Kevin chose moderation and had a hamburger and fries.

I…did not. I had a hamburger and fries and a chili dog. *hides face in shame*

But I have no regrets. Tomorrow is a new day, fresh with no hotdogs…err…mistakes in it.

I have no plans for the rest of the day.

Other than the pile of laundry that needs to be folded, the bathroom that I’ve been meaning to deep clean all summer, and the dishes that I’ve let go for a few days.

But after we have lunch (and drop off some recycling, take Kevin to vote across town, and take me to vote a few streets over) I’ll be back in my chair, kicking back, taking a nap, and dreaming that I’m back home like last week. Cause there’s no where else I’d rather spend my last day.

• We have a dehumidifier now! It’s as close as I’ll ever get to living in Arizona and I’ll take it. Feels great.
• I wish I was this good with a welder. Or, you know, that I knew how to use one PERIOD.
• On second though, it’s probably best that I stay away from the metal arts. Did you see that she mentioned setting the pasture on fire?
• Does blogging make you feel small? Don’t let it.
• How to Make a Gift Bag from Sofia’s World. I think even I could do this. And I’d rather make a gift bag than wrap a gift any day.
• I find this story terrifying. It’s about breastfeeding and one of the “on the job” hazards. Which means my brothers and my husband need to avoid this link altogether.
• Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. – Mother Teresa
• I really can’t begin to explain my love for dips, sauces, condiments, etc. So I’m just going to leave you with this link to a bazillion yummy “Cold Dips for Warm Evenings.”

Now I’m going to go scrub baseboards or something and live in complete denial that I go back to work the day after tomorrow.

This was one of my favorite shows to watch when I was a little kid and I enjoy it even more now. Kevin and I have been going through the collections disc by disc on Netflix and I’ve gathered a pretty good group of favorites. Do you have any?

I can’t really say much about the episodes, because you know how The Twilight Zone goes. Lots of twists and revelations toward the end of an episode that would really ruin it if you knew ahead of time!

13. On Thursday We Leave For Home
Classic episode starring James Whitmore. There’s some religious commentary in this one and a really great story about a leader, change, and fear of the unknown.

12. Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?
Like aliens? This one is for you. It’s a bit of a mystery with a funny little twist at the end. Love it!

11. A Hundred Yards Over the Rim
This episode combines two of my favorite things — the Old West and time travel.

10. Two
In spite of the fact that I really, really don’t like Charles Bronson, this is a good one. It also stars Elizabeth Montgomery as they portray the last two humans left on earth.

9. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Simply because it’s also one of my favorite stories by one of my favorite writers, Ambrose Bierce. Also, I think you can gain a lot of insight about LOST from this.

8. Little Girl Lost
Little girl falls through a portal to another dimension in her bedroom. What more do I need to say?

7. Nothing in the Dark
I love the premise here. An elderly woman thinks that Death is waiting outside her door. Only the man she thinks is Death is a young Robert Redford. And he delivers one of the best lines in the entire series — “You see. No shock. No engulfment. No tearing asunder. What you feared would come like an explosion is like a whisper. What you thought was the end is the beginning.”

6. Stopover in a Quiet Town
A couple wakes up and has no idea where they are. Looks like a pretty terrible bender, but just you wait…

5. The Obsolete Man
Such a good episode. Some commentary on socialism and what appears to be the direction Rod Serling may have assumed our country was going. In his closing monologue there is another wonderful quote — “Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man, that state is obsolete.”

4. It’s a Good Life
There’s just something about a crazy psychokinetic child that I can’t resist.

3. Nick of Time
There’s a creepy little fortune-telling machine in this one. And there’s William Shatner. One that I actually find chilling.

2. The Invaders
Little aliens! Cah-reeeep-y! I recommend watching all of this one. There is a signature crazy twist at the end.

1. The Hitch Hiker
This one really scares me a little bit. You know me and my fear of highway deviance (à la Breakdown). This fits the bill.

Haha. Break it down.

It was a hot Friday in June. This June. So like, one month and a couple of days ago. I was doing what any good gardener does early that morning — watering my precious plants. That day my husband had to be at a professional development seminar about 15 minutes away, so he was up early that morning as well. I had lots planned for the day. The next morning we were leaving to fly back east for our extremely delayed trip to visit his parents and a few other family members. There was laundry to be done, dishes to wash, animals to care for, and of course, because I don’t do things until the last minute — bags to be packed.

Kevin leaned out the back door to tell me he was leaving. I smiled and waved, continuing on with my task. Watering took me about another 10 minutes and then I decided to plant a shrub that had needed to be in the ground weeks before. It was on the front porch so I headed to the back door to take a short cut through the house. The handle turned, but the door didn’t open.

Hmm. Must be stuck.

I pushed harder. Nothing. The deadbolt was locked.

Now, I wasn’t immediately angry. Just aggravated. Like I said, history of breaking and entering and all that, I’m pretty good at getting out of jams. I’m resourceful. So I assessed the situation.

1. There was no going through the backdoor. It’s brand new with good locks and there’s just no messing it up to get in the house.
2. My phone was in the house
3. Every other door into my house was locked.
4. All the windows were locked.
5. All of my harmless neighbors had already left for work.
6. I wasn’t sufficiently dressed to go knocking on doors. It was 8 a.m. Can I get an “amen” from a lady who knows what I’m talking about?

It was much worse than I had originally thought.

But then I remembered. We have a really old door on the back of the garage that needed to be replaced anyway, so I thought I could just knock off the door knob like they do in movies and make my way in.

First I wanted to see if I could slam into the thing with my shoulder and get in that way.

I hurt my shoulder. The door didn’t move.

I grabbed a brick and went at the door knob. Bang. Bang. BANG. Nothing. I should tell you that the door knob was already pretty badly torn up from when my old dog, Lulu, had her nervous breakdown and would chew on it. And the underneath side of the door. Thanks, Lu. I wouldn’t have made it inside the house if it weren’t for you. I went at it with the brick for another 10 minutes or so with no results.

Then I grabbed the hoe. Stuck it behind the door knob and thought I could just pop that thing right off there.

Then I broke the hoe.

As a last resort, I tried to stick my hand up under the door to see how much further up the door knob was so that maybe I could unlock it. It was a long way. I tried unlocking it from the other side with a stick. Didn’t work. I tried pulling a MacGuyver and using some tough grass as a key. I think you can imagine how that went.

While my hand was under there I felt the ax handle and I pulled it out.

FYI, there’s no ax head on the end of the handle. Just so we’re clear.

I tried loosening the door knob with the ax handle. That didn’t work. Then I tried breaking away the bottom of the door with it. I did see some progress there, but I was quickly losing hope. I had been locked out for about 40 minutes at this point and was nearing tears. There’s just something about being locked out of your house, you know?

And then the dog walked over and laid down beside me and I knew — I was going to die out here.

With one final burst of adrenaline, the kind that makes me believe that YES, I can give birth to a baby someday like my ancestor did out in the woods without any IV drips, I grabbed the handle and plowed through that door. Chopped about a quarter of it down. I reached up under that door and unlocked it.

Sweet relief. I was in the house. And as soon as I was inside, the phone rang. I ran to answer it, out of breath for so many reasons. It was my mom.

“I have been trying to call you. Why weren’t you answering the phone.”

WAIL.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“I…was…locked…out of the house [sobbing commences].”

“Well how did that happen?”

“Kevin locked me out!”

(I should probably mention that my time outside had been spent alternately praying and plotting how I would kill my husband.)

“Well, he didn’t mean to.”

And then she laughed. And I was in no mood for it. She could tell and we weren’t on the phone much longer.

As I was in the middle of typing a not-so-nice text message to my husband, the phone rang again and I answered it all pitiful, expecting it to be my mom again.

Instead, it was an administrator calling to set up an interview with Kevin. An interview for a job that he needed. That we needed. There was no time for being upset. And that was nice of God to intervene in that way because, seriously? I was about to Throw. Down. For the next 45 minutes I had to work on contacting Kevin at this meeting he was at, which proved to be very difficult when he had his phone on silent, but I finally managed to get a hold of him. He had the interview right then and we found out a few weeks later that he got the job.

And that’s how I busted through the door with an ax (handle).

2000 years in the making, The Red Letters Project is a dynamic, one-of-a-kind Rock and Pop tour-de-force built on the real Rock, Jesus. Using the words of Christ as found in the Gospel of Matthew (New Living Translation), The Red Letters Project is an unique alternative to spoken-word audio Bibles and traditional rock albums, blending the timeless life-changing text with a musical medium resonant with a new generation. The Red Letters Project is an excellent gift for teens, young adults, lovers of God’s Word, and any fan of rock music, regardless of age.

This was not my cup of tea, at all. I listened to each and every song on all three discs, hoping that the vocalists would be different, the style would change, that a tune would be catchy or something.

Nothing. For me it got very old listening to the same two or three artists (all unknown to me) sing the verses. Probably because there was little change in the vocalization, but it might also be because the book of Matthew is not one of the poetry books of the Bible and for me it didn’t work to set it to music.

I’m not sure who will like this. Maybe people a little older than me who grew up listening to Christian groups like Petra or MxPx? I can’t say for certain. Being around today’s youth quite a bit I can say that I don’t think they’ll enjoy this. You have to be a big fan of a very particular type of music and not mind that the same 3 people are singing all 40 tracks on this compilation. For me it would have worked better if there had been a wide variety of some notable Christian artists who had taken part in this.

Great idea; poorly executed.

A complimentary copy was provided by Tyndale House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing.

Anyway. Do you remember that one where Charlene has her baby and she has a dream and Dolly Parton appears as her “guardian movie star” (1:47 in this video; the whole thing isn’t available as far as I can tell, but just the bit this video features is enough to make you cry and want to have babies LIKERIGHTNOW. Just me? Okay.) in a cloudy dream world where she proceeds to sing “Somewhere Out There,” which at that time had recently been made famous by the fabulous An American Tail?

Oh, you didn’t watch that? Shame. That little piece of TV stuck in my subconscious for years and years. It was the first place I heard that pretty song (before we rented An American Tail) and I remember being so excited about this episode and watching it the night it aired. And I remember it being the first thing I’d ever seen on TV that made me want to cry for reasons that I didn’t understand. You see, it was January 1, 1990 and I had just turned 5-years-old.

Okay, I’ll shutup now.

The point is, a few weeks ago I had a dream and Sheldon Cooper was in it. I’ll blame it on the fact that my hormones were wacky and I had some crazy thoughts running through my mind. But he was there to give me a message. And right now I am going to break my rules about what I post on my blog and say a word that my parents, grandparents, and really anyone older than me who shares some kind of kinship would NOT approve of.

TMI follows: Sheldon sometimes uses really technical language to get his point across, often taking much more time than what is necessary. Dream Sheldon was no different. He started off his speech by saying, “Coitus often leads to conception.” That’s right. Coitus. Who says that in a dream? Sheldon Cooper.

Sheldon was there to tell me that I was going to have a baby. And it was weird. But comforting and informative at the same time.

(Bet you thought I was going to end this post by saying that I’m actually pregnant*, right? BAZINGA.)

*I’m not.**
**Whenever I am, I’ll say I am. None of that “we” stuff. Seriously, I want to knock people’s teeth out when they say that. When have you ever seen a pregnant man (that has always been a man)?

Pretty sure the rules of blogging say that 10:38 on a Tuesday night is the worst time to publish a post, but I’m doing this for the people. Not for whoever makes up those rules.

• How much do you spend on groceries each week? One Week of Food could put that into perspective for you.
• Very interesting essay on the manipulation and reuse of images in culture.
• The Calorie Police (Do you think the ACLU would defend my right to consume calories in whatever form I please? Just asking.) There’s a double standard here, folks.
• Micah’s post discussing “slow parenting” was eye-opening for me. It’s exactly what I hope to do someday. My parents raised us that way, to a certain extent. While it was not always on purpose (I know that much), I do appreciate that we were allowed to pursue our interests within reason and that we weren’t on the road every night of the week.
• Mango Slaw with Cashews & Mint (This is a recipe for you, Heather)
• Chagrin chagrin chagrin. Chagrin? Chagrin. CHAGRIN. Chagrin. (thanks, Rammi )
• I’m linking this post because Misti is talking about guys named Make Time and Cob.
• “Because I think the world knows just how much NBC, home of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, among others, has been in the tank for George W. Bush for lo these many years. Their relentless cheerleading for the former president, his domestic initiatives and his foreign policy has made them a laughing-stock among serious news organizations and a network no serious-minded person would admit watching.” – The Friar

Oh, and Clare got a haircut!

Oh, hi, Matt. And Tim.

. . .

My one word for Season 3: Transition. I’ve been told all along Season 3 is where the series really starts to get … confusing, if you will. I was content with the first two seasons. Sure, there were a few more questions raised in Season 2, but compared to Season 3, most of them seem … unimportant. I don’t want to say irrelevant because the smallest occurrence could have a significant impact on future events. Plus, the questions posed by this season seem … deeper. Like there’s more to them. It’s hard to put into words. Though I’ll certainly do my best…

1. Season 3…the first time we had a major hiatus in the middle of a season. If you didn’t know, it was between the episode when Jack told Kate to run and…when she actually ran.
   I wasn’t aware of the hiatus but from what I’ve found, it was a nice three months. I’m not sure I could’ve stomached that kind of a break with this season. It was confusing enough without a three month break. I suppose I’m spoiled having the DVDs at my disposal, watching the episodes as slowly or quickly as I please.
2. Now, this season — even more people checked out than in Season 2, I think. What did you think of this season?
   • This season grew on me. I’ll be honest, checking out seemed like a perfectly legitimate option during the first few episodes. There was a different tone to it right from the opening minutes of the first episode. They took everything you knew about the island, the plane crash, the “Others” and threw it out the friggin’ window. I mean, “A Tale of Two Cities” started innocently enough. A suburban home. A book club. I thought to myself, “Oh, another flashback. This is an interesting way to start.” Then my mind is torn open while all of my assumptions and thoughts about the first two seasons come spilling out. From the moment I saw that plane crash over the village with the “Others” dressed in civilian clothes, I knew this season was different.
   • On a broader scale, I think this season ventured outside of what you could call “reality.” Through the first two seasons, apart from whatever the heck that stupid smoke monster is, the show stayed within the confines of a storyline that most could believe, with a little bending here or there. But there’s SO MUCH that happens in Season 3 that really starts to kick into high gear the belief that this island isn’t only different, it’s powerful. What rules you may have believed about the island are broken and a brand new world is unveiled.
   • Time travel, in a sense, shows itself in this season. Desmond becomes a very central character in the season and is ultimately involved with the fate of Charlie by season’s end. I really enjoyed Desmond’s role in Season 3. I hope his abilities (or whatever they are) become more apparent as we trek forward.
   • The Others … aren’t actually “Others” as they’re described in Season 2. Heck, Ben wasn’t even born on the island as he claimed (then, of course, later renounced). He was brought in as part of the Dharma Initiative with his dad Roger (who, as my dad pointed out, was the Dharma van driver shown a few episodes prior…). There aren’t backstories for any other members of Ben’s group (except for Juliet, Ben himself, and Richard). Ben does mention most of them being recruited to the island once he was there, so I think it’s safe to assume they weren’t “natives” of the island. Richard, on the other hand, approached Ben as a child. Ben had run off after his mother after seeing her on the island. Once he’s deep into the forest, Richard (who hasn’t aged A SINGLE DAY), talks to him. Ben tells Richard he doesn’t like it there and wants to come with Richard, who then tells him he’s not ready. So we fast forward to an older Ben who ends up killing his father in the infamous blue van via poisonous gas. Ben returns to the barracks where Richard and his men have done the same. I’ll share my thoughts on this at the end of this questionnaire. Basically, my point in recapping that story is simply to point out the massive character development of Ben in this season. ESPECIALLY for a character that wasn’t supposed to last more than a few episodes. Now he’s central to what’s becoming the primary storyline in the series.
   • We discover more about John Locke. At the end of Season 2, it seemed his connection with the island might be in doubt and that he wasn’t too sure about his purpose there. As we progress through Season 3, he discovers more and more about himself and his purpose on the island. By the end of the season, John apparently comes to the realization they’re not supposed to be rescued.
   • As I said at the beginning, this season grew on me. I was very close to checking out. But as the season progressed, I opened my mind and accepted the seemingly new direction the series was taking. I hear Seasons 4 and 5 dive deeper into a “Science Fiction” frame of mind and focus more on mysteries and action (thanks, Mary).
3. Polar bears and fish biscuits At least one of your questions was answered!
   The fish biscuits were amusing. We were given a little more information about the polar bears. Namely, when Locke and Charlie hunted down the one that allegedly took Eko to its cave. Other than that, though, I still have no idea what on earth the polar bears are doing on the island. This series has posed a lot of questions already, and while I know they won’t ALL be answered, I’d like more insight to the bears…
4. Who is your favorite character as of the Season 3 finale?
   Dang. No option for two favorite characters this time. It’s a tie between Desmond and Ben. A VERY close second is Hurley. My dad kept telling me I’m about to happen upon big revelations with his character. I feel like we’re just scratching the surface with Desmond’s potential right now. Sure, he has flashes or visions or what have you, and it saved Charlie’s life a couple of times before ultimately telling of his demise, but it just seems like he’s destined for MUCH bigger things. Ben, on the other hand, it just an overall magnificent character. I’ve found myself not being able to tell when he’s telling the truth or when he’s lying. All part of his character, of course. Michael Emmerson plays that role brilliantly. From figuring out he wasn’t born on the island, to his neglecting father, to his relationship with the mysterious Jacob … Ben is definitely the most intricate. It also seems like his role is larger than Season 3 showed. I hope that’s the case.
5. Any newly introduced favorites?
   I suppose it’d have to be Ben. We knew him as Henry in the second season, so that classifies him as a “new” character. Juliet is also a newly introduced character, but she’s not a favorite at this point.
6. Least favorite?
   Of the main cast, I don’t have a least favorite. It’s rare to find that in a series these days. Every character has something about them that interests me and they’re all delightfully different. HOWEVER! Nikki and Paulo were the most annoying characters of this season, by far. It seems like they were suddenly thrust into the picture by given random speaking lines and then, out of nowhere, their own episode. Shallow characters, shallow side story, and completely unnecessary. Sure, they were buried alive. But I’m so convinced we won’t hear from them ever again, I barely gave any thought to it.
7. Do you have any favorite episode(s) from this season?
   “Flashes Before Your Eyes” and “The Man Behind the Curtain”.
   • “FBYE” because, if you’re not paying attention, this episode really messes with your head. Not only is it a Desmond-centered episode (which is always good, brother), but it takes you on a time trip. Does Desmond really go back in time? Did he alter time by turning the key? It set the stage for the flashes he has. That’s the first episode watched twice.
   • “TMBtC” because the episode is all about Ben. We found out how he reached the island. How his dad drove the blue Dharma van and drank the Dharma beer that Hurley and company stumbled upon. We discover his relationship with Richard. We also figure out that the original Dharma inhabitants were killed by the natives. This group, I believe, is the one we find currently pestering our crew. Plus, Locke and Ben visit Jacob. I don’t even know where to begin with Jacob. His name has been dropped a few times, but we get our first “look” at him and find out that he spoke to Locke instead of Ben with a cry of help. And Ben didn’t take to kindly to that.
8. Were there any you didn’t enjoy this season or found particularly tedious?
   Expose! See my comments on “Least Favorite”.
9. What questions does this season leave you with?
   Where do I begin? I suppose with what questions I can mark off the list from the past two seasons…
   • My #1 Most Wanted question: What is the smoke monster? It killed Eko and has made appareances here and there with its usual noise but there still hasn’t been anything to lead me to believe anything about it. I’ve got nothing.
   • Origin of the numbers? What about the bad luck associated with them? Hurley found the rabbit’s foot from Roger’s (Ben’s dad) body. There HAS to be some sort of connection there.
   • What’s the deal with the Black Rock? We know it’s a slave-trading ship. But why the dynamite? And how is it so far inland?
   • Locke’s connection with the island? I see this trying to come into view, but I haven’t found anything to grasp onto with him yet. I have an interesting theory about Locke I’ll share in the last section…
   • Who are the Others? From what I can deduce, they’re a mixture of the original natives of the island and people Ben recruited to the island under the Dharma Initiative label, which to me, went defunct when Ben/Richard killed the original members.
   • Polar Bears? We see the one in the cave where it had Eko, but nothing more. We need a resurgence of Michael.
   • Who is Kelvin Inman? Lots of info in Season 2 relating to Desmond, the hatch, and the Dharma Initiative, but nothing since then.
   • Why is Alex with the Others? Well, we find out that Ben claims to be her father. Then, during the season finale, she tells her Danielle is her mother. Do Ben and Danielle know each other?
   • Still lots of questions about Libby from Season 2. Not sure if those will be answered, but the questions surrounding her are almost too big to be ignored. Why was she in the mental hospital with Hurley? Why the encounter with Desmond?
   • Still lots of “hatch” questions. Doomsday Hieroglyphics? Dr. Mark Candle/Wickmund? Edits/splices in the Dharma films? (Possibly tinkered with by the natives?) Quarantine? Different copyrights on the Dharma films? Purpose of the invisible map on the hatch blast doors?
   • What were the Others pretending to be? Well, it looks like they were disguising themselves as natives. Why? Still not quite sure…
   • Is Dharma just an experiment? I asked this at the end of Season 2. I’m still very shifty on the timelines regarding Dharma and the natives. Again, check the final section for more on this…
   • Ice station at the end of Season 2? Still don’t know, but the finale at the end of Season 3 shed a little light on this. Penny has some sort of link to the island. I still don’t know how.
   • 4-toed statue? Still not a clue. Although, there was a mention of a “temple”…

Now, how about some NEW questions?

• The cages! Were these put in by the Dharma Initiative? The natives? It was mentioned to Sawyer the cages held bears … but what kind? The polar bears we keep hearing so much about?
• Cindy, the flight attendant on Oceanic 815, shows up on the island when Jack is in the cage. She says she came to watch and claims she wasn’t captured. The heck?
• Did the rabbit’s foot Hurley found really rid those around him of misfortune?
• What/where is “The Temple” that Ben briefly mentioned as his crew was getting ready to move again?
• What’s the full story on Richard? He was on the island likely before Ben ever arrived and still there at the present time. Yet, he hasn’t aged a single day.
• When will the jewelry store clerk of Desmond’s deja-vu episode show up again? She was briefly shown in a photograph with Desmond’s monk brother at the monastery. I assume we’re not finished with her quite yet.
• Speaking of Desmond, was his deja-vu episode just that? An episode? Did he actually go back in time? Did his altering of the events he described (saving the bartender) allow him to see the flashes/visions?
• Was Mikhal an actual member of the Dharma initiative … or a native? He said he arrived on the island to join the Dharma Initiative, but that story seems suspect. Since he’s kaput now, the question of his origin may not be important.
• Will the love square of Jack, Juliet, Sawyer, and Kate continue?
• Will Michael return? We saw Walt briefly as Locke tried to commit suicide, so I assume Michael can’t be too far behind.
• Where have Michael and Walt been? Home?
• So what’s the deal with Juliet? Really a spy? Or shunned by her “people”? She wants off the island as much as everyone else, it seems…
• What is the connection with Locke and this island? It only seems to be getting stronger.
• Who’s in the coffin during the flash forward?
• Does Ben have a connection with the island? Why is he the one who speaks to Jacob?
• Oh, and, who is Jacob?

Other thoughts?

• I’m trying to figure out the Dharma Initiative. I know, I know. When was it started on the island? I’m assuming the natives were already there if they are true natives of the island. Did the initial members of Dharma put in the sonic defense system AFTER finding hostiles … or was it purely a precautionary measure? I’m not sure we yet know the “purpose”, if you will, of the initiative. I mean, sure, push the button, save the world. Got that. But why the recruitment? Why so many people? Was it really just an experiment? I love everything about the Dharma Initiative, but there’s a TON I don’t know about it. I hope I find out more in Season 4.
• I looked at the Complete Series box set on Amazon. Even the box doesn’t make sense at this point. However, I noticed the doomsday hieroglyphics on the side of the box. A mini-spoiler informing me of their return at some point?
• When we saw Ben as a young boy escaping into the forest, he ran into ageless Richard. Ben asked Richard if he could come with him. Richard told Ben he wasn’t ready. However, when Ben later killed his father, he was then accepted by Richard and his men as he discovered they’d killed the people of the Dharma Initiative the same way. The same kind of scenario occurs when Ben tells Locke he can’t join them yet because he isn’t ready. In fact, Ben goes a step further and tells Locke not to come with them until he’s carry the body of his father on his back. Lo and behold, Locke ends up killing his father (he uses Sawyer as his weapon), takes his father’s dead body, and returns. There’s obviously a connection here, but what could it be?
• So apparently Jack and Claire are half-siblings. I’m not sure if this will have any long-term ramifications or not. It’s one thing for these characters to cross paths before they all get on the same plane but for two of them to share the same father? Hmmm…
• I’m wondering what the purpose was of the whole Nikki/Paulo storyline. It seems weird to have an episode that’s so separate from the rest of the season. I’ve already expressed my dislike for that whole side story. The buried alive ending was cool and all, but will these characters … resurface … at any time?
• Sooooo… Jacob. I’d heard the name thrown around before I started watching the series. Then, when we first meet Karl and find him locked in a room being brainwashed, one of the phrases on the screen is “God loves you as He loved Jacob.” Sure, it’s a Bible verse reference, but after meeting Jacob in this season, I’m convinced there’s another meaning to it. Some questions surface as well. I know it’s early, but it’s healthy to ask questions. Why did Locke hear Jacob and Ben didn’t when they visited the dark shack in the jungle? Jacob seems to be in a position of authority, so why did he ask Locke to help him?
• The Flash Forward. What. The. Heck. All through the final episode of the season (Through the Looking Glass), I see what I assume are flashbacks of a depressed, bearded Jack living his life, which seems to be in ruins. We hear from one of the surgeons that Jack is a hero “twice over.” At first, I thought he said “twice over” because Jack saved two people from the car. No, no. It’s because Jack saved two sets of people – the survivors of the flight and the victims of the car crash. Then at the end of the episode, Kate shows up and Jack starts talking about how they shouldn’t have left the island. How they have to go back. How every time he flies the trip from LA to anywhere across the Pacific, he wants the plane to crash. My jaw literally dropped upon that revelation. What in the heck does that mean??? Did they ACTUALLY get off the island or was this, perhaps, a scene that shows what WOULD HAVE HAPPENED if they’d been rescued. We never actually see the survivors get off the island. I have a feeling it won’t be that easy.

Did I leave anything out? And have I mentioned I LOVE THIS SHOW?! I do need to give a few props to my mom and dad (Ted and Carolyn Mahler) for watching the second half of Season 3 with me. They dropped some hints here and there and warned me the rabbit hole goes even deeper. And also to Mary Parker. We’ve had a few lengthy chats about the happenings so far. She’s also helped broaden my understanding and helped me prepare for Season 4. Good thing it’s a bit of a short season.

That’s not a real excuse for not blogging. I guess I’m just worn out. Or not taking enough vitamins (ahem, ANY) or something. Been having some weird pains in my hand that I am trying to ignore, but they show up different times throughout the day in that little muscly part of my hand at the base of my thumb. Somebody needs to block WebMD on my computer because I am exactly the kind of person who looks at it and then assumes that I’m dying.

Potassium, maybe? Too much soda, no doubt.

Anyways…

• (I believe) I have an uncanny ability of knowing people’s tastes. As in, actual tastes. Once I’m around you for a bit I will start sending you recipes and pictures of food that I know you will like.
• Or maybe it’s some subconscious effort to make everyone around me overweight.
• I went through a Neil Diamond phase.
• Right before my Glen Campbell phase.
• People think I’m kidding about that because I’m 25 and couldn’t possibly have an interest in either of those guys BUT THEY ARE WRONG.
• Also, when I was like 8-years-old I had the biggest crush on Davy Jones of The Monkees and didn’t realize that he was old enough to be my grandfather.
• Allow me to make a list of men that I have had a crush on who are old enough to be my grandfather.
• Nevermind.
• Right after typing that last bullet point I was putting together a package to mail for PaperbackSwap and my arm was situated just right so that when I turned my neck I pulled a muscle or something. Now I’m in tremendous pain.
• I hate having ice on me.
• Just ask Kevin about that one time I had a very high fever and he had to get my temp down.
• Ow. OWWW.