The Return

As much as I wanted to continue blogging regularly I couldn't find it in me to make the time for it over the last eight months. It's been a long while since I've been active here and I've had a lot of guilt about that. Life got in the way. I still read lots of books and blogs though I did not write as much as I would have liked, but I couldn't harness the energy to blog.

I switched my day job and quit Philadelphia for Boston. Leaving my job was hard, I'd been there for almost 6 years and I was sad to say goodbye to many of my coworkers, but I wanted to relocate and I am happy that I did. The move was an adventure for sure but it took a long time to come to fruition.  I've had the desire to flee to New England for years. I primarily credit Alice Hoffman, maple syrup, and the Autumn season for this desire. In theory it sounds dreadfully romantic, doesn't it?

Picking up and moving however involved a lot more steps, planning, and frustrating apartment hunting than they show in books and movies. Though I enjoy planning, list making, and employing excel spreadsheets to pave the way so I'm not complaining. Also, the most frustrating piece of apartment hunting was getting a landlord to accept my 50 pound dog and I would never complain about that. I knew what I was signing up for when I adopted him five years ago and I'm happy I found a place with a fenced in yard.

I think he likes it.

We arrived just in time for our new city to be attacked on Marathon Monday. My family was not entirely pleased to see me relocating so far away, but they understood it was something I needed to do. I live alone and I think that stresses them out to a certain extent. The Marathon Bombings, which occurred half a block from my new office, did not help assuage their worries. Boston, however, is a strong city and the response to the attacks have only served to affirm that I made the right decision.

Yesterday when she was over my friend, Liz-who played a vital role in my move, said it looks like I've lived here for years. And I do feel settled now. With the to do lists put aside and the stress of moving ebbing, I find the words come easier. The itch to dust off my last project and breath life into it is stronger than ever. Writing playlists are revamped. Deadlines are updated in spreadsheets and I feel the writer inside of me nudging herself to the forefront again. I'm more myself when I'm writing regularly and though I was too occupied to feel the hole not writing left in my days I can sense the completeness that was not there over recent months. It's a comfort and I'm beyond grateful for it.

Hopefully, I'll get back on track with a blogging schedule soon. I know some folks have missed my Book Reports and I have definitely missed some folks.

And You Guys Thought I Was A Dork

In every social circle that I am a part of, I proudly hold the title of biggest Harry Potter fan. Even at work everyone knows who the Harry Potter expert is. Which explains why I came into the office this morning and found this newspaper on my desk.

Of course, I already knew about the upcoming Wizarding Weekend taking place in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. They are going to transform downtown into Hogsmeade. There will be Quidditch, butterbeer, ghost tours, costume contests, a pub crawl, and wizard chess.

Aside from being totally amazing, it makes me wonder, if I am a huge dork for all things HP then what are the people participating in these events? This year is the 2nd Annual Philadelphia Brotherly Love Cup, a Quidditch tournament. Who plays in this tournament? Are they just your average Potter fans who are really into sports? Or are they (gasp!) dorkier than me? I think I will have to go to find out.



Being the go-to Potter source for my friends, family, and coworkers is a serious source of pride for me.  So, I won't pretend that being out-Pottered isn't a concern. Unfortunately, there is not a quizzo or trivia contest scheduled for this weekend for me to prove myself. Though for the record, if all my wizarding dreams came true and I was a student at Hogwart's I would not be trying out for my house team.



Ashley-Gryffindor, Jess-Hufflepuff and Me-Ravenclaw



I would be found in the library doing Arithmancy in between my shifts at the school radio, which if they don't have I'd spearhead to get up and running. Bring on that sweet Wizard Rock.

Watching muggles play Quidditch does seem entertaining. I have yet to see it live but I hear the golden snitch is played by someone who runs around the field with the "snitch" hanging from their belt à la flag football in gym class. 

Have any of you seen or participated in a Quidditch match?

 These events are not confined to Philadelphia, you can check with The International Quidditch Association and see if there are any teams near you. A lot of folks are getting ready for the Quidditch World Cup taking place in NYC the weekend of November 12th.