Harry Potter

When I got back from Montana, the release date of the 7th book of Harry Potter seemed closer than normal. I knew that with all my rehearsals and actually having to do work at my job, I wouldn't have time to read all 6 of the previous books before the next book was released. But I just had to. Therefore I decided to chip in a bunch of change and buy the audiobooks off of iTunes.

Starting on Tuesday, July 10, I started listening to the audiobooks as I did my work. It was fun to listen to the books but a few times it felt like a big chore. The first week I would switch off between the audiobooks to actual music just to switch things up and not make it boring for me. Then after the Pitchfork weekend, I did the math and I didn't have much time before the 7th book came out. It became my mission and so every minute of free time was spent listening to the audiobooks. Books 1 and 2 were finished in a day each but the rest of the book are much bigger. Book 5 alone was cut up into 11 parts that were each 2 1/2 hours long. That's around 23 hours of listening for just one book. I found that I was able to get through about 16 hours of listening each day!

I listened to it while on the train to work.
I listened to it while at work.
I listened to it while on lunch.
I listened to it while on the train back home.
I listened to it while I made myself a sandwich.
I listened to it while I went to ComedySportz rehearsals.

I couldn't listen to it while in rehearsals.

But then once rehearsal was done, I listened to it while I went back home.
I listened to it each night till around 1:30 or 2am. It was ridiculous. I will fully admit this was stupid but in the end it paid off. At 10:30pm on Friday - 1 1/2 hours before the 7th book was to be released - I finished listening to the 6th book. I then walked to Borders and waiting for midnight to come around.

There weren't that many people in costume at the Borders I went to - by Diversey, Clark, and Broadway - but that was okay. I waiting in line with my group - blue wristbands, the 3rd group in line - and didn't get my book until 12:45am. My roomie Tim got his at 12:10 he said - he went to Barnes & Noble. By the time I got back to the apartment, he was way ahead of me in the reading.

My mom came into the area on Saturday for a funeral for her aunt - my great aunt - and I went out to the burbs to see her. It was nice to see her since I rarely get to see my mom but at the same time, I was eating into my time to read the 7th book. I know, I'm a bad son. But my mom wanted to read the book too! While we waiting in her hotel room for the time to drive me back to the Metra train station, we both were reading Harry Potter - her the end of the 6th book (which she needed to do before she started the 7th book) and me the start of the 7th book. It's hilarious, I know.

I finished book 7 around 2am Tuesday morning. I'm not going to publish any spoilers. I will just say that I loved the book.