It seems that the new Harry Potter book sold in excess of 8 million copies during the first 24 hours after its release. Jen, thinking ahead, reserved a couple of copies at Borders. I went down there with Willow on Friday afternoon so I could get a wristband that saved me a place in line. The one I got was silver, meaning that I couldn't get in line until all of the people with orange wristbands had lined up.

Later in the evening, I went back and joined the crazy circus of people, many in costume, who waited for midnight to signal the great unboxing. I ran into a few people I knew through work, shopped around, and found myself in line for coffee when my wristband color was called. I had a moment of indecision then - should I forget the coffee and get in line for the book, or should I obtain caffeine. Coffee won out. This meant, of course, that by the time I got in line most of the other bearers of the silver wristband had already lined up. I found myself all the way across the shopping center, out by the road. I couldn't even read in line because they were going to be handing the books to customers at the registers, and since the line was outside the store, I couldn't bring out the other books I'd selected.

About an hour later I had two copies of the book and a free poster. The wait was interesting from a sociological perspective - the parents, some harried, some grouchy, and some joking with their kids, were fun to watch. The kids, some amped up on anticipation and sugar, some dazed and sleepy, some (like the small girl passed out in her grandma's lap, head resting on one arm of a chair, feet on the other) sleeping, were quite cute. The people who came out of the store with the first copies held them high and offered to sell them to the highest bidder. I don't think I've waited in a line like this since the original Star Wars movies came out. My tastes don't usually make it necessary for me to stand in lines.

When I got home, despite the fact that it was 1 AM, I figured I'd better get reading. We'd gotten two copies so we wouldn't all have to take turns. Anyway, if Alex finished first, it is very likely the ending would no longer be a mystery to anybody nearby. This weekend, he's got a copy at his dad's, and I've finished reading the other copy.

And I'm not telling you what happens.