(no subject)

[cleolinda]

God, I'm tired. We got out of the movie (more on that tomorrow, but yes, it was good. I think my favorite part was Christopher Lee going through Little Willy Wonka's Halloween candy. Never has the word "caramel" sounded so evil) and got some dinner and by then it was ten pm and already I'm kind of tired. Well, probably because my blood sugar had crashed, but I had a bagel pretty late in the afternoon, and there wasn't anything else I could do about it. And then we drove out to the Summit and really, there was no point in leaving and going anywhere else, because everything was either closed or too far away. So basically, we faffed around a Barnes & Noble for two hours solid. On the upside, I did run into faeriekitty19 and some of her friends, so we all killed a little time chatting. (Here's how smooth I am: "Faeriekitty--that's your Livejournal name? ... Man, that's the dumbest question ever. 'No, it's my middle name.' Gah, I'm sorry.") Sister Girl, who was with a guy friend of hers and therefore completely unhelpful in the Department of Keeping Me Company, had not preregistered, so she was in the Orange Wristband line in the music section on the other end of creation; I was up front in one of the Seven Mystical Lines of the Yellow Band. There were approximately 250 people wedged between the registers and the bargain shelves up at the front of the store, and if you've ever been to this store, you can imagine how hellishly hot the crowding got up there. Fortunately I'd bought a liter bottle of water back in the music section (which had been turned into some kind of impromptu bake sale), or I probably would have died. Like, seriously: tell the sherpas to go on, take my pack and leave me here, eat me if you run out of food. And poor Em didn't even get to the bookstore until after I'd left--she'd gone to the Art on the Rocks thing (what is it? I'm still not quite sure) and, as it so often does, shit happened. So I'm on the phone in the car all like, "Yeah, get a wristband at the front door and look for the guy with the bullhorn, can't miss him. I think the TV cameras will have left by the time you get there." In summary: Not really all that much to do, other than free crossword puzzles, "story time," and a Guess the Number of Jellybeans thing ("Shit! What were the numbers! Guess the numbers!") but the staff was great about the whole ordeal. In the end, it was this strange combination of boring and crazy. Having seen the whole thing for myself, finally--unless the next book release is just bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s, because it's the last book, I think I'm going to just get the book from Amazon with express shipping.

I really want to start reading now, but I'm too tired. Sigh.

Comments

[alexthedevil.livejournal.com]

I know the tiredness feeling... went to sleep at 4am, got up at 7:30 so I could be at the bookstore at 9am.

Only good thing was that there were no queues, and I get to laugh at the Americans because I've finished the book before they've even started it ;-)

[alitaorg.livejournal.com]

dammit!

here i am in central time zone, feeling all smug about how i'm done with the book before my los angeles buddies...

...but you've got all of us beat hardcore.

and no plot spoilers. i just want everyone to read it now so we can discuss it. and so i can stop feeling snarky and full of woe.

[iamthemoon.livejournal.com]

Johnny Depp's Dad was Saruman, which explains why the big chute of his factory looked like Isengard.

Just a notice.

PS. Spoilers are EVERYWHERE. Watch out.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Seriously, this is what I hear. I haven't been on boards or journals much since people started trolling with spoilers, and I'm probably going to disappear now until I get some sleep and read the book, possibly not in that order. : )

[rebel-waltz.livejournal.com]

did you get the wrist band and poster in your bag, too?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yup. Actually, I picked up my poster on the way out, because I knew I'd end up crushing it if I had to carry it around for two hours.

[gryphonmage.livejournal.com]

I think Christopher Lee could probably tell a story about a happy bunny frolicing innocently in the forest by by the end of the story, everyone who heard it would be convinced that a bunny was going to leap from behind and eat them. Because that's just the kind of guy he is.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

I second that.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

That was pretty much my experience last year, which is why it's just coming up midnight here and we're at home. We'll get the book tomorrow.

[theatre-angel.livejournal.com]

Hooray for Chocolate Factory! I was scared out of my mind, but it was a good film nonetheless.

Spoilers are EVERYWHERE. It's horrible. I know far more than I ever wanted to, and I'm wondering if it's even worth getting the book now. But, of course, I'm going to. :-)

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

I'm getting mine from Amazon, which means I don't get it until Tuesday *sob* But I'm too lazy to stand in a mob, so that's what I get.

In better news, I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tonight as well. It was gooood.

[silvermoon13.livejournal.com]

there wasn't much at our party either (at a waldenbooks in the mall) - kids coloring and free samples of the every flavor beans (they have bacon now... tastes like maple bacon). but in hudson, ohio, they have a HUGE party and block off a couple streets - we ran into some people that had been there, and loved it, so that's where i'm heading when book 7 comes out.

as for right now... i should be reading! :)

[royalsongstress.livejournal.com]

I didn't go, but our local store had set-up for quidditch matches when I was last there (Thursday). There's a huge aisle that runs down the centre of the store (with wood flooring that clicks awesomely when you walk on it, btw) and they had the 3 hoops set up at either end of it. All the candy was out (I REALLY wanted some ice mice, but I had no money) and the entrance to the store looked like a castle. It was pretty nifty. I bet it was fun, but like I said, I didn't go.

I probably won't get the book myself for awhile because a)my mum and I are reading the books aloud now (I've read them all save the new one, but she hasn't) and we're only halfway through POA now. Lord knows how long it'll take to get through OTP and b) I have no money. But, my bro's gf has offered to lend me hers. So hopefully I'll read it soon.

/natter off

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hey,

I'm delighted to find out that Christopher Lee has a role in WONKA, although I'm surpised he took time out from his busy schedule of leaving threatening calls on Peter Jackson's answering machine in the middle of the night *eg*. Still, Jackson, Lucas, Burton... it's like all of a sudden people sat up and went "Hey, wait a minute! Christopher Lee is still *alive*!!"

Wirrrn!

[kittenscurious.livejournal.com]

i love the gwen reference. :-D

[sorchar.livejournal.com]

OMG Our B&N was so hot too, and I was in long-sleeved shirt and robe. I was wonderfully dorksome but oh so hot.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah--I wanted to wear my Ravenclaw scarf, but I knew better. Actually, the store was nice and cool if you ducked into an empty aisle away from the HELLISH CRUSH OF PEOPLE, but... waiting in line kind of made that hard.

[yarha.livejournal.com]

Count the jellybeans? I would've tried 4,815,162,342 because one never knows. :p

Yarha, Lost Horizons

ordering from amazon

[sevenmarie.livejournal.com]

i ordered OoTP from amazon with regular shipping and it got here the day it came out...they send them early with huge notices and the post offices dont deliver them until the day...my post office even sent along a specail card that you were supposed to fill out with your favorite part and send back to the municipal bulding to get a prize but i didnt send mine because i was so mad at the book when i was done readng it (cuz of the whole sirius and dumbledore being an idiot thing)

so, we'll see if i get my book today...i dont usually get mail till the afternoon

[scornedsaint.livejournal.com]

Glad you had fun(?) with all the stuff you did. I refuse to see "Charlie.." on the grounds of an enduring love for Gene Wilder, but I'm interested in hearing your review.

And the Numbers are: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. I ended up accidently memorizing them on my most recent plane trip, cause the moment I heard we were flying out of gate 42, I freaked and looked all the others up, cause if one more appeared, I was not getting on the plane.

Happy reading!

[word-herder.livejournal.com]

Did y'all have tarot card readers and stuff? The B&N here in Champaign started their "festivities" at 9. It was starting to get a little crazy in there by 5:30 even--I'd gone over there in the afternoon to spend a gift card and decided to clear out before insanity took over.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

We had NOTHING. Guess the Jellybeans and story time. I'm telling you, man, the natives got restless.

[emerybored.livejournal.com]

You're lucky. At least they had a decent organization of the first 250. The organization at my local B&N SUCKED. Like a GIANT BLACK HOLE. There was no "line up in the order your wrist bands were assigned" so you were rewarded for hanging out in line earlier that afternoon. They called us in groups of fifty, and it was every man, woman, and child for themself. I ended up getting pushed, shoved, and stuck at the end of the 101-150 group, even though my wristband was number 101. Oh the injustice of it all. At least I got out of there by 12:20. I was able to force myself to read just over 100 pages before my eyes started to cross and the words started to blur. If you haven't read any yet, all I will say is... the first two chapters will BLOW YOUR MIND.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

I went to sleep at 7am this morning and got up an hour ago-- I'm up to page 318. Gotta say, I'm enjoying this more than book 5, since Harry isn't acting like a dick anymore.

[draconifers.livejournal.com]

lol, had fun?

"Is it safe?"

[serizawa3000.livejournal.com]

Christopher Lee.

AS A DENTIST.

Funny no one ever thought of that before...

Re: "Is it safe?"

[neflhim.livejournal.com]

Ha!

Love the subject line. Have any oil of clove?

My theory on Gwen Stefani...

[jazzminarino.livejournal.com]

I wrote about it here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/jazzminarino/178181.html), but this is just my opinion on how Gwen came up with that:

I wondered what exactly her inspiration was for this piece of musical phenomenon. [Apparently, this song is the most commonly downloaded song so far this year, so there is your trivia for the day.] I suddenly got this image of Gwen sitting around the breakfast table with her husband, Gavin Rossdale. I think it would have gone something like this:

"Bitch, what is this? I wanted strawberries. This shit is bananas!"

Gwen gives him a strange look. "What did you just say?"

"This shit is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!"

"You're a genius. I'm gonna make that my next hit song."

Gavin gets a confused look on his face. "What? How the hell is my cereal going to become the next hit song? That makes no sense..."

... "honey, that is why I am a successful solo artist and your band broke up YEARS ago."

[thisisnotlauren.livejournal.com]

I waited all day for my book. Thirteen hours. But I was first. And the party in the bookstore was lame, so I staked out my spot at the front of the line. Hell, my ticket said 001, so I was getting my book first.

[thisisnotlauren.livejournal.com]

Oh and I already finished it, and it is incredibly awesome.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

ETA: I totally lied, for future book-buying reference: They delivered HBP TODAY. I thought they were going to but then they had emailed me saying it would get here Tuesday, the tricksters.

So yeah, next year just order it ;)

[(Anonymous)]

A warning to those who have yet to finish the book...it's an extreme tearjerker in the last bit. And Harry, right at the end, is so different from the little bemused eleven-year-old we fell in love with. He's grown up - but it feels natural, which is something I've never encountered in a coming-of-age book/series before.

Jo Rowling works her magic again.

[duncanatrix.livejournal.com]

OMGWTFHBP. I just finished the book and OH MY GOD. I can't even talk about it.

[neonsomething.livejournal.com]

I feel like I need to get offline right now and stop slacking off and read the last 300 damn pages. I feel inefficent.

But I also feel quite special, because although the party at my Borders was vaguely organzied at best, Jason Issacs was there signing autographs. Aparently, he's filming a series for Showtime in Providence, which explains why he was at a bookstore in a random Rhode Island suburb. I stood in like for two hours and didn't get up there, though my friend did. I also went and peered over bookshelves and at least caught a glimpse. There were like 400 people packed into the store, weaving in and out of the shelves. He was only there for an hour and a half, and made an apolgetic statement about having just moved here from London with his pregnant wife. Everyone was all, "Screw your pregnant wife!" secretly, but he said something like, "Read the book. If I'm in it, tell me tomorrow morning." This was accompanied by like, Lucius Malfoy music. And cheering. It was wierd.