Animal Lover

I saw more than my share of dead animals during the month of May.

Maybe it's because I drive so much now--commuting an hour to and from work--and cover more ground, that I see more lifeless animals than the average person.  While driving past dead pets off the side of the highway has become commonplace for me, it hasn't gotten any less sad.  I still hold a little vigil for each one, saying a prayer for the owner who might or might not know of its end.

Most recently, I discovered a dead cat in our front yard.  When I determimed that the unknown mass was indeed a furry animal of some kind, I clapped and spoke and made a bunch of noise in order to wake it.  I realized upon getting closer, however, that this feline was taking more than a cat nap. He or she had begun the eternal slumber.

It's really a shame that so many animals aren't taken care of in this world.  It makes me sick to think about the great number that are abused or abandoned.  The ASPCA commercial on the subject (with Sarah McLachlan singing in the background) nearly always brings tears to my eyes.  If I had the space and resources, I'd adopt them all.

Spoiler Alert

For those who are planning to read the Harry Potter series and haven't, STOP READING THIS BLOG POST!  It will address something that happens in the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and will ruin the suspense for someone who hasn't completed the series.

Perhaps reading the latter part of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix while at work was a bad idea.  Having just read the Ministry of Magic scene in which Sirius is killed, my coworkers and I were called to report to a meeting.  How does one concentrate on work-related tasks after Sirius, Harry's beloved godfather and friend, has just been murdered by his own Death Eater cousin?

In addition to the sense of loss I was experiencing, the exact circumstances of Sirius's death confused me.  For example, why don't we hear Bellatrix utter Avada Kedavra? Couldn't the "second jet of light" have referred to any number of curses?  Sirius' facial expression registers shock upon getting struck with said curse, but does it necessarily register death?

• And Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place.

Sirius' face is already "wasted" as a result of his time in Azkaban, so why should we assume that he's dead based on the above description?  And what does the veil represent anyway?  The function and/or purpose of the veil is never developed, so why should we assume that his falling through it signalls death or his passing on to the "other side" as some readers suggest?  All of this to say that I fully expected (like Harry did) for Sirius to reappear and rejoin their ranks--if not in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, surely in subsequent Harry Potter installments.

(At this point in my reading, I interrogated Melissa, coworker and Harry Potter enthusiast, as to whether Sirius would indeed return.  When she would neither confirm nor deny my suspicions, I resorted to "googling" the topic to find the answer to my query.  I'm not proud of my behavior, but after all, I was in a panic!  When the answer I found was not to my liking, I temporarily refused to read the remainer of the series.  But after a weekend of mourning, I began reading again in earnest.)

The Harry Potter fan will know that many disturbing and saddening events take place along the young wizard's journey.  But for me, a reader invested in Harry's success and deeply concerned for his well-being, the most devastating event within the series is the death of Sirius Black.  And here's why:

1. Harry deserves a father figure, and he's robbed of that privilege not once but twice (or actually three times, if you count Dumbledore).  Since Harry has been deprived of a relationship with his biological father, he should be granted a lifetime of interaction with his godfather, right?  Well, J. K. Rowling didn't think so. 
2. The death of Sirius is ironic--He's the one person Harry escapes from Hogwarts to rescue and the only person killed in action at the Ministry of Magic.  Can you say tragic? 
3. In a way, Sirius's death is an indirect result of Harry's decisions and actions.  Because Harry didn't take his occlumency lessons with Snape seriously, Voldemort is able to plant a fake "vision" in Harry's mind that lures him to the Ministry of Magic.  Furthermore, Harry's endeavor to rescue Sirius from Voldemort's alleged torture brings about the battle during which Bellatrix is able to kill Sirius.
4. His death is unexpected.  Up to this point in the series, Cedric is the only person to have been killed by Voldemort and the Death Eaters. His death is also abrupt and unexpected, but he is such a minor character that his absence doesn't greatly impact the reader or subsequent narration.  Also, at this moment in the Ministry of Magic skirmish, Dumbledore has arrived. So the reader (along with Harry) sighs with relief because they're all saved, right?  But this assumption, too, proves incorrect. 
5. Finally, Sirius's arrogance contributes to his demise.  Right before Bellatrix hits him square in the chest with an unnamed curse, he taunts her with some version of "Is that all you've got?"  If he'd have focused entirely on protecting himself, perhaps Sirius could have evaded the jet of light that ultimately killed him.  Instead, he made himself vulnerable to his cousin's final attack.

So there's my impassioned and analytical approach to Sirius's death in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  Maybe one day I'll revisit the series and come to terms with his passing, but for now, I mourn his loss.

Not Interested

As mentioned in my previous (and first ever) blog post, I'm an avid watcher of Bravo's Real Housewives. So naturally, I watched RHONJ last night and will be reflecting here about one minor detail from last night's viewing. 

While I could spend several days fleshing out my reponse to the season's second episode, I'll be devoting my entry instead to Caroline Manzo's signature, go-to interview response: Not interested! 

When I hear the phrase "not interested," the first thing that comes to mind is "telemarketer."  (It comes to me all of a sudden, like something you'd come up with during a Rorschach test when asked to find an image in the inkblots.)  When you're on the phone with a telemarketer, you don't have to invent an excuse as to why you don't want such-and-such product or service; you just say some combination of "sorry" and "not interested" and return the phone to its receiver.  And all is peace and quiet once again!

In a similar way, Caroline Manzo uses "not interested" to dismiss an idea without coming across as especially harsh.  In essence, her response means, I cannot be bothered with that at this time.  Or that's not something I'm chosing to actively pursue.  While the phrase comes across as firm, it doesn't necessarily convey a feeling of permanence.  In really getting down to it, I suppose I like the versatility that "not interested" offers to the conversationalist and/or wordsmith.  And because I admire Caroline's perspicacity, I've begun to use her phrase when my husband and I are asked whether or not (and when) we want to have children.

I'm sure most everyone will recognize the following line from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Here's an addendum to that assumption (written in my own words) that some individuals in the present day apparently believe to be true---It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a newly married couple whether in possession of a good fortune or not, must be in want of a houseful of kids.

I never dreamed upon getting married just how many times we'd get asked about starting a family!  And in some cases, we get asked on a regular basis by the same person(s), to which I'm tempted to reply, How about you just ask once, and if the status changes, we'll let you know?  But of all things we've answered with, I like "We're not interested" the best.  It usually solicits a nod from the asker (who is then unsure how to proceed), and I don't come across as "lacking" or "deficient" because I don't want to become a baby factory right away.

So, I'm thankful to Caroline for the passing along her signature phrase and for imparting other tidbits of wisdom to her viewers each week.

Real Housewives of Orange County

Upon reading Julie & Julia (the national bestseller and memoir by Julie Powell), I began considering the value of maintaining a blog and decided it to be within my capabilitiy--I hope.  While I doubt that my musings here will result in the fame and fortune that Julie's blog earned her, I do believe that "blogging" will be a fun writing exercise.  If only this type of exercise burned calories.

What prompted me to start this blog exactly is that I'm an avid watcher of Bravo's Real Housewives installments (nearly all of them, in fact), with the Orange County housewives being my favorite.  As you other fans will know, the current season is coming to a close, so I have only a limited amount of time to make my thoughts about the ladies and their antics known!  With that said, Bravo WILL NOT POST any of my comments to the housewives' blogs, to which I so dilligently devote myself every Monday morning.  I think that after taking the time to carefully phrase my thoughts about each show, my reflections should get to be published somewhere.  And so they will!  Here on my blog.

All of that to say that my blog will be an outlet for this rant and many others.

So about last night's RHOC episode...
Gretchen's comments about Vicki's absense from the fashion show were heartless and cruel.  How dare she pass off Vicki's admission to the hospital and subsequent procedure as ploys for attention!  And how dare Alexis put any stock in what Gretchen had to say!  Tamra might not be perfect, but at least she has a good enough heart to show some compassion toward her friend and fellow human being.

I could say more on the subject, but alas, I must return to work.

More to come...