UPDATE: Deathly Hollow Waiting

Mikaela says:
I am on tenderhooks.

I can't sit still. I've checked my Amazon pre-order (Feb. 1, baby!).

There's nothing interesting on the web.

There's nothing to do but wait.

Tick tock, tick tock.

I've re-read the last two books to prepare for the movie and newest installment and last book of the series (sob).

Oh, Harry. I hope you're gaining strength and maturity, cause you've kinda bugged me the last few books.

Here's what I'm dying to know:

• Are they really not going to school next year? What kind of a message is that??? Should our kids similarly be thinking of skipping their senior year to fight Al Queda (or George W. for that matter, a much bigger evil in my opinion)? Ummm... no?
• Is Dumbledore really dead? Was it an Obi-Wan Kanobi kinda thing? Is he even stronger now, able to help out from the other side like Harry's parents when he squared off against Voldemort in the cemetary?
• How much kissing do we have to endure from Ron & Hermione? Ewwww...
  
• Will Ginny finally get to play a bigger role? She's been set up as one of the more talented witches, she's been taken over by Voldemort for a semester, and she's Harry's love interest. She better get to kick some ASS in this book. Harry breaking up with her to protect her? Eye roll. She needs to come to HIS rescue, especially because LOVE has been set up as the one thing Harry has over Voldemort. How many times has Dumbledore said that? Actually, having Ginny sacrifice herself for Harry like Harry's mom did would be a cool twist. Harry: The Hero Who Lives Because of the Kick-ass Women Who Love Him. That would redeem him some in my eyes. And it would balance that obsessed focus that's been given to Harry's father versus his mother. Bad boys bleh. Heroic, strong women, oh yeah.

From my planner's perspective, I'm fascinated by the latest ploy from Amazon. They've set up a competition to see which town in America has the most pre-orders. They're listed here. The Harry-est town gets a sizeable donation to a local charity. Kinda cool. Global capitalism go! (Yes, that was sarcasm.)

And the winner is ...

Falls Church, VA! Residents of Falls Church ordered more copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from Amazon.com per capita than any other town in America. As a result of Falls Church's "Harry-ness," Amazon.com is donating a $5,000 Amazon.com gift certificate to The Mary Riley Styles Public Library Foundation Trust of Falls Church.

The top 10 Harry-est Towns in the U.S.

1. Falls Church, VA
2. Gig Harbor, WA
3. Fairfax, VA
4. Vienna, VA
5. Katy, TX,
6. Media, PA,
   
7. Issaquah, WA,
   
8. Snohomish, WA,
   
9. Doylestown, PA, and
   
10. Fairport, NY

Amazon.com used the most recent U.S. Census data and included all U.S. towns and cities with a population of more than 5,000 people.