“Harry’s Wondrous World” by John Williams. I like the titular playfulness with Louis Armstrong. This is my favorite of all the wonderful melodies and music scores heard in the Harry Potter films. Oddly it first really grabbed me when I heard it as the theme to the Lego Harry Potter videogame Pablo y Doodles were playing. John Williams has helped put the themes in the heads of another generation. 

Hear this and others including Harry and the Potters tomorrow as you take your OWLs quiz for Hogwarts at Books & Bars. @booksandbars on twitter - discuss all the books with us from 6-9pm CST or anytime with hashtag #booksandbars

Join us as we have expanded our seating capacity on the patio at the Aster Cafe. Tomorrow 6-9pm is Harry Potter Day, a Books & Bars event/trivia/discussion of all 7 books before the final film. booksandbars.com

popsong89

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”-Roald Dahl

(Source: fallingleaves11)

Which house are you?

“Come on, Tom. Let’s finish this the way we started: together.” - Harry to You Know Who

I’ve decided this is the winter to finally tackle the 7 Harry Potter books. Was feeling kind of left out in all the movie hoopla, so my goal is to finish them in time for the final film release this summer. Maybe I’ll get a slight Return of the Jedi high from the anticipation. Was originally going to wait to read them to Pablo y Doodles, but I think it best I know the material before I attempt interpretative bedtime readings. Plus, they’re only 6 and 4, we’ll have time, but it’d take too much time to try to read it to them before this self-imposed deadline. 

Note: I read the first one years ago, liked it enough, but not enough to do more about it. Decided to wait. Watched the movies. Decided to stop since they made less and less sense. I’ll read them. The kids will be a reason to re-read them. And probably re-read them. I thought they were still too young. Bring it on, nerds.

Another hibernation project will be watching the 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights. Past hibernation screenings included The Wire and Battlestar Galactica. So the bar is pretty high, but everyone tells me this show will clear it. At least most of it is on Netflix Watch Instantly. Hopefully, I can get Mama fired up about this project, too. Speaking of Netflix, be sure to check out Louie by Louis C.K. It’s a pretty amazing variation on the single camera sitcom blending elements of Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, but going much deeper and darker into a non-comedic realm. And I mean that as a compliment believe it or not. 

This couch and computer binging is all in addition to the two Books & Bars books I’ll have to prepare for each month, trying to scrounge up some real work, house projects, family man duties, writing, etc. But this is my blog, so I can dream, right? Tumblr the fun stuff. 

It’s winter in Minnesota. We turn off the video games and TV OFF from April to October and then we leave them ON from November to March. Don’t get me wrong, there will be more Embracing Winter posts to follow. You’ll see sledding, snow-man making, snowball fights and the like, too.

What about you? Do you have Hibernation Projects planned?