MS Paint Art

I had a few moments at work where I needed to turn my brain off and check out. I needed to reboot so to speak, so I doodled in MS Paint & this is the result.

So, Hermione's love of books is obvious as is Harry's love of flying. For Ron, I didn't think I could draw a chocolate frog and I don't know what a packet of Droobles looks like, so I went with the Deluminator ;)

Platform 9¾

Finally it arrived!

I ordered this online before Christmas.

I know exactly where it is going to

hang after I have it framed.

I Had To Buy It!

When I arrived home yesterday, I told Adam to go into my bag and

check out the magazine I bought.

He said, "Vanity Fair?"

I said, "No."

He said, " Hustler?"

I said, "Um...no."

He said, "Shaved Asians?"

I said, "No, but if I see it next time, I'll get it for you."

It was a magazine that I've not bought since my early teen years.

No, it's not Tiger Beat!

Mad Magazine!

Containing satires of all 8 Harry Potter Movies.

I've taken some shots - they haven't all come out perfectly clear.

I'm having an issue with my camera.

The right side of most of my shots are blurry lately.

Did the humidity get into it?

Anyhow, here are a few shots.

Enjoy.



Super High to Super Low

All day today and pretty much for the last little while, I've been

walking around like a kid on Christmas Eve.

I've found it, at times, hard to contain my excitement over the release

of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.

We were pretty close to the front of the line :)

Today, Adam & I went downtown to and saw it, in IMAX 3D.

It was everything I hoped for.

It was so well done.

I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I cried some more and I cheered some more.

The 3D glasses on my head made my glasses crooked & gave me crazy Mad Eye Moody looking eyes. Weird.

When it ended, I got really sad really fast.

The realization that that's it hit me hard.

Adam started talking to me during the credits, but I couldn't reply.

I was lost in my thoughts.

Reliving the film.

Comparing what they took or or did differently than the book.

Still now, 4 hours later, I'm still feeling very quiet.

I'm glad we saw it in 3D, but the glasses - special ones for IMAX -

were a pain. a slight tilt of the heat and.....blur.

Plus wearing glasses over glasses.....not so much.

I WILL see it again in the theater in regular 2D.

I will go alone because yes, Adam fell asleep.

I was so angry!

I kept pinching him.

The story never grabbed him, he hasn't read the books.

He said today he can't relate to any character

and that hearing the theme music - that he has heard a bagazillion

times from our DVD player - is a sleep tonic to him.

I can't really say anything else right now, it's still bouncing around in my head.

I am sad.

I Was Right!

I said Adam'd make a good Hagrid and I was right!

Adam has very kind eyes.

He even makes an ok Harry.



An odd looking Dumbledore



And a hilarious Snape!



The Final Countdown

The countdown of course is for our boy wizard Harry.

I bought our tickets today online.

We are going all out & seeing it in an IMAX 3D Adventure.

Adam doesn't get it.  I am actually almost willing to wager that

he will, at some point, fall asleep during the film.

He did during the last two.

I've watched so many interviews of J.K Rowling and the cast and crew lately.

There was one I wish I'd bookmarked.

J.K Rowling said she didn't think the first book would have a big audience.

Sure, there'd be the obsessives, but not the masses that love the books.

I would characterize myself as an obsessive in this case.

I don't belong to any clubs or online groups.

Ok, I bought my awesome kick ass wand...

I've never dressed up for Halloween as a Harry Potter character.

If I did, it'd be Professor Trelawny ;)  She's awesome.

I think Adam'd make a perfect Hagrid.

He's kind and caring like Hagrid.

I can guarantee that a future family dog at some point will

either be named Dobby or Albus - depending on the breed.

But I digress.

I love the characters, the stories, the school, the portraits that move.

The MAGIC and all the Magical Creatures.

I also love that it's British.

While reading the first book, as Hagrid tapped on the wall out back of the

Leaky Cauldron, I was there.

I was 11 years old and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

As a kid, my favourite stories were of other worlds or secret places.

Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

The Wizard of Oz (even though it was scary)

The Land of the Lost

The Secret Garden

Mary Poppins

Alice in Wonderland

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

As an adult, my tastes have remained the same in books and films.

I get lost in Middle Earth, often.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Stardust

These stories, in a way have become my escape,

my relaxation, my inspiration and at times, my therapy.

A few years ago, I had pneumonia. A pneumonia that wouldn't go away.

After chest x-rays and CT scans, further tests and procedures were required.

Words like Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and lung nodules came up.

There were some weeks before my biopsy was scheduled where, for the first time, I

thought about my mortality.

My mind went 100 miles a minute for about 3 weeks.

If whatever was wrong with me wasn't going to kill me,

the stress I was causing myself surely would.

One of the thoughts I had was, " I won't know how Harry Potter ends."

See, the last book hadn't been published yet.

How odd is it, that I thought about that.

I thought about a million other things too, like would Adam re-marry?

Would my Mom be ok?

Would I ever get to see myself with a full head of grey hair?

Will I ever grow old?

Mostly, I was scared. Really scared.

That is when movies and books calmed me.

Took me out of the shit I was going through, even if it was for just 90 minutes.

That's why I love movies.

That's why I love books.

I am looking forward to seeing this final film.

I am incredibly sad that it is the last film.

The Boy Who Lived.

Saturday Morning Movie Fan

 Adam's sleep patterns have been off as of late.

By off, I mean, he comes to bed as I'm waking up.

I'm ready to spend time together & he's falling asleep.

When he gets up, he's ready to spend time together & I'm ready for sleep.

I don't know how folks who work night shifts do it.

Adam isn't working a night shift, he's just a little bit mental

and enjoys staying up all night.

Lately, I've been brightest early in the morning and by 8:00pm

I no longer function at full capacity.

This morning I think he rolled into bed around 5:00am.

I went to bed early-ish last night, so come 7:00am, I was wide awake.

The sun was brightly shining, the sky was blue and there was

a slight breeze.

Perfect Pug walking weather.

I splashed my face with water, brushed my teeth

(you never know, might bump into someone)

and took Crockett out.

He wasn't in a walking mood, he was in a sniffing mood.

He must've sniffed every blade of grass & leaf as he didn't move from

this spot for 5 minutes.

When I came back in, Adam was in a deep sleep snoring loudly.

I decided to go to the theater at Yonge & Eglinton as it's the last

Saturday of the Harry Potter Marathon and today's film is

The Deathly Hallows Part 1.

It started at 10:30am so I decided to walk down to the

theater, camera in hand and have a nice stroll.

I walked down on the shady side of the street & it was perfect.

I'm headed down to just past the tallest building that you can see in this photo.



I zoomed it & have circled the theater sign.

Google Maps says it is 1.5kms

I left home at 9:00am so I had plenty of time.

I had to stop for a coffee.

How crazy is this, there are 4 Starbucks between my apartment

and the theater. There are 2 more North of us, both within walking distance.

It was a perfect cuppa.

As I continued South, I looked up alot.

I noticed a nice design on a building that is being renovated inside.

Sadly, I can't remember what was there.

At least they're not messing with the exterior.

Also, some cool art in a frame shop window.

There's another tiny little store called Love Child that looks wedged between

2 buildings that sell the funkiest baby clothes, cool onesies and t-shirts.

I arrived at the theater well in time to be the first one in.

It filled up between 10:15am - 10:30am.

I was really happy I went, I enjoyed seeing it on the big

screen again.

When I left the theater, I noticed there was a HUGE cardboard poster.

I wasn't able to get a really good photo of it, but the one I did take

is posted as today's Project 365 photo.

I picked up some groceries on the way home and

have spent the rest of the day being quite lazy.

I am going to go to bed early again so that I can be up early again

tomorrow for another nice morning walk with Crockett.

J.K. Rowling Announces Pottermore

Audio books - I wonder who'll be reading them?

It's Getting Closer

Another new trailer released today.

It's getting closer.

Exciting.

Magic

We don't have kids, ergo, we don't have toys.

I wouldn't believe any adult that told me they haven't at one time

or another, played with their kids' toys.

I'm sure if I had an Etch n' Sketch or Lite Brite at my disposal,

I'd create a work of art.

I have, on occasion, bought myself some grown up toys.

They come from the awesome store

Silver Snail Comics

Now, they aren't the expensive collectible sort.

Although, the Lord of the Rings items they had available made me wish

I had enough coin to make my very own (nerd alert)  LOTR tribute room.

I still hope to one day own my very own replica of

Gandalf the White's Staff.

I got my Gandalf from Silver Snail Comics.

I bought my very own Harry Potter wand.

I almost want to bring it with me to the last film and hold it

up at the end, like they did when Prof. Dumbledore was killed.

Is that going too far?

Perhaps.

I keep my wand on my DVD player.

I took a photo of it and it is Day 43

in my Project 365 page, but here it is

in all its glory.

Pretty cool huh?

Lumos

Lumos Maxima

Nox

Love it.

The light goes on and off with a small flick of the wrist.

Loads of fun.

Reading with Crockett

Finishing work early on Friday is great!

On my way home, I stopped off at the store to pick

up some new cleaning supplies.

This weekend, with the nice cool air in the forecast I am going to

tackle the Spring Cleaning, windows and all.

Funny, what motivated me was a Pine Sol commercial.

New lemon scent.

The lady, after mopping her floor, was standing there

breathing in the fresh clean scent with a look

of utter peace and joy. That's what I want.

A clean, really clean, apartment makes me happy

so that is what I'll do.

Of course tomorrow morning I have my 10:30am

date at the theater with Harry Potter.

I'm reading the final book again.

Enjoying it.

I spent an hour laying on the bed in comfy blankets with Crockett reading.

Then he looked so adorable I took a bunch of photos of him.

He really has a great face.

Pugs not Drugs

Movies and Dogs

This morning it was raining.

A perfect day for me to see the next Harry Potter Film

The Chamber of Secrets.

I saw the same folks at the theater as last Saturday.

Creatures of habit we humans are, we all sat in pretty much the same seats.

Next week will be my last.

The Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite.

I love Gary Oldman.

I've said it before, he reminds me of my Dad.

I will also say, I much prefer Michael Gambon to Richard Harris.

Gambon is both eccentric and wise where Harris was really only wise.

I've watched films 4 thru 7 Part I so many times that I

don't need to see them in the theater again.

I'll wait patiently for the final film release July 15th.

On my way to the theater on the bus, there was a lady with a small

black dog ( Pekingese??)  wearing a yellow raincoat with a hood.

It was adorable. His name is Sebastian.

I've posted a photo of' him and his owner as my photo

of the day on my Project 365.

 Sebastian in his rain coat!

I say Movies, because after Harry Potter, Adam was

waiting for me in a different theater in the same complex

as we went to see X-Men First Class.

I loved it. There is a great cameo scene.

It is my favorite of the X-Men films so far.

Wolverine coming in second - Hugh Jackman - yummy!

It was so well done, really well acted and written and

really tells the story of how Magento and Prof X

came to be.

I also really like James McAvoy.

After the film, Adam told me we had to stop by the PJs Pet in the mall.

The doggie in the window; a Pug/ Boston Cross with a brindle coat.

Seeing Dogs in pet shops break my heart.

Especially breeds that I know are prone to health issues.

Pets are not to be purchased as impulse buys because they are cute

or on a payment plan to a store at $50 month.

We got Crockett from a breeder after doing alot of research and meeting

the mother and puppies from previous litters.

These poor pups most likely came from somewhere sad

where they are looked at as profit and not family companions.

By the time we left the theater, the sun was shining.

Crockett and I went for a short walk and bumped into

his lady Pug friend Lola.

She is adorable. Regal.