Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has been on a little mental health break. He’s been trying to relax and get his wits and mental batteries recharged. Thus… He’s not been blogging. He’s not been reading blogs. He’s not been surfing the internet. He’s not been watching the news. For the sake of full disclosure he will say that he has checked his e-mail periodically, but only to read messages from certain people (so if you’ve e-mailed and not heard back… now you know why).

While it was not planned to coincide with the release of the latest Harry Potter book, your Maximum Leader’s little mental health break did turn out to coincide (more or less) with the release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” Your Maximum Leader’s copy of that book arrived at the Villainschloss last Saturday - as your Maximum Leader was leaving to go to the Washington Nationals v. Colorado Rockies game. (Nats won!!!!) Upon his return from the game, he was tired (and frankly under the affects of a few beers) and went directly to bed. Around mid-day Sunday he picked up “Deathly Hallows” and started to read. He finished about 50 pages.

Monday, your Maximum Leader went to visit the Smallholder. There was much browsing of used book stores and eating of cheap chinese food. Then, when your Maximum Leader returned Monday night to the Villainschloss - it was back to Harry Potter. He read up to about page 350.

Yesterday, your Maximum Leader and Mrs Villain went to the National Gallery of Art to see an exhibit of Florentine Renaissance sculpture by Desidero da Settignano. Then we persued some of the other galleries before lunch. (During this browsing your Maximum Leader was reminded that Mrs Villain probably likes the Dutch masters more than she thinks, and she doesn’t like El Greco - although your Maximum Leader really does like El Greco.) After our viewing of the art, we had a late lunch at Legal Seafood. (Where your Maximum Leader got a lobster roll… And frankly he could eat another right now…) Upon arriving back at the Villainschloss, it was back to Potter.

Well… Around 2:30am, your Maximum Leader finished the book. He really enjoyed it. Because he doesn’t want to spoil it for anyone, he will not make lots of comments here about the book. Your Maximum Leader will say that Rowling did an excellent job of pulling together all of the different hanging elements she had out there. Some characters survived that your Maximum Leader thought would die. And some died who he thought would live.

Now that he has finished Potter, it is safe to peruse the interwebs and see what is going on out there.

Carry on.