FRIDAY!

The time is drawing near. In a mere three weeks, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 will be released, creating an emotional end of an era for a generation of young people turned young adults. I had diligently planned to re-read the entire book, starting one month ahead of time, tackling about a chapter (or so) a day. On June 19 I realized, as I hadn't started yet, that this plan would fail miserably in the face of an upcoming wedding in the family, 45 hour work weeks and my parents visiting. In an effort to salvage my loyalty to Harry, I decided to just read the last half. From Shell Cottage to the end. Yesterday, as I had yet to begin the second half of the book...I realized I just straight-up don't have time. Alas, praise the Lord for audiobooks. I've been working away the last few days with a charming British voice, re-telling me the story of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I know the movie will be good, but I need to realize that books are always better. It's fun to have a visual depiction of someone else's version of what your personal imagination creates. BUT. I realize the movies need to be made for the non-book-reader audience too. So it's inevitable that some of my favorite parts will be left out - for those poor souls who've never gotten to know the ins and outs of Harry's thoughts and personality like the book-readers. For example: I was listening to the part of the story when Harry confronts Rowena Ravenclaw and realizes that, while she was in Albania, she hid the diadem there, leaving it for Voldemort to find. I thought, Oh, I can't wait to see this in the movie! Surely they HAVE to include it, as it's a major turning point. But then I realized that I don't think the movies ever mention Voldermort's time in Albania - so how would the non-book-readers even understand that back story? Oh well...time will tell. (Rhyme.)

Speaking of books and such, I finished Brave Girl Eating and gathered a wealth of awesome, touching and personal quotes. If I could be an advocate for eating disorder awareness or help the cause at all, I would jump at the chance. In the mean time, it's an issue I hold near and dear to my heart and praise the work of those who can so eloquently, like Harriet Brown, spell out the emotions that come along with the disease:

"Much later, another therapist describes anorexia to me as a kind of 'encapsulated psychosis': someone with anorexia suffers under a set of delusions just as powerful as the delusions of a schizophrenic - but only when it comes to food, eating and body image.
For the first time it occurs to me that my daughter will be permanently changed by this - this thing inside her, this twisted creature that shrieks and writhes and spits poison into her blood and bone and mind. And that, in fact, each one of us will be changed by this, my husband, my daughter, me."

Yesterday I stopped by Deb's house, the oh-so-sweet lady who's altering my dress for Jessie's wedding. I was supposed to just have some bust cups added to my dress to fill me out, so she wouldn't need to go to the trouble of taking in the dress for only about 1/4" or so. I tried it on and was shocked. Weight Watchers has worked wonders - she ended up needing to take it in about 2 1/2 inches. What WHAT?! Goal weight, here I come! Now I'm faced with the dilemma - try to maintain my weight through July 2? Or keep on track with my Weight Watchers program and deal with possibly a slightly lose dress? I still haven't decided...

Ah! Last night my mother-in-law told me that she wants to, as a last hurrah, take me and Jessie out next week sometime and get pedicures for the wedding at this super posh spa! I'd been planning to do this on my own, but how fun to leave from work and head straight to an awesome pedicure and dinner out!

Lastly, but DEFINITELY not least. Sunday's the day. After a year and a half of waiting, we're going to see U2!! Dan, in his engineer nerdiness has compiled the set lists for the last dozen or so shows and set up patterns, comparisons, etc. and determined a high likelihood for the following set list:

Even Better Than the Real Thing
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots ("Let me in the sound, let me in the sound!")
Mysterious Ways
Elevations
Until the End of the World
Stay (Faraway, So Close)
Beautiful Day
Pride
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
City of Blinding Lights ("Oh! You! Look so beautifuuuul tonight...")
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On
One
Where the Streets Have No Name
With or Without You
Moment of Surrender
The Fly
Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Ultraviolet (Light My Way)

Sad that a few of my favorites didn't make the potential list :( Songs I'm still hoping for:

Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses ("Come on now love, don't you look back!")
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
So Cruel
God's Country
Acrobat
Staring at the Sun
Hawkmoon 269
Bad
Heartland