Fri Jul 01 2005 15:56 PST let's go swiiiiiiiiiiiiminggggggggggggg.: At Becca's. waiting for her to finish playing a video game so we can go swimming. we went shopping today! i was going to get a shirt made for the HP release party but I decided not to because it would cost $30 and that's not even with yellow writing. Oh well. As Becca said, sometimes a good idea turns into a bad idea because of monetary concerns, or something.

And since I'm still waiting... I had a really good diea in the shower about a fundraiser that a history department could put on. But since I'm paranoid about people stealing my ideas when I unwittingly write about them on my weblog, I'm not going to.

Sat Jul 02 2005 00:20 PST A bit late: Happy Canada day. Also, happy finding Tonks day. Yay for Canada. Yay for Tonks.

(3) Sat Jul 02 2005 16:58 PST: We got a bunch of new HP stuff at Russos. They set up a phoenix by the door and an owl over a table of books with strings by the resgister that we can pull to make them move up and down. It's really fun to watch customers notice it and then try to figure it out. I bought some new books today, all presents. And I found out that I get to work 9-4 on the 16th. After working till 1 am the previous night, and before an MLI show. And are the hours between going to be spent reading sleeping? Wheeee....

Sun Jul 03 2005 10:47 PST: The Jelly Bean is a cute furball and the Paris 1919 book is calling me. But I must not go back to bed!

(6) Sun Jul 03 2005 16:33 PST Hot July!: It is very hot outside. Luckily my room is the coolest in the house, due to large terraces with large quantities of vine growing on them. This also makes my room pretty dark, but right now I think that's a good trade-off.

July is an exciting month. There are lots of things for me to look forward to right now. I've begun a correspondence with a guy in Australia whose aunt was a nurse in Serbia during WWI. Tonight I'm hanging out with Jen. Then tomorrow is Chris' annual 4th of July BBQ and partaae, which is always lots of fun. Tuesday I go down to LA for workie, where I get to research a Franco-Belgian SPY NETWORK! under the German occupation. The fabulous Stacy & I are going to henna our hair. I am hoping for Weasley(ish) red since I won't have my special shirt.

Then Thursday mom & I are off on our grand adventure to SF! We shall visit Leonard for his B-day and watch the Giants lose while eatting hot dogs, yay.

After SF it is back to workie for more tales from Belgium, then up to Bako again to celebrate Basitlle Day with une fete. And then... dundundunDUN! It's Harry Potter time! Yay.

I haven't really thought much past then. There are still lots of fun things like John's b-day and the new Sophie Kinsella book and a tresure hunt. Hopefully somewhere in here I will find time to pick up pilates again, finish my book and start re-writing the first part, and working more hours because this book isn't going to write itself, and neither is the trip to London going to pay for itself. It will be November before we know it. Time sure does fly.

Sun Jul 03 2005 20:40 PST French at heart: and this is why. A nation of slackers! My kind of place.

More Europe stuff: The dollar is at a recent-time high of 56p and 86 euro cents. That's... still so bad! And I need to change my homepage from FT.com. I sometimes see articles I want to read, but I never want to pay for them.

(3) Tue Jul 05 2005 17:58 PST Entendez-vous dans nos campagnes Mugir ces féroces soldats?: Had a lovely fourth. I enjoy the BBQ, swimming, and fireworks part of our national holiday. It's quite fun, as long as one doesn't get carried away. Mom and I had a conversation about how so many of the national anthems are very militaristic. I have been thinking about this a lot because of Paris 1919. Reading it, I have come to realise that in a lot of ways the latter 4/5ths of the 20th century were just about the very painful undoing of the decisions made at the Paris Peace Conference. It makes one wonder if nationalism is really such a good idea. I mean the 14 points, self determination and all that, sounds like a good idea *in theory*, but in actuality, when you start inspiring in people the desire for their own state based on a constructed national identity, which basically translates into ethnicity, which *isn't * so easy to draw borders around, well... things get a little messy. So I guess one really good thing about America is, for the most part, it is a country built up sucessfully on many different ethnicities and peoples, without each group demanding their own statehood or cleansing one another, etc. Perhaps it helped to start on a country with a clean slate (having basically been wiped clean of Native Americans...) Hmm, there is much to ponder on.

Anyway, yesterday I was at chez Burzlaffs and we were sitting in the street watching the Seven Oaks fireworks. The Stockdale Country Club, which we couldn't see, was behind us. All of a sudden there was this BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM! Very loud and sucessive... "Oh dear," thought I. "Here come the Germans." It can be really quite frightening, if one closes one's eyes and listens to fireworks with a fanciful imagination.

(3) Thu Jul 07 2005 06:39 PST Some very bad news indeed: It must be that since Septmeber 11th I am inclined to think of the worst. So when mom woke me up and said that al-Qaida was setting off bombs in the London Underground, I pictured huge gaping holes where Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road stations used to be, with thousands of bodies strewn down Oxford Streed and Charing Cross Road. I'm grateful that my gruesome imaginations are worse than the reality.

But this is still so...bad. London! How dare they?

I am feeling sad and distresssed and my mind in very much in London right now.

Tue Jul 12 2005 12:23 PST Still relevant:

Ok, so I'm a copy cat. Stacy posted this on hers first. I got it from the Victoria Listserv. (more on this weekend later)

Winston Churchill TO V-E DAY CROWDS Whitehall London 8th May 1945

There we stood, alone. Did anyone want to give in? Were we down-hearted? The lights went out and the bombs came down. But every man, woman and child in the country had no thought of quitting the struggle. London can take it. So we came back after long months from the jaws of death, out of the mouth of hell, while all the world wondered. When shall the reputation and faith of this generation of English men and women fail? I say that in the long years to come not only will the people of this island but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we've done and they will say "do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be - unconquered." Now we have emerged from one deadly struggle - a terrible foe has been cast on the ground and awaits our judgment and our mercy.

But there is another foe...a foe stained with cruelty....We must begin the task of rebuilding our health and homes, doing our utmost to make this country a land in which all have a chance, in which all have a duty, and we must turn ourselves to fulfil our duty to our own countrymen, and to our gallant allies of the United States who were so foully and treacherously attacked....We will go hand and hand with them. Even if it is a hard struggle we will not be the ones who will fail.

http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk/YrVictry.html

(12) Tue Jul 12 2005 16:47 PST No more waiting, no more aching:
says a friend: hey---three days, eh?
says I: I KNOW

(5) Tue Jul 12 2005 17:33 PST People in Motion (Highlights of this weekend): On Thursday Mom & I drove up to SF and we had a yummy dinner cooked by Leonard. After dinner L& I played a fun game called San Juan, which is kind of like Settlers of Cataan, but you can play with two people, then we watched some episodes of Arrested Development.

On Friday we went to a place called Bombay Creamery and had ginger ice cream, which was really good, then we went to a taxidermy shop (poor animals!) called Paxton’s Gate, and the Pirate store next door, which is a very high-class pirate store. Like mom, I kinda wanted a short, but I didn’t need one so it stayed at the store. After wards we drove to Greens, which was tres tres yummy, and we had a view of the bay and of the surrounding areas, where people with “bike tour” vests on, who came in for lunch at Greens to-go, rode segways around. Fab. Then we went to the Friends of the Library bookstore. I was kinda bummed when I saw that women and society was the featured section, but at the other location. All the same, I found 4 or 5 books I wanted, but I only bought one, a collection of stories of Bosnian women building peace. We went back and had a lazy afternoon watching more Arrested Development, and then Leonard got to open his presents! (BTW, Leonard & Sumana, did the pictures come through for you, bc mom sez they didn’t work for her?) I got him A Peace to End All Peace and mom got him a cutie ceramic casserole dish decorated with aliens.

On Saturday it was off to the Giants game! We stopped at Leonard and Jeff’s house, then went to a Muni station where we took a series of shuttles to SBC stadium, then got seats, hot dogs, etc. I managed to let fall over my $4 diet coke, but I “showed the concession guy my eyes,” as mom would say, and he refilled it for free. It was a very fast game. There was some exciting defensive stuff, but only two runs—luckily both for the Giants. They won, yay! And we were all prepared to lose. I wanted to see a home run into the ocean, but I guess I can’t be too picky. Anyway, it was very exciting, and now I want to go watch more baseball but I think the season is almost over. I shall have to check the Blaze schedule.

After the game we went to Leonard and Jeff’s for a birthday dinner, BBQed shrimp, yummmm, and Jeff had gotten a Happy Birthday, Leonard cake so we go to sing to him, which was fun. We played San Juan again and I think when we got back watched more Arrested Development. On Sunday it was time to go, so we loaded up the car and drove to Berkeley, where we went grocery shopping at the Berkeley Bowl, which was like a Whole Foods only BETTER and not union-busting. We got some really yummy cheese and a bunch of other good foods. Then we went to Viks which is an Indian restaurant of sorts. It was pretty yummy. Followed by Gelato (this was the weekend of the yummy eats. It reminded me of my travels in Europe). Mmmm, gelato. Oh, gelato how I love thee… What—oh yes. So then it was time to say goodbye and mom & I hurried home to get Gretel from the doggie spa. She professed to have missed us, but the spa lady said Gretel was having a grand ole’ time. Now I am back in LA and WWI, but my mind is increasingly ever on HP. (See Below).

(3) Wed Jul 13 2005 18:02 PST Ack: I was just gazing longingly at the picture of HBP on amazon.com when I accidentally almost saw the titles of the first three chapters. Luckily I managed to advert mine eyes and scroll back up before I had seen more than a word or two (of course that one word is now echoing in my head... argh, and I can't even be sure if it is what I thought I saw it was, or something). I will have to be more careful if I want to remain spoiler-free the next two days (TWO DAYS!). I am distracted enough without having to speculate on the meaning of chapter titles.... I have no idea how I'll manage to do other things over the period of time when I am actually reading the book. But this is almost the last one. I am determined to savor it over multiple courses, rather than gorge myself at the buffet of Harry Potter, as I have done every other time. Just as I am determined not to spoil any surprises that might lay in store. So. There.

(4) Thu Jul 14 2005 13:14 PST "We have something to look forward to...":
35 hours till we storm the Bastille I mean the German Army occupies Brussels no wait...

The back of book blurb has been released. With the moral support of Rob I have decided not to read it.

Waiting is hard. Luckily I have the help of Violetta Thurstan and her adventurous nursing. Later I will be distracted by the handsomeness--I mean wisdom of Humphrey Bogart--I mean Rick.

Vive La France! Long Live Belgium free and independent! Soon, and for the rest of your life! Yay Harry Potter!

(4) Fri Jul 15 2005 11:12 PST I think not; I've seen the lady. : Aren't you glad this is the last post you have to read about waiting for Harry Potter? Until the next book, that is.

While I was driving to Bakersfield yesterday I was getting rather bummed about not having the shirt I wanted to have, thinking with my plain Gryffindor shirt and my not-so-red hair I might as well not bother, because if I try at all people will think I'm Hermione, like they did on Halloween. But then I had a storke of brilliant genius. I could make a shirt like I did in high school! So I hurried to Kohl's to get a red shirt (only $5!), dropped by Jen's to say hi, then to Joanne's to get yellow fabric (right by the enterance and on sale, it must be meant to be) and iron on stuff and goldish yellow puff paint. It took a lot longer than I thought it would to cut out all the letters, so I took it over to Chris' and Becca & Rob helped be cut out the letters and line them up. It looks AWESOME. I predict at least 10 people tonight will ask me where I got it. It looks so sharp and snazzy and cool. It says "Gryffindor Quidditch" on the front with a lightening bolt, and on the back it says "Weasley" with the number 11. I looked up Ginny's birthday on the Harry Potter Lexicon (I remember it was on the calendar on JKR's website in August but I couldn't remember the day) and saw it was August 11, which also happens to be mom & dad's wedding anniversary. Anyway, the shirt is cool and I will try to put up some pictures.

I'm going to Sally's Beauty Supply later today. They were all out of the red hair temporary spray dye stuff from 4th, but the lady said they should have more today. I'm going to do my freckles with brown liquid eyeliner so they won't smudge. And I'm going to dry my hair straight. I will be soooo obviously Ginny. (Or Ron, if one asks Rob).

There was an interview with Mike Russo in the article on HP in the paper and he said, "It's amazing how many adults read it also, including most of my staff who don't have kids and are in their 20s and 30s." That's me!

We had a great Bastille Day. I went with Ron and Chris to the store to get brie & French bread, and the check out lady said, "Mmm, brie and French Bread!" I told her it was for Bastille Day. "What's that?" "The French national holiday." "Oh, I don't keep up with anything like that. I don't like French food or anything. Okkaaay.

Casablanca is such a great movie. I hadn't seen it in entirely too long. It is just stuffed full of goodness in every nook and cranny. All that great dialogue in one movie. It is seriously the best ever.

Gretel is cowering under my desk right now bc the PG&E people are outside doing scary work. She is usually not allowed in my room but I do feel sorry for her. I hope they don't turn off the power. We'll suffocate from heat.

I know I said this is the last post, but I remembered some things, so I'll just add on. While I was making my shirt I was also talking about my plan to paint my nails gryffindor colors. JoDena said, "you'll look like a Trojan when you're done." Ack!

And yesterday when I was driving Stacy to the airport we were listening to "Rich Girl" by Gwen Stephani. "This is especially our song," she said, "because it mentions London and Westwood." "Yes," said I, "but that's Vivianne Westwood." "Doesn't matter," she replied. "Still Westwood."

(8) Sun Jul 17 2005 13:09 PST Trying to savour (just comments about reading, no spoilers here...): I have not yet finished The Half-Blood Prince. I am at the begining of chapter twenty. So far two of my friends, Becca and Rob, have finished. I am being regailed on all sides by those on all sides to "hurry up and finish" so I can discuss it with them. This is a stark contradiction with the last book, which I had finished by 1pm on Saturday (about the time Becs finished this time round) and had almost no one to talk it over with. Becca says I will really like the end of chapter twenty-four. But that's just over a hundred pages from the end, the point of no return, from which she also says I will be unable to put the book done. But I am anchored by talking to Chris, who is much farther behind than I, and spent last night watching movies to keep from reading too much, as I should have done. In fact I had several invitations out, but I figured, on three and a half hours of sleep, I would go to bed almost directly after the MLI show. I was wrong. I've been reading much to fast, and I read much to much last night. But it's soooo goood.... However, if I hang out with friends and do a bit of work today, the rest of the week I will have enough distractions, and I can go back and re-read some parts to look for clues, I may be able to eek out my savouring a bit longer. There will be time enough to discuss while we wait for the next book.

Sun Jul 17 2005 22:57 PST: Ok, so much for savoring, I finished. I'm not even going to say anything because I don't want to give it away.

Mon Jul 18 2005 13:11 PST Too funny not to share: Whilst I was having a late-night post-HBP therapy session with dear Rob & Becca, during which we discussed possibilities for book seven and re-read most of the funnier parts (this took a while), Rob made the amusing prediction of, "You know Harry's going to profess his unlying dove for Voldemort."

Mon Jul 18 2005 16:31 PST Harry, I give you the beast: There is a passing/ warm-up game we play sometimes for improv called "the beast." It goes something like this: I say, "Dayna, I give you the beast." "the what?" "The beast." "Oh, the beast." Then she says, "Ronnie, I give you the beast." "The what?" he asks. "The what?" Dayna asks me. "The beast," I reply. "The beast," she tells Ronnie. "Oh, the beast," says Ronnie. And so on. I'm going to suggest we play it tonight. There will be much giggling.

Between my late-night therapy session and my afternoon Dagny's write-out I have resolved most of the several issues I had with HBP (which I am sure many people share) and come to the conclusion that I really loved this book. I also realised exactly why it is that I love one particular aspect of this series so much. Later I'm going to type up my findings and email them out to those I know who will be interested, and perhaps post here in the comments, once I know those who like to be spoil-sports have already read the book and won't be tempted (coughmom).

(1) Wed Jul 20 2005 16:13 PST Totalitarianism: Making the world safe for democracy since 1917.

Or at least, according to Stacy's book on the Russian Revolution.

More Stacy related tales: I was making fun of her because her horrorscope was terrible one day; it said something like: "There are no victims, only volunteers, so cut your losses now and move on." I laughed a bit at the morbidness of this then thought, "hey--I'm a Pieces, too!"

Also, I'm not the only one who thought Tonks was a cat when I first began reading HBP.

(10) Thu Jul 21 2005 19:34 PST The dethroning of a Goddess: This started off as a post on Undomestic Goddess and turned into a long-winded post on HP. Who is surprised?

The new Sophie Kinsella book sucks, and I am disappointed.

It could be worse, though. Always the optimist, I said to mom, I could be one of those people who are disappointed with JKR for not writing Harry and Hermione as a pair. I could be refusing to read the seventh Harry Potter book because I misread all the character development that clearly indicated Harry and Hermione are BFF but not MFEO—I could be throwing away the entire fascinating series because the romances didn’t turn out as I hoped they would (I know you all are laughing because I’ve made such a big deal of it, but I figured out why it’s so important to me, and I’ll explain that below).

I’ll give Ms. Kinsella another shot. When Shopaholic and Baby comes out, as it inevitably will, I’ll read it. But for her next non-Shopaholic novel, I hope she tries a new approach. The “girl digs herself in a hole and only digs deeper trying to get out and cover her previous lies/mistakes but comes to a miraculous conclusion” concept is getting a teensy bit old. Undomestic Goddess is like a poor man’s Can You Keep A Secret? The heroine lacks the charm and motivation of Becky and Emma, and therefore the humour, while the crucial elements stand, is a bit lacking in resonance. The romance seems feels contrived. I may skip ahead to see if it gets better, but right now I feel it would be a waste of time to keep reading.

I’m going to stop here, for those who I know have not yet read the book—their copy is sitting in pretty wrapping on the Chinese cabinet—are lurking about. I’m posting the rest in the comments, so John & Susie and Alyson probably, and anyone else who’s not done, don’t read it!

(1) Fri Jul 22 2005 21:40 PST Sissy/Cissy: I've come up with a pipe plan for Susie & I to dress up as Narcissa and Bellatrix for Halloween this year.

Everyone is here for a visit and we are having a great time.

Tue Jul 26 2005 13:13 PST Caught in a haze on these lazy summer days: I think July is my favorite month. (Note: not time of year... I do love the feeling of change in the air that comes with fall and spring...and also, you know, the lack of oppressive heat.) It's that fun summer atmosphere--swimming, BBQs, lazing about reading, hanging out. I have always loved July best. When I was little I used to think of it as the Saturday of months, because it was unpolluted by the presence or shadow of school.

I always have the most fun in July. Of course there is a down side to this--I am having so much fun there seems to be very little time left for things like working. Perhaps it is the lazy part of my heart that loves July so much. And maybe it's a good thing I want to go into academia. Summer Forever!

(2) Tue Jul 26 2005 23:09 PST Pipe Planner: It was bound to happen sooner or later. I go round telling everyone all my cool ideas, usually prefaced with, "We should totally..." But I've gotten used to not being taken seriously.

Today I went into Russo's to buy The Historian for mom's vaca reading, and Jenn said, "When do you want to start your HP discussion groups?"

"Um, oh, er..." So I have until mid-August to re-read HBP so it is clear in my mind, and start planning discussion for the beginning of Sorceror's Stone. We're going to start at the beginning and scrounge for clues for the 7th book. I'm actually really excited. I got another copy of The Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter (since my last copy, back when both the book and Rachel's grocery money were relatively hard to come by, was sold on Amazon Marketplace) and I can't wait to start re-reading. I have all sorts of ideas for the group too. Yay! One of my ideas is to have a blog so we can have long distance discussion as well, and group members can catch up if they miss a meeting.

(3) Wed Jul 27 2005 13:49 PST Another Suitcase: Peron's mistress in the movie Evita is played by Andrea Corr. How did I not know this??

(6) Thu Jul 28 2005 09:10 PST Annoyances: I just refilled my coolant tank yesterday and the light is going off again. I took it in two weeks ago and the guy couldn't fink a leak, but it can't have boiled over again like he thought it was doing because it was fine last night and it's not hot here! I'll have to keep an eye on the temperature gauge... Grr, hate hate cars & all the trouble they cause. But I guess I can't complain bc any sort of transport causes trouble. Buses and trains get crowded and delayed and sometimes blown up, horses get old or sick or requisitioned by the army... and so on.

But generaly things are okay. I'm at work early today. Mr K. greeted me in surprise with "You're here early" (times three).

I'm still in shock about yesterday's discovery. I feel soo dumb... almost as bad as when I thought Platform 9 3/4 was at Victoria Station. Worst.fangirl.ever.

Thu Jul 28 2005 14:02 PST Still on it [stealing]: Now I'm mad that Madonna stole the "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" song from Peron's mistress. Andrea Corr is a much better singer.

Lunch with Chrisitna. Subway. Cheetos. Belgian chocolate. Feel fat. "They never really recovered," I told her. "Did you know the Belgians before the war had the world's 6th largest industry? But then the Germans stole it."

(5) Sun Jul 31 2005 11:39 PST We get unlimited juice? This party's gonna be off the hook!: Just me and the kitties, now, but we are enjoying the quiet. I got a message from mom saying they are driving to Canada now.

Yesterday I promised myself I would never try driving back from LA on a Saturday morning. I have no idea where all those people were going, but it took like an hour to merge with the 5. Hate.

As a result, by the time Rob, Becs & I got to Food Day I mean Pioneer Day, most of the booths were running out of food and we had to stuff ourselves with corn dogs and watermelon very quickly, as they were about the only booths not closed up. How disappointing.

I got to do sound for MLI last night, and I gave everyone HP nicknames, and made sponsorships such as The Quibbler and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes everytime I read the score, it was quite fun. Then I went over to Becca's with Rob and we watched the rest of Disc 3 of Arrested Devlopement. Season 2 is doing re-runs which Becca is taping, so we get to watch those next!

Now I've realised I must go to the gym. I won't be able to go tomorrow since I'm taking my car in first thing. I hope they are able to fix it, and fast. I was going to visit Cissy I mean Susie & John this week and Susie & I were going to go shoe shopping.

Speaking of Susie & John, happy anniversary to them! (And also happy birthday to Harry Potter & JKR!) I know I have previously mentioned seperatley that Susie & John were married on Harry's birthday, whereas mom & dad were married on Ginny's birthday, but I never really realised the connection till someone, I think Becca, ironically enough, pointed it out to me. True fate!