I was reading the new Harry Potter at breakfast the other day when GP2 took it off me, saying “You shouldn’t be reading that. You should be revising!”.  Too true unfortunately.  Surely three years can’t have whizzed by quite so fast?  I’m sure it was only last year that I did that much loathed 2 day First Aid at Work refresher course.  I know it is A GOOD THING to know some First Aid.  I know I have to keep my certificate in date as 10 minutes out of date and I’d have to do a 4 day course.  I know they all did the right things when I broke my ankle – after all, I’m a trained first aider and I know these things – they kept me lying down (not that I was planning on going anywhere) and they called an ambulance.  But I hate these courses, taught by people who I appreciate are trying to be helpful, friendly, interesting but always seem smug, in the gloomiest of buildings imaginable.  Anyhow, despite Harry Potter, and forgetting to call for help during the scenario, never mind potentially breaking the nose of the victim dummy during CPR, I am safe for another 3 years.  But please, don’t hurt yourself while I’m around.

So back to Harry Potter.  We missed the midnight launch this time as we drove to Somerset for the weekend; it would have been my in-laws’ 52nd wedding anniversary on Monday and Grandma is still finding life alone very hard.  What a wet weekend.  Wet, wet, wet.  Thank goodness we travelled down on Thursday and avoided the M5 floods on Friday.  Anyhow, despite waiting until Saturday morning for the book, GP1 had finished it by Monday morning and even GP2 had read it by Wednesday night.  I had to wait to get my hands on it but that’s it, done and dusted.  We need another publishing sensation now.  Who’s next? 

Health warning… the ending of the HP story follows shortly, so, as they say, if you don’t want to know, look away now!

On our drive up and down the country we listened to The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – 11 CDs worth, and we haven’t quite finished yet.  Continue reading →