My Summer Project

This is an idea that's been kicking around in my head for a few weeks, and now that Lost is over for the season (alas) and I have a bit of free time and some extra money on my hands, the plan is going into effect. So, let The Truth is Out There: Summer '08 Edition begin!


Yes, my friends, in preparation for the July 25 opening of I Want to Believe, I am going to rewatch The X-Files and relive 9 years of my *original* television obsession.

Mulder, Scully, the Lone Gunmen, CSM, Krycek, Skinner, the black oil, all of it... Chris Carter's crazy brainchild was my first complete immersion in a tv world. This was the first series that really sucked me in with the science vs. faith debate, and the early years coincided with my college years and my ancient religion major, so I was totally hooked.

Lately, as I've reveled in the wonderful Internet-enabled, value-added obsession with Lost (podcasts, blogs, message boards, screenshots, oh my!) I've really wondered what it would have been like to have such a "community" around The X-Files. Back in the day, I just had one good friend and my family who were fellow X-Philes, so it was a pretty limited group with which to share my theories, my questions, my revelations. And though it was the first show that I would watch with a pen and paper in hand, taking notes to make sure I could follow the mythology, I didn't have any platform for sharing my obsessive thoughts.

Guess what? Now I do!!!! :-)

So, to facilitate this project, I went and dropped a pretty penny (actually 28,266 of them) and bought the complete DVD box set. Nine seasons, 61 discs, commentary and extras, the Fight the Future feature film, plus theatrical poster, season 1 comic book, classic art cards, and episode guide. Oh yeah, I got the good stuff! And I've got 57 days 'til the new movie, I Want to Believe, premieres, so I've got my work cut out for me. Stay tuned!

Lost - There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3

Season finale time, folks.

And for now, the most resounding thought bouncing around in my mind?

WHOA.

***Spoilers Galore***

It's hard to judge which was the bigger shock/revelation of the evening, cuz we had two:

1. The Island freakin' DISAPPEARED. With Ben, Locke, Charlotte, Miles, Juliet, Richard, the Others, and SAWYER on it. Just GONE. Whoa. And now Ben can never get back?

2. Penny found Desmond!! WHOA!!! I really didn't expect this to happen until the series finale. I love them! What a great scene that was, cuz the ship with the searchlight out on the water was such a callback to the season 1 finale, I half expected to hear Tom yell out "we're gonna need to take the boy!" But, no, it's so much better, as our grand romance rekindles. Now, Des needs to keep her save from the vengeful Mr. Linus.

In other news, both major and minor:

The Oceanic 6 got rescued, and the lies begin. Whoa. And why oh why do these people still trust Jack to be their leader??? Seems like everything he touches gets screwed up.

Michael Emerson. Whoa. Give that man 2 Emmys, just for the amount of work he's done in this 3-part finale.

Sun. Whoa. She's kickin' ass in the future, and joining forces with Widmore? To do what - find the Island, get revenge on Ben, or both? I felt awful for her... Jin's death was about as excruciating to watch as any tv show has ever done.

Charlotte. Mini-Whoa. She was born on the Island? Could she be Ben and Annie's daughter?

And finally... Jeremy Bentham is dead, that mysterious man in the coffin. Mr. Bentham is none other than John Locke, whom we last saw assuming his "rightful place" as the Island's Chosen One. But somehow, after the Island moves, Locke makes it to the real world in the future, and has been visiting the 6 trying to convince them that they need to go back. Ben agrees, and explains that they all must go back together - bringing along the apparently dead John Locke / Jeremy Bentham.

And so there we have it. The only main question I have that's still unanswered is what happened to Claire. Is she really dead?

As I see it, the remaining 2 seasons will be about the Ocean 6, probably under the tutelage / manipulation of the always-awesome Benjamin Linus, trying to find the Island to get back. I'm guessing we'll still have on-Island storylines, exploring what happens with Locke, Sawyer, Juliet, Richard, Miles, Charlotte, Daniel and the Others, and seeing all those "horrible things" that happen after the 6 leave.

I can't wait! Too bad we've got to wait until 2009!

Just Peachy!

I have a new favorite wine! And it's probably the last flavor I would've expected... it's PEACH!

Yes, the peach wine from Bluemont Vineyards is simply divine. Contrary to how it may sound, this tasty little vino isn't too sweet, or syrupy, and it doesn't taste like a Jolly Rancher. No, it's just a really nice, crisp white with a really pleasant peach overtone - it's subtle enough to still be a pretty respectable white, but it's peachy enough to make it a really unusual and delicious treat.

I've had this wine on 3 occasions now in the last month, and I think I'm in love. It's the perfect glass of wine to have spending an afternoon relaxing with friends, and it goes great with BBQ food.

Since *someone I know* is getting married at Bluemont this fall, my friends and I will probably be making frequent trips out there this summer - and into the future! - so there will be many, many opportunities to stock up on what I'm happy to call is my new flavor of summer. Yum!

It's Better Not Knowing

Well, I just discovered a surprise. In the midst of a weekend of heavy duty packing, sorting, organizing, and basically tearing the apartment apart, I just took a break for a few hours in bed to rest and finish a book. (J-Lo, I can finally return your Fannie Flagg book! It made me cry.) Now, I was awake the whole time, and while I could hear Cleo running around in the living room it didn't sound unusual. Just sounded like the trusty cat was playing and jumping around on the cardboard boxes. She's been having a lot of fun with that lately.

So, I was definitely taken aback when I just came into the living room and saw, right there in the middle of the floor.... a tiny little dead baby mouse! And not a peep from Cleo, looking on from her perch on a chair just a few feet away. She just stared with great interest as I cleaned it up and disposed of the poor little thing. Am I just imagining the smug look of satisfaction in her eyes?

Or, in the wild kingdom battle of this apartment that we're soon leaving, is Cleo the undefeated queen of beasts?

Who Could It Be?

Seems I'm not the only one on a nostalgia kick.... my younger bro is a bit of a YouTube addict, and with the end of the school year (he's a guidance counselor) approaching, I'm guessing he's pretty bored. He sends me random YouTube finds about twice a week, and this one came under the subject line "Just for You." He actually found and sent me the intro to one of the most awesome tv shows of the 80's, the Stephen J. Cannell creation that gave us the GREATEST TV THEME SONG OF ALL TIME. Check it:



Oh yes, kiddies, that song existed long before the 40-Year Old Virgin soundtrack, and I used to sing along to every word 20 years ago. Still do, to this day. Believe it or not.

Let's Do the Time Warp Again

I'm making lots of progress on the move prep, and I've spent most of this weekend going through all the random years' worth of stuff I've been storing in my giant, unnecessary closets. Downsizing is going to be very easy, cuz I'm just getting rid of tons of junk.

Anyway, going through all my storage stuff is like a trip down memory lane. I'm finding old journals, notebooks, keepsakes (like doodled-on Denny's placemats from 1996) - hey, I'm a packrat! - and especially lots and lots of old photos of friends, places, events, and crushes past. What a trip, seeing old pictures* and remnants of a life that still seems familiar, but is starting to feel very far away.

But - actually - not so distant anymore. Cuz while I'm sorting through all the stuff of a life, through the magic of the Internet I am actually starting to reconnect with the people of my past lives. Now on Facebook, I think I've reached a point were I have an equal amount of friends from each of the different segments of my life - childhood, college, Pittsburgh, and my different groups here. So on any given day, I am playing Scrabulous (ROCKS) with a friend from middle school, chess with the former IT guy at Pittsburgh Public Theater, Scramble with gal pals from college, and emailing current folks about what to do this weekend.

I do admit, sometimes there's a little cognitive dissonance and I have to remind myself who I knew when, but it's pretty amazing that so many of us are reconnecting after so many years. It's given new resonance to my own solitary trip down memory lane as I sort and purge, and in a way I'm actually finding it kinda grounding as I'm about to start a new chapter of my life, in my most grown-up (read: most expensive) new setting yet.

*(Note: I am so going to get a lot of these great old photos scanned, so perhaps I'll share some time soon...)

LOST - There's No Place Like Home, Part 1

Tonight we were given the first hour of the 3-part, 2-night Lost season finale. Wow. I really don't think I can fully judge, or even write about, it until I see the whole shebang. This first hour definitely felt like the middle of a game of chess (if one's playing it right), with all the important pieces methodically being moved into position for the major action at the end of the game. While we did get a few good answers tonight, it was a lot of edge-of-the-seat setup for what I can only imagine will be yet another mind-blowing finale. Two weeks? Really??? I can barely breathe!

Meanwhile, a few spoilers, just cuz I have to give a shout out to a few scenes that I really loved:

- I teared up TWICE in the first 15 minutes, as the members of the Oceanic 6 were greeted by their family, all except for Kate and Sayid, and then again when Sun had to answer the reporter's question about Jin's death.

- LOVED that they brought back the numbers! After a fake-out scene where I, like Hurley, really thought the whispers had followed him back home, they really did shock him with some Island mojo. What could the reappearance of the numbers mean?

- Loved Sawyer's pained yet searching look when he first glimpsed Kate again. He knew he had to tell her about Claire, he knows he's still in love with her, but he also knows they're probably not meant to be. And I am back to being a bit scared about having him run off traipsing into the jungle after the commandos... after my excitement from a few weeks ago, he better still LIVE!

- Loved the brief but touching scene with Sayid and Nadia. Bittersweet, since we all know how that ends.

- Also thought the scene between Jack and Claire's mom was really well done. It closes the loop on that brother-sister storyline, and it did it in a way that makes complete sense.

- Most of all, LOVED that our Sun, who started out as a seemingly shallow, flighty, cheating, spoiled rich girl, has become such a strong, powerful, smart woman. I hope she makes her father beg.

I really have no idea what to expect in the remaining 2 hours of the finale. Action, heartache, rescue, I'm sure. Maybe an answer about what happened to Claire. Even, according to rumors, who's in the coffin. I just hope we can wait until next year before we have to see Jin die, or any other unexpected (shaggy-haired Southern) deaths. I predict there will be tears.

Sad Clown Face

Aw, the most heart-tugging little trend has started in my home. Even though it's now been about 3 weeks since the renovations in my apartment were complete, and so it's been 3 weeks since I've had to lock trusty cat Cleo in the bathroom, she's still afraid of it every morning. My poor sweet kitty is completely normal when we wake up in the morning, running around and enjoying her breakfast.

But, every day, at around 8 am - which is about when I'm out of the shower and getting dressed - she now quietly goes and hides in the closet or under the bed. Nothing soothing that I say will coax her out, and so lately I've decided to just let her hide until she feels comfortable again in the mornings. But the wary, anxious look on her face every morning just breaks my heart. I can't wait until she trusts me again!

In other news, lots of progress on the moving front this week. I've turned in my notice to the current building, set up an appointment to do all the paperwork in the new place, hired movers, set up my new utilities, and have even started packing. Wheee!

Calling All Vampire Fans

I'm way behind the curve here, I guess, cuz I didn't know that they're already making a movie of Stephenie Meyer's beloved teen-immortal romance, Twilight.

Here's the teaser trailer and the full cast list.

I gotta admit, I'm a little concerned. Bella is much more fragile and introverted in my mind than Kristen Stewart appears to be playing her, and that guy playing Edward??? With spiky gelled hair and that emo look? Unacceptable. Plus, I refuse to believe that Jacob (my favorite in the triangle) could be played by an actor who was born the day before my SEVENTEENTH birthday. Sheesh. I don't even like their picks for Carlisle and Esme - Jennie Garth's husband and Ava/Rebecca from Grey's Anatomy.

I think this movie's gonna have a hard time pleasing the fans. And yes, I admit, I am one of them!

Lost - Cabin Fever

Um, wow. How fitting that tonight's episode of LOST was playing out against end-of-the-world storm warnings and big cracks of thunder and flashes of lightning here in DC. Yowza.

***Spoilers***

I'd forgotten how much the John Locke episodes really blow my mind... this one was no exception. Mysterious, spooky, spiritual... it was all there in the mix. Since I'm racing to beat the severe storms that are just intensifying outside, here are some quickies... what I took from tonight's episode:

- John Locke returns to his somewhat messianic character status. Complete with an unexpected and unwanted birth, he's lived a whole life of being both an outsider and a survivor. And even though he failed Alpert's (or should I say the Panchen Lama's?) reincarnation test, it appears that the Island chose him from the very beginning, which brings us to...-

- The return of Richard Alpert! But not on the Island, oh no, the eyelashed one actually made appearances all throughout Locke's life, constantly checking in to see if the boy really would grow to fulfill his destiny. I loved the "is John Locke the Dalai Lama??" reincarnation test, and I loved it all the more for the fact that Locke failed. But Alpert wasn't the only Linus vs. Widmore warrior keeping tabs on Locke, oh no...

- Super-creepy Matthew Abbadon was an orderly taking care of John, and significantly was the one who told John he should go to Australia in the first place. So Abbadon's the one that really put Locke on Flight 815.

- Ben seems resigned to passing on the torch, recognizing that somehow he's lost the Island's favor and John's he new kid in town. But he's still pretty damn awesome.

- All that great speculation about Horace Goodspeed (seen in the trailer) being the walking dead and thus proving that there could be lots of ghosts among them? Alas, Horace appeared in a dream, so that scene didn't necessarily prove anything, except that Horace built the cabin.

- BUT - the current occupants of the cabin - Christian Shepherd and his lovely daughter - do seem to prove that there are, indeed, ghosts among us. And I'm more and more inclined to believe Claire is one of them.

- On the freighter.... Keamy is about as scary and ruthless as they come. Honestly, I'd rather face the smoke monster. RIP, Captain and Doctor. I wonder when we'll see the explanation of how the Doctor's body blipped back in time... I guess the corpse didn't float on the right bearing.

- Finally.... that great last line. What did Christian say that John needs to do in order to save the Island? MOVE IT.

Hamminwha? I can't wait to see a further explanation on that little point! How are they supposed to move the Island? Only fools are enslaved by time and space, but that's a big chunk of rock to have to relocate!

The storm's getting a lot rougher outside, so this is a pretty good time for me to sign off. Until next week, my LOSTies!

-------------------------------------------------

Update: Here's my middle of the night, kept awake by storms revelation:

Okay, based pretty much solely on Alpert's reincarnation test of young Locke... I'm gonna theorize that Jacob is, indeed, dead. Alpert - as his 2nd in command - is on a search for Jacob's latest incarnation, but we saw that Locke isn't it. (He failed the test and chose the knife, an object that had not belonged to Jacob.) So... remember how Damon & Carlton have been assuring us all along that Aaron is going to be very, very important to the story?My guess is that Aaron is the new incarnation of Jacob. And so it will be central that Aaron returns back to the Island.

A Plug for a Good Deed

Remember how I just upgraded to a new fancy, shiny laptop? Well, if you're wondering what I did with my old computer.... or are looking for what to do with your own old, slow, or broken computer, here's a tip:

You can donate used computers to a local charity called First Time Computers. They will come pick it up (or you can drop it off), they will fix it or use the parts to build a new system, and then they provide the computers to low-income families right here in DC. The best part? Well, all of it's pretty good, but they also train at-risk youth to do the actual refurbishing of the old computers, so kids are learning real skills and putting them to use.

Here's what they say about themselves:
Our mission is to enhance the educational prospects of low-income children/youth by widening their access to the world of technology. We seek to build their educational resources by [1] providing ready access to computers at home and [2] assisting community non-profits seeking to build computer access for the children and youth they serve, ultimately taking aim at the cycle of poverty.

Pretty good, huh? I first donated a computer to FTC 4 years ago, and I was so pleased with their friendliness and their mission that I was more than happy to give them my old laptop tonight. And, they even provide you with a tax-appropriate receipt. Check 'em out!

This Summer's First Blockbuster

With a small degree of trepidation, I made my way to the movieplex last night to see yet another comic book superhero adaptation. I was willing to give it a shot, cuz both The New York Times and EW have put out pretty strong reviews. Well, I am very happy to report that Iron Man is not just another bloated CGI actioner, and Robert Downey Jr. is no Tobey Maguire. And I mean that in the best way possible.

Finally, finally!, we have a superhero movie that spends just as much time on plot, character development, and dialogue as it does on the big zap, boom, sparkle action sequences. I enjoyed this movie just as much as I did The Bourne Identity, and they both have the same genre-elevating kind of approach to the typical action thriller. Thank you, Jon Favreau!

This is an origin story, showing us how international playboy / weapons manufacturer / engineering genius Tony Stark transforms into an avenging super-weapon himself. Roughly the first half of the movie gets in surprisingly deep to very current events, showing Tony's epiphany in a terrorist camp in Afghanistan, as he realizes just what horror his life's work has wrought in the wrong hands.

Back in Malibu, the former "merchant of death" seeks his own redemption with the help of his Girl Friday Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and his best buddy, a top military brass played by Terrence Howard. Both of these luminaries bring a lot to their slightly-underwritten roles, but they help class up the joint along with a strikingly bald-and-bearded Jeff Bridges as Stark's shady business partner.

Mixed in with the "ooh! ah!" moments of robotics and CGI fight sequences, Favreau and his screenwriters offer up a surprisingly smart and funny script. Downey is PERFECT as Tony Stark, and I can't imagine any other actor being able to portray both the world-weary playboy and the abashed superhero trying to right his wrongs. Downey's own experience and age bring so much more to this role than any of the usual strong-jawed Hollywood boy toys (or weird floppy-haired emo counter-casting hero types) could have shown on the screen.

And, ultimately, the wisecracks in the dialogue and some really great visual humor involving Tony Stark's robotic assistants help make the whole thing just a truly enjoyable cinematic experience. (If anyone out there, like me, laughed and cried with that GM "sad robot" commercial a few years back, you'll love how they give a few inanimate objects some real character in here.)

If you're going to see this on the big screen, be prepared. I didn't know this ahead of time and now wish I had... there is an additional scene that plays at the very end of the credits, with a *major* star making an appearance as another central figure in the Marvel universe, basically setting up a sequel that must have the fanboy crowd licking their lips. Yep, get ready for The Avengers. It's already up for sale on the HSX!

And, PS, when did Robert Downey Jr. get so hot? Check out those arms!

Lost - "Something Nice Back Home"

Ah, the first Jack-centric episode of the season. Strange how I hadn't missed them at all...

I'm especially tired tonight, and while this episode had a lot to keep it humming I'm not having the same adrenaline rush as after last week's series-opening, mind-blowing extravaganza, so this will be a quick post, methinks.

***Spoilers ahead!***

How about slightly incoherent bullet form?

-- First, of course, the most important development....Sawyer's alive! (I think.) He just chose to stay on the Island. Wheeeee!!!! Sounds like he made Kate promise to take care of baby Clementine in the future.

-- Then, there was that expected yet still somewhat cliffhanger-y ending... Claire disappears into the jungle with ghost Dad, as ghostbuster Miles watches, and Aaron appears slightly Moses-like cradled in a tree. What has happened to Claire? I assume we'll find out very soon.

-- Christian Shepherd rises again, crossing storylines and timelines galore! I love seeing his ominous stiff walk, cuz it usually means Jacko's about to go bat-sh*t crazy. And that's really the only way I find Jack tolerable. (And here comes the drug addiction....!) Even better that he finally appeared to Claire! And somehow he's in a corporeal form substantive enough to hold a baby? I'm guessing that pretty soon we'll see how Jack figures out that Claire is his nephew.

-- So Charlie, Christian Shepherd...are these Oceanic 6 visions Smokey? Or what? It's great seeing the Island's crazy mojo following the 6 back to the real world.

-- Jack and Kate. Blech, they finally get together, he pops the question, blech. But he's already jealous and controlling, just like he was with Sarah. We know they split up eventually, and he has to beg her to come meet him at the airport, so I hope Kate wises up pretty soon after he showed his real, jerkface self and cuts off the engagement. But, could you imagine what People magazine would do with a real-life Oceanic 6 wedding?

-- I'm glad they brought back that "Aaron shouldn't be raised by anyone else" warning. Sounds like it's especially true that Jack should not raise Aaron. Why??? I mean, other than the fact that he's an angry drunk?

-- It's nice the way they're starting tie together the Oceanic 6 flashforwards, as this one linked Hurley, Jack and Kate all into a growing unified storyline. And we could actually gather the timing on this one. It's after Kate's FF and I believe after Hurley's FF, but before Jacko starts really going off the deep end. I don't think we'll get back to that far ahead in time until this season's finale.

-- I am super-intrigued by Hurley's "we achieve happiness and then it gets taken away" theory. We've seen it happen with all of them so far except Sun, and I'm sure we'll see more of her post-Island story soon.

-- I loved Jin calling Charlotte on her game, and it's still looking like Charlotte and Daniel may not be so innocent. But I'm afraid this is the setup that will eventually lead to our dear Jin's death.

-- I really hope we someday get a flashforward for one of the other characters that stays on the Island, or maybe for any who might leave but stay hidden. Like WAAAAALT! And Sawyer, of course. I don't want to wait to find out their futures in storyline real-time. It's so exciting, I'm getting impatient!

Alas, I wasn't thinking straight and shut off the tv before seeing the scenes from next week, so I have to hunt that down soon for a fix... I'm sure it will be up on the blogs lickety-split.

Moving Towards Moving

I am slowly starting to purge and prep myself for my first move in 4 1/2 years, and since I've still got about 6 weeks I'm not quite overwhelmed by everything, yet... I'm still starting out by methodically going through things. I have donated a lot of clothes already, and have more to go soon. I'll be going through my books to donate or pass on (any requests?), and then I'll start packing in earnest.

A few comments/questions as I move along...

Question: How long do dried herbs or spices stay good in the pantry? I've got some that date back to the Clinton Administration, I'm sure! Should I be tossing out some of the old ones that I don't use?

Question: Does anyone have recommendations and/or horror stories of local moving companies?

Finally, a bit of advice for anyone who is also planning a move soon. Don't do what I did, do NOT think it sounds cool to fill out one of those "EZ123" one stop web sites for moving estimates... the "fill out the form once and get 12 estimates!" thing is a curse, not a blessing, cuz now I'm getting stalked both on email and my cell phone by TWELVE different moving companies! They're calling, they're emailing, they're calling again to follow-up on their first call.... sheesh!