Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

LOST is definitely my favorite TV show in all my history of TV watching. I loved the mystery and the thrills and the way the show left so much for the viewer to dissect and adapt to their very own perception of the show.

Click here if you'd like to read up on all my ramblings about the wonderful universe that is LOST.

Also, if you think I'm one of those crazy people who went all out and made t-shirts and a huge deal about the series finally... you are so, so right.

Technical Support - Update

Judging from the reaction received from my last post about a service call I placed with our cable company, I thought I'd share a quick update on the status of our affairs.

The Tech dude did call both of us before showing up so Js was able to run home and let him in but it doesn't stop there. He changed our cable box, all the cables that are inside the house and checked those outside. The problem still isn't resolved. We're the only people in our area with this problem so the guy wasn't quite sure what else to do aside from ripping out all the cable from the walls and digging outside to see if a wire was damaged or something.

Cherry on the cake? He gave us his cell phone number - yes, his personal cell phone. He told us to give him a call on Friday if it still does it by then. He's not really working on Friday but he said he could still swing by in the afternoon if we wanted to and he'll just write a work order for the weekend or something. This way, we'll have cable for the weekend.

Yeah, that's right.

Of all things this province lacks, technical support is not one of them.

I am near tears after calling the cable company for some tech support.

Having been a Bell client most of my life, I have to say that I dreaded calling Shaw Cable because our cable had been messy for the last couple days. I never had cable living in Ottawa because I just felt it was a waste of time and money - why stay cooped up at home watching TV when there's a city to enjoy... moving to Saskatchewan suddenly made cable mandatory. I digress...

I called the local number, didn't have to enter my phone number/client number or speak with Robot-Emily - a simple greeting then a click and miraculously, Dylan was there to help me right away. That's right folks, no wait time, no 90s music and I didn't have to be reminded that my call was important and would be answered as soon as possible by an associate eager to assist me. Dylan, an actual human being - we're tight now.

All this easy-ness made the conversation quite awkward. I have to admit, I was ready with my "no, I don't know what my customer number is - I don't have a bill handy and I want to speak to your supervisor" routine.

"Good afternoon and thanks for calling Shaw, my name is Dylan, how may I assist you?"
"... huh... my cable's being wonky."
"Alright! What's it doing?"
"... ... huh, it's lagging kinda and the image gets all pixelated."
"Does the sound cut off at the same time as the image gets weird?"
"Yes, it-sou-li-thi-all-t'e-ti- ..."

What's this I hear, real human laughter on the other end?!

"Alright we'll do a couple tests and if that doesn't work, we'll send someone out there to have a look. Can you confirm your name and phone number please?"
"I don't have my customer information or anything and I'm not sure if the account is under my name or my boyfriend's name... *gives phone numbers*... is that enough?"
"Sure is. Alright, you'll see your cable shut down for a couple seconds and then I'll ask you to turn it back on."

*waits-turns cable back on*

"It's back... and still doing it."
"Then it must be something with the cable that runs to your house or something. We'll schedule a tech to go see what's up."

At this point I'm rolling my eyes because well, it's Canada Day in a couple days, they will be all booked at it will be weeks until we can watch cable TV again... sigh!

"How does tomorrow morning sound?"
"Pardon?"
"We can have someone there tomorrow morning or between 2 and 4pm or if the evening works best, there's some availability there too!"
"Sure! Tomorrow afternoon sounds fine!"
"It's done then. I'll ask the tech to give you a cell when he's on his way to make sure you're home."

Words cannot express... That's when I really wanted to cry. I couldn't believe how easy, friendly and speedy that was. Dylan had such a "not a huge deal" attitude, he kinda reminded me of Jim and I kinda swooned - not at his rugged good looks which I'm sure he's got - but at his Hero of the Day customer service.

To anyone who's ever dealt with Bell or even Rogers, you know where I'm coming from and no, this isn't a strange fairy tale or a lovely dream. It's all true - you can't make that shit up!

Link - Lost Finale Explained Well!

A friend of mine, Chris, posted this to Facebook and I was amazed. Definitely worth the read. Everything is explained clearly, straight to the point and just... yeah. Read it.


Click here for the full post or keep reading for some snippets I thought were worth quoting.

They really crashed. They really survived. They really discovered Dharma and the Others. The Island keeps the balance of good and evil in the world. It always has and always will perform that role. And the Island will always need a “Protector”. Jacob wasn’t the first, Hurley won’t be the last. However, Jacob had to deal with a malevolent force (MIB) that his mother, nor Hurley had to deal with. He created the devil and had to find a way to kill him — even though the rules prevented him from actually doing so.

Bam!

According to the show, everyone creates their own “Sideways” purgatory with their “soulmates” throughout their lives and exist there until they all move on together. That’s a beautiful notion. Even if you aren’t religious or even spiritual, the idea that we live AND die together is deeply profound and moving.

Agreed.

But, from a more “behind the scenes” note: the reason Ben’s not in the church, and the reason no one is in the church but for Season 1 people is because they wrote the ending to the show after writing the pilot. And never changed it. [...] It’s pretty fantastic. [...] For those that wonder — the original ending started the moment Jack walked into the church and touches the casket to Jack closing his eyes as the other plane flies away. That was always JJ’s ending. And they kept it.

Interesting fact and quite cool when you stop and think about it.

The Begining of the End

...of Lost. I will try and contain my sobbing and refrain from turning into a giant mass of sobbing emotional goo - for now. I make no promises for Sunday. As of 5pm (CST) it's fair game... bring out the Kleenex and keep heavy things that could break the TV out of my reach.

We've pretty much planned our entire weekend (by "we" I mean "I") around the series finale on Sunday so I thought I would post a little retro-post about the journey that has been my Lost ramblings...

May 2009 - Lost ramblings...

[...] my theory on the rocks Jack takes from "Adam and Eve" in the caves in Season 1. He never makes mention of them again and no one knows he's got them. That's too shady even for this show to not come back and bite us in the ass. My guess is, if it hasn't come back this far into the series... it has something to do with the conclusion.

I guess I wasn't too far off... :)

January 2010 - Beginning of the end

Not knowing what the heck is going on is what makes this show so captivating. If they answer all the questions, it won't be anything more than what people thought it was in the beginning : plane crash survivors on an island. *bore* What makes it so exciting is that it's so messed up - I don't want the thrills to go away.

Oh but they will... they will go away. *sob*

February 2010 - Lost again...

It started as a show about a bunch of exceptional strangers who landed on this random island. Now (to the untrained eye) it looks like a bunch of random people landed on an exceptional island.

Awh! I think if you listen carefully, you may hear my brain 'ssploding in the distance...

March 2010 - The Substitute

I was very much entertained by the names on the walls and spent countless hours online piecing together who's name was on there and who's was crossed out. Sure, I still want to know more and I had figured out they were all there for a reason... I was just very intrigued by how they were listed and where.

Now the fun begins... or ends rather.

And that's the last time I blogged about Lost. I've been trying to piece some thoughts together with regards to the finale and the last couple episodes to no avail. I'm not sure if it's denial or simply because I don't know what to think anymore. Nick did a pretty good job at putting down some (somewhat) coherent words that expressed very well how I feel about the whole thing.

I don't want to keep digging at stuff because I want to get some closure (HA!) from Sunday's episode. ... but I don't want it to end! I'm confuzzled.

Either way, with the episodes leading up to now, I'm pretty sure Sunday's finale will be nothing short of awesomesauce.

New found addiction : The Big Bang Theory

Yes, that's right and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Even though I'm not an UBER fan of TV in general, I like to pick and choose my shows very carefully. I don't like reality TV (and have made that quite clear, twice!) so it leaves me with very slim pickin' when it comes to my fave shows.

Which leads to our latest addiction : The Big Bang Theory.


It's a nice change of pace from Lost going from edge-of-your-seat-thrills to geeky-reference-jokes-until-your-sides-hurt-humor. We like to keep a semblance of balance.

I had watched a couple episodes randomly and thought the show was okay at best. Js started watching it a bit more and then borrowed seasons 1 and 2 on DVD from a friend... insta-hook!

You really have to start watching the show from the beginning to see the characters evolve and understand all the stoopid little references and the geeky jokes.

The only thing that gets on my nerves is that chick. Penny. Ugh. I haven't decided just yet if it's because of the actress or the actual character but my skin crawls when she tries to be witty or thinks she's just so wonderful. We've only watched the first 2 seasons and I really hope whoever writes her lines gets a swift kick in the cubes.

Also, I'm very jealous of their constant-take-out-food. They are always eating Thai food or Chinese and mama wants some. They also keep talking about Indian food and it's driving me bonkers. I miss all the restaurants in Ottawa and being able to get take-out as I so choose and never having to order from the same place twice within the month. *sigh*

Lost Comment - The Substitute Episode

One of my Facebook friends, Alex G posted the following comment as his status and I thought it was quite hilarious. Here's hoping you, faithful reader and Lost addict, will enjoy as much as I did.

I pieced together long ago that they're all there for some specific reason or another, the Cave added nothing. Showing me [the Losties'] names does not answer any questions except "What kind of stationery is available to Jacob?"

It made me smile. Contrary to Alex, I was very much entertained by the names on the walls and spent countless hours online piecing together who's name was on there and who's was crossed out. Sure, I still want to know more and I had figured out they were all there for a reason... I was just very intrigued by how they were listed and where. I also enjoyed the scale and I was very pleased when it brought back questions about the black and white rocks found on Adam and Eve in "White Rabbit".



As Season 6 evolves, the deeper and deeper I sink... *sigh*

**Note : The Substitute aired on February 16th as the 4th episode to the final and 6th season. I know this post comes a bit late... I'm catching up tonight. :)

Lost myself...

I feel dizzy just thinking about it... I won't be able to watch Lost tonight. Our friends got married this evening (quick J.O.P. thing) and we're joining them and their families for dinner.

How sad is it that it really makes me think twice about going?

Meesh, I feel your pain and share your confusion!

That being said... NO SPOILERS until I can finally watch it online. Which I intend to do tomorrow as soon as I get back from work.

Lost Update : Still Lost

I have to admit I was a tad underwhelmed after watching this week's episode "What Kate does". Yeah, yeah, yeah, she runs - we know.

It did take me (and Nick - as per our lengthy conversation) back to the show's beginning when we were all still learning about characters and when the show was more about the Losties than the Island itself.

Reading Nick's attempts to figure what it's all about made me realize that :

a) It's really the beginning of the end. If we start to understand what the crap's going on, it means it's almost over. :( *lone tear*

b) It started as a show about a bunch of exceptional strangers who landed on this random island. Now (to the untrained eye) it looks like a bunch of random people landed on an exceptional island.

So when we're looking for answers... what are we looking for?
The most mysterious part of that show is that blessed island and everything that's on it. That's what keeps us looking for answers - keeps us digging (and begging!) for more.

What if we start looking at the people?
Why them? Why were they chosen or attracted to the island? What makes them so special that they've survived a plane crash (some 2, some 3!) and living in the jungle with a bunch of crazies with guns.
What if the island is only a vessel or simply, like Nick pointed out, the board to a very very diabolical game.

Grand Finale - Fight or flight!

Everyone has that favorite TV show that got canceled. (Thanks, Reality TV!) Humor me, for a second and think about the series finale - did you cry like a little girl or did you feel frustrated and like TV cheated you like the cheap whore that she is?

It got me thinking about the Lost series finale and I have to admit, I'm terrified.

Half of me wants answers because I'm curious, intrigued and mystified. My brain will explode if questions remain unanswered for all eternity.
The other half doesn't want to know and would rather keep loving this show's brilliance for all the same reasons.

I'm curious to know how it all turns out.
I'm intrigued to know what everything means.
I'm mystified because it's all very very good.

I don't want it to end. It has to, I know. Whether they answer the questions and I get the closure or all the mysteries sit comfortably in the "pending" file for all eternity.

I CANNOT for the life of me try to guess what my feelings will be like when Lost ends. *gasp*

Will I be sad because it's over, like The Fresh Prince of Belair?
Will I be frustrated because the ending sucked bag, like Seinfeild?
Will I blame reality TV for, yet another, awesome show taken off the air, like Arrested Development? (PS: I know reality TV doesn't have anything to do with Lost ... it's just fun to blame someone!)
Will I cry all the tears in my heart, like Friends?

I hope I'm not disapointed because I'd love to keep watching this show forever and ever. Reruns galore!!

Lost in 5 days

It does take a lot less than 5 days to get lost if you try to comprehend this show, but it's very very very much worth it. It takes more like 5 seconds.

In 5 days, it will be the begining of the end for Lost fans and I don't really know how I feel about it. I want to KNOW but I don't.

Not knowing what the heck is going on is what makes this show so captivating. If they answer all the questions, it won't be anything more than what people thought it was in the begining : plane crash survivors on an island. *bore* What makes it so exciting is that it's so messed up - I don't want the thrills to go away.

On the other hand, I want some friggen answers! I've been watching this show for 3 years now (I caught up on seasons 1-2 over weekends thanks to Nick!) and I've been totally wrong about every single prediction I've made. I want to know what is up with that puff of smoke they call the Monster and I want to know what lies in the shadow of the statue. Is that too much to ask?

I'm so torn.

In 5 days I will lose my soul to endless theories about alternate time lines and trying to figure out what the heck crawled up Ben Linus' culottes. I thought I may as well warn as many people as I know, just in case I go missing. If that does happen, I'll be in the basement probably hanging a pendulum from the ceiling, chalking lines on the floor and trying to "find the island". Don't mind me, I'm lost.

Reasons why I hate Reality TV - #1 to 6

I don't like reality TV. I know it's a pretty bold statement but it's true. Sometimes I'll get carried away in an episode of "Take this house and sell it" or some kind of home reno show like or I'll just forget to change the channel and my ears will start bleeding 15 minutes into "Say yes to the dress".

What happened to sitcoms? I miss the good old days when TV was actually scripted and characters were just that ; characters.

Reason why I hate Reality TV #1 - Reality TV killed Kramer.
When TV was real TV, characters like Kramer pulled so much weight. The absurd and the deranged weren't voted off, they were what made the show. You learned to love them for what they were instead of them being disposable sidekicks. It's so easy, in today's society to just get rid of what's annoying, we forget how to accept differences. TV is no exception. You don't fit the mold, viewers don't like you - the tribe has spoken...

Reason why I hate Reality TV #2 - There will never be another Elaine dance...
Participants are around for one season or less. They are given the boot to make room for the sluttier ones that will audition next year. Congratulations, you won! Here's you're 5 minutes of fame, your prize and your sex tape now please make way for the next guy!
Back in my day *age*, sitcoms lasted for years and years. We got to know the characters, their style, their quirks. For 10 years, 10 YEARS, we watched a group of 6 friends do random every day things. It wasn't boring - it was awesome because it had been playing for 10 YEARS! The Rachel became a haircut, the Elaine - a dance. These TV personalities had something good going that reality TV will never have - longevity.

Reason why I hate Reality TV #3 - Roles... played by actors.
Ellen played a lesbian bookstore owner. Jennifer Aniston played a selfish brat. Drew Carey had thick glasses. Sure, there were some resemblances to real life, but at least these actors and comedians played characters, not themselves. TV was a lot less self-centered characters could develop a lot more. I don't know about you, but I enjoy variety in the story lines of each episode. I enjoyed seeing David Schwimmer (so dreamy!) play Ross Gellar AND that arse-dude in Band of Brothers. It showed variety and I could say "I like that actor!" instead of "I hope she doesn't get sent home!" Reality TV has no depth, no theatrical side to it - they make so many efforts to bring real life to the TV... when we could all just walk around with mirrors if that's what we really wanted to see.

Reason why I hate Reality TV #4 - Joe and his mom's dog are famous.
EVERYONE has a shot a fame. That's not fame, it's popularity. Go back to high school, dress better, be nicer and date a jock - get it out of your system and leave my TV alone.

Reason why I hate Reality TV #5 - *flick-flick-flick*
All the good shows get canceled.
Enough said.

Reason why I hate Reality TV #6 - Everything is the same.
I'd rather watch reruns of Friends, Seinfeld, Will and Grace, Arrested Development over and over and over again than watching season after season of The Bachelor. Why? Because there's more variety. Boy is loaded. Boy meets 54 girls. Girls fall in love with boy. Boy picks girl. 53 girls are crushed. Someone gives someone a rose. The end. When you've seen one season, you've seen them all. Then they try to toss some twists and turns in there to no avail. Chandler and Monica in London, that's a twist.

I could go on for days, but right now, I'm going to watch a 13 year old episode of Seinfeld and I'm going to enjoy every moment of it. Bad clothes and all.