Return to the World of Harry Potter

Last Spring, KPGirl told me she was rereading the first 6 books in the Harry Potter series in anticipation of the release of book 7. I thought that was a fabulous idea, so I decided to do the same before reading the finale. I am, however, a bit of a dawdler, and there were too many things going on and too many other books I was reading, so I conceded that I probably wouldn't make it to book 7 until summer of 2008. But, I didn't mind. I wasn't in a hurry to find out what happened; I just needed to turn a deaf ear and blind eye to whatever spoilers were floating out there.
The first two books were quick reads that I finished in late summer. I enjoyed them, but not as much as the first time, when J.K. Rowling's magical world was brand new to me. Then, a bit of a lull happened, which was perhaps a bit odd since book 3 had always been my favorite. Two months ago, however, I got into a Harry Potter fix: I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on DVD and reread books 3 and 4 in a fairly short span of time. Now, I'm in a bit of a lull again. This time, it's not surprising at all considering book 5 is my least favorite. (In a rare occurrence, I actually found I liked the movie better than the book!) I am 558 pages into it and still have 300+ pages to go.

Despite the slow-going of book 5, I have enjoyed revisiting the Harry Potter books. Knowing subsequent events and connections made me notice many details and set-ups that I missed the first time. Since I'm rereading all these books in paperback format, I also found that a sequential error in the original hardback of book 4 had been fixed! (Harry's parents now emerge from Voldemort's wand in the correct order.) As an editor, I find this interesting and amusing. See? Things do get fixed in reprints!

Since I am in the midst of book 5, I must include the following images for my Factorie friends who are not Harry Potter readers. These are the talented Mary GrandPré's illustrations of the detested Professor Umbridge (aka Umbrage). She is described as resembling a large, pale toad. Is this not apt?

Jury Duty

I must offer my heartfelt thanks to the benevolent gods who made my jury duty so painless today: out of 7 scheduled trials, 6 settled and 1 waived the right to a jury! The 164 summoned jurors who showed up today were able to leave the courthouse by 12:30. Given all the appointments that I have scheduled in the next couple of weeks, I was greatly relieved that I would not be placed on a trial! And I didn't even have to resort to any of the tips I gleaned from googling "how to get out of jury duty." Huzzah!

Detox

One would think that I'd be luxuriating in my newfound freedom by now. It is true that there have been moments when an unexpected smile would sneak up on me, taking me by surprise and causing me to marvel at this new stage in my life. I would close my eyes, take a deep breath, and let the smile spread through my being. Those are certainly nice moments, but I apparently still have some anger to work out during this detox period, and what better way to get it out of my system than through this blog?

There have been many times in the past year and a half that I wish I had the courage and audacity to carry this bag around Madame, my former boss. (Former ~ how lovely that sounds!) The bag features characters designed by Lela Lee, founder of Angry Little Girls. True, I was not actually born here, but I might as well have been. English, though not my first language, is my best language. When EvilRedhead first showed me the ALG site, I connected with Kim (the angry little Asian girl) for obvious reasons. She's the cartoon embodiment of my rarely-seen dark side. Of course, I also liked Xyla, the gloomy girl who seems to be a human, female version of Eeyore (one of my favorite Disney characters). Although I never got around to purchasing this bag and parading it in front of certain insidiously prejudiced individuals, it's nice to see someone find such a creative, funny, and financially rewarding way of dealing with unpleasant experiences and the darker emotions.

It is interesting how products can often crystallize our experiences, thoughts, and emotions, sometimes in uncanny ways. Take this beautiful perpetual calendar I purchased last month. The gorgeous book features a work of art and a related quote for each day of the year. After tearing off the shrink wrap, I spent a good amount of time perusing and admiring the glossy artworks. I also looked up various birthdays of family and friends. Quite by accident, I came across Madame's birthday. Much to my amusement and sense of the apropos, the artwork for that day was Henry Fuseli's The Nightmare, a piece I was quite familiar with from my grad school days. The painting has been frequently used on covers of Gothic fiction, and critics have noted connections between it and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Given Madame's nightmarish reign, Fuseli's artwork was eerily fitting...

Graduation Day (and One Last Assigment)

I am overwhelmed by all the heartfelt well wishes, support, and happy sentiments expressed by my fellow Factorie friends. Lest I get overly maudlin here, I will try to keep this short and sweet: Thank you all for your warmth, kindness, humor, and understanding throughout my tenure at Ye Olde Textbooke Factorie. Your friendships have enriched my life in immeasurable ways, and though I know these bonds will continue, I shall miss those daily office interactions! You are such a fun, talented, awesome, and genuinely good group of people. I feel blessed to have met and known you. =)

It is worth a mention (because I know some of you are curious) that during this last week, Madame and the Principal said nary a word to me about my impending graduation. Perhaps it is fitting that I leave in the same invisible manner that I existed in their world. The school counselor, however, did invite me into her office to have a little chat at the end of the day. I will admit that I'd been having an existential debate about what, if anything, I should say. Some statements, gently and diplomatically couched, did emerge from my lips during our conversation. I'm not sure what good or harm those words might do, but I can't call them back now. Ah well!

Before I sign off as a Factorie member and fully embrace my sabbatical, I offer you my final chapter in the Billy Goat Chronicles: Azazel's Adventures, Part III. Only's Only & KPGirl, I leave you to continue the photo-biography of this remarkable goat's life!

Azazel founds, chairs, and implements the Welcome Baaack Committee just in time to greet KPGirl on her return from a well-deserved vacation.

Foraging through the office labyrinth yields some tasty greens.

On one of his expeditions, Azazel ventures into the Office of Darkness and is maliciously attacked by a chupacabra.

During his convalescence, the billy goat picks up some new talents. Watch for Azazel on the World Poker Tour.

Azazel's Vindication

They snubbed him at the Office Holiday Film Festival, but he would not be silenced. Using all the resources at his command, Azazel has found a way to bring his performance to the people. This is for all you Factorie workers who were disappointed at the party. (And if you happen to be a non-Factorie reader of this blog, please indulge--or ignore--this little piece of mad frivolity!)



P.S. Many thanks to Prillis for humoring me and reprising her rousing rendition of the Dreidel Song. This parting gift is much appreciated! ;P

Feelin' Twirly

As the countdown continues toward my last day at the Factorie, I've been scrambling to get in some annual check-ups. Yesterday morning was the eye appointment. Every year, I come out of this appointment thinking about the South Park episode where Cartman has to wear these weird looking glasses, and his doctor doesn't trust him to keep them on, so he staples them to Cartman's head. Now, nothing nearly so drastic has ever happened to me at the ophthalmologist's office, but I always feel a bit twirly after having my eyes dilated. (I think the picture here captures quite well how I felt yesterday!)

I am certainly glad that I exhibit no signs of glaucoma or cataracts, but surely there must be a better way to check for these diseases. Think about it: they dilate your eyes, shine bright beams of lights at you, and then send you to pick out new glasses when your vision is completely wonky. I shudder to think of what my new glasses will actually look like when they're ready. (Okay, I'm exaggerating. I picked out a pair with a thin wire frame in a metallic pinkish purple. They seemed very cute... at least they did to my badly focused eyes.) Afterward, I drove to work (thankfully a short drive) and spent the rest of the morning squinting and seeing white glows around everyone. It's quite a trippy experience. Though my normal vision returned by the afternoon, it came with an attendant headache. Well, at least I got it over with. I'm certainly glad that this particular brand of twirliness comes only once a year!

P.S. If you wish to create your own South Park avatar, go to http://www.sp-studio.de/