Shaun and I have discovered that Great American Pasttime: Watching "Lost." Sure, we may be about three years late, but we figure that if we strategize and pace ourselve, we may just make it to the Season Premier...maybe. We were completely unsuspecting when we approached this whole watching "Lost" thing. I mean, sure we had heard about it...I was even acquainted with those people who are so obsessed that they have a "Lost" themed Myspace page and who are constantly quoting lines that no one but them and other "Lost" fanatics understand.

I guess I was just a little skeptical about the quality of a TV show that was about a plane crash on a "mysterious island" with a "monster" on it. However, at the urging of the in-laws, (I mean really, how does one turn down one's in-laws), I accepted the possibility that this might actually be a decent show. Besides, I was desperate...I hadn't seen a new episode of anything since Grey's Anatomy teased us with ONE new episode before reverting back to reruns. So...one fateful night, Shaun and I sat down on the couch---he with a frozen pizza, me with a Lean Cuisine---and began to watch.

At first, I tried to ignore the show a little by dabbling online, looking up only when the music swelled...but soon, I closed the laptop (which never happens) and became completely absorbed. Eventually, that monster didn't seem so stupid. Any time I left the room, I made him pause the DVD. Soon, not only were we staying up late to watch "Lost," but we were also getting up early---on a weekend---to squeeze in as many episodes as possible.

The next thing we knew, we were admitting that while at work, we were really just thinking about watching "Lost." Whenever one of us was alone in the house, the other was suspecting that he or she may be watching "Lost," getting ahead in the viewing pleasure. (Granted, due to Shaun's complex home entertainment center, I am basically "lost"---no pun intended---when it comes to working the DVD player.)

This sickness is fed by the hundreds of webpages of speculations and plotlines, episode guides and character bios. Lostpedia---the wikipedia for, you guessed it, "Lost"--- has become my new best friend. Granted, I have to tiptoe around any potential spoilers. It's a stressful existence.

We have 22 hours until the Season 4 premiere. Can we make it? Doubt it, but we'll sure try.