Also in my Amazon package…
the latest “500″ book from Lark Publishing… “500 Plates & Chargers.”
Sadly, I totally spaced out applying for this one?! Watching for their application deadlines
used to be a high priority… but somehow it fell off my radar this time?! But… luckily I have
been published in three of their other books… “500 Cups”, “500 Pitchers” and “500 Tiles”!
Check out this older blog post on “My Lark Trifecta.”

And a little guilty pleasure… also from Amazon, my favorite movie from third grade!
It’s a little short film by Albert Lamorisse called “The Red Balloon. A sentimental flick
about a lonely little French boy who is befriended by a Red Balloon! A saw it in 3rd grade
and still remember it to this day… check it out!!!

So… did they answer all of our questions?…  NO.
Did they resolve all of our concerns, theories & reservations?… NO.
Was it a beautifully filmed episode that we will talk about for years to come?… YES.
Was there action, drama, comedy, closure, redemption and more?… YES.
Was I pleased with the ending?… YES.  Was I “thrilled” with the ending?… NOT SO MUCH.

But the more I’ve thought about it today, the more I like it, the more I appreciate it.
I think they gave us a lot of answers, but left us with a lot of topics for us to ponder.
Much like the rest of the “LOST” season. Why should we have expected anything else?!
I think they were brilliant in the way they crafted the entire series so that it “connected”
with each of us in a different way. I think that how you’ve interpreted “LOST” says a lot
about you as a person. For the past six years, we’ve all viewed it, discussed it, critiqued it,
and analyzed every little clue – all based on our own experiences & beliefs.

I still maintain that this has been my favorite show on television ever!
And that’s a strong statement from someone who takes his television watching seriously.
The show was brilliantly crafted, well written, well acted and it gave us all a lot to think about.
It was more than a show to sit on the couch and watch. It made you think. You had to work
for it. Piecing together the clues, catching the symbolism and foreshadowing, making theories.
And I still think that some of MY theories were so much better than what they told us.

In the end, it wasn’t so much about The Island, Jacob, Widmore, Ben and the Others.
It was all about Jack… and always has been. And how his journey was affected by everyone
else on the Island. How they all impacted his own journey. And how they all needed each
other. The episode does make one stop & think about the important people in your life.
And hope that they might be there in the end to help you “let go” as they did for Jack.

I loved the entire journey. What a great place to escape to each week.
Even the episodes that most people hated… dare I say Paolo & Nikki.
Thank you to the creators & writers for sharing such a wonderful experience with us!

I’m already planning on watching the entire show again from the beginning.
I’m hoping to see different clues & hints along the way, now that we know what happens
in the end. It’s been a long and wonderful journey with all of our friends who crashed
in Hawaii. But now it’s over… and what am I going to obsess about now?!

With the finale of “LOST” coming tonight… I just realized that the “answer”
to everything on the Island has been staring me in the face all along. Who knew that
the overall theme would be captured in a set of little bottles I’ve had for years
as part of my Cory McCrory Collection!!! Go figure… luckily, they each have stoppers!

Congratulations to the Top Three, left to right below.. Sandra, Parvati and Russell.
Although I won nothing in my own “Survivor Pool”… it’s still a lot more fun watching
Reality TV when they’re money riding on it!

In third place, the self-proclaimed biggest “Survivor” Villain of all time… Russell.
He is the most conniving & manipulative player ever; who always thinks he’s in charge -
all the way up to the final Tribal Council. But how ironic, that the guy who thinks
he’s the best player ever – got ZERO votes in the end!

And then there’s Parvati… my favorite! She’s the one who has been “on the Island”
the most, with well over 100 episodes and three seasons of “Survivor.” She was my
“gut choice” to win, but of course I overthought the game. Thinking that they would never
let a strong, competitive, previous winner get to the finish line again. But here she is -
still strong and coming in second!

And the winner… Sandra, who flew under the radar a bit, frequently scheming but never
too aggressive. She’s never won a challenge, but now has won the game of “Survivor” twice!
I’m not too excited about her win… I do like her wit & sarcasm… but I’m just more excited
that Russell didn’t win! He’s an idiot…

Next season, the “Survivor” castaways will be going off to Nicaragua!

The Best Show On Television… Ever! Sadly, coming to an end all too soon!
We’ve loved the characters, hated some of them, hypothesized, theorized and criticized!
And as it comes closer to the end, there are still a LOT of questions to be answered.
Last night’s episode was “supposed” to explain everything about Jacob, Anti-Jacob,
the “Rules” and quite possibly even “The Island” itself. I feel like it told us some of the
story, but never fully wrapped it up. I was a little disappointed I must say.

Luckily, we still have one more episode, plus a BIG finale night on Sunday, May 23rd.
Starting with a one-hour “LOST” recap… “Previously, on LOST…”
Followed by a two-and-a-half hour final episode to “answer” ALL of the questions?!!!
Then… and oh, but wait there’s more, a cast reunion on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

So?… any theories out there?!
Who’s good? Who’s bad? Will there be a happy ending? What the heck is going on?
We already know that some of our favorites are not going to survive… as some
are already gone! Or are they?! And what’s with “Sideways World” anyways?

I know I have my theories… and I’d LOVE to hear yours!
So there’s the topic, now discuss amongst yourselves… and post them as a comment.

With only five more hours left of my favorite show on television EVER…
it’s going to be weird not having our favorite island mysteries to be solving any more.
And let me just say… there are still a LOT of unsolved questions to be resolved.
Piecing together the snippets, clues, Easter Eggs and other clues. Over-analyzing!!
Hypothesizing how it’s all going to end. Trying to figure out what the heck is going on?!
Who’s good? Who’s evil. Who will survive till the end? Will anyone make it off the Island
and live “happily ever after”? 4 – 8 – 15 – 16 – 23 – 42…

Looks like some of our favorites might be making a return from the dead?!
Claire. Charlie. Shannon. Michael. Ana Lucia. Mr. Eko. John. Libby. Boone.
And what about “blown-to-smitherines” Arzt???… will he be “put back together” again?
(Sadly, I don’t see my favorite, and presumably also exploded, Juliet in the picture?!)
But does that also mean that all of “The Others” who died might be back too?!
Mikhail. Goodwin. Ethan. Mr. Friendly. Ms. Klugh… and ultimately, Jacob???

Another great (and sadly final) season of “LOST” begins tonight with three hours of fun!
Here’s to hoping we get a few answers this season.. and that some of my “predictions”
turn out to be correct… and that we might FINALLY get see more about Libby’s backstory!
Just when she was getting interesting… she’s killed & off the show!!!
But now she might be back?!

They’re back… and I can’t wait.