And the Winner Is...

shartley2 wins the signed copy of Get Well Soon and a button for his hilarious resolution about Sweet Pickles. That had me laughing a lot. However, you all had great answers, and it was hard to choose. In fact, I hated choosing, so from now on all of my contests will be drawings from all of the commenters. AND SO- because I feel all guilty, because you all are so nice and sweet to read my blog and enter my contest, that I will have ANOTHER contest. This contest is very simple: I will take all of the names of the people who entered my resolution contest, and all of the names of anyone who comments all this week on my Harry Potter posts (which I think you're already getting sick of, but whatever) and on Monday night--my birthday!-- (I'm going to ALA Midwinter this weekend, so it won't be before then) I will draw two names (cause that's like I'm giving away three books total) and those people will win the books and buttons. The exciting part is that the more you comment, the more times I'll enter your name into the drawing. (One comment per post, however. Don't get greedy.) Does this all make sense?

Today's Harry Question (why didn't people like yesterdays question?):
Which Harry Potter character are you most like? [side note: if you have any better questions for me to ask, please email me at julie@juliehalpern.com.]

I'm not proud of it, but I think I'm most like Hermione because I'm pretty smart and know a lot of things (you wouldn't know it by that sentence). I'm not as obnoxious about it as her, but I sometimes feel superior inside. And my hair could be crazy if I let it.

So Sleepy

It is really hard falling asleep at a decent hour when you get used to staying up late to watch various 90210 episodes/Harry Potter movies. I am soooo tired now that it's the end of the first day back. Can't wait to snoozeroo. But first, one more reminder about the New Year's Resolution Contest- final day tomorrow!

On to today's Harry Question (by the way, please feel free to answer the previous days' questions if you haven't already). I forgot to say yesterday that all questions are being asked in a sort of alternate Harry universe-- no deaths of any of our beloved characters have occurred, so anyone is fair game. Now for the question:
If you went to Hogwarts, who would you be crushing on?
My answer is, without question, Ronald Weasley. I think if it were just based on the books, I would maybe go with the Weasley twins, but the combination of Ron in the books and movies makes him my absolute number one Potter crush. [Is this a weird question? You all get crushes on book characters, too, right?]

Harry Break Ends

*Quick reminder that there are only two days left to enter my New Year's Resolution contest. You can win a signed copy of Get Well Soon!

I am mourning the end of my Harry Potter Vacation. It really was all about Harry (well, Ron, too, of course). I read (and will continue to read) the sixth book (which I have never read, even though I have read the seventh, because a student, who I refer to as "She Who Must Not Be Named," told me the ending to #6 soon after it came out. That's evil.). I played the Scene It Harry Potter second edition. I watched the fifth movie on DVD, as well as the fourth and all of their extras. And then there was the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix computer game. How I will miss you. Sniff. I pretty much conquered the whole game (on the "easy" setting), except for the Wizard's Chess because I tried and tried, but I have no idea how to play chess. Who knew it would come in handy for a computer game?

Now, in honor of the end to my Harry vacation (not to be confused with my hairy vacation, although I did get a haircut), I will try posting a new Harry Potter-related question that you all must answer every single day in my comments section. It will help me get through my Harry withdrawal. Today's Harry question:

If you went to Hogwarts, who would be your best friend?

My answer is Luna Lovegood. Because she's kind of strange, wears funny earrings, and has a good heart. And she's into underground publishing. [Check out this cute interview with Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna in the film.]

My Daemon

I saw The Golden Compass yesterday. I read the book a long time ago and remember very little from it (which isn't rare for me; I tend not to remember a lot of book details unless I'm constantly book-talking them to my students). I really liked the movie. I think, if I re-read the book, I would prefer the movie to the book. I actually prefer my pop culture to be more mindless than analytical. I would rather not have to think too much about what I'm reading or watching because my brain is usually annoyingly on overload all of the time. Not that I think everything I read or watch is fluff, but in terms of The Golden Compass, I liked that the movie didn't make me focus too much on the real message of the story (all of that religious stuff they're focusing on in the news). I LOVED the ice bears and, of course, the daemons. They did a fantastic job in the movie of making them look real enough that I was never distracted by the fact that they were all computer generated. Now I can't look at Tobin, my cat, the same way. He is sort of like my daemon. He's always near me (except when I leave the house; I have always wished I could bring him to work), he is sad when I'm sad, etc. And I feel like I can't live without him. A little too attached, I know, but he's such a good friend. Anyhow, you guys probably already know this, but the Golden Compass movie website has a thing where you can find your own daemon. It's pretty neat. Anybody else want to rate the movie vs. the book?

vs.

Potter.

I don't know what's going on with me, but I can't get enough Harry Potter. I know, I know, it's old news. But in fact, I bought Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone right when it came out in the US (thanks to my mom, who read a review that compared it to Roald Dahl). So I'm no poseur. It's just that for the holiday's I received the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix computer game, and I can't stop playing! It's like being at Hogwarts! This is just like a year ago (exactly a year ago, actually. Weird.) when I couldn't stop playing the Buffy Play Station game (until I got stuck in this annoying Initiative level-- it would be at an Initiative level) and had to stop playing. I don't really play these games to win. I play because it feels like I'm in the book/TV show/movie. Dorky? I suppose. But I am having fun. I wanted to also blog about the store Buckle, which I went to yesterday for the first time, and had the sweetest sales girl and bought a pair of $100 jeans, but I'd rather go back to playing my game. Sorry, but the Weasley boys are waiting.

Resolution Contest!

I have never done a contest on my blog (I don't think), so here is a new year's present to you (depending on if you think a signed copy of my book and a button are presents):

I never do new year's resolutions, but I know people love them. Send a comment to this blog post by Tuesday, January 8 (Elvis's birthday!) with your new year's resolution, and the person with the funniest resolution wins a signed copy of Get Well Soon and a frowny-face button (now kind of rare until I decide to print some more). Good luck, resolutionists!

Snotty New Year

Happy New Year, everyone. I am still way booged up, feeling and looking crappy. Not a great way to ring in the new year. Last night I fell asleep right before midnight as Matt and I watched some season 3 of 90210 episodes. I was feverishly delirious, and I yelled for him to turn off the TV. The hillbilly neighbors were letting off fireworks. In the snow. To be semi-celebratory, we ordered in from Pizzeria Uno, a place I haven't eaten at since college. It was extremely buttery for pizza, and when I told my friend Ali that that's what we ate, she said Pizzeria Uno pizza was listed as one of Men's Health Magazine's top 20 worst foods. Huzzah!

So what did everyone else do for new year's eve?