me crashing to my doom while I'm alone on an airplane or developing schitzophrenia (I'm at a Psychiatry convention... I just added that to my list today). The second list of fears is mostly a list of "beasts". It is the latter of the two on which I will elaborate. List of Fears II
spiders - any kind: small or big, black or brown, crawly or (heaven forbid) furry
somehow a spider entering my mouth (Thank you to all of you who have found this funny and spouted the statistic that we all eat at least three spiders a year in our sleep. I blame you if I ever die of a cold for fear of just opening my mouth to breathe when sleeping.)
roaches - blech, I cannot even continue... starting to feel crawly
spider on any part of my skin
having a child wake me up from my sleep (thanks to the movie "Identity")
split personality disorder
Ray Liotta
small pieces of dust floating through the air (you'll see...)
OK, that's enough for now, you get the idea... Unfortunately, if I think about it long enough, I could go on. However, since I'm sleeping alone in a hotel room tonight, and then flying out tomorrow, I should probably rest my mind on happier things. But first, two stories.
Sweet sleep was overtaking me. The light from the TV was bright in the surrounding darkness of my bedroom. My eyes closed dreamily, only half watching through slits. But then, something twitched. Oh, it was so tiny, barely visible. I never would have seen it had it not been for the reflection of the light. It was suspended, as if floating in mid-air. In a flash I was awake and sprang towards the light. It had been a long time since I had done my nightly spider checks. But now I wished I had continued them because as I glanced around my room, tiny spiders were hanging from every square foot of my ceiling. It was my worst nightmare. Except I was actually awake. The next minutes are a blur. I suspect that I somehow made my retreat and went to get back up (that would be my dad, who should be on my list of "beasts" when he's woken up in the middle of the night). I remember being laughed at for being afraid of little tiny spiders. But they were hanging! From my ceiling! Possibly getting into my hair! And what if I had opened my mouth!? I cleaned for the next several days. And I wouldn't even enter my room without the Swiffer. I would extend it out in front of me and wave it through the air. The theory here is that if there are any spiders floating on their invisible webs, the would get on the Swiffer instead of anywhere on my body. I remember "sleeping" with the light at the opposite end of the room on, and watching their small bodies congregate around it. This is an absolutely horrible memory for me... and what's worse is the mirth it seems to cause! There is nothing funny about being trapped in a room with spiders falling from the ceiling. See fear #1 on list II: it does not matter if they are small.
And tonight, after spending a lovely evening with a colleague, I arrived back to my hotel room, ready to jump into bed. But what's that? There's a small spot on one of the pillow cases. It's not... can it be? Yes! And there's another one, right next to it! Am I reliving a horrible nightmare? As far as I can tell at this point, the answer is "no", but only time will tell. So, after pouring water onto the bed from a great distance in an effort to drown the beasts, and then having to squash them anyway since apparently drowning doesn't work, I am now off to a wet, and hopefully no longer spider-infested, bed.
Change of Plans
Well, I promised more posts... but more posts you aren't going to get. At least not right now. Turns out, I had to rush out to San Diego! So now I'm on the opposite coast, working from 9am to 9pm every day, and I'm exhausted. So feel bad for me. Oh, and it's my one year anniversary. And I'm in San Diego. And Ryan isn't. Plus it's cloudy and cold. Can't you just hear the violin?
Squeaking, squealing, yelling
"Ryan, did you hear that? Wake up! I think there's a mouse in here!" "There's no mouse, go back to sleep."
"No, I hear squeaking."
"It's just the wind. Go to sleep."
A couple minutes later. "There it was again! Did you hear it, Ryan? There's definitely something squeaking in here!"
"It's probably just the heater! Go to sleep!"
An hour or so later. "Ryan, there's a mouse in here! I can hear it squeaking right behind me."
"Amy, there is NO MOUSE! They don't have mice here!"
Another hour, more squeaking. I am curled in a little ball under the covers of the guest room bed. I swear, if a mouse crawls into this bed with me, I will have a heart attack.
"OK, that was definitely a mouse!" I turned on the light.
"What are you doing?? Turn off the light!! They do not have mice here! It's a new house and they've never seen a mouse! Go to sleep. I promise, there is no mouse."
It was a long night - squeaking, me waking up Ryan, him assuring me there was no mouse, more squeaking...
But it was soon forgotten.... until a call from the owner of the house. "Yeah, we finally got rid of the mouse problem we were having. We had heard the squeaking in the basement, but eventually we found it in the guest room."
Anger Issues
There's more to dumpsters than just trash. Sometimes they can be highly informative resources for discovering your neighbors secrets. Think about it. In every detective movie, what do they do to figure out about a person? They dig through their trash. Gross, yes, but informative. But sometimes it's even easier than that. Sometimes your neighbors leave notes on the dumpster that reveal more about them than their trash ever could. The following message was left on a dumpster in my special little community: "Who is the freaking stupid person who left their recyclables by the dumpster? IDIOT! They don't go by the dumpster. They go by the blue pole. BLUE POLE. Do you need a PICTURE of the blue pole? Let me draw you a picture! [insert what I can only assume is said "blue pole"-drawn in black] Maybe now you'll remember to put them in the right place. STUPID IDIOT!"
When I read this note, I looked down at the trash in my hands. Were there recyclables here? Was I putting everything in the right place? By the tone of this note, my very life was on the line if I got it wrong.
Several days later, another note was posted to the mail boxes. A photocopy of a smaller note said, "Would you mind parking across the street? Your truck takes up two spaces in front of my apartment. Thanks!" Under this copy, someone had written, "Never, EVER put your dirty hands on my car. There will be trouble if I ever see you do this again."
I didn't think it had anything to do with me until I was bringing a pizza box to the garbage a few days later. A man in a big blue truck across the street noticed me and yelled, "HEY. You don't have recyclables in there, do you?" All I had was a box, as he could plainly see. "No," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Good," he said, glaring as I hesitantly put my box in the bin, and practically ran back to my apartment.
Should I be worried?
True Beauty
She is sweet; she is charming; she’s delicate and tough. She truly cares for people, and yet can have a sense of humor about them.
People don’t know it by her smile and her laugh, but she can be hurt, and hurt deeply.
She is the perfect paradox of sensitivity and humor.
She makes me laugh, and yet always humbles me with her wisdom.
She pours herself out for people, always giving. Sometimes she forgets to take care of herself too.
She is beautiful, in every aspect of the word.
Her creativity is astounding, she can take almost nothing and turn it into beauty.
Her eye for color, design, and fashion are breathtaking, but still can’t compare to the loveliness within.
She is everything I want to be.
And the sad thing is, she may not even realize this is about her, because sometimes she just can’t see what everyone else can.