It's here!!

The day has finally arrived! I can hardly believe it. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the 6th book in the series, has been unleashed on the public. This is a bittersweet moment, for while I'm desperate to know what happens next it just means that we are this much closer to the end. Whatever. Give me the book!

Ensuring that we got our copy as quickly as possible was an elaborate affair. First, we had to go to our local Barnes and Noble a week ahead of time to put our names on the reserve list. Then, at 6:00pm on Friday night, we waited in line to get special wristbands which indicated the number book we would get at midnight. Brian and Kara were #44, Steve and I were #45. While waiting for the midnight unveiling Steve and I enjoyed a lovely dinner of gazpacho at Brian and Kara's apartment.

Just for fun I decided to decorate myself with a lightning bolt scar and the Harry Potter glasses I got with my wristband. But then I got chicken and took it all off. I prefer to be a closet, fringe-fanatic, and did not want to be associated with the sluty crazies who wore tight t-shirts reading "Half Blood-Princess".

So at 11:30 we headed down to the bookstore in Manhattan Beach and waited with several hundred other fans for the stroke of midnight. (For those of you who know the store I'm talking about, the line stretched almost to the REI at the other end of the mall. Yeah, I know. We're all insane.)

This is the scene awaiting us when we showed up. Literally hundreds of people! Sometimes it's nice to know you aren't alone.




I didn't have to wait long until I got my very own copy in my greedy hands. I promised myself that I wouldn't rush through this one like I did two years ago with #5, The Order of the Phoenix.


But in the end the temptation was too great. I had a marathon day on Saturday, reading on and off (but mostly on) for about 12 hours in which time I finished the first 480 pages. And although Steve knew that I would be completely out of commission for reading the book, I think that came as little consolation when he instead spent a marathon day fixing the busted hot water heater.


What a great guy I've got. He fixes the heater, and I get Harry Potter and hot showers.


So now it's Monday and I've long since finished the book and am contemplating a second go (after Steve gets his turn, naturally). If you share my secret passion then write to me! We have much to discuss!