Dreaming of vacationing in Hawaii

We finally have some nice weather in my part of the world, and this feeling of spring has me longing to go on vacation. Yes, I am aware that I just got back from spending spring break in Florida, but after the week that followed my return and all of the furlough preparations that cluttered my mind and my days, I find I am in need of another vacation.

Taking a trip to Hawaii has always been the dream vacation of mine. Although Hawaii became a more interesting destination once Lost became my obsession on TV, I have wanted to go to Hawaii since I was a kid. My grandparents went to Hawaii on one of their anniversaries, and came back filled with love for the place. I still have a photo of them in their Hawaiian garb taken at a luau they raved about for years. Looking at that picture has always made me happy. For me, Hawaii has become this mythical wonderous place that I hope to see before my time on this planet has come to an end.

Now that Disney is building a vacation club resort in Hawaii (Called Aulani), my husband and I figured this was our chance to go. We are DVC members and absolutely love staying on Disney properties. So, combine the two, and it’s got to be the time. I had started to get my mind set on a Hawaii in 2012 vacation (end of the world and all) for us and the kids.

That all changed when we were in Disney World over spring break. The kids let me know that they are not, in fact, insterested in going to Hawaii next year. They just want to return to Disney World again next year (as we’ve done for every year since 2005) since that’s our family tradition. Mind you, they said all this through tear stained eyes so that it would have the most effect. No, the tears were real. My kids love going to Disney World as much as I do. The thought of not coming back for one year fills my heart with sadness. Apparently, it does the same for them.

I am a huge Disney World fan, and would go a couple times a year every year for the rest of my life is school schedules and money were no object. Odds are, even if next year does become the big Hawaii trip year, we will probably end up making time to head on down to Florida as well. I might not be able to go a year without visiting Mickey Mouse and friends.

Time will tell.

I still really want to see Hawaii someday.
RSM

RSM Thoughts: Lost: Season 1 Tabula Rasa

When I first started watching Lost, I was unsure of how I felt about Kate. I immediately loved Jack, Locke, and Hurley, but I was on the fence about Kate. I liked her in season 1, but less so when the writers decided to put her into a love triangle with Sawyer and Jack.

Knowing how much I loved the ending her character got in season 6, I am starting my rewatch of Lost from the very beginning with an almost fresh set of eyes. I’ve already watched the Pilot parts 1 and 2. Now it’s time to watch our third episode: Tabula Rasa, or Kate’s origin story.

Because I was a huge Buffy the Vampire before watching Lost, I was (and still am) a bit hung up on this episodes title. From the Latin, the title means starting over or a fresh start. Buffy used it awesomely to similar effect. For Lost, this is the episode where Jack tells Kate that they should all be able to start over. You can see it in the ending montage: Jack and Kate sitting on the beach, Locke bringing Vincent to Michael so he can give him back to walt, Jin brushing hair out of Sun’s eyes as she sleeps, Boone bringing sunglasses to Shannon, Sayed giving Sawyer an apple, Charlie changing “FATE” to “LATE” on his fingers bandaid (Claire is overdue?). This is probably one of the most hopeful endings of any Lost episode, except for the really really strange look on Locke’s face as we fade out to “Lost” white letters on black screen.

But that was the end, let’s retrace our steps to some things I noticed from the beginning.

I had forgotten that Hurely also saw the mug shot of Kate that the Marshall gave to Jack. So, he knew from the beginning, yet never mentioned it again. I cannot get over how young Jorge Garcia is here. I know it’s six years ago, but he’s practically a baby.

I loved that as they (Shannon, Boone, Sawyer, Charlie and Sayid) all fought over who should carry the gun, the only one they could agree on was Kate. We the audience knew that she was on the run for something, but no one else did. She was immediately trusted by the Losties, and with good reason. In the end, her ability to use a gun saved everyone. I didn’t think much of Evangeline’s acting abilities when I watched these episodes in first run, but watching them again, her Kate is a self consistent character: sort of one who is passionate about what she believes and scared to trust.

Poor Sawyer. When he shot the Marshall to put him out of his misery, and just ended up making things worse (missed his heart, tore his lung, etc), I felt just as badly for him as when his actions led to the death of well, I will leave that out for those who haven’t watched this the first time so you can be surprised. It is obvious that even though he’s all talk and cocky, there’s much that Sawyer doesn’t know and when he overreaches, he makes grave mistakes. Hurley’s “is he still alive?!” observations were awesome. From the beginning, he’s spoken for us, the viewer. Everybody loves Hurley!

Overall, this was another wonderful episode. Hawaii is beautiful, so it doesn’t take much to make it look gorgeous on camera, but this is the first episode after the two part pilot, which was filmed more as a movie than a TV show. Still, the crane shots, and wide shots really allow the viewer to be there, with the characters, on the island.

One more spoilery discussion for those who haven’t watched the show before. Skip the next paragraph.
Now back to that last shot. Was Locke dead all along? Some have speculated that the only possible way he could have walked after being paralyzed (next episode we learn this) was that he was Smokey from the very beginning. My first thought was no, but the crazy look he was giving everyone (Michael and Walt?) really gave me pause. Locke was tied my favorite character with Jack for most of the show, starting with his backstory episode Walkabout (next up). I hoped his ending would be something different than it was, but always liked his faith that somehow he might matter to something more important than he was. All his suffering might actually be for something rather than just dumb luck. I like to think that too. If he were smokey from the beginning, that sort of undoes everything and would really cast a shadow over my thoughts about Locke.

Either way, well done by the whole cast from the very beginning. I can only imagine what it was like to get an ensemble show up and running, but the writing, acting, directing were all excellent from the very beginning.

Namaste
RSM.

My Fall TV schedule (draft one)

For the past six seasons, all I have cared about watching was Lost. Sure, I followed a number of other shows, but none as passionatly as I did Lost. I would listen to weekly fan podcasts, go to the various bloggers sites immediately after an episode aired, and most importantly, I insisted that the hubby and I watch it on the DVR after getting the kids to bed, that night, no matter how much sleep we were giving up to do so. This was one show that I didn’t DVR to watch whenever. I needed to watch it when the rest of the Lost community was watching it.

Now that Lost has ended, I am finding that I need to take a look at the fall schedule and decide what it is I am going to watch. I think I have it now. So, breaking it down by day, here we go. Referring to the TVGuide fall TV preview found here. Be warned, there isn’t a lot of Lost like dramas in my must watch list. You’ll find reality TV (some of it fluff and guilty pleasure) as well as lighter fair.

Sunday
Amazing Race (if this is where CBS plays it)

Monday
Dancing with the Stars (8pm) ABC
Hawaii Five-0 (10pm) CBS
and Castle (10 pm) ABC

Tuesday
NCIS (8pm ) CBS
Dancing with the Stars Result show (9 pm) ABC

Wednesday
Survivor

Thursday
nothing

Friday
nothing

Saturday
nothing.

Wow, that’s a lot of empty nights. At the last minute, apparently CBS and ABC are playing Hawaii Five-0 and Castle opposite each other! I thought that Castle was being moved to Wednesday, but I guess that’s just for the summer. I only have one tuner on my DVR, so I am going to have to choose which one gets the digital recording and and which one get recorded on the trusty VCR upstairs (or purchased on iTunes). I am in love with Richard Castle and the cast of the that show (Nathan Fillion is AWESOME), so that’s going to have to win out, but I wish that one of them were moved to a little later in the week.

I will most likely try to catch a few shows on cable as well. I’ve been watching Covert Affairs on the USA network and have enjoyed the first three episodes so far. I am looking forward to where they take those characters. I am also intrigued by “The Event” and “Rubicon” and will have to try to check those out. Plus, I want to go back to the Lost six season DVD set and follow along with the bloggers on their Lost rewatch. I haven’t gotten into Fringe, but might have to put that on the viewing list. I watched the first couple of episodes but was too grossed out to continue. Maybe this is the fall that I finally sign up for Netflix.

Looks like I will have a little more time to write, draw and make jewelry this fall. Maybe that’s a good thing.

RSM

Wishing I were going to Comic-Con

This time every year, I lament the fact that work, children and summer vacations don’t allow me to jet off to California and join all of the other geeks out at the annual San Diego Comic-Con. A number of tweeps I follow on Twitter have been going the last couple of years, and every July, they begin to tweet about their plans and schedule for each day. Every year I read their tweets and tell myself “next year I will finally go.” Then next year comes along, and I don’t go.

Last year was harder than this since last year was Lost’s last big presence at the convention. Since Lost ended it’s final season back in May, my reasons for going have decreased. I guess that is a good thing.

I did read that ABC’s cop show, Castle, staring the fantastic Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic, will have a Q&A session with the actors. I’d have loved to have seen and/or met them. Again, maybe some day.

Still, I will be following all of my Lost blogging and podcasting friends with much envy. I hope they have a great time and I hope that they tweet often.

RSM