Crazy Bananas and Deathly Obsession with Harry Potter

I don’t think it’s much of a secret that I’m sort of in to the Harry Potter series. Sort of. Just gander over to the left hand side of this page. See that countdown button? Yep, I’m just a teeny, tiny bit excited about what Trent’s been calling “fucking Harry Potter week.” Which I think is a bit misleading, since everyone knows that if I was doing the nasty naked dance with any member of the Harry Potter clan, it would obviously be Ron. I have a thing for redheads.

As if I couldn’t get dorky enough, I mean, even with all of the Space Camp pictures and bad jokes and crushes on 18-year-old boys, I love me some Harry Potter. I began reading the series by chance. A few years ago I was a camp counselor (no, not at Space Camp!) in upstate New York. About mid-summer, I realized I’d read through all the books I’d brought with me, so while I waited for my mom to send me some more Nicolas Sparks (God, I’m a literary genius!) I borrowed the first Harry Potter book from one of my 7-year-olds.

I. Was. Hooked. I read through the first three (and, at that time, the only) Harry Potter books and was just itching for more by the end of the summer. But, alas, J.K. Rowling, that minx, waited to publish the next book until the next year. A whole year! But Harry Potter is like crack and I NEED MORE!

The day the fourth book came out I had been babysitting for my sister’s kids. On my way home, I casually drove past a Hastings and decided, why not? I’ll just go in and pick up a copy. Course, I did not think through this entire plan, as there was a line out the door and about 200 little kids in capes and robes with lightning bolt shaped scars drawn on their foreheads with permanent marker. So I stood in line until about 2 a.m. until I had my very own copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Then I went home and read the whole thing that same night. Because Harry Potter is like crack and once you start YOU CAN’T STOP!

The next two books I preordered, because, let’s face it, it’s much easier to sit at home all day waiting for the UPS guy than it is to stand in line at midnight with a hundred little ones all hyped up on sugar and soda pop. And that’s the same approach I’ve taken for the book coming out this weekend. Although I actually do have to leave the house for a 6-year-old baseball/t-ball double header, but so help me GOD, if I miss the UPS guy and don’t get my book until Monday.

I have my own ideas of what will happen in this final chapter of the Harry Potter story, but I think I’m going to keep them to myself. I know at least one of you readers is a Harry Potter fanatic (Mara!) and I really don’t want to encure your wrath if you don’t agree with my observations. Although I did take that Harry Potter class in college, so if anyone does want to discuss the cultural ramifications of the Harry/Voldemort struggle, I’d be happy to oblige.

Here is a link to another blog site that asks some very interesting questions about what will happen in the final book. If you haven’t read the last few books and have just been watching the movies (blasphemy!), I wouldn’t click, as it’ll give you some spoilers.

To tide me over, I went last night with my Harry Potter buddy, (and frequent commentor) Mara, to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. And yes, I wore the T-shirt, despite Trent commenting “We get it, the t-shirt is cool, but it’s not that cool. You may want to change your clothes once in a while!” In all fairness, I did wear it two days in a row. But it is cool. Damnit. The movie was (of course) not as good as the book, which Mara pointed out throughout the entire thing. Understood. The book is better. Just stare at Ronald Weasley and be happy, woman!

And to further embarass myself…

Yes, that’s Lucy as Ron. And Irene, from my office, as Hermione. And no, I did not do this. This little materpiece is courtesy of the person who did this. The same person who convinced me to yell at the end of the movie “Will the wizard in the front row please put down your wand.”

Don’t forget, tomorrow is Space Camp Thursday! Get excited!

(And then she wallowed in her nerdiness)