Reading Harry

It's been a couple of weeks now that HP7 came out. AJ was magnamious enough to go to Barnes and Noble around 11:00 pm to pick up my reserved copy. I woke up at 2:15 am, wondering where he was, worried that he wasn't home. I finally got out of bed, and found him downstairs reading. He had made it through the first 50 pages. I wanted him well rested for the next day, since he was assuming all child care, so I strongly encouraged him to come to bed.

The next day, I woke up and immediately started reading. My job that day was to read, and only to read. I read and read. AJ took care of the kids, getting them breakfast, taking them to the lake for a good part of the day, and basically keeping them out of my hair all day. I was still in my pj's at 2, when I decided to go to the gym, taking HP with me, of course, to read while I was on the elliptical.

That night was our date night. We walked around Staring Lake, we went to dinner at Biaggi's, compliments of the anniversary gift AJ's parents had given us, and then, since we still had some time left before we needed to relieve the babysitting neighbors, we went next door to B&N where AJ picked up a pristine copy and started reading from where he left off the night before and I continued on to read about the whole crazy incident in Malfoy Mansion.

On the way home, I made a deal with AJ. If he would put the kids to bed, I would read for 45 minutes and then turn the book over to him for the rest of the night. I had every intention of fulfilling my promise. After the kids were in bed, I duly gave him the book and started getting ready for bed. After another half hour or so went by, I remembered that we had no milk and that the next day was Sunday. AJ volunteered to go, and I told him he should take the book with him. But, he declined, saying that there wouldn't be time to read. So, after he left, I picked it back up and read on.

That was my mistake. By the time he got home, I was past the point of no return and was sobbing in my bed, reading. I had to finish it that night. I kept reading. AJ was a bit disgruntled, I think, although he told me not to worry about it and to enjoy reading. He went to sleep and I finished at about 11:30.

He finished the next day. When T was cranky and crazy during church, AJ volunteered to drive him around until he went to sleep. Then, he camped out under a shady tree and read on.

After he finished, I reread the last 100 pages. So much had happened, and I wanted to make sure I got the details right. And then, a few days ago, I decided it would be a good idea to reread from the beginning. Just for fun. Just to capture all those things that I missed the first time. Now, I want to begin at book 1 and read through all of them.

Thursday, a woman from my book group hosted a HP party/book discussion. It was great fun. Although no one dressed up, we ate HP themed food. Pumpkin pasties, gillyweed, butterbeer, Bernie Botts every flavor beans, caldroun cakes, etc.

I did feel some of the HP depression after I finished. No more Harry Potter to look forward to!