Retail Free on 23

Yes, that's right, as of about 9:30pm tonight I became retail free again! EB wasn't horrible, but I have confirmed that there's no way I can or want to do retail for a living. There's just too much I'd rather be doing w/ my time than cleaning up after lazy customers who just leave clothes all around the store, or "reaching my goal" or "building a sale"...you get the picture.

So I've got tomorrow as a day of rest (yeah right) where I'll hopefully do some more planing before my meeting w/ my CT on Thursday. Thursay's the meeting, then a meeting in Ballard (oh joy) w/ the people who gave me my $4000 scholarship this year (I'm very appreciative, so I'm totally going!). Friday consists of 8-2ish at UW for a pre-student teaching meeting. : / The good part about that is I'll get to see my friends from my cohort I haven't seen all summer. Then I'll kill some time before I work the M's game. M's game Saturday evening, church Sunday, then to Skyview for my first official day on Monday.

Ack! Reality is hitting hard! But it's exciting too, so bring it on!

HP Update #9 (conclusion)

Well, I didn't intend to finish the book so soon, but last night as I was waiting for midnight to go watch the Perseid meteor shower, I had nothing to do but read HP, so I got more done than I intended. Then today at work I started the climax, and then I just had to finish.

NOTE: THIS POST INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE BOOK

The ending of the book is very somber and sad. There is definatly a finality to it, there's closure no awful cliffhanger and yet the final strings are left untited, though you know what they are. I must say, Dumbledore is my favorite character, and to see him killed is very sad for me. In one sense I understand it and see how it was inevitable, and yet I still mourn the loss (not like I'm crying myself to sleep or anything, but I think you get what I mean). I'm sad not only because he was my favorite, but also for Harry. Everyone close to Harry in a parental way has been killed: his parents, Sirius, and now Dumbledore. It's odd, as infuriated and betrayed as I felt knowing that Snape killed Dumbledore (I too had believed Dumbledore to that point that Snape was good), by the end of the book, all that was left was the sadness of the loss of the headmaster and the knowledge of the hard, rough road that lays ahead. Once again, a testiment to JKR's amazing writing and storytelling ablility, to create in me the emotions felt by the main characters in the story.

Overall, I feel book 6 was different than the previous 5. Let me take a step back. I feel like the books can be broken into groups. The first group is Stone and Chamber. Both those books are mostly establishing books where we get to know the main players and get to know how things run at Hogwarts. The second group includeds Azkaban (still my personal favorite), Goblet, and Phoenix. These three carry the most action, the most development, the most questions, and the most driving interests, in my opinion. The most exciting and captivating events happen in these books. More questions are uncovered, even in the answers. The last group consists of Prince and book 7 (I'm assuming). This set ties the pieces together, fills in the gaps, and has a sense of finality to it.

Book six brought in much more background info that gave even more depth and understanding to the struggle between Harry and Voldemort. What was just a vague "good vs. evil" point in Stone is now a full understanding of self-fulfilling prophecy and complicated, calculated scheming on the part of Voldemort. While there were questions raisd in Prince, such as who the HBP is, those questions, plus many others from the previous books, were finally answered. Little pieces from earlier books that we didn't think needed more explaining, such as the curse on the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts and the Horcrux of Tom Riddle's diary, were revealed to be even more intertwined with the characters and overall struggle. Prince definatly had more of a feeling of completion than of continuted curiosity. There was a sense that answers were coming and indeed many did come.

Even the climax felt different as I read it. Yes I couldn't put the book down and had to keep reading, but not to discover new and exciting things or because the action was so intense, but because I was in shock and the information I was given was so surprising that it didn't register; I had to keep reading just to be able to process what I had already read. The climax itself seemed to be only a chapter or two, and everything else was interesting or shocking, but not driving as, for example, the climax of Azkaban with the question about Sirius' identity and allegance.

All in all I think I like the book, I enjoyed it, but it is not my favorite. I still maintain that Azkaban is my favorite. Though there is some good information in this book, like Goblet, the death at the end leaves a bittersweat taste in my mouth and prevents me from calling it a favorite, though it was very enjoyable, interesting, and fun to read.

HP Update #8

Ok, I know my last post was just a few hours ago, but I kept reading, and I got to a really good part and just couldn't stop! What follows will be more stream of consciouness and not really confined to specific chapters, so just so you know it extends thru chapter 24.

Wow, so I'm so happy to finially be getting some answers! Now we know what happened to Dumbledore's hand, where he's been going, and what the point of their lessons has been so far. I also found in interresting how Harry got the memory from Slughorn. Though, I thought he could use the room of requirement to have whatever he required to extract the memory. But hey, his way works too. : )

Horcruxes are freaky! Splitting your soul?! I did a fairly good job of guesses what they were, once I saw the first example of Riddle's Diary. Cool side note, I was just rereading some FAQs on JKR's site and one mentioned the connection to something Harry learned in Chamber of Secrets, and now this must be it (or at least part of it). Cool to make that connection. I did think, however, that the last horcrux could have been Harry himself, w/ his scar and all, explaining his connection to Voldemort, though Dumbledore's explanation seems to make that not the case and it's the snake instead (I liked my idea better because that would really fulfull the prophecy where Harry would have to kill himself to kill Voldemort, "one cannot live while the other survives", oh well, JK knows best. : P ).

I suppose I'm happy that the love triangles are being resolved, though that seems a less important side story (as far as I'm concerned, anyway), but the whole thing w/ the HBP is really starting to get interresting! I guess it was only a matter of time before something went wrong w/ the book. As much as I wanted it to be just cool extra writings, I suppose I knew it must have some danger to it. Though I'm frustrated that we still don't know who it is! I seem to remember someone who read the book right away telling me that you don't have to wait too long into the book before you find out who the HBP is. Either they are really good guessers, or they gave me bad info. I now have a feeling it will be the unraveling of the climax of the book before we find out (though, w/ the numbe of pages I have left, I have a feeling the climax is coming very soon).

As bad as Malfoy is, I actually felt bad for him in the bathroom seene. And then when he got bloody everywhere, that was scarry. Harry freaked, and I can't blame him. It almost seemed like a much bloodier version of the curse Bellatrix Lestrange used in Order of the Phoenix on Hermione in the Department of Mysteries.

But enough of my comments, I've got to get some sleep so I can get up and read more Potter!

PS I have not been up this late just reading HP. I acutally stayed up to see the Perseid meteor shower. Not as good a veiw as I would have liked, but I'm gonna check it out again tomorrow night, which is also supposed to be good viewing.

HP Update #7

Ok, I really want to keep reading (and I will), but I just have to make this post because what I just read is really cool! (BTW: I'm only going to post after chapters I'm particularly interested in to save me time where I'm reading instead of writing!)

Chapter 20:
The last paragraph of this chapter is really cool! It's so awesome, first, to see all the history of Voldemort and how Dumbledore related to him the whole time. But the coolest part is the background to why they always said the defence against the dark arts post was jinxed: it WAS and Voldemort jinxed it!!

So what does that say about Snape? Is he too going to only have the job for one year, or, perhaps, since he's in the service of the Dark Lord, will he be exempt from the curse and be allowed to teach for next year as well? And what's w/ the secrets about Hogwarts that Dumbledore alluded to? Does Hermione know about them because she's read Hogwarts, a History?

So much to know, better get back to reading...

HP Update #6

Ok, new and interresting thoughts, possibly a contradiction...

Chapter 17:
So, I'm curious. In Dumbeldore's relating of the history of Tom Riddle, he mentions that he opens the Chamber of Secrets. Then later he says he discovers that he's decended from Slytherin. Didn't he know that when he opened the Chamber? 'Cause wasn't it said that only the decendant of Slytherin could open the chamber? Maybe Dumbeldore just wasn't mentioning things chronologically? Not sure here...

Chapter 18:
Darn it! I have to go to bed because I have to get up and work tomorrow morning, but I want to keep reading! Ron just drank the "mead" and got all sick. But clearly it wasn't mead. So what was it? Was it something Malfoy has been working on? Is it something that Slughorn shouldn't have? Is it this Horcrux thing that we can't find out about? What's the deal?! And I have to go to stupid bed so I can be awake for stupid work tomorrow!!!!!!!!! LAME!

HP Update #5

Alright, I've been getting a little bored w/ the story, waiting for some good stuff to happen (see previous post), but now I'm getting a bit more excited. Not a lot of progress, but at least there are attempts...

Chapter 15:
Ok, Rowlwing is doing a very good job of making us think that Snape is a bad guy. Though I still stand by my previous assertion that Snap is no more bad than he's been in the past. He's not exactally a good character, but he's at least not w/ Voldemort, I don't think. Harry's vendetta agianst him I don't think will really prove true. Though it's interresting that we still don't know why Dumbledore trusts Snape. I wonder if the whole thing would look different if we knew that...

Chapter 16:
This is where it starts to get a bit better. First off, Harry looks at the date of the HBP's potions book to discover it's 50 years old. If I remember right, that makes him a contemporary of Voldemort. Although, I still think it could be Snape or Lily Potter. Who's to say they didn't get a used book? Or maybe Lily got the HBP's book and that's why she was so good at potions? I just think Lily is connected somehow, since Slughorn keeps mentioning how good she was at potions. I guess there's just a part of me that wants to believe it's Snape, just 'cause that'd be cool and ironic.

The second interesting development in this chapter is the incounter w/ Scrimgeour. First off it's good to know that he's no better than Fudge (possibly worse because he actually has a spine). Also I love how Harry stands up to him. It's a huge development from book 5 when Harry looses his temper all the time. Instead, it seem's he's taken a page from Dumbledore's book and remains calm, light, friendly, but firm. I love how he just throws stuff right back and Scrimgeour, especially the part about Umbridge and how the ministry didn't back him up the previous year. Good for you Harry! It's cool too that Harry's standing up for Dumbledore, even though he doesn't know the whole picture and Dumbeldore isn't confiding everything in him. Harry's trust of Dumbledore seems to be very strong in every area...except when it comes to Snape. : ) But who can blame him, right?

HP Update #4

Wow, this is the most I've posted in a really long time. See how wonderful Harry Potter is? : P

Thru Chapter 14:
Ok, so I've been told for weeks now that "the 280s" are a really good section of the book. So when I finished chapter 13 and saw that I was almost there, I decided to go ahead and read one more chapter. Sadly, I found myself disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the 280s weren't bad, and some interresting stuff did happen, but nothing like I was expecting. I was hoping for some revelation, perhaps some insight into who the HPB is. But no, it's all about the love triangles (or hexagons, more appropriatly) that are going on. None if it was a surprise to me, and none of it was all that interresting, honnestly. There's been stuff between Ron & Hermione for the last several books. The thing w/ Harry and Ginny is new to this book, but there have been hints all along, such as the smell of the love potion in Slughorn's class smelling like Ginny (flowery, I believe).

I'm sorry, but if I wanted to read about love triangles I'd read something sappy by Jane Austin (yes, sappy. This is my blog, I get to say what I want). Notice I don't read those books. Hence, I'm not looking for the love triangles. Harry likes Ginny, Ginny likes Dean. Hermione likes Ron, Ron likes Lavender. Everyone's misunderstood, people are insulted, and Ron remains oblivious. Yes, I undestand that since they're in their 6th year this stuff will be happening. I guess my biggest dissapointment comes w/ how much "the 280s" were talked up so that I feel let down. Had I not had high expectations I probably wouldn't have minded the chapter that much.

I do have to say, though, that I figured it'd be smart of Harry to fake putting the felix potion into Ron's glass, though I wasn't sure he did. And all that stuff about Voldemort's past that we're getting from the Pensive is really interresting. Adding more depth and understanding to his character. I'm getting a bit impatient to learn two things, ok, 3:
1) Who the HBP is
2) What happened to Dumbledore's hand
3) Why Dumbledore's giving Harry these private "lessons"; what's all this leading up to?

And with that I'm off to bed. Tomorrow I get to have live conversations w/ people about what I've read at chuch, so that'll be cool. I also get 15 minutes at work to read during my break. And the next chapter title seems intriguing: "The Unbreakable Vow."

HP Update #3

Ok, so this is only about one chapter, but I just have to put these thoughts somewhere!

Chapter 8:
First, the idea that Snape could be the Half-Blood Prince has entered my mind, but then I wonder, could he be a half-blood? My initial reaction is that no, he couldn't be because he's in Slytherin, but then I thought...Voldemort was in Slytherin and he was a half-blood. But how does that work? Salazar Slytherin's whole thing was he only wanted pure-bloods. So how could the sorting hat put half-bloods into his house? And Harry was almost sorted into Slytherin too, again making me think half-bloods could be in Slytherin. Hmmm...

Second, part of me wonders if Lily is the Half-Blood Prince. She was good at potions according to Slughorn, so maybe it was her? (maybe the title was just some nick-name or something, even though she would be a princess not a prince). Then agian, it could be Snape, again, because it's his old textbook that he left in the dungon, forgot to take to his new classroom. Maybe the title "Half-Blood Prince" was a secret name he gave himself in school, you know, to make himself feel better when riddiculed. Or maybe the HBP isn't actually a half-blood, but thinks of himself as a prince over half-bloods? Ah, so many thoughts...I should just keep reading. : )

HP Update #2

Ok, you all should be very proud of me. I told myself that I'd only read one chapter before bed, and even though the title of the next chapter is "The Half-Blood Prince", I have put the book away and will not read it till tomorrow (though, admittedly, I did look to see how long the chapter was first before deciding to wait until tomorrow). And now on w/ the updates:

Chapter 4:
Not much to report here. I like the Dumbledore is a more prominent character right off the bat. Much more interactive w/ Harry and, as usual, secretive and in sublte control. Slughorn is an interesting character. Seems like a good guy who isn't all that helpful, but we shall see how he develops.

Chapter 5:
I have to admit, the thing w/ Fleur is a bit odd and I never would have guessed it. Why on earth is she marrying Bill? I'm sure there were clues to it in earlier books, but for some reason it just doesn't seem to fit, and I don't mean because none of the Weasleys like her. Oh, I also think there's got to me more to Tonks than just that she feels guilty about Sirius' death. Perhaps she's guilty about it for another reason, or maybe there's something else entirely, but it's got to be more involved than we know so far.

The OWLS were interesting, of course. I figured that Harry'd do well with them. And I'm sure that, even though he didn't do well enough in Potions to move on, he'll still be heading towards being an Auror. Something will make that happen, that I'm sure of. I mean, how could Harry not be an Auror?!

Chapter 6:
Two thoughts: first, I love that Fred and George have their own shop. It just fits them perfectly and I love that they're being so successfull. It's also nice that Mrs. Weasley has warmed up to the idea instead of being totally against it. Supportive parents are very important.

Second: I can't decide if I think Draco's a death eater or not. I have to admit that before Harry espoused his theory to that effect that I had already thought it. I'm not sure. Part of me wants to go w/ my gut and believe he is a death eater, but because Harry's so adamant about it and no one else is, it makes me doubt it slightly. Harry is often not right on w/ stuff like that.

Chapter 7:
Again w/ Draco being a death eater, I doubt myself in that idea here because it seems to fit in nicely w/ the clues we're given, but so often things are not what they seem in HP. Only time will tell. Also interesting that Dumbledore asked Harry to keep his invisiblility cloak w/ him at all times, and yet that is the doorway to his getting into more trouble. Surely Dumbledore knows that, so he's got to have a specific good reason for making that request of Harry...

Chapter 8:
I missed the whole Patronus' can send messages things. It rings a vague bell, but I didn't remember it when I read that. And what's this with being able to change your patronus? I wonder why you can do that...or maybe it reflects your mood? Then again, how can Tonks produce a patronus if she's so depressed all the time??

And Snape w/ the Defence Against the Dark Arts job! I have to admit, I didn't think this was coming until book 7. I'd like to say I saw it coming, but I didn't. I'm not that quick. Though it does explain how Harry can still be an Auror w/o the Oustanding score in Potions--Slughorn will let him into his NEWT class. Again, I think Snape is still good. Dumbledore isn't as stupid as many people think, in fact, he may be putting on an act of being more "old" which does seem to be a bit of a theme so far. I stand firm in Dumbledore's choice to appoint Snape in the position he's wanted for so many years as a smart one. It must somehow advance Snape's position as a Death Eater spy or something...not sure yet. I know it will also keep Snape in Harry's life to tourment him. There's no way he was getting out of that so easily! (see first HP post).

--Ok, enough of this, I'm off to bed. And really, I'm trying to read slow enough for those behind to catch up. I do want to stay about the same w/ you all...

End Safari, Begin Half-Blood Prince

Summer Safari 2005 is now over, and what an experience it was! From the surprise appearance of Paul from a box on the first night to the students who joined the body of Christ, it was an exciting and enjoyable camp. God was gracious and gave us relativly cool weather for most of the trip. There was one day that was quite warm, possibly 100+, but no more, which was wonderful.

As usual there is too much to put into writing from camp, but suffice it to say God worked, both in the students and in myself. I'm very tired, and have been since I returned yesterday, however I will have some time to sleep in tomorrow (I only work the M's game tomorrow night). If you want more details about my car dying, lesson preperation, and work today, I can fill you in later.

In other news, I have begun Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Very exciting so far! For the next several days (weeks?) I will be posting updates on how far I am and what I think about what I've read so far. Those who are reading along w/ me are welcome to comment, as are those who have read the book already, though I ask that no one give anything way or spoil the book in any way. I will try to be careful to lable which chapters I'm talking about so those why may be slightly behind me can avoid reading too much. My first HP entry now follows...


Opening in General:
I really like that the book gets right down to business. Though I understand the necessity of the Dursley story in the books, it was getting a little old to hear how horrible they are to Harry and how much he wanted to leave. It was nice to get right into some juicy meat in the story right of the bat with a new Minister of Magic and then more info on Snape...

Chapter 2:
Very interesting, all this info on Snape. I have to admit, I guessed that Bella and Narcissa were going to talk to Snape (rather proud of myself, actually). It seems that my guess from the earlier books that Snape had infeltrated the Death Eaters was correct. So far I still think that Snape is actually a "good guy" and not lying to Dumbledore, however JK did a good job of casting some doubt to that, especiall w/ the end of the chapter. I'm not sure what the Unbreakable Vow means, or what exactally Snape had agreed to there, but it sounded like it was killing Harry Potter. Though I've read enough of the books now to know that JK could be wanting us to think that when in reality it's something totally different. I'm wondering if there's something in the wording itself to keep Snape from doing anything truely bad, but it is early in the story...

Chapter 3:
Just a few thoughts. First, I love Dumbledore. He's just an awesome character. Commanding in his presence, yet youthful and light. Second, interesting about his blackened hand. Clearly that's of some importance, though how much I don't yet know. Also I think it's interresting how in one of the articles (I think) it mentions that Dumbledore's getting older and slower in his responses, spells, reflexes, or something, and still Harry notices that he flicks his wand so fast when moving the couch for the Dursleys. I don't think he's a weak as some think, though it's possible that he's not a strong as he once was...not sure yet

As far as I know I haven't met the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, though I think we must soon. Wonder who it will be this year. I think I'll start chapter 4 tonight, but I'm not going to allow myself to read beyond that...I have tomorrow for that. : )

Pre-Safari Update

T-minus... 16 hours 'till I'll be at church and Summer Safari will begin. Right now I'm at church checking up on sound stuff and some last minute details. All's going well so far.

Worked my last day at EB for the next 5 days, though I found out that I will be working the Sunday after camp (we get back Saturday afternoon), so that's no fun. Oh well, the life of a retail worker, right?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is finished, and wow I didn't realize how many details I missed the first time I read it! There were several things that I couldn't remember about the story as I read, and I'm sure that added to my enjoyment. I've decided to not start the 6th book until after Safari, mostly because I'd be consumed w/ it if I brought it to camp, and that generally hampers ministry. : )

What else...? I'm really starting to think more about student teaching. Less than a month until I'm back at Skyview! I've got lots of planing still to do, and after Safari I'll have to hit it pretty hard. You know, in all my spare time. Right. I don't really get days off in the sense that all the days I'm not working at one job, I'm usually working at the other, or else have had some sort of committment, like something wedding related, or else a JH camp. While those things are fun, they aren't exactally relaxing and I'm not sure I'd consider them "time off". Well worth it, but not time off. Perhaps I'll get a day off to breathe here soon...but probalby not.
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