Harry Potter is in the House... bookstore

• Yes Harry has been delivered!
• So excited
• One of the boxes arrived damaged, sooooo I got to touch a book. Yes I touched a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
• Darn good thing I do not own the bookstore, or ..... I would be doing a little reading right now.

• Can't wait for tomorrow night
• Got all the stuff for my costume
• Even got Julie to wear a costume- she has never done that yet and she has worked for the store 15 years. I've talked her into being the FAT LADY- frame and all.
• Since I am telling fortunes- I am Trelawney. Really wanted to be Tonks.

Got GAS?

• This is the best kind of gas in town- FREE GAS. So about a month ago the lovely govenor of Wisconsin decided to add more gas tax. I think about .10 a gallon. Why? For education. Because gas and education - un well- because... ok I do not get the connection. I am all for education (of course I do not send my kids to the local public schools) but why should the tax come from gas. Gas tax should go to cleaning the environment- fixing the roads- even paying for more bloody policemen to keep our roads and city safer. I tell ya- it is enough to turn this very liberally raised girl into a republican!
• I have been very absent from blogging lately. I blame it on summer and on school. I've just had so much writing to do for school- there has been nothing left for this here blog. But I do miss just joting down my feelings. And I especially miss Sunday Scribbling and Self-Portrait Tuesday. I cannot believe I missed the entire month of June which was in your environment. I should have been all over that. And now this month- the elements. Well I am going to make sure I post something this Tuesday.
• Harry Potter- Harry Potter- Harry Potter. Can't wait. It all starts this week. We are already starting to decorate the store. I even got my niece to volunteer to work with me that night. I've been doing my weekly review with the kids. I am just amazed at how much these kids remember. They remember the details. The tiny tiny details in the books. Without even looking it all up. And I give them an assignment each week- to come up with at least 5 trivia questions to ask the group. There questions RAWK! They are so hard that I do not always know the answers. And I am pretty good at my Potter trivia. Just wish I would have had time to re-read all the books in order before the 20th. But no- I've been doing some Kite Runner- and some Greek Classics.
• Speaking of Kite Runner. I was avoiding that book. I knew it would be heartbreaking. But since it was an assigned reading for Ethnic Lit. I could avoid no more. Absolutely beautifully written. Loved the plot. But heartbreaking- yes. An absolute eye-opener.
• Hey- I am now a published critic. My 1/3 page spread on "Clementine" was published in our paper. I have received ohhs and ahhs over it. Seriosly. Even by some co-workers who are not the ohh and aahh type. Very proud. Not as proud as if I was a published author- but its a start!
• I cannot believe that the 4th of July has come and gone. Spent the holiday in our traditional fashion at my parents house. It was great as always. Kids had a blast. Isn't it always about the kids. Didn't take any pictures. Just lived in the momment.
• It is so flippin' hot here. Supposed to get near 100 degrees. High humidity. Thank god for central air. Hate it. But it is definately a necessary evil right about now. And my electric bill is going to be sky high. Oh that is probobly taxed for education too.
• Hey- Junie B. and her stupid smelly school bus was at the store and let me tell you the parents were in love with her as much as the kids. They said they would have even paid for that performance. The girl- Junie was incredible. I do not think I have seen anyone with so much energy. Not to mention we sold over $1,700 in merchandise in a little over 2 hours. We do not even do that at Christmas time. CRAZY!

A little something to read

Just finished this.

Good book.

Wonderful story of

friendship between

2 women of different

generations.

Love the cover art too!

Roses are read, books are too

Just finished reading this book.

It comes out in April.

Absolutely loved it.

I love it when we get

galley reads in the bookstore

that are actually good.

Most are not worth the time.

But lately we have been getting

some great shipments!

It's a snowy, rainy, sleety, icy Thursday.

School has been cancelled.

So that means...

March in like a lion,

Out like a Lamb.

One can only hope.

I am so glad February is over.

I thought that January was bad,

but February was even worse.

It was so cold for most of the month.

I just need warm weather and sunshine.

I just need to be able to get the kids out more.

And our luck this month has not be great.

Car repair, Garage Door opener broke,

washing machine is on the fritz

(sounds like a jet is taking off in the laundry room)

Lots of expenses. Glad that I had the cash to pay for it all,

however that was supposed to go directly onto our debt.

Oh, well. At least I tried.

Ok, since I started this post my kids have officially

driven me nuts.

Love having the kids home.

But my 8 year old, does not stop talking.

Constant talking.

And he's 8, so

constant talking about a bunch of nothing.

Lots of singing. Opera style of course.

Only opera singers should sing opera.

Hope you all are enjoying your first day of March.

Ode to Harry...

As I have mentioned before, I work at a children's bookstore.

So today when I opened and discovered that the release date has been

set for #7- I knew it would be an exciting day.

This of course came as a surprise

because at about 11:30 last night I visted

both JK Rowlings website and Mugglenet

just to see if there was anything

new on the Harry Potter front.

And nothing.

Nothing new except some very yucky Dan photos.

Seriously,

unless you are a 18 year old girl (of age of course)

do not bother to view!!!!

They will gross your middle age self right out!

Seriously.

(Oh and that brings me to thoughts about Grey's-

new episode tonight YAH!!)

Anyhow back to Harry...

This is what we do on such an occasion:

1. Get an e-mail to everyone on our mailing list with the Scholastic Press Release.

2. Include on that e-mail that we are now taking pre-orders.

3. Make window posters and counter flyers.

4. Tell everyone who comes in.

5. Get list together for pre-orders.

6. Receive a number of responses back regarding the LIST.

7. Actually take a paid order. Yes by 10:00 am today I sold my first Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

8. Tell everyone that they are working 7-20-07 and 7-21-07.

9. Start visioning the final Harry Potter party.

10. Smile.

As much as I enjoy Harry and JK Rowling,

I do wonder how he happened to be on my book shelf

next to Anna Karenina.

PS- does anyone know how I can get bloger to allow me to put a space between paragraphs.

It just won't let me do it in the conventional way.