Friday, October 28, 2011

Fact: it is Friday {HP Love}

Wearing my HP glasses, and the Gryffindor scarf that I knitted myself.
Fact: it is Friday: Where I talk about myself. On Fridays.
I don't talk about my babies, unless I want to, which sometimes I might. But mostly Fact: it is Friday is when I'm going to tell you something you maybe didn't know about me.
Or perhaps a story from my bucktoothed-childhood or bratty teenage years.

Becky Fact 15: I love Harry Potter more than is socially acceptable. In fact, in order to prove my point, I gathered some pictures of me rocking out HP garb.  All of these are from Facebook,  since I don't have my computer in MT.
Before I was very good at photoshopping. We look way bigger than the rest of the DA.
Not strictly of Harry, but that's when our apartment (before I was married) was decorated for a Harry Potter birthday party.
My roommates Lauren and Lana and I at our first HP party. Ginny, Cho, and Hermione. 
At a Harry and the Potters concert. I am obviously having a spell cast upon me.

Becky and Lana trying to catch a snitch in the British store in SLC.
When Travis and I started dating, I insisted that he read all the Harry Potter books before our relationship could progress.
Every year for the past four years (except this year, because we were at a fancy gala for these people, and I was hoping {this guy} would be there... he wasn't.) I've thrown a Harry Potter birthday party on July 31st.
Costumes and trivia included.
If you begin a quote from any HP movie or book, I can finish it. For real. Any, except perhaps the second half of the seventh film. 
When I'm feeling down or depressed, my go-to comfort is (sadly not the Bible...) The Prisoner of Azkaban. 
I have read the HP books literally dozens of times. Sometimes I read the series two or even three times in a calendar year. It takes me a good two or three weeks to get through them.

I got the first three Harry Potter books for Christmas when I was in fifth grade. I went (by myself) to my cousin's house that year for Christmas break, but he was a boy and wanted to do "boy stuff," and I wasn't interested in playing with him or his friends. So I sat inside all day and read the first three books in three days.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire came out a few days before my family left for a road trip to my grandparents house. My mom bought me the book, but then hid it, so I could read it on the drive.  The day before we left, she packed the car. That night when everyone went to bed, I snuck out to the car -(since I knew it was in there now) and I searched until I found it. I snuck it back to my room, and the next morning when my mom came to wake me up, she found me reading - half way through the book.
I hadn't slept. I couldn't wait until morning.

When I was 17 years old, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out on a Friday at midnight. I got the book, and then went home and read until 6am, when I was forced to start getting ready for a youth activity at church. I was supposed to drive 5 other youth to a conference that was well over an hour away (even though I had not slept).
I drove quickly (and probably erratically) to the conference while all the people in my car (except me!) read the books.
Occasionally one of them would chuckle, gasp, or say "Hey, are you to this part yet?" and I would scream "SHUT YOUR MOUTH! STOP SAYING WHAT'S HAPPENING!!" and swerve the car threateningly.
Throughout the day, leaders would hunt me down and pull me out of closets, the bathroom, and empty classrooms where I was hiding and trying to read the books. During "testimony meeting" at the end of the day (when the youth are given a chance and forum to stand up and bear witness of Christ in a group setting) I huddled on the back pew over my book, silently crying as beloved characters died and leaders shot me dirty looks and mouthed "Close that book."
Yeah right. I wasn't closing that book until I'd finished it.

When I went home, I slept. When I awoke, I started the book again and read it a second time - cover to cover - again in less than 24 hours.

I am one of those people who stands outside in the cold (in costume) for hours waiting for the midnight showing of the movies.
I didn't go to the last two movies at midnight, because I was pregnant during one (and couldn't sit on the cement for hours) and because during the other I had two babies who would be awake at midnight (and if they weren't then I needed to be sleeping.)
But I went the next day, and for pt. 2 that was quite a feat, since we had to drive forty minutes to go to the iMax and I was still breastfeeding. But this was Harry Potter. I wasn't going to wait another day. My babies could get bottles. This was a need, not a want.

This week, my mom and I watched this video, and I have now seen it about a half a dozen times.
And I sob through it every time, especially the end. Watch. Love it.
And come out of the closet, HP lovers. (p.s. Why aren't you commenting on my blog this week? It's giving me a complex!)







*       *        *
Fact: it is Friday. 
I think you should do it too. 
And here are your instructions (not really rules...):

1. Write a fact about yourself.
2. Elaborate.
3. It can be long or short, detailed or not.
4. Don't write about your kids. (Unless you want to. Because, I mean... it's your blog. I can't stop you from writing about your kids.)
5. Link up to this blog, so we can all read some facts, and not feel bad that we dropped out of school to be stay-at-home moms. (Since if we're reading facts, then we are still learning.)
6. You're not a dropout like me? Or a stay at home mom? No biggie. You can still play.

Can't think of what to write? Start like this:
Fact: When I was a kid I was really good at...
or
Fact: My biggest pet peeve is...
or
Fact: I have a third nipple.
Etc.

I haven't quite figured out a link list yet, so just post in the comments if you participate, and next week after I've read through your facts I'll give a shout out in my post to my favorite fact from last week.
Good deal?


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12 comments:

Angela said...

Not gonna lie...I teared up at that video. I had a hard enough time seeing those characters die one at a time, but to have them blasted at me at once??? I wasn't prepared for that!

xo,
A

P.S. I have been commenting! :-) I did notice I'm one of the only ones. Your parents aren't commenting because you're visiting them, so maybe that is affecting numbers a little?

Anonymous said...

That's almost exactly what happened to me when I got the 7th book. It came in the mail, propped against my screen door. I came home from class, grabbed my book, and jumped in the car. I drove 2 hours to my hometown, to Barnes and Nobles to pick up my boyfriend (now husband)'s copy, and then straight to his house. We sat on his couch and read for six hours (he was a good 100 pages ahead of me at this point because he reads so. fast.). I then drove to my house slept for about five hours and woke up the next morning to drive seven hours to Pennsylvania with two other girls who were painfully slow readers but read the 7th book the whole time. After we got to Pennsylvania I went straight to the couch and read for another three hours until I finished. It was beautiful. As soon as I finished I read Snape's chapter again. And then the last battle again. And then the whole book again. Then the other two girls finished their books. Slow. Haha.
Anyway. Hi. I've never commented before. And I love HP too :)

Tanei Atagi said...

Fact: I realize this could alter our relationship,but I have only read the first to HP books, and I may never read all seven.

Now you know.

Sarah @ Vol Family Life said...

Yes. Hello. I've never commented before, but here's the thing I think I've found someone who is as HP obsessed as me. I have no clue how many times I've read the books. But I've had to buy new copies b/c I have worn the old ones out!

Unknown said...

Please don't be offended because I love it about you, but you are one. strange. cookie! I too love Harry Potter but not quite to the extent that you do.

About your complex, I read your blog in a hurry everyday. I think my comments to myself but will try to be better about writing them too : )

Have a great weekend!

Kayleigh said...

i cried. but i'm pretty emotional anyway today.

and i should comment more often. i still love your blog and i read it every day. :) which sounds creepier than i intended it to sound...

-Danica- said...

Ah I always cry at that stuff! And don't worry, you are not the only one obsessed beyond social acceptability. I am right there with you. Example? My family has discussions on the correlations between harry potter and gospel topics :) and My sister added in some of those things in her talk she gave in sacrament meeting. HA! We are freaks. But HP is the only way to go!

Allyssa said...

I LOVE HP. I did the midnight release for the last two books. I've seen most of the movies on opening day or the next day. I love reading HP fanfics on fanfiction.net. I loved the random sweetness between H&R.

I've never had a HP party. Although if I was your neighbour I'd be helping you plan yours EVERY YEAR.

What song is that in the video? It sounds like a christian pop song or something.

I didn't tear except when I read that you did and then I got teary because other things are making me sad.

I didn't realize how chubby Neville was in the first movie compared to now. I think all the actors aged really well.

I'm so sad there are no more books or movies coming out. KMFX for JK to write some prequels or something. I love Lily/James FF's.

Alissa Moghtaderi said...

I'm actually in the midst of rereading them at the moment. I only read while pumping at the office or while on the subway to and from work, so that those two activities are more enjoyable. I actually look forward to being stuffed into a 2 express train at rush hour, because I get to spend that time with Harry Potter.

MARCIE said...

You are so whacko. I may not be a big HP fan, but I am a big Becky fan!

Tammy said...

I love HP too. I can't say I have read the books as much as you but they are my go to books when I need something to take my mind off things. And when I am pregnant for some reason I read them.

Becky said...

Okay, I admit, I love HP. I teared up watching that video in your post. Being a Harry Potter fan is cool, be proud!