Happy Thanksgiving

Okay, so I'm sitting here in NC after a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. The weather is simply amazing. I didn't post the photos from earlier in the week, but it's been snowing just about every day. And here it's in the high sixties today, it's supposed to cool off for tomorrow and the rest of the time I'm here; but hey, it's better than the 17 degrees on Sunday night.

Anyway, I'm here and having a great time. It's been so long since I've seen Lead Momma et al! But all that Turkey has made me very sleepy.

But before I go, I must share the story of my flight down here. We boarded right on time and started to taxi down the runway, when one of the engines started to sound like an unbalanced washing machine. After a few minutes of that, the pilot came on the intercom and said that because of mechanical difficulties we would be returning to the gate and deplaning. He then said that they weren't sure how long the repairs would take so they would be re-booking us on other flights. We got about 1/2 way back to the gate, and he started talking again, saying that the problem somehow fixed itself and that we would indeed be flying to DC. Now, call me a little paranoid, but I really just wanted to get off that plane and get to one that was in proper working order in the first place. I think I may have said every prayer that I knew as the plane was taking off! And then because of that 40 minute delay, I got to DC with just barely enough time to run to the other end of the airport to catch my connecting flight to here. It was an eventful few hours, but hey, I'm here and in one piece!

So, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I hope you were able to share the day with people you love!

It's been so Long!

okay, So I pretty much suck and have not written in ages.

Life has been pretty busy, though. Between work and classes, I barely sleep let alone eat! But it's been great. For some reason, I'm one of those crazy people who just thrives on that kind of stress.

Anyway, class is over! I handed in the last paper on Saturday morning at 2:30 and just gave that huge sigh of relief! I have two whole weeks of no classes! I'm not really sure what to actually do with myself. I mean for the last 12 weeks, my entire life has been work, and doing homework at Starbucks. Saturday night before work I actually went to Starbucks with a book I actually WANTED to read and had a cup of coffee and read. It was fantastic. It has been so long since I read a book simply for the enjoyment of reading, that I had almost forgotten how great it was.

And tonight is my last night of work before I go on vacation. I'm headed to NC to see Lead Momma et al for Thanksgiving. I am so very excited! I feel bad, though. She called last night, and I was so exhausted, I couldn't even muster up the energy to have a fun conversation.

Yesterday was my 30th birthday. No I don't feel any different. And no, I'm not having a breakdown over it. It's just a number. Anyway, I met my parents for lunch, which was really actually nice. We had a good time and a great conversation. But I didn't sleep much and so was pretty tired by the time I finally got home. I also did some Christmas shopping while I was out, so I at least have a start on that. So much to do, and so very little time.

Sunday night, Preschool Queen and Homer had me over for dinner to celebrate. I brought a friend with me. He's a great guy, and Preschool Queen and Captain Contrary have met him several times before, but Homer had not. To my great relief, Homer likes him a lot. Thinks he seems like a very nice guy! That means so very much to me. And hey, he makes me smile...a lot. We have an absolute blast whenever we spend time together, which is fun.

Talked with my super-cool cousin last night and I'm so very jealous. She's flying to London today...I wish I could go with her. I desperately miss that city and truly can't wait to go back. I told her about a few restaurants I ate in that I think she may like. I can't wait to hear all about the trip. Hopefully all flights are safe...

Oh, and the return of travel includes the return of Tank's adventures. Should be fun...I should even be able to write most of it on the fly since I'll have my laptop with me. (movies in the airport are a good thing.)

Anyway, that's all for now, more later from the road maybe!

Posting from the Mac

Posting from my pretty new computer! I don't think I have any idea what I'm doing, but who cares! It's pretty! I'll post photos later (yes I'm such a dork, I know!) Now I have to go get the wireless modem so I'm not trapped at the computer desk, although I suppose that doesn't really matter...at least not for the moment.
I also ordered a case for it and a sling bag...so until that comes there is just no darn way I am taking it out of my apartment. I'm way too likely to drop it.
Alright, that's all for now...

Working OT

Back on thirds!
Actually pretty psyched about it. It's been fun so far. I decided to work thru my weekend, just to get used to sleeping during the day again, so I'm probably going into work in just a little while. I'm actually finding that I have more time to do my homework lately (okay so today) which is probably a good thing.
The weather has changed, for sure. It's cold now! I think it's maybe 40 degrees outside right now and is just supposed to get colder the later it gets. I love this time of year!
I think the only thing I'm bummed out about right now is the lack of time I have for hanging out at Starbuck's. Maybe tomorrow if I get up early enough, I'll head over there to do some studying before going into work.
OH! My exciting news...I just ordered a laptop! I'm making the big switch to Apple. So, we'll see how I like it. My understanding is that just about everyone who has switched loves it. A friend of mine convinced me that this was really the way to go. It was funny, when I started asking about the Macbook, it was like the decision was made for me. And he started talking about 'when you have your Apple...' He absolutely cracks me up. But anyway, I did order one, and I should have it by Halloween. (think of it as trick-or-treating for grown-ups) I'm sure I'll have tons of opinions on it, and will of course talk about them here...
Alright, I should probably call to see if there is overtime and then get myself to work!

Today

Anyway, the leaves are changing and falling. I'm so glad I don't have to rake! Here are some pics of the tree outside my living room window!

Only 3 weeks left of this first class! I'm pretty psyched. Just handed in my second paper. So, hopefully that will go well. I need to get my butt in gear and focus on the huge research paper due at the end of the class. I'm not going to be able to pull that one off in one day like I've been doing with these short essays...

Anyway, I'm headed out tonight. Preschool Queen and I are going to the martini bar here in town. The place is just the coolest place to just hang out and drink. It's mellow enough, so you can actually hear the person you're with when you're talking. And they make this out-of-this-world chocolate martini. I could drink them all night long...and I think I will.

This week was yet another very stressful experience. I don't know if I mentioned it in the last post, but I've been mentoring the new people. And while there are 4 people doing the mentoring each day, it's still a TON of work. By yesterday afternoon, I was just about tired of listening to myself. And for real, I never thought that would happen! Anyway, I'm shocked at how fast the day goes by! How cool is that? I've never been this psyched about my job. I really am just absolutely loving what I do at this point. (other than a few minor issues--too minor even to mention)

I've been hanging at the local Starbucks just about every night after work, and it's been fun. Friday it was pretty warm and so I changed my order. I'm totally a pumpkin spice latte or peppermint mocha (made with soy of course) kind of girl. But when it's warm, I really love Iced tea lemonade. So, when I was in there, my barista (he's so darn cool and pretty cute as well...hmmm) gave me a hard time for changing my order. And then the friend I was with changed his order as well. The poor Starbucks guy! It was pretty funny.

Ohh I forgot to mention

I've been granted a reprieve! I get to stay on days for two more weeks! I'm pretty stoked about it, I just hope that the other midnight supervisors get over it...Only time will tell, right? And our boss is the one who told me I could stay on days.

Random new photos

Okay, I realize this one needs quite a bit of explanation. I came home rather late last night. I went out after work, so it was close to 10:30 or so. I guess Sophie had been playing with one of her little stuffed mice at some point during the day. (She's pretty entertaining to watch with these little guys, she'll throw it up in the air and bat it around for hours.) This one apparently needed to be drowned. So, she put it in her water bowl... And that's where I found it when I was feeding her dinner (yes it was HOURS late...)

Yes, this is my cat sitting in the bathroom. Sometimes she's pretty random. When I came home and saw her here, I just had to snap some photos...

So this is why I haven't been posting much as of late. As you can see, my life is pretty much my text books and my homework! It's been keeping me very busy, but I'm enjoying it...even though the subject matter is pretty dry...

So, this morning, I woke up rather early and decided to do some homework and then go for a long walk. It was great! The weather is just like I like it...chilly. Really needed the long sleeves and fleece vest. I need to bring my camera tomorrow and take some photos of the trees changing colors. It's been beautiful lately. And as I look out the window, it looks like this morning was a good time to go out. It was sunny then...it's gotten very cloudy and grey since! Oh well...gotta love this season!

Update

So, I've been total crap about writing lately. I do so apologize for that. Things have been beyond crazy here. Work has been great. I can't even begin to explain how great. I love this new position! The work is a challenge, but the days fly by. I have gotten completely used to working days, and will miss them when I go back to nights. Tomorrow is my last day shift. And while I'll miss the people on days, I do think I'm looking forward to going back to nights. I really like the group.

The only thing I am bummed about is not being with the training group anymore for the next step of their training. I had hoped that I would be able to help through until they went onto the shifts (most of them will be coming to thirds, too.) Oh well, they'll survive, and hopefully come to me completely ready to work. If not, I'll be doing a bunch of on the job training once they are on the floor.

Classes are good, busy, but I did my first paper and got a decent grade on it. The next one is due next weekend, so I've been starting to think about it. I've been a total slacker about classwork this week, though. And to be honest, I don't feel at all bad about it. This has really been a trying week. I'll catch up after I get home tomorrow night (since I need to stay up late, anyway).

I've met a guy who has caught my interest. He's funny, sincere, and really very nice to me. It's been fun getting to know him. I have no idea what will happen, but it's nice to meet someone to just hang out with and drink coffee. He likes Starbuck's about as much as I do. He's new in town, too.

And speaking of Starbuck's...I think that I may be on my way to becoming a Starbuck's junkie. I've gotten into the habit of stopping there just about every day after work. (It doesn't hurt that there is a cute guy to chat with there!) I'm going to have to figure out a new coffee schedule, now that I'm going back to mids.

Craziness

Wow! I've been such crap at this. No posts in ages. So very sorry. Things have been truly INSANE around here! Work is busy, busy, busy. And I'm loving it for sure! I've been lucky enough to be able to stay on days for the moment. My boss decided that I would work with the new training class. There are 15 of them, and of those, 12 will be going to nights. So, my boss wanted them to know a third shift supervisor, and know who they should be asking questions to. The new group seems to be pretty good. There are a few who are having problems, but otherwise I think they'll get it. Our trainer is one of the best, so I have no doubt. I will say that some of them are a little stressed right now about they are going to "get it". I promised them that it would come and reminded them that I was in the same place 4 1/2 years ago.

Classes are going great. It is so much more work than I ever expected it to be. In fact, tomorrow my plan is to head to Starbuck's to do some reading. I'm finding that it's way too easy to find other things to do around here. Like re-arranging my shoes. And cleaning the bathroom. And re-arranging the pantry. So, I think it'll be good to get out and not have anything else to focus on. And I'm rather glad I don't have a laptop yet, because the Internet is such a total time-suck.

It's amazing how fall has come upon us. The trees are changing colors already. And they are simply beautiful! This is truly my favorite time of year. I love the crisp mornings and the beautiful sunny afternoons. I love wearing jeans and t-shirts. And as the weather gets cooler, I love sweaters and fleece. I love the colors and the smell...I love fall!

9/11

It's 9/11. 6 years. And are we safer? Is the US more secure? Nobody is saying. It's not a debate I choose to have here on my blog.

I do remember that day, clearly. Like it was yesterday. It's one of those incredibly traumatic events that is scorched on every one's brain. Like for everyone who was alive, they remember exactly where they were when Kennedy was shot. Or when the Challenger exploded. 9/11 is the same thing. And so here is my story.

At the time, I was teaching in North Carolina. I taught in a trailer in the playground along with 6 other teachers. I took my kids into the building for a bathroom break and one of the 4th grade teachers walked by me and whispered into my ear. I was only half paying attention to him, there were so many things I was paying attention to. He said "A plane flew into the WTC." I barely even heard what he said, and I certainly didn't understand what he meant. I assumed that it was a tiny plane and an accident. I didn't even pause as I rounded out my kids and continued teaching. About an hour later, my kids were in a special, and I walked into the classroom next to mine, hearing her television on (her kids were in a special as well). I saw scenes of the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. That's when I got very confused. I couldn't understand how someone could confuse the WTC in NYC and the Pentagon in DC. (At this point I still hadn't realized that they both had been attacked.)

The main office then cancelled all afterschool activities for the day. We sent all of the kids home at the end of the regular school day. I guess the administration felt that it was a time to be with their families (and I was 1000 miles from my closest relative). This was the first time I had a chance to learn what was going on. I sat in another teacher's classroom and watched the now famous TV footage of the towers being hit by those two planes. Tears streamed down my face. I realized then that this was no accident. And as I watched, I started putting the pieces together. I drove home in a fog. All of the local radio stations had suspended regular broadcasts and were doing news and call-in shows. My favorite radio personalities were still on air at 4 in the afternoon (their show, was on from 6-10 in the morning). They were serious and you could hear the emotion in their voices.

I got home and turned on the news and watched and cried. I called my family, and told them I loved them. I honestly don't think I have ever felt so alone. I just sat in front of the TV watching footage of the buildings burning, desperate people jumping, and the buildings finally collapsing. I was numb and I ached. The country that I love had been attacked.

I cried like I lost a loved one that day. (I didn't. In fact, I didn't even know anyone who died that day...) That doesn't matter. Even still, 9/11 makes me cry. I haven't been able to watch any footage of it since that week. Alan Jackson's song, "Where were you (when the world stopped turning)" speaks to me. I think whether you like country music or not, it's words touch your heart. I remember his first performance of the song, shortly after the attacks. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house that night. I know mine weren't.

And that day changed me. In profound ways. I felt that I had to do something. I had to find a way to help, to make the US safer. To protect my friends and family. And so, I left teaching, I found the job that I have now.

That's my 9/11 story, what's yours?

Exciting Things Happening

So, I've just spend a fantastic morning shopping for Lead Momma's birthday present. And I have to say, if I have to mail a birthday present, it's always late. This time, I'm happy to say that her birthday isn't until the end of the week, and her gift has been wrapped, boxed and dropped at the post office just about an hour ago! I think someone needs to make a note of this. It may never happen again!

I also got my textbooks for my first class today. I have to say, I'm very excited about this. Although I was a little scared when I picked up the box. It was HEAVY. I wanted to take a photo of the stack of books to post, but my darn batteries in the camera have died, and I can't seem to find any new ones around here. I promise at some point this week, there will be a pic. There are four books for this class, two of which are longer than 800 pages. The other two are around 300 pages each. I was talking to a man I work with about grad school and he said that from his experience, graduate level classes are about 3 times the amount of work of an undergrad class. I think he may be right. I think I'll start reading now!

I don't know if I've mentioned it yet, but I decided to adopt a soldier. This is a charity organization that matches up soldiers who don't get mail/packages with someone in the States who commits to sending at least 1 letter a week and one package a month for the duration of the soldier's deployment. It breaks my heart that there are men and women out there who never get any mail. Anyway, I decided that this was the least I could do. All of this is to say that I got an email today from my soldier. I was totally surprised for a few reasons. We're warned not to expect to hear from them, and my first letter was mailed just last week. I can't believe how efficiently the mail was able to get to him. And what I've realized about this, the statement 'it feels better to give than receive' is 100% true. I feel absolutely great about being able do this! It's just my small part.

An Amazing Book...A Must Read

I've just read the most amazing book. A Thousand Splendid Suns was written by Khaled Hosseini. He also wrote The Kite Runner, which was good, but this is superb. One thing that absolutely shocked me was how accurately he captured a woman's thoughts. How believable it was that the main character was female. Had I not known that the author was male, I would have believed the author to be female. But beyond the gender of the author and the main characters, the story was captivating. I could picture the settings in my mind clearly, and the story lived on even though I closed the book. It's a story that will stay with me, and one I'm sure I'll re-read.

These characters moved me. The love between Laila and Tariq was achingly beautiful. I don't usually believe in two people being "meant" for each other. These two were. Now, if I had been at home reading this, instead of at work, I would have been sobbing when she was told of his death. I felt it wasn't fair. They belonged together. They deserved happiness in the chaos that was Kabul. My heart ached, no other words for it, my heart ached.

And I was fascinated by the backdrop of the book, the last 30 years in Afghanistan. From before the Soviet invasion, to the rise (and ultimately the fall) of the Taliban. I felt it was honestly portrayed, neither glorified nor apologized for, through the lives of these characters.

There are so many more things that I'd like to say about the book, but it would ruin the story for anyone else. I think I'd have to say it's a must read. The strength of the two main characters, Laila and Mariam, is inspiring. So, go out, get the book and start reading. And hopefully, you'll love it as much as I did.

Work Woes

Okay, so forgive me, but this post is predominantly going to be me complaining. I'm really frustrated and need to get it all out and I can't vent at the people who are causing my frustrations. So here goes.

I work in a facility that is considered mission critical. That means that we have to be there 24/7. This is something that is abundantly clear at the outset of hiring. It is mentioned multiple times in the interview and is clear throughout the process. So, it's nothing unknown to any of us working in the building. AND. Our schedule is set for between 6 months and a year, however, there is a disclaimer on it which states, "schedule based on the needs of the service". Translation: if things need to be changed, then they are going to be changed. We are a mission critical 24/7 facility and there needs to be someone here to do the job.

As I've mentioned recently, I've been reassigned to the communications center to answer phones because of staffing issues. Since that has happened, it was announced that I had been hired as a supervisor. While waiting for that to become official, they have had to find my replacement and train him. The decision has also been made that the staffing in the unit is insufficient in comparison to the work load. Too many people have been given the weekend off. (the previous supervisor in the unit wanted to make his friends happy, so he gave them all the weekends off, even though the unit is busiest on the weekends.) So, the new supervisor has to change the schedule and that has pissed off everyone in the unit but me.

The one individual who caused the issues in the first place (convinced the old supervisor to give him the days off he wanted) is acting like a 5 year old at this point. I can't comment on what precisely is happening, but to be honest, the entire building would be better without him and the old supervisor. Of course, we can't seem to do that. How frustrating.

And here are a few other things that are driving me nuts:

• I will not apologize for being hired as a supervisor
• If you didn't apply, don't complain
• If you did apply, it's not my fault you didn't get it

Okay, I think I'm done complaining. I'm sure after tonight I may have some other things to say, who knows!

Loss

So, I posted the photos last night, but haven't written much recently. So, here goes. This past week has been a whirlwind. When we got back from CT, I found out that the ex's grandmother had died. I knew that she had been sick, I wrote about visiting her, didn't I? But loss is still hard. The funeral was on Friday and I really felt like I had to go. After all, he and I were together for 6 years. They were my family. It seemed to really mean a lot to his mother that I was there. And, really, that's all that mattered to me. She was such a dear lady. She used to crack me up. She was spunky and funny and always told it like it was.
I've realized that when you experience a new loss like this, it reminds you of all the other people you've lost. Grief is a really funny thing like that. So, I've been thinking a lot about the people in my life who have died. Cheery, no? And I've been trying to have patience with myself as I go through this, but as usual, I tend to get frustrated. Oh well, I try.
Other than that, Captain Contrary and I hung out last Thursday all day. Preschool Queen had some things to do, so we chilled. It was a ton of fun. When it was time to bring him home, he looked at me and said, "why do we have to go?" I told him that the parental units would like him to come home. He still didn't want to leave. It cracked me up.
And of course, his party was Saturday. Like I said, decorating the cake wasn't finished until 2 AM on Saturday morning, but his reaction was totally worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I actually had a lot more fun than I thought I would. I popped in a few Harry Potter audio Cd's and listened as I decorated. I've certainly learned a few lessons, and I think the more I do these things, the better I'll get. I know that this one was far from perfect, but hey, the kids just loved it and that's what is important to me.
Sunday I had drinks and dinner with a very good friend of mine at work who is leaving. I think I'll call her Arizona Chica. She's moving this weekend, and as may now be obvious, she's going to AZ. I'm really proud of her for doing this. It's a huge move! But it's going to be great for her! So we ended up being out until about midnight. We had a great time.
And this week at work I was able to be a part of some training on Human Trafficking. I really feel like I learned a ton about it. One thing that I learned was that the phrases human smuggling and human trafficking cannot be used interchangeably, although they often are.
And this brings us back up to today. Last night I was chatting with my supervisor, and first, we've found a replacement for me (who was replacing Arizona Chica) in the comm center. Thank goodness! So, anyway, he and I were chatting and he told me that although he'd like me in the unit until October, it wouldn't be a good idea since there wouldn't usually be 6 people down there. Of course I jumped on this opportunity to ask to be removed from the unit once the new guy is trained. Totally awesome, he agreed, so after next week, I don't have to be around the crazily ringing phones! Yeah!!!!

Captain Contrary's Birthday Party

The brave knights and fair maidens at the party successfully slayed the dragons and captured the treasure!

And here's his knight's pavillion...

This is the cake I made. Not Perfect, but the kids just loved it for sure...only took 6.5 hours to decorate!

Okay, so no time for a indepth post, but these are some of the photos from Captain Contrary's birthday party last weekend. Fun was had by all! More details later.

Photos from the Concert

The concert venue

The tailgating sea of humanity

The Police Concert

So, Tuesday night was the Police concert at Rentschler Field at UConn in Hartford, CT. Preschool Queen and I and 30,000 of our closest friends were there. We drove down on Tuesday afternoon, getting into her sister-in-law's house around 3pm. She and a friend of hers were going to tailgate with us in the evening and then see if they could pick up tickets anywhere. (they hadn't purchased them yet) So we ate and had a good time just watching the crazy people around us. There were certainly very unique outfits on some of the women at the show. We had a pretty good laugh on more than one occasion that's for sure!
As everyone was walking to the gate with us, a man was selling two tickets to the show. The ladies offered him $150 for the pair of tickets and he took it! (now the tickets were $250 each) We were totally psyched. Turns out they were tickets on the floor...20th row. We went our separate ways when we got into the stadium since we were in an upper section. The opening band was pretty darn good. Turns out it was Sting's son's band. I'll have to find more things by them, but I enjoyed it.
Before the Police took the stage, Preschool Queen and I went and we got t-shirts...(yes I was there and have the t-shirt to prove it!) They took the stage at just about 9pm and immediately started playing the hits that everyone loves. The whole crowd was singing and screaming and dancing. It was just wild. After about 5 songs, the other two women came up to our seats and switched with us. They said since PQ and I were the really big Police fans, we should be down on the floor. So, we made our way down there, and WERE IN THE 20th ROW!!! It was just about the coolest thing in the world!!!
I have no words for how amazing the music was. They were so dang good. There were big screens around so that you could see the band close up and other things during the songs. When they played Invisible Sun there were pictures of refugee children being flashed up. And I stood there listening to the words and singing along, watching these pictures. The thought that flashed through my mind was, "I'm not sending UNICEF nearly enough money." But I suppose that was their point. If you can spare enough money to spend anywhere from $100-$300 on a concert ticket, then you can certainly help those who need it.
So, now that I've established that this was the coolest concert in the Universe, there are two complaints that I have. First. While there were many people in the neon yellow shirts who worked security in the venue, there was no security clearing. No one checking bags, no pat down, no wanding. People could have brought in anything that they wanted. And that really bothered me. If someone had wanted to cause damage or loss of life, this would have been a perfect opportunity. Second. The traffic fiasco which was 30,000 people all trying to leave at the same time. Now I know that this is not the first time this location has had a large crowd. It's where the UConn football team plays. They know about crowds. But although there were many police officers around, they weren't directing traffic in any way. It was really frustrating to leave.
But like I said, it was a blast! Something I'll never forget.

Week Wrapup

I absolutely can't believe it's the last week of July! Where has this year gone? In about a month classes will be starting, and I'll be pretty busy to say the least.
This past week has been overwhelming and busy and crazy! I'm so excited about starting this new job! It was funny, I was asked not to say anything about the job for a while. When Will and I went for a walk on Tuesday he noticed that I was acting oddly. He figured out what it was, but I wouldn't tell him. So, forgetting that he knew the blog address, I thought things were safe. Foolish me! He went right here and read the last post indicating that I had gotten the job. I think he's really happy for me, which means more than he'll ever know!

BIG NEWS!!!

I GOT THE JOB!!!!

Yep, got the phone call this afternoon after getting home from Preschool Queen's house. Yes, Monday is laundry day...what fun and excitement, no?

Anyway, I got the phone call offering me the job, and of course I accepted it, who wouldn't? So, of course I went right back to Preschool Queen's house and we all had dinner and champagne, naturally. I think I may have drunk a bottle of it by myself...it's all good, though. Another friend who was there walked me home, no there was no driving. So, I'll get my wheels tomorrow!

Just had to share the awesome news!

JK Rowling is the Best Author Ever

Okay there will be spoilers in this post. If you don't want to know what happens, stop reading.

This was the best Harry Potter book ever! From the very first page, the action was off and running, and there was no stopping until the very last word. (Which was NOT scar, btw...)

And to those of you out there who say it's just a children's book, to you I say. Read this one. It is most certainly not for children. People die left and right. From the very beginning, Voldemort is torturing and killing. Mad-eye Moody dies within the first few chapters. And while the actual death did not bother me terribly, the reaction of the members of the Order of the Phoenix did. Hedwig died at the same time. That devistated me. And then George is maimed. In true twins humor, the jokes roll in as they deal with the loss of his ear.

I was furious when Ron left Harry and Hermione. And didn't understand until he came back and talked about wearing the horcrux. Last night, as Will was reading, he called me and wondered if the doe patronus belonged to Snape. This morning I was shocked to learn he was right! Nice going, Will! And his logic was dead on. It was all because of Lily.

Can I say that Neville was brilliant in this one? He had truly come into his own. What a brave young man!

I was thrilled that Snape was good. All along. I am thrilled that she explained why Dumbledore always trusted him. I love that Harry was able to call him the bravest man he ever knew. And that at his end, Snape gave Harry all of his memories of Lily. It broke my heart that he loved her all his life. I can only imagine how much his was broken.

I sobbed when Dobby was killed. But he died saving Harry Potter. What a truly brave little elf. And Kreature! How much he changed! He ROCKED! I'm amazed that he completely changed his tune. And the key was Regulus.

That Lupin and Tonks died so shortly after Teddy was born was simply heartbreaking. I wish JK had told us who he lived with and who raised him once they were gone. I am so glad that they were able to have some happiness together before their murders.

And Percy redeemed himself! That was just fantastic! It is so hard to be able to admit when you are wrong. Percy had a hard time doing that, but when it came down to it, he was there when it mattered.

I'm also glad that Malfoy (Draco) survived as well. I was pleasantly surprised that he protected Harry, Ron and Hermione when they were taken to the Malfoy Manor.

I think the death that was most painful for me was Fred's. I was so sure that the twins would survive the war. I never thought one of them would die. But I suppose that is how war is.

And so, I have to buy Will dinner. Although I was sort of right. Harry did die, sort of. And then he came back and was able to kill Voldemort. So in the end, I owe him dinner.

Finally, Mrs Weasley killing Bellatrix was simply brilliant! Who would have thought? Now all there is to do is re-read!