My niece picked up her copy at 12:07 am, and is still only 42 pages into it. I told her she has to finish it by tomorrow so I can read it.

I finished mine!!!

Course, I'm a freak.

Huh. Even though Amazon says that UPS was delivering it, and the UPS site has tracking info, the Post Office just delivered it. (Not that I'm complaining.) I guess UPS sub-contracts to the USPS sometimes?

Anyway, the mail carrier, who is totally friendly even when she's delivering a free sample of cereal (or something) just cracked me up. She rang my doorbell (I have no idea how she got in, since the front door is supposed to be secure and people are buzzed in), and when I opened the door, she said, with a big grin, "It's here!"

And I clapped my hands and said, "Oh, you just MADE my day!!!!" And she laughed, and I asked her if she's been getting reactions like mine all day. She said, "Actually, you were one of the quieter ones!"

Have book. WOOT.

Still going hiking with boyfriend. But now I know I can come home from the trail and READ HARRY POTTER!!!

Hee -- the box has an owl on it!

Also, I kind of feel like I did the day that "Chosen" aired -- like, this is it. It's all going to be over. And I don't want it to be over, but I have to find out what happens.

Meep.

I was just thinking Buffy and Angel thoughts earlier this week.

I guess UPS sub-contracts to the USPS sometimes?

All the major carriers do that now -- they deliver it to your post office, and the mail carrier brings it to your house. Better for UPS because they don't have to deal with people not being home, but sucky for the customer because sometimes the whole point of sending something UPS (Fedex/DHL) is to avoid one's extremely crappy local post office!

DH and I walked out this morning and bought one at Barnes & Noble, along with a copy of Vampire People (which WAS on a table in the Humor section, unfortunately that particular B&N has the humor section table in an annoyingly out of the way location). I'm letting him read it first because I'll be home all week with nothing better to do.

All the major carriers do that now -- they deliver it to your post office, and the mail carrier brings it to your house.

My UPS mailing label actually says to deliver to the Post Office and the Post Office was supposed to deliver it to me. But, UPS did deliver it. I don't really care either way. I have it.

Well, I just finished it. I posted my reactions in the Book Club thread.

Last night was pretty fun. I got all dressed up (someone in the back room took my photo, mocking my old-fashioned film camera--"I haven't heard that sound [the film advancing] in ages!") and arrived 45 minutes before I had to clock in. B&N was filling up with kids and adults in all variations of costumes, people complaining because they were going to have to wait since they didn't reserve the book, but overall everyone was pretty hepped up for it. We had a few outbursts of adults shouting in exhultation when they had the book in their hand after midnight, which always brought a laugh from everyone else still waiting.

The line handlers were genius in how they organized the crowd, since we managed to sell nearly 950 books (not including the non-Potter stuff we were ringing up for some customers) between 12:01 and 1:25. One of the last customers said that they had been waiting at a neighboring B&N but were getting frustrated at the way the line wasn't moving at all (it was still stretched throughout the store and out the doors at 1:00, and they ended up selling only 50 more books than we did), so they came over to our store and were shocked to find we were on the verge of shutting down the registers. Straightening up the store was a bitch though, and I ended up bailing at 2:30.

I got dressed up as Tonks - pictures soon, promise! - and Joe and I and our friends J & S went down to the Border's for the Grand Hallows Ball. It was loads of fun and I was bouncing off the walls. I blame the caffiene, sugar, and excitement. Ran into two people I haven't seen since high school. Cracks me up, but they totally recognized me right off. I was happy that lots of people recognized "me". The kid dressed as a bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans won the costume contest and it was really hard for me not to enter the trivia contest. Had to remind myself - FOR THE KIDS!! NOT the obsessive 32 year old.

We hung out with S's parents and eventually Joe's mom, brother, and dad's girlfriend showed up. We hung out until about 12:30 ish and then headed to Meijer's where we grabbed our books off the giant pile, went through the self-checkout, and then went to J&S's house where I devoured the first six chapters.

And came home and read and read and slept a bit and then read some more and now I'm finished and I can't even process everything. I think I need a reread. I *know* I need a reread. But Joe has it now.

Shouldda bought two copies.

My book has shipped. It will be at Endor sometime between Thursday and Tuesday. Hopefully toward the beginning of that.

Glad you had fun, Aimee