Friday, July 20, 2007

Tradition: Dithering Over the Midnight Hour

I refuse to read the pre-release reviews. But I am still on tenterhooks. How can one even think that Harry Potter might die? It destroys the whole hero's journey! But...I'm worried.


And I am dithering about tonight.

Months ago, I reserved three copies at a well known bookstore.
One for N. One for MLC. And one for me.

The plan was to go to the midnight release EVENT as we have since Goblet of Fire came out. I think that was the first release party--at least in our part of the world.
But then we made summer plans and now N. is going to the midnight EVENT at a different well known bookstore in Illinois. I arranged for his "Aunt Madge" (not her real name but everybody in the family calls her that) to pre-order a copy there for him.

So why go to the midnight party? As I told Bruce, who listened patiently and wisely did not tell me what to do, I would have to drive into town at about 9 PM. I'd have to sit around the bookstore until midnight. I would have to wait in line to get my copy. Then I'd have to drive home, arriving around 2 to 3 in the morning, depending on the lines. And by then, it is unlikely that I'd even be able to keep my eyes open to read the first chapter.

So it's probably more sensible to wait until 9 AM tomorrow morning and arrive at the bookstore and get my copy. It's only 6 or 7 hours later and then I'll be fresh for reading. They have coffee at the bookstore or I can go to our local coffee shop to read. Sounds like a plan.

BUT...we have not missed one of the parties. And this is the LAST one! You know what Garrison Keilor says: If you do it certain way twice, it becomes a TRADITION. And I love tradition.

Tradition. Tradition. Tra-DIT-ion! (Humming Fiddler on the Roof. Da-da-da-da! Da-da-DAH!).

"Why without our tradition, our lives would be..."

A lot less tiring.

Whatever I decide, I will not turn to the last chapter first. I would NEVER do that.
And I will not be on the internet again until I have finished the book.
I do not want my pleasure spoiled.





5 comments:

Megan Bayliss said...

lol....we must be twins!!!!!
Oh our poor husbands. If I had a magic wand I'd turn Paul into a loyal little puppy dog until Harry Potter consumption was completed.
Mxx

Anonymous said...

yeah...we're going too, to two different bookstores! Each daughter is taking a friend, and each will purchase a book. We need two because DH and the younger daughter (9) will start driving to our new home in the Davis Mountains on Wednesday and will savor it on the way, and my other two children and I will stay behind in Maine for an additional month (thanks to my having had an appendectomy last week), so we'll need a copy here as well. I expect that the son (16) will confiscate one of the copies right away, but he'll probably be done by sunup, and then it will be our turn. We're going to isolate ourselves so that no one can tell us how it ends...for No. 6, we read a chapter a day until the kid next door let the cat out of the bag. DH still hasn't forgiven him!

Deborah

Anonymous said...

I'll probably stay off-line until I read The Deathly Hallows, too. Better safe than sorry, and I *hate* spoilers. I'm waiting 'til daylight to get mine, though. *LOL*

http://tribeofautodidacts.homeschooljournal.net

Consent of the Governed said...

I really am a misfit.. I'll get to it sometime.. last one I read was #4.. so I can wait.
I enjoy HP - but it will always be there. I certainly enjoyed the last movie they released, but now i want to read the book version.
My daughter reserved the new book from the library - they have 60 copies coming to be available.

denise said...

Well, I haven't even read the books but I had to come check this morning to see if you ended up going last night/this morning or not! ;) I used to stand in lines for book releases and book signings, but I think I am too old (and my children too young) - ha ha.

SOOOOO did you do it?

Denise