That said, 42 was my initial goal, I’m not done yet!  And with all I’ve learned about that blasted trend line I’ve gotta keep up the momentum to have that trend weight get under the 300 mark (still will happen this month, so long as I keep drinking water!)

So while I wait for the trend to catch up to the scale, I’m considering my next steps, I have a wacky idea in mind, that should be a fun way to mix it up a bit in the next few months.  So stay tuned.

Meanwhile, a small soliloquy on why 42 pounds was my goal (despite the 43 stated in the above picture, I didn’t want to use a three-digit number starting with a 3 as a goal.).

I turned 42 last December.  I read Douglas Adams’ Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when I was in college, so I understand the significance of the number 42 being the ulitmate answer to life, the universe and everything. [Aside: the question being what is 6*9 merely a distraction, this universe’s question shall remain a mystery, see here).

In January my favorite television show LOST started it’s final season (something that should be blatantly obvious to my two readers, but I write to a larger audience!), which I progressed through in a state of joy and sadness.  At The End, I realized I needed something other than television (though I still love me some TV!) to be important in my life.  About the same time as LOST’s finale, my lovely and HAWT wife started on Weight Watchers, she asked me gently to do it with her, because trying to plan meals alone on the system was hard.  So I started Weight Watchers, and then after my free period expired, I started using LoseIt! Both of these programs give you a goal weight, which is a stumper.  All I really new back then was I didn’t want to be as heavy as I was, but as far as a discrete number… clueless.  So I fell back on the LOST numbers: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.  I chose the biggest, because with my initial weigh-in that would put me under 300 pounds.  No I’m looking at all the progress and trying to find a next big number… but I get ahead of myself, stay tuned!

Sometime after I started on controlling my calorie intake. [Aside: that sentence is a laborious way of avoiding the word “diet” – for which I want to avoid because so far I haven’t eliminated any food sources, just how much of the calories I ingest.] I also wanted to increase my calorie outtake.  So I started the Couch to 5K program, which gently guides a couch potato like I was into a somewhat steady runner.  I pegged a date to run a 5k in September, and was committed to getting that done.  I ran my first 5k in 42 (and a bit more) minutes.

See there is that number again.  42. I love the number 42!  The next jean waist size in my cross-hairs? You guessed it 42! (from a 48 mind you…)

So with hitting the 42 pounds gone, I’m gonna celebrate!

Now, where did I put my celery?

Hugo “Hurley” Reyes, lives with his mother Carmen, who desperately wants Hugo (she never calls him Hurley – always Hugo) to get a life, more importantly a lady.  Hugo, however, wants to sit at home, channel surf and have a bucket of Mr. Cluck’s Fried Chicken, while hoping that he might have a bit of privacy.  This all changes when the numbers that he learned while at the Santa Rosa Mental Health from a patient named Lenny. 

See Hugo, at some point was the 23rd person to walk on a desk that was built to hold 8 people.  It collapsed, and Hugo was sure that it was because of his excess weight.  Hugo was fat because he’d been using food to comfort himself ever since his father, David, left for Las Vegas 17 years earlier, last thing he gave little Hugo was a Nestle Crunch bad that Carmen forbade.

All that tragedy landed Hugo in the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute, under the care of Dr. Brooks. In Santa Rosa, Hugo’s constant companion was a man named Dave (there are a few other David’s in the LOST-verse, Jack’s sideways son, Libby’s dead husband, as well as Hugo’s absent father).  The only problem is that Dave wasn’t real, consider Dave as more of a balding Harvey, a pooka. Once Hugo, under the guidance of Dr. Brooks, determined that Dave wasn’t real, he made a real breakthrough, was released from the hospital, moved in with his mother, and got a job at Mr Cluck’s Chicken Shack.

It’s after this that we reconnect with Hugo, he’s watching the TV while enjoying a Mr. Cluck’s bucket of chicken when the lottery comes on and reads the number’s that were burned into his brain by Lenny.  Hugo is a bit afraid of the change, and doesn’t tell anyone for a couple of days.  The knowledge of his financial security does change his outlook, as he realizes that he no longer needs to work for that douche Randy, and quits his job.  In a fit of solidarity, Hugo’s friend Johnny also quits the Mr. Cluck’s gig, and they start on a LOST version of Hugo Reyes’ Day Off.  First stop, record shop, where Hugo tries on some new headphones, and tries on asking Starla the shop assistant out on date to a Hold Steady concert.  Next stop is collecting garden gnomes to then arrange on Randy Nation’s lawn spelling out “CLUCK YOU!” They stop to refill the van at a convenience store, but that where the story changes.  The clerk (who’s also dressed up in the Mr. Cluck’s chicken costume in Hurley’s dream in the swan hatch’s storage room) recognizes Hugo as the big lottery winner.

Winning the lottery is where Hugo’s life changes again.  He has a press conference where he introduced his whole family, including his grandfather Tito.  Sad part is that Tito drops dead from a heart attack.  Hugo’s brother’s girlfriend leaves him for another woman.  The priest residing over Tito’s funeral gets struck by lightning. Weird.  Hugo buys his mother a house, and while surprising her with the new purchase some things happen 1) Carmen doesn’t surprises. 2) Carmen twists her ankle. 3) The house catches on fire. 4) Hugo gets arrested on suspicion of being a drug dealer. (Sure — it had nothing to do with the bright yellow Hummer, loud music and red bandana he’d given his mom to blindfold herself.)

All this misfortune has Hugo thinking the numbers are cursed.  His financial advisor, Ken, doesn’t think so, after all, Hugo is now the owner of a box company in Tustin.  His sneaker company in Canada was over-insured, so even though the fire destroyed his operation (and killed 8 people) he still netted a windfall of more cash.  Surely, Hugo isn’t cursed (cue man falling past Ken’s window.)

Hugo buy’s Mr. Clucks in an attempt to change his luck, only to have a meteorite destroy the franchise and kill Tricia Tanaka.  Hugo’s ready to get rid of the numbers’ curse.  His father, David, returning to his life is the last straw.  Hugo heads to Austrailia to purge the numbers from his life, he needs to visit Sam Toomey, Lenny’s partner and find out what’s up.  Well, Sam’s dead, but Hugo gets to visit with Martha, Sam’s one-legged widow.  Sam killed himself because he thought the numbers were cursed.  Martha saw things differently, and thought, despite her loosing her leg in a freak accident after Sam used the money to win a count the beans in the jar contest, that Sam was the luckiest man alive.

The last part of Hugo pre-crash, is the series of unfortunate events that almost had him missing the Oceanic flight and missing his mother’s birthday party.  First his alarm doesn’t go off, because the socket shorted out (with a black smoke scorched wall).  He has to take the stairs because the elevator is stuffed.  His car engine coughs, stutters and dies and he has to walk to the terminal.  He has to buy a second seat to get on the plane. Is late but can’t cut through the excessively long security line.  He pays an old dude to steal use his electric cart, and arrives at the gate to have the airway door close in his face.  Luckily, Hugo uses his charm to convince the gate agent to open the gate and let him on the plane.

Lucky Hurley.

See Hurley thinks he’s unlucky, but really, he is one of the luckiest people in the world.  Hurley is also one of the worst liars, he simply sucks at it.  Hugo also thought it was unlucky, unfortunate, that he has an uncanny super power of being able to talk to the dead.  That is until he was touched by Jacob in a cab, and told that talking to the dead is an incredible gift.  It certainly has come in handy in Season 6, as Hurley has been a translator to the spiritual guides that helped Jack come to grips with his past, and Richard to entrust the true love of his long dead wife.

What do you think will happen tonight? Are you psyched? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.

Cheers.

Hail of bullet points from rewatching:

• Hugo’s grandpa Tito, worked for 52 years.
• Hugo’s Mom doesn’t like surprises.
• 8 people died in the in fire in his Canadian shoe factory. 
• Hurley is spry.
• Lenny loves playing Connect 4 while chanting the numbers.
• Lenny’s comments after Hurley told him he played the numbers: You used those numbers play the lottery?  You shouldn’t have done that, you’ve opened the box! Shouldn’t have used the numbers, it doesn’t stop. You have to get away from those numbers! It doesn’t stop.
• When they come upon a rickety bridge on the way to Rousseau’s to find batteries for the Raft. Jack: Never mentioned anything about a bridge.  Sayid: I’ve never saw this before.  Lucky Hurley made it across, little Charlie didn’t. 
• Hugo is often used as a greek chorus speaking for the audience, and to the audience, cluing us into the narrative of the story.  Except when the show features Hurley’s story, he’s much less in that role, and it switches often to Sawyer, Miles or Charlie.
• Hugo brought hope to the castaways when he found the old Dharma van, and with the help of Sawyer, Jin and Charlie got it running again.  Key line while convincing Charlie to join him: Look, I don’t know about you, but things have really sucked for me lately and I could use a victory. So let’s get one, dude. Let’s get this car started. Let’s look death in the face and say, "whatever, man." Let’s make our own luck. What do you say?

Before you read any further, this is not a humorous look at “LOST addiction.” My hope is to start a very real discussion of real life addiction, and how recovery programs have made a difference, not only in my life, but in a great many others too.

Disclaimers:

• This entire post may be a very bad case of projection.
• I have to tip-toe a bit, because of the requirement for anonymity and safety in any recovery program. Anything I reveal here is regarding my journey, and only reflects my opinions as I work through my personal recovery process.
• I’m currently attending a recovery program that is a local extension of the Celebrate Recovery (CR) program that was founded at Saddleback Church (the home church of Rick Warren mentioned in Doc’s article). The nature of my recovery and addiction I’ll be keeping private. Publishing that I’m going through a recovery program is a very sensitive disclosure. I’ve never really put this ‘out there’.

Celebrate Recovery generalizes its recovery program as an application to our ‘hurts, hangups and habits’ (HHH). This generalization opens up the program to many other aspects in our culture where people can find great relief and growth in completing a recovery program. Even if they may not be under the influence of a chemical addiction. Celebrate Recovery also specifically identifies its higher power is God, and the recovery program revolves around the acceptance of Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior, and working out one’s recovery through the power of his love, grace and forgiveness.

For many years I’ve struggled with my own personal temptation, struggled with denial, struggled with how to make amends with the people I’ve hurt, and acceptance and forgiveness towards the people that have hurt me. Recovery from a HHH is a difficult road, with many dips and struggles. Recovery is not an event, but a journey that is never smooth, always a challenge, and very difficult. 2008/2009 was a low part of my personal road, relapsing into self-destructive and harmful acts, and drowning in a sea of denial.

Near the end of LOST season 5, my head started to appear a bit above water, and finding a community of fans I started interacting with people online. While my personal struggle centers on being very secretive and isolated, the start of the Twitter group Watch From the Beginning (#WFTB) gave me an open outlet to connect with people with similar interests to my own and slowly pull myself out of isolation. The danger with addiction is often taking one habit and replacing it with another habit, which truthfully I still struggle with when it comes to internet communities. Finding the balance between being present in real life (RL) and interacting healthily with an internet community is difficult. This past week has been one of the times where that balance hasn’t been optimal. I’m still working on it.

Last night was one of my regular meeting nights. A Celebrate Recovery meeting and the community of accountability partners and sponsors that are focused on facing their HHH’s and reconciling their struggles with the Great Physician is essential in continuing my road to recovery. The weekly community, the time spent listening, reflecting and applying changes to one’s character is difficult to explain, but powerful in its execution and meaning. I’m by no way perfect, but my recovery is gradually gaining traction. Each day is a struggle in trying to reject the lies I tell myself and accepting the truth and love that God reveals.

For me, after coming home from a meeting, then reading Doc’s column about LOST being a recovery story was a bit surreal. I’ll need to re-read it again, because I spent a lot of the time not really reading the article, but skimming as I reflected on my journey these past 4-5 months. Recovery, its problems, its solutions, its processes are powerful metaphors for how we live, the scenes in LOST where recovery is shown (Charlie’s journey in the Moth, Locke’s anger management, Christian’s AA meeting) don’t do it justice.

I think Doc’s column goes a long way into exposing the hope that recovery programs such as AA or CR give to those suffering from additcions, hurts, hangups, habits and steeped in denial. Applying recovery from addiction as a pop cultural reference to LOST is a powerful metaphor. These little glimpses and hints that pain, denial and addiction can be overcome through the power of faith, hope and love, is one reason why I enjoy television, and especially shows such as LOST, and thoughtful commentators such as Jeff.

Thanks for reading, and your prayers as my journey continues are appreciated.

I might be announcing something in the next few days, that will most likely leach any additional hits from this site…

that’s all I can say for now, stay tuned.

don’t forget #LOST #WFTB tonight 9pm for #S5E12 Dead is Dead

PetitionOnline provides a printing service at the low rate of one red cent per signature. Which is nice to know, but my pocketbook currently lacks red cents (or blue cents, or green cents, or …) that isn’t already allocated to the needs of a 6 member family.

So I’ve plopped a PayPal Donate button over in the sidebar ————————>

If you feel led to donate, I’ll make sure all proceeds go towards the printing costs for the petition and shipping to Hawaii in time for the gala opening.  If I can’t get that level of support, I’ll keep the petition open for another LOST event down the road when my pocketbook is more able to handle the heavy lifting.

If through your generous donations, the giving exceeds the need, my plan is to send the remaining funds as a donation to my church’s youth group mission fund, to support summer camps and the like later this year.

Thanks for all your support and enthusiasm for this petition.

Well when you get a reference from OC Weekly, Yahoo! Buzz, Perez Hilton and the Orange County Register, taking a cue from The Other McCain, you milk it for all it’s worth.  This blogging business is a rough and tumble world, and the only thing you can really do to generate traffic is to.. well, blog. 

So this is in response to Disney-O-Rama’s post: Should Tom Sawyer Island Be Turned Into LOST Island

Apparently a group of hardcore fans of the ABC show “Lost” have started a petition to persuade Disney to create a “Lost” island at Disneyland. The “Lost” attraction would replace “Tom Sawyer Island”, which is seen as being outdated, even with its newly created tie-in to “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series.

While I consider myself to be a hardcore fan of “Lost” as well, this is a bad idea in so many ways.

First, thanks for your support and linking to the petition, next time, try reading it, I’ll help you out, the short preamble says:

LOST is one of the best television series to ever be broadcast on television. Disney should give this awesome show it’s[sic] due and create a LOST Island attraction at one of it’s Disney theme parks. Just think of the locations that can be immortalized in a Disney location.

While it does say Island, it is not specific to Tom Sawyer Island.  It’s more a reference to the location that LOST is centered on “LOST Island”.  The petition isn’t trying to define where in the Magic Kingdom it should be placed, but that the idea be considered by the powers that be to include some LOST themed something.  Heck, most LOST fans would probably be thrilled at a Dharma snack bar, selling Dharma branded concessions.  Executive Producer Carlton Cuse thinks an E-Ticket ride is a better idea.

You may think turning Tom Sawyer Island into LOST island is a bad idea, and many agree with you, but that doesn’t discount the concept of a LOST attraction. I admit that my first impression was centered around using Tom Sawyer Island, and Damon Lindelof tweeted about putting a Polar Bear on the island, so I don’t think it’s a terrible idea.

I haven’t been to Disneyland in 15 years (give or take 9 months), so I’m not up to date on the layout of the park or changes that have been made.  My memories of going to Disneyland in my youth (30+ years ago) have very fond memories of exploring Tom Sawyer Island, hiking along the trails, going into caves, checking out the neat forts, pretending we had guns, and the sailing ship circling the island.  As a “hard core” LOST fan, all of those elements that I remember of the attraction of Tom Sawyer Island, are repeated concepts in the mystery of LOST island, and recurring themes in the plots of the show. 

Do kids need to know all the deep mysteries of LOST to have fun on an LOST themed island.  Just as kids don’t have to wade through or even be familiar with Mark Twain’s character to enjoy the current rendition of the Island.  My two boys (7 and 10) would LOVE it, maybe their friends down the street might be clueless about the theme, but they’d probably love the imaginary games they could play exploring the island.

Adults would come to the attraction, but that’s one of the things that Disney does extremely well, is create experiences where generations can share their enjoyment.  Examples: Every Pixar film made.  When Disney gets off it’s game and starts shooting solely at a younger generation, well I have two words for you: Miley Cyrus. (that’s a joke, Hoss).

I’m glad you do agree with the concept of the petition (I’ve shown it’s not TSI specific) and agree with the points you make here:

Don’t get me wrong – I think the idea of a “Lost” style attraction where fans can physically experience what they have watched for 5 plus seasons now is a great idea. I just don’t believe that Tom Sawyer Island should be sacrificed in the process.

If the Disney powers-that-be take this petition seriously, maybe more suitable locations would be “Disney’s Animal Kingdom” in Orlando or possibly the new Disney resort that is being developed in Kapolei, Hawaii.

The Hawaiian location would be a supreme location for such an attraction, so I do hope you’ve signed the petition.

Thanks for taking the time to form a well thought out response to a self-admittedly kinda silly idea.  Your post is proof that the silly ideas (like a theme park in Anaheim of all places) can generate some real ideas, and some awesome fun.

So a couple of days ago I had a really nice conversation with Sarah Tully, who writes for the Register’s Around Disney blog, which has news and information about all things Magic Kingdom (aka Resort Area of Anaheim where Walt Disney’s Disneyland is located, perhaps you’ve heard of it?)

The interview resulted in this article (click on through to give some linkage):

Tom Sawyer’s Island cabin could become Jacob’s cabin. A smoke monster could waft around Disneyland guests. Dharmaville barracks could go up in Frontierland.

If fans of the “Lost” T.V. show have their way, all would be part of a show-themed attraction at a Disney park. Preferably, Tom Sawyer’s Island would become “Lost” Island at Disneyland.

Fans are circulating an online petition to ask Disney to put an attraction based on the science-fiction show in one of its parks. See the petition HERE.

The organizer, former Orange County resident Jon Stueve, aims to collect 5,000 signatures by today so that a fellow “Lost” fan can deliver it to officials at the “Lost” premiere in Oahu, Hawaii. As of mid-Thursday, more than 3,000 people had joined the petition.

While I’m disappointed that Suzi Brown, a Disneyland Resort spokesman commented that Walt Disney Imagineering officials aren’t, “contemplating the concept.”  I’m not really surprised.  Imagineers are men of science, after all, and they’ll need some convincing from some of us men (and women) of faith.  So I’m taking a ‘whatever, dude!’ attitude, and just gonna enjoy the idea as it dances through the my ever decreasing grey matter.

Thanks again, Sarah for the article and taking the time to contact me, and listen to this hair brained idea.  It is the highest praise of a ‘hard core’ LOST fan to say to you – You All Everybody!

thanks @batchoutlost for the capture and tweet-herding.# ydm.