Barb's Burblings

Pottermania

For Christmas my senior year of college, my mother gave me a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I had heard of it, but didn't really know much about it. I brought it with me to college, and in late February, I took a break from my school reading to read it. I tore through it, and sweet-talked my mom into buying the second one for me when I was home for spring break. Sure, it meant waiting a little while, but it was free! I bought the third one soon after that, and Goblet of Fire was released that summer. Again, I waited for it--my mom actually bought me a copy and mailed it to me. And she actually is paying for my copy of Deathly Hallows, as well--a congratulations gift on my no-longer-so-new job. So it all comes full circle.

I'm skipping the midnight release party. I went to one for Order of the Phoenix, and it was neat. Plus, hanging out at the bookstore that long gave me a chance to buy birthday presents for numerous friends. I was hanging out a bit in downtown Silver Spring tonight, where three tv stations had crews on hand at Borders. The whole set-up was neat. A lot of the shops had taken on the names of stores in the Potterverse and there were quite a few people hanging out in costume.

I saw Hairspray (which, go see! It's awesome!) and emerged around 8 to a packed downtown Silver Spring. It was crazy. There were people everywhere. I've never seen it like that. The mood was positively electric. It was just really cool to see. I was kind of sad to come home, but considering the size of the line forming outside "Flourish and Blott's"...yeah, I'm good picking it up first thing tomorrow morning.