Portus was amazing and wonderful, and I'm still trying to process it all. The staff and volunteers were terrific and I couldn't be more proud of them. The nearly two years that I spent working on Portus have helped me learn and grow in ways that I couldn't possibly imagine, and I am incredibly grateful for the experience.

Visions of Jim Dale, Henry Jenkins, Monique Trottier, Ed Kern, Quidditch, the Mystery Masquerade Ball, the smiling faces, excitement in the air, and just general warm fuzzy feelings are swimming around in my head right now, tinged just slightly with a bit of sadness. Saying goodbye to everyone is always a hard thing, and I'm already missing the hustle and bustle of my fellow fans. Knowing that I'll see everyone next year in San Francisco for Azkatraz, makes it just a bit easier to accept the quiet of the Anatole this morning.

I do have one request of anyone who attended - please, please, please email me some of the pictures you took during Portus (bekki @ portus2008.org) - I thought that I at least managed to grab a staff picture, but when I checked my camera, I had only taken pictures of my room to send to my daughters when they were missing me at home.

I've been here at the Anatole for two days now, and it's started to fill up with lovely HP fans - it just brings a warm, fuzzy feeling to my heart to see us gathered together here.

And Portus made the front page of the Dallas Morning News too: Clicky-here.

Don't forget, reserve your hotel room for Portus no later than Saturday, June 7th!

"Now you can have your Espresso and Eat it too"

A little cup of dark chocolate and espresso mousse. OMGSOGOOD. I bought some chocolate croissants last time I was there, but you have to let them sit out overnight before you can bake them. Maybe this weekend.

My Trader Joe fail of the week - buying Multigrain Pita Chips for crisgo4 instead of the Cinnamon Pitas she was hankering for. *hangs head*

And in Portus news...
*The website is in the process of being restored. We're getting closer, but in the meantime, you can go join our attendee community, going2portus to catch up with fellow fans.

*There is exactly ONE (1!!!) Ticket left to the "Dessert With Jim Dale" event. Just ONE! If you've waiting this long to register, do it now, because once they're gone, you're at the mercy of the waiting list. Go, sign up here!

Finally, I'm going to be really glad when the STAR (CA state standardized tests) is over with. It hasn't even started yet, and it's already been a pain in the butt.

Hello artists!

The Portus 2008 Harry Potter symposium, taking place in Dallas, TX this July is looking for artists who are interested in submitting their original artwork for display in our art gallery. It's a great chance to have your work publicly displayed, make possible commission connections, and to participate in a fun event geared towards Harry Potter fans.

We are also holding a charity auction that benefits LIFT, a literacy organization that assists adults in need in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. All proceeds from artwork donated to our auction will benefit this group.

We hope to get some great submissions this year!

http://portus2008.org/call_for_artwork.htm

Programming summaries are now up on the Portus website.


So much good stuff! Don't forget to register for Portus, you don't want to miss out on the fun!

Don't forget, tomorrow is the last day to register for Portus using the discount code WELUVJIM - you'll get a $40 savings on the price of registration!

Also, the tickets for Dessert with Jim Dale are disappearing quickly! Don't forget to add them to your registration for this exclusive event.

New edition of the Portal!

Check out the new Portus Premium Packages. Share your super-secret drink recipes for a chance to win a ticket to Saturday's Keynote Luncheon with Monique Trottier. Play the Ministry Mystery Photo Hunt!

So much fun to be had. :D

Also, we're going to be announcing some really big news in a few days, so keep watching. *bounces*

Today's the last day to register for Portus at $200, prices go up at midnight!

The price for a Portus registration is going up on Friday, so don't forget to register before midnight EST on Thursday to get the current price of $200!

Portus 2008: A Harry Potter Symposium will be accepting proposals for Formal Programming through midnight CST on Monday, January 21, 2008. Now is your chance to be a magical part of the 5th HP Education Fanon, Inc. event, to be held July 10 - 13 in Dallas, Texas!

Proposals for presentations, panels, workshops, roundtables and posters are being sought in the following areas:
*Literary and Media Studies
*Law, Politics, Ethics
*Social Sciences
*Education and Library Science
*Fandom Studies and Culture
*Fan Creativity

For topic ideas and submission directions, please visit the Portus Call for Proposals.

Don't forget that Registration for SnapeFest begins tonight at 8:00pm EST. You must be registered for Portus to attend, and spots are limited.

** Portus has just updated their website with a shiny new design! Take a look here. :D

** You can now sign up to receive updates by email. Sign up to receive The Portal! If you've already registered, then you should have received a copy today.

** Portus is proud to announce our Friday Keynote Luncheon Speaker: Dr. Henry Jenkins! He will be presenting "Beyond the Borders of the Book: The Transformative Power of Fandom in the Age of Media Convergence"

( Friday Keynote Luncheon Summary )

*I had a root canal yesterday. It was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I had my iPod while the dentist drilled and filed away, keeping my eyes squeezed shut. Afterwards, I felt okay, albeit extremely numb. A couple of hours later I was feeling like someone ran over my face and took a vicadin and went to bed. This morning, no numbness, but just an ache in my jaw. Not something I'd care to repeat, but not the worst-case scenario either. The cost was another matter. $1500!!! That's after insurance. gah.

*Under the super-cool department, my Snape Travel Bug, got his picture taken in front of a London phone booth! It's made it's goal! OMG, where should I have him go now? I'm thinking that I want him back, but I think he needs to have his picture taken with every Lily he comes across. *snickers* Any other ideas on where Snape should go?

*I am not happy with M's new softball coach. First strike - at Sunday's game, she played right field for the entire time, despite attending extra practices for catching. The girls are all required to play at least one inning infield, she did not do that. We were also told after the game that they would be playing the same position for the entire season. Uhm, no. Fall ball is supposed to be about learning as much as possible. J wrote an email to the league president about this, and hopefully it will be addressed. Second strike - M was in tears after practice yesterday. Her coach yelled at her because she ran home from 3rd base after a hit was made. Exactly what she was supposed to do. He apparently didn't see the hit, and chewed her out for "randomly" running home. Not on, coach.

*Portus is in need of a Chair of Editing and Publishing. I know there are a ton of talented betas out there! The event is entirely volunteer-run. You don't have to attend to be able to contribute, and it's a great resume building if you're just starting your career. You can find more information about the position here.

Don't forget, the price of registration for Portus goes up on Saturday! Purchase yours before Friday at midnight, EDT to get the lowest rate.

Two quick bits of Portus news:

1. The Call for Proposals is now up on the website! Go on and take a look. You know you want to submit a proposal. ;)

2. For those of you who will be in the Dallas area for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, come join Portus staff at the Barnes & Noble in Arlington, TX for the Midnight Magic party. For more information, please click here.

Aaaand, one bit of Prophecy news: Stuff that Prophecy Attendees need to know.

www.portus2008.org - take a look!

Is there anyone out there that can spare a few hours over the weekend to make some banners for Portus?

The portus_2008 community is up and running. Thanks to freckles42 for creating the wonderful artwork!

( My involvement in Portus )