Harry Freaking Potter

I've been in a slight depression lately, because the last Harry Potter movie is out and about. I saw it. It was good. Actually, it reminded me of my real depression after I finished the last Harry Potter book.

Have I ever told you about my reading of the last Harry Potter book? It came out while I was on a monthlong trip to Costa Rica shortly after Kev and I started dating. I was brushing up on my Spanish before starting my job teaching bilingual ed. I was super sad that I would be missing the release, but Kev promised to buy me a copy of the book. Even better, he promised to wait to read it until I got home, so that we could read it together and talk about the ending.

"What a guy," I thought.

Until we were chatting late one night, and he revealed that he had opened the book to read the description on the inside front flap and accidentally read the first 150 pages. Then he got a beer and accidentally finished the book.

I love that he gets that into reading. I love that he didn't spoil the ending for me. I hate that he didn't wait for me.

Luckily, he redeemed himself today with this video he found. No need to thank me.

Tuesday Things

 

Hi Friends! I'm back. See? I told you I wouldn't abandon you in your time of summer unproductivity need? You're welcome.

Without further ado, here are ten things I'm thinking this Tuesday.

1) Today while I was babysitting my cutie pants distant cousins, we played with water guns. Chicago is in the middle of a heat wave, thus making the water guns awesome. I had an amazingly good time, and I'm glad that water gun fights are one of those things that don't get less fun or cool with age. Also, a two year old getting hit with water guns makes hilarious faces. Just sayin'.

2) I discovered Picasa yesterday. In a rare show of productivity, I backed up all of our photos from 2007 (when we first started dating) onwards. It's awesome, and easy. Goodbye flickr. Hello Picasa.

3) Looking at all my photos re-ignited my need to take some more. Pictures are freaking awesome, no? Somewhere after our wedding Kev and I stopped taking pictures together, which makes me rather sad as we are never going to look this young and hot again. SOMEBODY TAKE OUR FREAKING PICTURE PLEASE. thank you.

4) Thoughts of the upcoming school year are starting to creep in, which leads me to believe I'm starting to get excited. I'm sort of nervous excited. What if I don't make any friends? What if the kids won't play nice with me? What if everyone thinks (more like finds out) I'm a total spaz? Yikes.

5) It's so freaking hot. I really need to make some gazpacho. This is definitely gazpacho weather. My cats and I are all shedding like crazy. Praise the Lord that we are in a place with central air conditioning.

6) My mom has been strongly hinting that I am too old (at almost age 27) to wear a bikini. Is this true? Mine has nautical stripes on it...not ruffles or flowers. Doesn't that make it more mature?

7) This heat wave is killing any momentum I had for half marathon training. I fear this race is going to suck. Tonight I'm going to go consult my favorite running book to re-vamp my plan. Yeeps. How do you get motivated to work out?

8) Summer makes me compulsively spend money. Today I went to Target for the L and T to make BLTs tonight and came home with some new undies, a new (more modest) bathing suit top to rotate into the above mentioned bikini set, a new nightgown (starting an obsession- they are like sundresses you sleep in!) and pajama pants. What's my issue?

9) I have a new obsession with Vitamin String Quartet. They are a group that does orchestral interpretations of pop songs. I'm super obsessed. If I let my kids listen to them while we work next year, will that make me cool in the junior high world?



10) I missed you imaginary friends out there. I'm ready to get back to a regular scheduled routine.

Catchup Post

I cannot believe I've let a month go by without blogging. I am a terrible person. Here's the thing: as a teacher, I still have summers off. You would think that this would mean that I have expert knowledge on how to structure my time to do fun things, while also doing all the things (photography, half marathon training, etc) that I SAY I am going to do. Truthfully? notsomuch. I always end up spending the first half of my summer in complete sloth and the second half of the summer trying to get all the stuff done that I said I would do all summer long. Oops. I've missed all of you invisible friends though :)

So, here is what the first half of my summer looked like:

Kev and I went to Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland to visit our friends Paul and Amanda. We did the museum thing (loved the Newseum and Smithsonian American History), the Mall (loved the WWII memorial) and got to see the marine band play on the Capitol's steps. We ate dinner together every night, spent the weekend at a fabulous house on the Chesapeake, and it was fabulous. I wish Paul and Amanda lived closer, or that Kev had summers off so we could travel more. I've also decided that if we ever left the midwest, I'd definitely move southeast. I freaking love that area.

I've also been babysitting a ton for my cousins. I totally forgot how awesome it is to work for a day and get handed a fistful of cash at the end of the day as a direct result of your labors. Also, is there anything better than hanging out with little kids in the summer? Parks = awesome. Popsicles = awesome. Sprinklers = awesome. Naps = awesome. Kids rule. I've also gotten a good tan from playing outside with them. Winner, winner.

When I'm not kid wrangling or travelling, I've been enjoying all the fabulousness that summer in Chicago brings. Baseball games, free movies in the park, drinking on porches, watching Kev's terrible softball team (sorry, Great Balls of Friar, but it's true), and generally making mayhem.

So, fret not, I am alive and I'll be getting back to a regular blogging schedule this week. Thanks for coming back after the hiatus!