Potter Pooper

Well, it is time for me to talk about Harry Potter (thank you, Mary, for calling me out). I am not one of those people who poo poos Harry. Nay, I do love him, and Hermione, and the Weasleys, etc., but I have slowed down my reading of the books over the past few titles and- Gasp!- I have not read the sixth book. I think I slowed down during the fourth book (which as I recall had way to much quidditch for my taste), and by the fifth one I was waiting for the paperback to read it (I couldn't possibly hold that hardcover up in bed). I had a particularly nasty time with the fifth one because as I read it, I got a terrible stomach flu. So I kind of have an icky association. Then the sixth came out, and I wanted to read it but took my time. And one of my butthead students (not that my students are buttheads, but this one sure was for doing what she did) TOLD ME THE ENDING. I know who dies, so what's the point? Yes, I know, "the journey," but the journey takes me sooooo long. I don't care how fast the kiddies read these books; it still takes me forever. So I have not read the sixth Harry Potter, but due to my commitment to the YALSA Selected Audioboks committee (and my existence as a human), I must listen to the seventh when it arrives. I am certain I will love it, but am I a bad person for not reading the sixth? Will I be missing a lot? (Not bloody likely, considering I never remember what happens in books anyway.) And if I do read it this summer, at least I don't have to worry about some student giving away the ending. No, this time I will be the one giving away the ending.

In other news, something has died in my garage (I think I should warn you that I just finished reading the eighth Georgia Nicolson book, and I seem to be writing in a British accent). I am not kidding when I say this. It smells, and when Matt gets home tonight from work he gets the task of searching for the culprit. It 's kind of gross, but has turned humorous by the fact that the UPS man delivered a package today and came through the garage and I had to excuse my garage for stinking like someone's dirty diaper. Then we had some guys come for an estimate for our deck, and I had to explain it to them. I was afraid they would all think that I had no idea that my house stunk (stank?), so I had to keep telling them that "I think an animal died in here." The funniest reply was the UPS guy, who said, "Yeah, it's probably a chipmunk or a mouse or something." It was funnier when he said it... I'll keep you posted on all things decaying.