And Still More Nonsense

For some reason, I've just been exhausted this week. Second session of summer school ended today...one more session to go. I'm feeling relieved, as second session is notoriously the worst, and I survived it with no tears and no major blowouts.

I don't know if that's because I've improved the way I deal with the older kids (I teach high school during the summer) or if it's that I've simply stopped caring what they think of me. Or both. Probably both.

My library thing early reviewer books have not yet arrived, which has me feeling vaguely worried, however it's left me plenty of time to dwell continuously in Potter-land. While the fever is not yet over, it is subsiding. Though I do sort of want a Potter tattoo now, which is hilarious, as I've been against body modifications my entire life. Until now, I couldn't think of a damn thing I'd want to put on my body forever.

I've been thinking a lot about the role of books in shaping who I've become in my life. (I don't know if the constant quest for self-definition is a hang-up of mine or something that everyone thinks about). But I'm thinking of composing a post about it sometime soon when I feel more up to it. Lately, I can't think of anything except taking a nap.

For now I will leave you with some of my favorite words from the Potter canon:

Parselmouth
Legilimency
Fidelius Charm
Patronus
Wizengamot
Occlumency
Metamorphmagus

Mania Continues

Still totally unable to think/write about anything not Potter-related. Sorry.

If you're interested in my incoherent ramblings on the subject, visit Ashley's Post-Potter Blog. Which is full of SPOILERS. SPOILERS, SPOILERS. So don't go there unless you're ready.

I'm remembering that it took me about 2 weeks to recover from The Half-Blood Prince, so I'm figuring on at least that long this time.

Hopefully will be returning to the land of Muggles soon.

Finished and Hence Spoiler Safe

Finished at 1:30 pm.

Flutterhearted, reeling. Ready to dive back in. Ready to start from the beginning. Ready never, ever to leave a world I wish were real.

Ready to discuss. Ashley has checked in; she's finished. Who wants to start the blog where we can talk?

Spoiler Free

I couldn't wait for the postman. I bought a second copy this morning at 9 am.

Currently on pg. 479.

I'll check in when I'm done to let everyone know that I'm spoiler safe. Any ideas on where we can talk about it when we're through so as not to spoil for any people strange enough to wait to read it? (I accidentally spoiled the Half-Blood Prince 2 WEEKS AGO for a self proclaimed Potter fan, so I'm being a lot more careful).

My Dance Card is Full

It's a reading extravaganza!!

First off, like many others, I am absolutely beside myself about the upcoming release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Somewhat foolishly, I ordered it to be delivered on Saturday, the release date...but this means that I won't have it until Saturday afternoon...when I could be waiting at midnight tomorrow. Damn me! The other teachers at work will have already finished by Monday and I can only hope that the weekend affords me enough time to rip through it. I agreed to go to a party on Saturday night, and now I'm all, what was I thinking? How can I party when there is Harry to read? I will most assuredly be closed for business on Sunday as I ingest the book as quickly as my eyes and mind will let me.

Also, I just found out that I've scored two more books in the Library Thing Early Reviewer's program. Last time, I got Lisa See's Peony in Love, which I liked but was not having a heart attack about. This time, I'm reading Gifted by Nikita Lalwani and a sampler of (Not that You Asked) by Steven Almond. Free books rule! The other great thing about the program is that I often like to complain that "no one asked me." As in, "The ending of that movie sucked, but I guess no one asked me." Or, "That was a stupid way to begin this. Why does no one ask me?" So, now I can't complain. Somebody asked me. Not that anything can be changed based on my opinion, but I do like being asked.

And so, I have 3 books arriving by mail that I must read directly upon their arrival. Poor Wicked will be shoved aside again. I don't know if I'll ever finish that book. I like it fine, but I keep having to make way for things that I just can't wait for. Such as Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn, which I bought myself for my birthday and just finished.

Sick

It's about 1:15 in the morning, and I think my fever is breaking. I've spent the last two days in the fog of the sick person: unable to think beyond the next few steps, where are my tissues, why is it so hot in here, oh god it hurts.
Right now I'm thinking: Crap, I'm behind in my work. Which, I think, is a good sign. That and I'm sweating profusely, breathing through my nose and suddenly wide awake in the middle of the night.
It's weird, isn't it, how we can shut down the world until we're nothing but the basic functions: eat, pee, sleep.

Because of where I work, there can be no sick days; I teach in whatever condition I'm in, all year round. So I'm going to eat this sleeve of Ritz crackers, drink my 7 up and try to go back to sleep. But I think I'm on the mend.

Cram Carnage

Years ago, when I lived in Greensboro, there was a Chinese food restaurant that had a huge banner out front advertising "All You Can Eat Cram Legs!" What was hilarious to me about the sign was not just that it was misspelled, but that a banner-printing company had not pointed out to their customers that the word is crab, not cram, and that the restaurant just hung it on up anyway.
And so, henceforth, I have referred to crab as "cram." So much so, that when I typed that sentence, it read "I have referred to cram as "cram." Heh.

This weekend, Jennifer, Thomas and I ventured out to the Tiki Bar in Carolina Beach in search of sun, sand, Coronas with lime, cram legs and Da Howlies, my neighbor Paul's band.

Well, it poured. But we ate cram legs anyway. Here is some carnage, courtesy of Jennifer's phone:



And here is a moist towelette (shudder):



Discussion at dinner included: how the phrase "moist towelette" is JUST SO WRONG, and how I think that the phrase "save it for later" is hilarious (causing people to stow their moist towelettes in interesting places, so as to save them for later).

When it started to pour, we collected the awesome Michelle G. and headed for our front porch, where Paul busted out his drums and we were all percussionally inclined for several glorious hours. Thomas broke out his washboard and jug and Jennifer even played a wooden frog (she kept calling it a fog) from Thailand. It was one of those blessed evenings you can't plan for, with people calling out their favorite words:

"Guantanamo Bay!"
"Rapture!"
"Quantico!"
"Mellifluous!"
"Onomatopoeic!"

Naming our dreadful band ("Sunnyland") and imagining our terrible show. "Hey," we'd say. "We're Sunnyland. And we kind of suck. But listen anyway!"

I was reminded once again of the glory of summer and good friends, the kind of friends you can just be crazy with. Thanks, guys.

Heat Stroke

Tonight is one of those nights where the air is so thick that just breathing feels like a chore. The air is hazy with it, and my glasses fog up just leaving the house. The flowers, no matter how much I water them, look as if they want to pick up their beautiful petticoats and say, "Well! If I'd realized it was going to be this kind of party, I never would have come at all." This weather might be appropriate if I were on a tropical vacation, or sunning myself on the beach. For everyday life, it seems a bit excessive.

I turn an alarming shade of pink in this weather. I don't have to exert myself; it just happens. I develop a white ring around my eyes and mouth and everything else progresses from pink to an angry purple the longer I stay out. My neighbor came over this afternoon and very kindly sawed down some branches that were beginning to shade out my garden, and it wasn't until after he left that I realized I must have looked as if I were about to explode.

I've spent the better part of this evening putting songs into my iPod. I have 1990 songs now, which seems an auspicious number. The iPod agrees with my need to collect, categorize and revel in everything I own, as if someone could go through it and say, Ah. Now that is Meg. I'd know her anywhere.

Do You Know What Axl Rose is an Anagram For?

I saw this post over at Blogapotamus about anagrams.

Here are some anagrams for "Meaghan Gilbert" (all of which might serve as appropriate first book titles, names for this blog, or nicknames for me, depending on your mood)

Blathering Mega
Bagel Nightmare
Ambient Haggler
A Blathering Gem
Gambling Reheat
A Gleam Brighten
A Gingham Treble
A Garbling Theme
Blame Gathering
Garbage Lent Him
Garbage Men Hilt
Algebra Me Thing
Bargeman Leg Hit
Ragbag Theme Nil
Ragbag Then Lime

And these are just SOME of the hundreds it suggested.
Get your own!

Rocking Out

Many, many thanks to the awesome Velocibadgergirl for the Rocking Girl Blogger nomination. She is surely the rockingest girl blogger I know, with her perfect blend of smart/situational blogging, wonderful sidebar poem, hysterical links and general awesomeness. I swear, if we lived closer, she'd be my best friend in the world.



So, now it is my job to nominate 5 other rocking girl bloggers.

Andrea, for her introspection and hyperbolic hilarity

Gina, for her polls, pithiness, and incredible devotion to being an awesome blogger who always gives back

Kim, without whom the world would be decidedly less awesome and funny. Kim makes everything extraordinary. Try some today!

Ashley, because although you can't tell it lately because I am such a slack-ass, she always writes about things that interest me so much that I want to write.

Pen and M, for being so different, and yet gelling into one coherent, far-reaching blog.

Much love to all you ladies. I will try to get back in the swing of things now and earn my rocking girl blogger status.

Happy 33rd Birthday, Thomas!

The reason I look like there's a heavy object squashing me down in this picture is that the man who was taking it said that he couldn't see Jon behind me, and so I wanted to duck down without looking fat. As you can see, the results were excellent. Heh.
There, that's better.

I know every June/July my blog turns into Gilbert birthday picture extravaganza, but bear with me just a little longer so that I can wish my lovely husband a happy birthday. I love you, hon.

It's Togalicious

Please check out my new photo set to see my rocking 30th birthday party toga action.

A huge thank you to my awesome husband, Thomas, for the excellent party and cake. More thanks than I can express to Michelle, Jennifer, Kathy, Ali, Michelle, Mary, Alice, Steve, Will, Jackie, Jim, Bernie, Susan, Brian, Jon and Dragan for the best birthday any girl could ask for. You all spoiled me beyond reason. I love you.