explaining & invitation

[salixbabylon]

If I'm not on much lately or I'm not answering your emails or replying to comments or I'm not around for chatting, it's because of two recent changes:

1) It's over 100 degrees here, for the last 3 days. And we have no air conditioner and my house gets direct sun from about 9am to 8pm. It was 97 degrees *inside* the house today. I am miserable. The dog is miserable. My computer crashes. So I turn things off nd sometimes go into town where it's cooler and breezier.

Husband swears he's buying a heat sink for my computer tomorrow and also some kind of air conditioner, so help him god. I just hope like fuck they're not totally sold out at Home Depot like they were last year.

2) I'm trying to limit how much time I spend fucking around on the computer. Trying to remember to use it as a tool for work, and shut it off to make time for the *other* work that needs to get get done - exercise, house cleaning, sewing, studying, etc. I'm actually getting a lot done, so I think I'm going to continue the trend.

Invitation = Because I have OCD and, well, yeah, mostly just because I have OCD - I have decided that in the next month I'm going to read all of the existing 6 Harry Potter books to "ramp up" for the 7th. Anyone interested in joining me in reading at home and then babbling here? I'll make a post with my thoughts/observations and maybe we can have some fun discussions reacquainting ourselves with the canon universe.

Comments

[ladykatiewench.livejournal.com]

Can I make a suggestion about the Harry Potter? Read them in backwards order. You get to see just how good she is at setting things up. You'll read something in one of the later books and then see it mentioned 2 books before. But because you weren't looking for it originally, you didn't know.

Also...specifically, you find out were at least one horcrux is. The locket that Harry and Dumbledore were trying to get to inside the cave. Oh yeah baby. You find out exactly where that sucker is. It's actually a lot of fun when you realize.

[ladykatiewench.livejournal.com]

Durnit! I also meant to comment on the heat thing.

Good luck with that. It looks like it is gonna be a hot summer too. We were up near 100 for a few days but we've started our daily thunderstorms which knocked us back down to the low 90s.

And this is only June. Think how bad it's gonna be in late July, early August!! Geesh!

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Huh. Interesting idea with the HP... I don't know if I could bear to read them out of order though - my brain might explode! :)

Sometimes we start the summer blistering and it actually tapers off around mid-July. i'm hoping this is just a freakish thing, anyway. Blech.

[roshismomma.livejournal.com]

it has been hot as fuck, even down here. lord. we're not accustomed! and its only june!

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Last year we had record highs early on, and then it cooled off some aorund July... I'm hoping that happens this year, too.

We should do a spell. ;)

[mellacita.livejournal.com]

*sends cool air*

Definitely up for the HP books. I'm actually rereading GOF right now, since it is my favorite, but I could be persuaded to start over at P/SS. I love them all.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Must have worked - weather.com says it's only going to be in the 80s tomorrow. :) Keep doing that all summer, please?

I'm starting with #1 on Monday, I think. Will make a post open for discussion once I finish it. You can still participate, even if you didn't just finish reading it. I think it will be fun to see the "real" characters develop. Sometimes I forget what's fanon and what's canon. Oops. *g*

[woosgirl.livejournal.com]

ick. Seriously, 100+º = not good. I know your pain, but luckily, I do have air conditioning.

Good for you for spending less time on the comp. You feel so good when you get things accomplished, don't you? I always do, but then I start missing my LJ friends, and here I am again.

I'm actually reading the HP books right now. I'm in the middle of book 4. You're going to try and read all 6 by next month? Wow! You'll be my hero if you do that. I'm just hoping I can get through the next 2 1/2. I'll be glad to talk HP with you!

And I saw someone's comment above about reading backwards. I can see her point in doing it...but if you've read the books as often as I have (every time a new book comes out, I go back and reread the series) you will see how she sets things up. I've read things in book 1 that didn't come out until book 6. She really does set things up spectacularly.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Hopefully by tomorrow we will have some sort of air conditioning. *crosses fingers*

I miss people, but I've been trying to limit myself to a few hours in the evening, an hour in the morning, and an hour lunch break. Pretend like I have a "real" job, with real set break times, even though I'm working at home. It feels *so* good to be finally getting things finished!

HP books - I was thinking it would only take 4 days maximum to read each book. I hope I haven't overestimated my reading speed. Maybe I will catch up with you, or you can just comment on the ones you've already finished -- no need for people to be reading them along with me in order to participate in the discussions!

Yes, I've read all of them many many times, except the last 2. Those I have only read twice and once, respectively. I thought since I always reread the most recent one, I should give them all another read, for the big finale. :)

[imogenelovelace.livejournal.com]

I'm also in book 4 right now (that seems common here for some reason). So yes, totally up for discussion when you post!

You may also want to check out hp_reread, but I don't read in a nice steady pace like they do so I haven't been following it.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Of course someone has a community for it already - duh. ;) Ah well - I'm still going to do my own thing. I'll check them out just to see what's going on though - thanks!

[soar38.livejournal.com]

We used to get really hot in summer in London and we had cinema cards, so we'd go into the cinema where they have air con.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

I should see if there's any financial advantage to buying a packet of tickets in advance. But yeah - good reminder - the movie theater is always cool. :)

[maruchina.livejournal.com]

I want to join in the OCD HP goodness!

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Yay! Welcome aboard. :)

[louhq.livejournal.com]

I'm in the midst of preparing for Pride weekend so I might be slow at the start, but I'd love to get it on this.
Totally with you on the heat thing. I do have a small AC in the bedroom, so I can sleep comfortably. Otherwise, I just sweat.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

Whoop for pride weekend! Yay!

You can join in the discussions any time. I'll post the first one soon. :)

[foxrafer.livejournal.com]

Spending less time online so you can have time for real life makes perfect sense to me. Other than melting in your house, it sounds like things are going really well. That's great to hear.

[salixbabylon.livejournal.com]

*hug* It's hard getting used to not being so "plugged in" and when I am, well, I tend to want to just lose myself in it and indulge for an evening at a time. At least I'm getting stuff done though - that part feels good! :)