This weekend I set out to do some Christmas shopping. Familiar songs played on the radio, Sleigh ride, Frosty, All I want for Christmas. I started out like gangbusters in my green scarf and Fair Isle mittens. But I only made it to one store. The lines, crowds, and general commercialism zapped the enthusiasm and pre-holiday spirit right out of me. And I was done. The practical part of me said to press on, do it now don’t wait until the last minute like every other year. But the rebellious part was in denial. What is this? It’s not even Thanksgiving yet and Christmas decorations have been in the mall since before Halloween. I didn’t feel like buying into it, I’ve decided to do my holiday shopping online this year.

Instead I took myself to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Where, much to my delight in a standing room only matinee, I was comfortably seated between two Hot single Dads. There was one to my left and one to my right. During previews I got to see the big screen King Kong trailer. It's going to be awesome - only 23 more days.

I won’t say too much about the fourth installment of the Harry Potter films in case you haven’t seen it yet -- but to say I liked it. Not as much as the first, more than the second and third. It was darker and less cute. I laughed a lot, but am not sure if it was the movie making me giddy or the fact that I was a Lori sandwich for 2.5 hours. Good times.

There was romance and one death. Near the beginning there was a very cool Quidditch World Cup tourney in a galactic stadium that looked to be the size of 50 football fields. There were dragons, phantoms, death eaters, a Yule Ball, and Triwizard Tournament. So much better than shopping.

Favorite line from the movie by Albus Dumbledore:

"Dark and difficult times lie ahead, soon we all must choose between what is right and what is easy”