I am going to put the disclaimer out there that although this is my first post about Harry Potter, it will most certainly NOT be my last. You have all been warned.

I originally started this blog with the intent to reread each of the seven Harry Potter novels and then reflect on them. Yes, I said reread. I have followed Harry’s story from the very beginning, reading the books as they came out as quickly as possible, laughing, crying, eagerly turning each page, and then when I was finished I would read it again. The first time I read each Harry Potter book (especially as I progressed further through the series) I couldn’t seem to turn the page fast enough. Constantly torn between the love of the writing and wanting to take in each and every detail given, and the NEED (not want) to know what would happen next. I would finish a book in less than 24 hours (with the help of my yayas* and LOTS of coffee, sodas, and snacks) and then maybe a day later I would lay down before I went to bed and read a little of the book every night, stretching it out for as long as I could manage, because the second time I would REALLY read it. I took in everything and thought about how they worked in relation to the past and the future and question what something might mean or whose side someone might be on.

Before Harry Potter I had always liked to read but now I can safely say I am obsessed. There is only one other series that has captured my heart so successfully, The Chronicles of Narnia. CS Lewis is totally classic and a complete genius and I love everything I have read by him. If you have not read The Chronicles of Narnia, do it.

Right now.

Done? Okay, good. Anyway, after reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the seventh and final book, to all of those who have been living under a rock the past ten years) about a hundred times I kept thinking about how truly amazing this series is. JK Rowling is my hero. They way each book not only connects to the past but also foreshadows events that might be two books away. It is complete genius and I don’t know how she did it, but boy am I glad she did. I wish that more authors wrote like her.

The idea for this blog came when the first Deathly Hallows Trailer was released and Brandon and I were discussing how incredibly stoked we were. I was about half way through a couple different books when I decided they could wait until I reread all seven HP books. Those books are still strewn about our apartment today, bookmarks still in place, and I solemnly swear that one day I will return to them and finish each and every one. For now, HP is my priority. Right now I am on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book four) and truthfully, I am torn. Should I write a blog (actually probably more than one) for each book? I am not opposed to doing so. I’ll let you know. I am having a strong urge to give you my thoughts now about Goblet of Fire, but I will control them until I have decided how I am going to proceed from here.

Post number 2, check.

*yayas- a group of girls that, although born of different families, act like sisters.

My yayas are exceptional in every way. We might not always get along but we love each other all the same. I would be lost without them. They love HP just as much as I do :)

This is not a public diary...

I think the best way to write a successful blog post is to pick a topic and stick to it as much as you can. So for my fist *official* post on this bright, new, shiny blog the topic is… drum-roll puhlease…… BLOGGING. How clever am I?! You might ask yourself, ‘Who is this edgy, young, whipper-snapper that has turned this internet society on its head???’ Well I am…no one really, at least right now. I work as an office assistant at a hotel supply company and I am one bored individual (at least while I am at work). I am also dating the love of my life, Brandon, and am the mother of two fabulous boys, Monster Muttley the Australian Shepherd Mix and Oliver Jenkins the Boston Terrier (had you going for a second there, didn’t I? ;)) Now look at me here, not even following my own advice, I have countless posts to talk about Numero Uno, back to the blog about blogging.

I have started a few blogs in the past with the intent to let one post take me to the next and it be this magical journey through my thoughts and world. Well, that didn’t quite pan out. Let’s look back at my blogging history, which I am proud to say was primarily in the XANGA world, and find out why.

Xanga. I know you all know it (at least you do if you are in the 20 to 25 age range). I know many of you wish you didn’t. I myself went through a period of time where I loathed the thought of it so much that I actually went back and completely deleted myself from the database. Now, however I am pretty pissed with myself that I did. I was having one of those moments we all have in college where you wake up one day and KNOW you are different. You know that something has happened or been happening that has led you to this exact instance that you realize that you have out grown your high school self. This is all a load of bologna (I’ll talk more later about how I know this.) So I deleted my many Xangas because I wanted to erase the HighSchoolMe so none of my college or future friends would ever know what a love sick noob I was way back when (turns out I am still a love sick noob and super proud of it, thank you very much).

Since then I have attempted a few other blogs when the idea happened across my path but none ever stuck like the Xangas. I wondered why that is…Why had Xanga captured my attention so successfully? I know the main reason I got into blogging in the first place is because a friend of mine told me how “awesome” it was. My 15 year old self liked “awesome” things just as much as my current 23 year old self does so I threw caution to the wind. I came up with the coolest, most original, most thought provoking username (that I can not, even now reflecting back, allow myself to divulge to you). The name was stupid. I’m embarrassed that my mind allowed me to think it was even a remotely okay idea, but whatever. You live and you learn. A few months later after writing a new post almost everyday about nonsense (seriously it was basically a really embarrassing public diary, cool right?) I woke up and realized how dumb my current username was, so I started a new one with a new username that was equally as dumb as the first, but it was new and I was a little older so it was different and amazing. This routine repeated itself a couple thousand more times until MySpace came on the scene and suddenly Xanga was old news. That’s where my blogging pretty much died, until this moment when I obviously chose to revive it. I had a few sorry attempts in between that time and now but, nothing substantial enough to tell you about. The reason I am so mad at myself is I wish I had those intricate retellings of my life at that point. I feel like my memory is already failing and a large part of me really wishes I could look back on those, regardless of how sad or funny or embarrassing any of them were. But there is no way of getting them back now so, onward and upward.

I believe the reason those in between attempts were so futile is because I had no clear plan, which is weird because I ALWAYS have a plan. Lack of planning is my tippy-top pet peeve. Not having a plan freaks me out more than all bugs combined. I hatehatehate not having a plan. But for some reason this never translated to the blogosphere. I would just sit down, bored, and decide to write the most witty, entertaining post ever about…. anything. Obviously, a great idea. Most of the time I would start writing and, then I would look back to see where to go next and I would have a major WTF moment. What was I doing? None of this made any sense; in fact it was starting to resemble...a…public...diary…. “NOOOOOOO! This can’t be happening again!” I would think to myself. The post would be immediately deleted and I tried to never think of it again. So, why, after so many failed attempts, have I ventured back in to the blogging world?
A. I’m bored.
B. I have heard so many people that talk about their blogs that I have decided, if they can do it, damn it so can I.
And C. I have no idea what to do with my life and I am hoping by mulling over my thoughts I might be able to discern a path from them.

In short, this is something that will hopefully help me stumble upon a life plan, cure my day to day boredom and help keep the panic attacks from lack of a plan at bay for awhile. Also, I think I am way funnier than most people I know who blog so why shouldn’t I be awesome at this?

Well I think that is about all I have to say about blogging for right now. A part two might be coming soon but you never know. For now, I will just sit and decide what my next topic will be. Comments and critiques are welcome (not that I am very sure anyone is reading this).

Later days.