Monthly Archives: March 2007

Harry Potter Geek-out: 7 things to do before July 21st

Posted on March 28, 2007 | 2 Comments

1. Re-read the 1st six books:

Before book number 7 comes out, it re-read the 1st six books. It is extremely important to get a refresher on the story and you will find that re-reading these books right now may give you a whole new perspective on what is really going on between the lines. Look for clues and take notes — as you re-read the books keep a notebook of clues and write anything down that could potentially be of importance. Get a large piece of paper and create a timeline of important events and look for anything that could be some sort of connection or pattern.

2. Listen to MuggleCast and PotterCast:

I listen to both of these podcasts religiously – sometimes more than once. Many of their discussions provide insights that I never would have thought about otherwise – they provide lots of food for thought, and are a lot of fun too! You don’t need an ipod or mp3 player to listen to podcasts, and they don’t cost money. You can listen on your computer or burn them on to a cd and listen while driving.

3. Visit these Harry Potter related websites regularly:

Get involved in the Harry Potter fandom through these sites – it is a great way to meet new people and to get excited about everything that is happening. Here is my must list:

4. Listen to Wizard Rock and Join the Wizard Rock Club:

This is a relatively new phenomenon, it is strangely entertaining and I am really beginning to like it. Bands like Draco and the Malfoys, Harry and the Potters, the Hermione Crookshanks experience, and the Remus Lupins are all very good and entertaining. You can look any of them up on myspace – if you like to have a listen. The Wizard Rock club releases a cd per month and the proceeds are donated to First Book, a non-profit organization that gives children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. Join now: http://www.wizardrockclub.com/ 

5. Attend one of the Harry – Potter related conferences, events, or tours:

There are so many HP-related events it is hard to keep up. This is a great way to meet other fans in person and engage in extreme, in-depth discussion about the books and more. Most of the conferences have some sort of charitable cause they support as well, proving that the HP fandom is meaningful on many levels.

Here is my short list of upcoming events that I would attend if I could:

6. Pre-order your book and plan a book-release party (or attend one):

Pre-order your book to ensure that you get a copy in a timely fashion. You wouldn’t want to be left behind while others are busy taking it all in. If you can, try to support local bookstores (even if they are a little more expensive). Many times it is these smaller establishments have great book-release parties as well. If you can’t find a book release party to attend, plan your own! There are tons of resources on the Web that can help. Learn how to make pumpkin pasties, treacle tarts, serve chocolate frogs, go crazy! Don’t forget to plan your costume.

7. Go see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie on July 13th:

Make an event out of it! Connect with a local meetup group and turn it into a celebration, maybe even attend in costume. If you can’t find a local meetup group, take the neighborhood kids to go see it!

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Posted in harry potter

Crossfit @ 6am

Posted on March 28, 2007 | Leave a comment

Great workout this morning. Becky and I worked out with Jen. Here is what we did:

  • Warmup with windmills
  • 10 burpees
  • Mountain climbers for 1 minute
  • Run across Connecticut ave bridge – stop and do squats, lunges or boxer jumping jacks at each lamp post
  • Run back
  • Ball slams 2 sets of 20 with 15lb medicine ball
  • Ball toss 2 sets of 20 with squats with 12lb medicine ball
  • Shoulder press with 2 15lb kettlebells 2 sets of 20
  • Kettle Bell swing with 24 lb kettlebell 2 sets of 20
  • up-downs (plank position from hands to elbow) 3 sets of 10
  • Alternating knee to chin (for abs)
  • 5 windmills each side with 15 lb kettlebell

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Posted in Fitness & Health

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Harry Potter and Parseltongue

Posted on March 26, 2007 | Leave a comment

There is going to be a major connection between Harry being a parselmouth and Nagini in the end. Also, since Voldemort unwittingly gave Harry the ability to speak parseltongue when he attacked the Potters, what else could he have given Harry that night?

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All in my head?

Posted on March 26, 2007 | 1 Comment

If any of you have been reading my blog over the past few months, you will see a series of boring posts about my crossfit workouts. I love these workouts, they are extreme and painful but when I am done, I feel invincible! I am a very strong person (both physically and emotionally) and these workouts definitely help to confirm that for me.

After much encouragement from Jen, I took the plunge and decided to try out a crossfit session at crossfit DC yesterday. This means that I attended a crossfit class with a large group of folks led by a certified Crossfit instructor. It was a beautiful day, we went outside to the park. Tom is awesome – he has a lot of energy and seems to really love what he does. Here is the workout we did:

warmup with squats, lunges. pushups, and stretches

at the park -

 Repeat the following 3 times:

  • run around the block
  • 20 squats
  • 10 jump ups
  • 20 shoulder press with 10 lb dbs (10 each side)
  • 5 jumping pull ups
  • 5 pushups

Then finish with short run around the park

The workout was a little challenging, especially the running part. Now – it is no secret that I am overweight – I weigh 188lbs on my short 5’2″ frame, so running in particular is hard for me. I was already nervous about attending this class where I knew that I would show up and be the heaviest one there, and participate among some extremely fit people. I arrived and immediately felt awkward and uncomfortable. I introduced myself to several class participants and I could tell that they were trying to be nice – but what was really on their mind was ‘how is she going to possibly make it through this workout’.

This is an issue that many overweight people feel – and I believe that is why we do not see more of us at the gym or attending these types of classes – which of course does not help us as we should be out there working out with everyone else. It is extremely intimidating to be a big person among folks who are fit and trim. I know many of you understand what I am talking about. Those who have never been overweight can not possibly understand how it feels to be in that position, and probably just don’t understand why we just don’t ’lose the weight’.

I did very well and made it through the workout with some other ‘beginners’ and left right afterwards. That’s another issue, because I am not really a beginner, but in my head I felt like one because of my weight. I liked the class, but I am not sure that I want to go back (I would rather work out with Jen and other folks who know me) because I walked away still feeling uncomfortable and awkward. It has nothing to do with Crossfit DC or Tom’s class, and I know that most of this is probably in my head – but it is real to me nonetheless. I have not always been overweight. I do notice the difference between how people look at me (or how they look past me) now versus how I used to be treated when I was a ‘normal’ size.

It’s important acknowledge these feelings – because so many people have been (and still are) where I stand – and it is very difficult to talk about. Let’s face it, none of us want others to know we have such feelings, or such weaknesses. There are many of us out here who just want to be fit and healthy, whatever that means for us. We don’t have to be perfect, or have six-pack abs and a size 24 waistline. I just want to be fit and healthy, and enjoy life to its fullest – that is all. I just wish that it was easier, and that society wouldn’t place such a horrible ‘stigma’ on us heavy folks. It is such a hellacious battle – and it is SO tiring, making all of the rest so difficult to achieve. But I won’t give up my quest for health and fitness - ever.

If I ever own a gym, I will surely make sure that at least part of my focus would be on encouragement, support, and sensitivity to those in my position. Heck, I may even market services in that light. I would want to help people feel better about themselves.

In the meantime, I will just make up my mind to ignore all of the ugly ‘chatter’ within, and remind myself “I am beautiful, I am fit, I am strong“.

That’s it for now – off to the next great adventure.

peace out.

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Posted in Fitness & Health, I need to vent, life, Taking Action

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More Harry Potter Theories to Consider – what do you think?

Posted on March 24, 2007 | 2 Comments

Here are some possible scenarios and food for thought regarding book 7:

  1. Snape dies defending Harry and he is then protected all over again
  2. Nagini is an Animagus – haven’t quite figured out who he is yet
  3. Regulus Black is not really dead – maybe he is actually Nagini and Voldemort is punishing him
  4. Aunt Petunia dies protecting Harry and he is then protected all over again
  5. The Dursleys go to Harry for protection
  6. Maybe Sirius isn’t actually dead? What is the deal with the veil?

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Posted in harry potter

What the hell? Shoes Betch!

Posted on March 23, 2007 | Leave a comment

This video is my latest obsession. Strangely enjoyable and hilarious

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Posted in Random Ramblings

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There has been a lot of chatter lately about ‘The Secret’ since Oprah featured the topic on her show . The foundation of the secret centers around what they call ‘the law of attraction’ – which essentially means that you ‘get … Continue reading →

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Posted on March 23, 2007

walked 3 miles in my shoes

Posted on March 22, 2007 | 1 Comment

We walked a little over 3 miles today – it took about an hour. My hope is to get my pace up to 3.5 mph and keep it consistent. It was a mild, breezy spring evening – perfect for walking and thinking. June 9th is not so far away – I need to be able to walk 20 miles overnight. I can do this.

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Posted in Adventures, Fitness & Health, Taking Action

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Make a Difference: Stop the cycle of poverty BEFORE it happens

Posted on March 22, 2007 | 1 Comment

Modest NeedsI have recently been researching social change organizations that make it easy for regular people like you and me to make a difference. My hope is to bring this information to light in a way that is not so overwhelming – so that busy people who are already overwhelmed with life can still contribute in a simple and easy way to a meaningful cause. I was intrigued by an organization that I recently learned about from Karama Neal  named Modest Needs.

I have been reading  a lot lately about homelessness and poverty here in the US – the most frightening fact being that there are more homeless families with children now than ever before. For the most part, these are families with parents that work, who have an income but typcially fall on hard times (illness, loss of a job, medical expenses, other life events). Once they begin to get behind on core living expenses, they start on a downward spiral – beginning the cycle of poverty and homelessness. It is my understanding that once you cross that line and go down that path, it is extremely difficult to turn the situation around.

Modest Needs is a registered charity that works to stop the cycle of poverty before it starts for low-income workers struggling to afford emergency expenses like those we’ve all encountered before: the unexpected auto repair, the unanticipated trip to the doctor, the unusually large winter heating bill.

Modest Needs is funded exclusively by  private citizens – people just like me and you – with donations typically ranging from $5 to $100 at a time. They make it really easy to give – either a one-time donation or a monthly withdrawel from your bank account (it can be as little as 5$ per month). Giving to Modest Needs is completely tax deductable and they provide documention for that purpose.

What I really like about them is that they verify the recipients – and when you become a member you can read through the requests for help – you will be able to see which requests have been granted as well as which ones are still outstanding. There are also thank you letters from recipients as well.

If you believe in the power of human kindness to change lives, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to  Modest Needs.   One thing to note is that in 2007, your pledge of any size to Modest Needs is DOUBLED through a matching grant all year long.

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Posted in life, Taking Action

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Seven Hundred Eighty Four

Posted on March 21, 2007 | 2 Comments

784. That’s how many pages there are in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – the upcoming final installment of the Harry Potter series due to be released on July 21stThe release of this book is probably THE most exciting event this year – sure to be accompanied by book release parties all over the world. I am sure to attend one of these, and I am thinking of going in costume – probably Nymphadora Tonks. We will see . . .

Pressing questions:

  1. Is Snape evil?
  2. How does Dumbledore continue to help Harry?
  3. What is the deal with Aunt Petunia?
  4. Who will die?
  5. Is Harry a horcrux?
  6. Will Ron and Hermione get together?
  7. Will Harry and Ginnie get together?
  8. Will Lupin marry Tonks?
  9. What will become of Hogwarts?
  10. Does Percy reconcile with his family?

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Posted in harry potter