Harry Potter?

t’s that time of year when Harry Potter mania blazes through the world again. Crazy midnight sales of books, parties, all the sorts of thing that you would never had associated with a book release prior to the whole Hogwarts phenomenon.

So last night, as the clock moved from 11:59 on the 20th of July to 12:00 on the 21st, I considered driving into town to obtain a copy of the book, a) because I happened to be awake anyway and b) because it would be a great surprise for Michael when he got up in the morning.

I set off down the street and got the first surprise as I reached the traffic lights. They were flashing orange. All of them. I slowed down and took the corner cautiously. Then I reached the next intersection. That also had a complete set of flashing lights. And the next. But this was clearly no blackout, because there were streetlights and lights and everything everywhere. I’m not entirely sure what the purpose was, but it did remind me of the stories that my Mum used to tell me of them turning out the lights after midnight way back when she was just a young thing dating my father.

The next surprise I received was in town. I slowed down to take a right hand turn through the red light (yes, over here, if you’re undertaking a turn around the curb (like a left hand turn at home) there’s not turn right lane with care line, you just do it through the red light ... sure takes some getting used to.

Anyway, I slowed down and stopped as required, noting the three young men walking along the footpath as I slowed down. As I then moved to go around the corner and down the street, one of them was kind enough to take an extra step, raise his foot and boot the side of the car! I wasn’t silly enough to stop, after all, there were three of them and I’m a coward! But it was an interesting introduction to late nights in Fort Mac. (I can’t say that we weren’t warned.)

A little shaky from the unexpected experience, I drove on, seeking out Wal-Mart, figuring that even they would have heard of Harry and would do something, because I’d seen a notice about a Harry Potter launch in town and because in Edmonton, there were sure signs of midnight revelry and book launching.

But of course we’re in Fort Mac, and as I had so recently been reminded, this is hickville. And so when I reached Wal-Mart, I found nothing but acouple of dodgy looking characters in the carpark. I didn’t venture too close to them ... who knows what that might have prompted!

Dejected and sad, I returned home, Potterless. At least when I finally got out of the rented car it wasn’t dented!