Tuesday, July 24, 2007

HARRY POTTER EXCURSION


So this was not a completely elaborate excursion like Cami Turpins – see blog role - we had a fabulous time.

We went to Galina, Illinois – right on the Mississippi River. We arrived at this very cute townhouse (the bathroom, complete with whirlpool, was about 6 times as big as the bathroom at our house – I LOVED it) and cute kitchen, one of those pull out of the wall beds, and a bedroom, a patio. It overlooked the rolling bluffs that border the Mississippi. It was so cute.

The girls had to pull me up to speed since I didn’t quite finish the 6th in time, and since I had only read the 6th one time previously at the speed of light, my retention was, sadly, lacking. So we all started reading at a maniacal pace at 7 pm. It usually takes me a chapter to adapt my way of thinking. I found pages 300 to 500 were sapping my energy and mental stamina with the desperate atmosphere so I had to take lots of breaks. It wasn’t until a certain Patronus chapter (won’t say which for those who haven’t read it) that it really started picking up for me. Once I hit 500 – I read at a steady feverish pace with no breaks. WE stopped every once in awhile to chat about what was going on – but mostly read and read.

At one point past 600 A killing curse (I won’t say to or from whom) was shouted out and I really thought I was going to have a heart attack until I realized that it missed the intended person. PHEW!!

The other girls sniffled quite a bit at 650 and I came close (but as many of you know, I simply can’t cry –its weird) however, I did tear up, and when we talked about it later I almost lost it.

It was definitely an emotional roller coaster. Sunday night after reading the first 300 pages, I drempt I was trying to duel several people and I could not remember the petrifying spell, so while everyone was stunning me, I kept thinking to myself, “ I KNOW it begins with a P!” It was horrible – too much harry potter on the brain!

At the end I felt like I had just eaten a 7 course meal with a variety of flavors and surprises and textures and layers. Some things were bitter to swallow, some soured me a little, and some were surprisingly sweet. I had to give myself some time to digest it all. At the end I felt “JUST RIGHT” and satisfied.

I will leave with just one thought for those who have read it, “OCCUPATIONS???”

5 comments:

Cami said...

True about the occupations. I was wondering myself. I didn't love the whole ending, but I'm not really a "what they are doing now" kind of gal.

Cami said...

By the way, your excursion looks super fun too! That place looks darling.

Darcie said...

cool bonnie--what a fun little get away. I'm only on page 250, but I'm getting there!

Anonymous said...

Looks like fun! We have stayed in that same place before...funny!

Unknown said...

Don't you think Harry is an Auror for sure? Anyway, what I want to know is who does Victorie belong to? The one Teddy was snogging? I'm guessing Bill and Fleur. I really enjoyed the book also. I admit that I also cried a lot the last 150 pages or so. What fun!