Counting the Days

At this posting, 4 days, 5 minutes and 43 seconds until the release of the final Harry Potter book 7! EGad!

I have to admit it. I am a huge Harry Potter fan. Perhaps that I used to be a 2nd grade teacher prior to getting my theatre gig has something to do with my love for kids books. But, truly, this is more for adults! I am one of THOSE people who dress up and go to Borders, first in line to get a ticket for the book. Then anxiously waiting until the stroke of midnight before they are handed out. Oh sure, I could pre-order online. And in fact, I have already done that. But, it isn't as exciting.

I have my costume all ready for the big night. It is my version of Professor McGonagall, the strict Transfiguration teacher. I am thinking of taking my grandson, but not sure if he can stay up that late and he'll need a costume.....hmmm. There is time to figure that out. I have been checking out the fan sites, reading some of the theories regarding the final outcome. Here is some info from Muggles.net:

Character Information

* We will find out something "incredibly important" about Lily Potter.
* R.A.B's identity will be revealed.
* We will discover more about Dumbledore's past.
* We will learn with whom Snape's loyalties lie.
* Something will be revealed about Petunia Dursley, although we already know that she is not a Squib.
* Viktor Krum will return (World Book Day, 2004 interview).
* We will see a reappearance of Dolores Umbridge: "It's too much fun to torture her not to have another little bit more before I finish." (MuggleNet/Leaky Interview)
* JKR has said "There is a character who does manage, in desperate circumstances, to do magic quite late in life, but that is very rare..."

Plot Information

* Harry will face Voldemort for the final time.
* Harry will be attempting to find and destroy Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes.
* Harry will return to the Dursleys' during the school vacation, but the magical protection Dumbledore arranged will expire when Harry comes of age on his 17th birthday.
* Harry will go to Godric's Hollow.
* The two-way mirror will make a reappearance.
* Fleur and Bill's wedding will occur.li>
* The fact that Harry "has his mother's eyes" will prove to be an important plot point.
* At least one character will die.

Other

* The last word is expected to be "scar," but may change.
* We will learn the exact reason why some people become ghosts when they die and others do not.
* The final chapter, which has already been written, will detail what happens to the surviving characters.
* There will be no more Quidditch matches


Now, how many others will admit they are on pins and needles, just as I am, awaiting the big night?

Just for a Second

Isn't it amazing what we take for granted each day? Time and life just flys by with us rushing here and there trying to be all to everyone and how much of what we really do is truly important? How many times do we neglect those who are most important to finish something not finished at work, do some committee work? How many times do we not have time to see the test brought home with pride with the "A" or listen to what our kids want to tell us that happened to them that day, or even say "I love you?"

My mom calls me the other day to tell me of a friend of ours, a little younger than me. Her 22 and 8 year old daughters were killed in a car accident. Their two cousins 4 and 5 had seat belts on and were not seriously injured. The younger girl had taken off her seat belts just for a moment to try and fix a cord that had come undone to the game thing the younger kids were playing. She couldn't get it. The older one who was driving undid hers to try and reach back and fix it. Just a moment, veered off the road, over corrected and flipped 7 times.

The parents had been traveling ahead of them. The highway patrol had found the oldest's cell phone and dialed "mom." "Your daugther's been in a accident....." They turned around and drove back to the accident. They were already gone in the few minutes it took them to drive back.

I know my first thought probably would have been, "did I tell them I loved them this morning?" I can only imagine all the other things that would fly through my head, forever.

My sister talked with the mom yesterday. She says she doesn't know what to do with her hands. Fixing their breakfast, making their beds, folding their clothes, braiding their hair. Just doesn't know what to do with her hands.

We take so much for granted. In a second it can all be gone, that which is most precious, that which is the only thing that matters to us at all.

Hug your kids, tell them you love them. Tell them to keep their seat belts on no matter what. Don't undo it. Not even for a second.

I'm back. I have been commuting from Mount Charleston and loving the cool mountain weather. It's a little bit of a drive, but well worth it considering the heat factor in town. I have had a crazy week, thinking I was to have a nice relaxing 5 days off in the mountains. It quickly turned into a hectic drive to Cedar City for a meeting regarding one of my productions that may be going through some major changes, which would negatively affect my budget for the program. To top it off, I didn't want to lose my spot up in the mountains so had to leave my vehicle up there and have my dear sweet hubby drive me. He has a motorcycle.

It's triple digits here, making a trip on the motorbike quite amazingly miserable. We left at 8:00pm and still was in the 100's. Ever ride on a bike for over 3 hours? Butt gets really sore, knees really want to just straighten out after about 30 minutes, and then the wind in your face, the HOT wind in your face. Quite the experience. I had put my hair in a ponytail thinking that would help keep it from getting too tangled. Wrong! Took me about an hour to brush through it and get all the tangles and knots out of it.


Fortunately, the weather in Cedar is much cooler and with the perks of my job, we got to see four great plays. USF has a Tony award winning regional theatre and is always great fun to attend the plays and participate in the seminars. Yes, this picture shows my favorite scene in Twelfth Night! What a hunk!

We drove back on the 4th, I was a little melancholy thinking about missing the fireworks. However, when we got to the Valley of Fire exit, which happens to be on an Indian reservation complete with a store that sells illegal fireworks, there were an amazing display being set off. We stopped and watched that and after an hour drove on in to town, making it back up to the mountain after midnight. Dirty and dead tired, but cool!