I’m riding on a post-Harry high but battling post-Harry fatigue today. At the store we’ve sold out of books and are scrambling to get more, hoping most of our customers can be convinced to wait until tomorrow when we’ll receive another shipment. What a ride it’s been!

Friday night’s party saw us entertaining a crowd of 700-800 people and thanking our lucky stars that everything worked liked a charm. This weekend found me reading the book from cover to cover and reveling in it. I loved the way Rowling brought it all home for her readers and personally found it deeply satisfying. I laughed, I cried, I called my friend Janet from my CAR (!) so that Gareth, who started reading well after I did, wouldn’t overhear any of the details.

Huddled up in this relatively sound-proof place with the phone pressed to my ear as Janet and I squealed over Rowling’s revelations and shared our sympathies, I felt completely like a kid again — a kid stealing away to swap secret gossip and giggle uncontrollably. I could just hug J.K. Rowling for giving her fans so many moments like this.

In all, I’d describe my entire Harry-filled weekend as "utterly exhilarating." Coming later this week: an account of the HP party I most wish I’d been able to attend, a photo or two from our fiesta, and a how-to on the article of clothing I made for Friday night’s fun.