Here's What Happened With Mr. Matthew Fox, You Maniacs...

Steve: "Katie and I have spent a great deal of time and money on this cruise looking for decent internet connections. A lot of that energy has gone into trying to find reliable places to download the show 'Lost' from iTunes. I think we both know 'Lost' isn't the best show on television, nor is it probably objectively worth sacrificing a couple of hours in Istanbul to find the internet cafe with the best chances of giving us enough speed to grab another episode, but somehow this project has become about more than just watching TV.

I use the word project because that's what it began to feel like. 'Lost' is a cliffhanger mystery show and Katie are pretty much sold on it. The show has peaks and valleys and we don't love every episode but we are dedicated viewers. Could we wait until we get home to catch up on the current season? Of course we could, but I think there are a few factors that have made this quest for 'Lost' take on more urgency.

One is that it is something we do together. If it was a show that only one of us was interested in, I think it would be a
different story. When faced with the irrationality of spending not just the $3 iTunes charges for an episode, but sometimes up to tens of dollars more just to sit somewhere with enough bandwidth to get an episode, I say to myself "This is pretty stupid, but Katie really wants it." I'm sure she does the same.

There's also the fact that staying on top of a TV show is a surprisingly effective way of feeling connected to the world in a place where isolation can really get you down. But I think the most compelling reason to spend time of this project is that there are so few projects out here. It feels good to be working on something. I know that sounds funny because there is no
real work involved, but there have been some days when looking for the best place to download 'Lost' has given meaning and purpose to an otherwise aimless fifth visit to a less alluring port.

On Sunday night, Katie and I finally watched the season finale of 'Lost.' On Monday we were wandering around Venice and taking in the sites and we passed Matthew Fox (the actor who plays Jack- the central character on 'Lost') on a canal bridge. Katie swore it was him and I insisted that it was only a guy who looked like him and that we were sure to think we saw him, having seen the show only the night before.

To show her that it wasn't him, I yelled, "Matthew!" and was a caught off guard when he turned around and was clearly Matthew Fox, wondering what I wanted. He didn't seem thrilled to be recognized while walking with a friend through the streets of Venice (I don't blame him), but I played the "it's my girlfriend's birthday" card (only 12 days short of
true) and managed to get him to snap a picture with Katie before he walked on.


It's not lost on me that the thin believability of this cross happening and the curious narrative convenience of it is worthy of the show itself. But it also seems to me somehow very appropirate. It's like someone out there said, "with the time and effort these two people have put in on this stupid show, they deserve a personal visit."

So, that's what happened. You're welcome.