The first paragraph (not for those who are patiently waiting for 12am, July 21st)

From Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling :

"The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane. For a second they stood quite still, wands directed at each other's chests; then, recognizing each other, they stowed their wands beneath their cloaks and started walking briskly in the same direction.

"News?" asked the taller of the two.

"The best," replied Severus Snape."

Despite the adrenaline rush I am having right now, I am not going to read any further. I so want to, just one more paragraph, just a few chapters... "Hermione", the friend who bestowed this book upon me, has already read the entire book, in two days - while taking good care of her three boys who are under the age of 7. She is a fast reader and read a lot at night and - it must be really good.

My kids are gone. They are at a skate boarding camp with their cousin and are staying at his house for five nights. I could just fall onto the couch, brace this very heavy book (759 pages) on my knees and read until the very end, the final end, the tantalizingly mysterious, unknown end. So tempting.

What's stopping me is not the list of thirty-two things that I wanted to get done during this first big span of time at home without my kids. I've checked a few things off on the list and will hopefully get to a few more - but I am a list-maker, not a list-finisher. It's not that. It's about my Harry Potter team - made up of me, Gillen and Jesse. We are up to the last chapter in book six. I am not even going to read that until I pick them up on Friday afternoon. Then, I'll read it to them in the car before we drive to the very cool bookstore, Little Shop of Stories, in Decatur. They are hosting a "Requiem for a Wizard - an evening of magic, remembrance and farewells" for which they sent us a beautiful invitation on parchment. It is only open to those who have pre-ordered the book through them. The party starts at 10pm and goes until midnight, when the book can be released.

So I'll go to the mechanic's, maybe make some tomato sauce and pesto, take some pictures, and glory in having my own thoughts (even now, they are frequently about my kids) and time, until I can rejoin my favorite two boys for another journey into the world of Harry Potter. At least, that's the plan. If I have insomnia, all bets are off.