Best. Day. Ever.

And now, a rare post from Adam:

Yesterday was awesome.  It would be hard to invent a better day.  Here's the breakdown:

1) In the back of my mind, I know that things continue to go amazingly well (and fast) with regards to a certain semi-secret something that will be officially announced soon.

2) Discovered a few days ago that my vehicle registration is expired (never got a reminder card), so I've been thinking about when I'd have time to get it care of.  Spur of the moment, I decided to leave work and go deal with it.  I walked in to the Big-O tire and asked for a safety inspection, emissions test, and on the spot registration renewal with sticker.  From past experience, I expected it to be $200+ (both tests plus the renewal plus late fees).  Apparently I chose the right day and they had some kind of deal going on.  I paid $46 for all of it together.

3) I finished one of the best books I have ever read.  Absolutely amazing ending.  For the curious: The Gathering Storm, aka A Memory of Light volume one, aka the 12th book (or first part of the 12th book) of The Wheel of Time.  The Wheel of Time is the kind of series you either love or hate, but I will say this: the books are long winded, and some are better than others - #s 1,3 and 6 are far superior to 2,4,5,7,8,9,10,11 (though some of those are certainly good).  The Gathering Storm was something else altogether though, and was easily my favorite.

4) 3/4 of the way into the current semester of school, I had yet to receive a single grade in my English class.  Our first two pieces (plus cover letter) were turned in as a large group portfolio a while back, and feedback has been long in coming (I have written three other pieces in the interim).  We final got the portfolio back.  We got an A for our group work (the portfolio organization, cover letter, cohesiveness of the different pieces, etc.), and I got on A on both papers.

5) As I was driving home, I returned a call from my dad.  He had amazing news - after nearly two years of unemployment, he had just received an offer for a new job.  It is a step below what he was hoping for, but it is FAR better than not working, and he feels there is ample opportunity for upward movement in the future.  He will be moving to Bentonville, Arkansas, where my mother will join him either at the end of this school year or the next (she is "paying off" her sabbatical this year and can at the end of the year either buy her retirement [for once she is of retirement age] or work another year and not have to buy it).

6) I got home and we quickly grabbed our things and left.  We were going to the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert and had to hurry.  We made it in plenty of time, but when we went to find our seats, they were taped off.  The usher informed us that in the show earlier that day, they had discovered that the fireworks (yes, fireworks) were too close to that section and so we had to be moved.  We went and got our new tickets.  Looking at the map, they seemed to be worse tickets, which was mildly upsetting.  They were still in the lower bowl though, and I looked at the silver lining that although we were not as close to the stage, we had a more front-on view (our original seats being kind of two the side).  The reality turned out much better.  Not only was it obvious once we were in there that the seats were still plenty close and that the front on view was a substantial advantage over the side-on view of our original seats, but later in the concert giant walkways were lowered (suspended from the ceiling) ... from our new seats, we were perhaps 20 feet from the performers when they came out on the extended stage - we would have seen their backs from our original seats.  The concert was just outright fantastic, the best concert I have ever been to.  The music was awesome, and the lighting and effects (lasers, fog, fire, fireworks, massive moving stage, giant video screens, etc. etc. etc.) were the more elaborate than I've ever seen in a concert before.  I'm certain Ashley will make a post on the concert with pics and video.

7) Toward the end of the concert, we started looking nervously at the clock.  We were to go straight from the concert to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1.  In order to drive there, get a parking spot, get treats and get seated before the movie started, we'd have to leave the concert no later than 11.  Sure enough, the concert ended at about 10:55.  We got to stay to the very end, we made it to the theater with even a bit of time to spare.  Our seats for the movie were good, and the movie was excellent.  Some apparently didn't like it - it seems some people are of the opinion that when a book is turned into a movie, every page should be translated directly.  Having some experience in the move industry, I know that is utterly ridiculous, and I treat books and movies largely separately - as long as the core, the heart of a story is preserved, I'm unconcerned with necessary changes.  I thought they did an excellent job with the movie, particularly considering the immense amount of material that had to be covered.  We went home and quickly fell asleep.  What an incredible day.