1. Had brief dreams about Australia.
One involved Matt from Home and Away. A gun is found in his bag, or in someone else's bag. Someone lies to make excuses for the gun-holder. Then later I see Matt with his bags packed. He's sneaking out of town.
In another, I see a sign for some kind of exhibit or event involving backyards. I sneak a peak at the backyards and see a table with board games. It looks like a sale, and I'm pleased, because there might be Australian things to buy.
I'm not sure why I guessed there'd be Australian things. I guess maybe we were in Australia. Though I don't remember any hints that we were in Australia before that.
2. Started watching an episode of Home and Away.
3. Saw that Matt and Oscar can't get out of their burning house, because the window is locked, and it needs a key for it to be opened.
What the hell?
I've never heard of that.
Why would you have windows that locked like that?
4. Realized I'm being stupid.
Windows might be locked as a child safety feature. I guess it's to prevent a child from opening the window and jumping out.
Still. I never heard of locks. It seems you'd have windows that open or don't open. Or at least that's what we have in our house.
5. Googled locked windows with keys and ended up with a bunch of websites about computers.
6. Wondered what's the deal with Billie (Tessa de Josselin) playing hero at the fire. Is it like Karl on Coronation Street. Karl started the fire; then when it got more dangerous than he expected, he rescued people.
Or maybe Billie didn't start the fire and is playing hero because she feels it's worth risking her life to change her reputation in town.
7. Wondered if it's possible that Billie risked her life simply because she cares and wants to help people.
I have a hard time believing that.
Leah (Ada Nicodemou), Evie (Philippa Northeast), Maddie (Kassandra Clementi), and VJ (Matthew Little) are all caring people, and they specifically care about the people in the burning house. Yet they didn't run in.
I think Billie's actions is an illustration of the idea that not all acts of courage and fearlessness come from noble and decent people.
8. Thought that it's very annoying when you're hating on someone, and then they do something like get cancer, have a heart attack, or dangerously play hero in a fire.
Then there's all that pressure to forgive them...or at least pretend you forgive them.
9. Had to admit that there have been times that I've felt hated, or at least unloved, and I've had dark fantasies of something bad happening to me. The idea being that my haters would feel regret and guilt.
But really. What's the point?
Well, I guess sometimes there's a point. Maybe sometimes there IS love and appreciation, but it's forgotten or buried. Then something bad happens to someone, and we remember.
Still, it seems better to be loved and appreciated WITHOUT having something bad happen to us.And it seems better to love and appreciate others before they're sick, dead, or injured....IF we're not angry at or hateful towards the person.
I also think we don't need to force ourselves to love and forgive someone simply because they're showing off their mortality. To keep the peace, it might be wise to fake it a bit. But I don't think we need to feel guilty for what we're truly feeling inside.
10. Saw Evie worried that she's to blame for the fire—that maybe she left something on.
I can picture myself feeling that way.
11. Wondered if Billie running into the burning house could count as a suicide attempt.
Maybe while some people kill others on their way out; other people save others.That way they either survive and live the rest of their life labeled as a hero; or they die as a hero.
12. Wondered how many people, that die with the hero label, put their lives on the line simply because they really didn't have much interest in living anymore.
13. Saw that Home and Away is leaving Hulu in five days.
When that happened with Neighbours, I was upset. I can't say I feel the same about Home and Away.
I do like the show in some ways, but mainly I feel kind of excited that I get to use Random.org to pick something new to watch.
Also, I already knew that Hulu wasn't receiving new episodes of the show. They only have 2015, and not 2016. So I was prepared for the fact that I'd have to say good-bye to the show eventually.
14. Hoped that Hulu will get new Australian programming to replace that what they've lost or are losing.
I guess what I do worry about is Hulu reducing Australia programming in general.
And I also worry that one day they're going to get rid of Coronation Street. I was sad about Neighbours. With Coronation Street, I think I'd be devastated.
15. Started to look through Hulu to see if any other shows are expiring.
Tangle is also expiring in five days.
I'm guessing Hulu ended some contract with the company that distributes both Home and Away and Tangle.
16. Saw that The Secret Life of Us is expiring.
This is so sad.
Though I'm not that sad personally YET, because I've finished both of those series.
I dread finding the expiring series that I haven't finished yet.
17. Saw that Dance Academy is still safe for now.
That's a relief.
I've already seen it, but it's such a good show. It should be available to as many people as possible.
18. Saw that the distribution company for Home and Away...at least when it comes to Hulu is Endemol Shine. And many of their shows are NOT expiring. So the contract didn't end completely. I guess it's just been reduced?
19. Disappointed to see that Puberty Blues is expiring. That's one I didn't finish watching. I saw only season one and the first episode of season two.
20. Saw that the Australian media-bio miniseries are expiring.
That's not a loss for me personally, because I've already seen all the ones they had.
Still. I was hoping Hulu was planning to add more miniseries. Instead they're losing them. So, that's kind of a bummer.
21. Saw that, except for Puberty Blues, all the shows I've begun and not finished are sticking around—City Homicide, Water Rats, Packed to the Rafters, and McLeod's Daughters.
It's like the universe is smiling down at me.
I hope it keeps up this particular kindness. I don't want to gloat and then hear next month that all those shows are going away.
22. Went to the website of Endemol Shine International.
They have eighty offices around the world.
I'm guessing they're a British company. On Hulu, they have both British and Australian shows. I think it's mostly the Australian shows that are leaving, though.
23. Downloaded Endemol Shine's catalogue.
I think these are the shows that are up for grabs for companies like Netflix and Hulu.
It's kind of making me wish I had my own company. Then I could buy all these shows.
24. Saw that they Endemol Shine has all kinds of Australian goodies available.
25. Saw Home and Away in the catalogue, and if I'm not mistaken, one of the characters they're using to advertise the show is Billie! I guess she survives the fire.
I think the guy next to her is VJ, so maybe they end up getting together.
27. Consulted Lord Wiki's cousin about Billie to get spoilers about the show.
I figure I might as well, since I soon won't be watching it anymore.
So, anyway....
Billie is blamed for starting the fire, but she really didn't. She was framed by Zac's (Charlie Clausen) long lost son.
28. Felt a lack of incentive to watch the next episode of Home and Away. What's the point?
Well, I'm sure there is a point. But for me, it feels pointless.
So I have a crazy idea.
I'm going to watch the last episodes available. But since I'm too lazy to calculate how many episodes I have left, with the five remaining days, I'll watch them backwards.
No, I'm not going to watch the actual episode backwards. I don't think that's even possible on Hulu. But I'll start with the last episode, and them watch the previous one after that.
29. Looked at the description for episode 230.
Nate (Kyle Pryor) and Ricky (Bonnie Sveen) get engaged. What the hell?! I was NOT expecting
that.
30. Saw that Hulu now says Home and Away is expiring in four days. When does Hulu end their days? I guess it's sometime between 10:00 and 2:00 central American time? It was only about two or three hours or two ago that I saw the five day message.
31. Started watching episode 230.
32. Saw that Kyle (Nick Westaway) and Phoebe (Isabella Giovinazzo) are friends again. They had a friendly conversation.
They could even be back together romantically, but I'm doubting it.
33. Saw from a glance at the episode description, on IMDb, that Maddie is with Matt (Alec Snow). Awesome! I like them together.
34. Learned that Chris (Johnny Ruffo) and Hannah (Cassie Howarth) are together...or were together. They've broken up.
Actually, I saw that in the little preview at the beginning of the episode, but it didn't register in my head. Maybe I was in shocked disbelief.
It kind of seems a bit nuts. Hannah had complained that Andy (Tai Hara) was too full on. I don't think he is, but Chris is VERY much full on.
I like Chris, but he's the kind of person I'd need in very small doses at a time.
35. Thought I would mention that I've changed my mind about how I'm going to watch the episodes.
Watching the episode prior to this one doesn't excite me, because I've seen the important parts in the preview. Instead what I'm going to do is keep jumping back ten episodes. That way it will be more interesting and exciting.
36. Thought maybe I was wrong about Maddie and Matt. They're eyeing each other but not standing together.
Maybe they're in a fight?
37. Wondered why Nate and Kat (Pia Miller) broke up.
38. Saw Maddie and Matt kissing.
I think they were either in a fight or in that beginning stage where each person is too scared to take the first step.
39. Glad to see that most of Summer Bay, or ALL of Summer Bay, hates Charlotte (Erika Heynatz)
40. Saw that Phoebe knows the secret about Brax (Stephen Peacocke) being alive.
I got the idea earlier that other people know as well, but this is the first time I've seen someone mention it directly.
41. Wondered if everyone except Ricky knows that the father of her child is still alive.
Maybe the whole town is keeping it a secret from her.
42. Saw Andy kissing Evie.
That shocked me a bit.
43. Realized that Andy is the brother of Evie's boyfriend Josh (Jackson Gallagher). Yikes.
Does Josh know that Andy and Evie have these feelings for each other? Are Josh and Evie still officially together?
Maybe they broke up.
44. Wondered if any of the couples from July 2015 were still together in December 2015.
Then I remembered Zac and Leah (Ada Nicodemou). This episode has their wedding. I think everyone else has shuffled to a new partner. It's like a mad Australian-soap opera version of square-dancing.
45. Saw that there's a new actress on the show.
46. Looked at the episode on IMDb.
The actress is Raechelle Banno. She plays Olivia Richards, and continues on the show into 2016.
47. Understood from spoilers I've read, and obvious foreshadowing, that they're leading up to Charlotte's murder.
I think I saw in recent news that Charlotte's murder is finally going to be revealed.
I'll have to look that up soon.
48. Wondered if real life ever has someone being murdered with multiple people threatening to kill them a few hours before the murder.
49. Thought about what I wrote recently about secrets on soap operas. I think more often the viewer is kept in the loop. We know the big secret that someone is keeping. But the Charlotte death is one of the exceptions. The show turned it into a mystery.
50. Wondered about Denny's (Jessica Grace Smith) death. It was revealed in this episode, or the last, that Charlotte was the one that killed her. Did the viewers know that? Or was it a mystery as well?
51. Finished watching the episode.
I'm planning to watch episode #220 tomorrow. That should give me some clues to how and why things happened.
52. Found the article that says Charlotte's killer will be revealed soon.
I saw the headline on my phone yesterday but didn't read it.
Now I've gone ahead and read it.
53. Tried to figure out if I prefer storylines about secrets to be mysteries, or do I prefer to know the secret.
I think I prefer the secret. With a mystery, all I'm really feeling is curiosity. I want a simple answer to the question, and I think often I'm left feeling unsatisfied.
When I know the secret, it creates so much tension. I'm so on edge.The show becomes very compelling to me—compelling to the point that sometimes it's almost unbearable. Then I get so much satisfaction when the secret is finally revealed.
54. Thought maybe secrets are good when it comes as a complete surprise. We're not trying to solve a mystery, because we didn't even know there was one. Once a show starts dropping hints; then it begins to feel manipulative...or at least contrived.
For example, in the Home and Away episode I just watched, both Ash (George Mason) and Zac reassured someone that Charlotte won't be a problem anymore. The idea we're supposed to get is that one of them killed her. Okay? But if one of them killed her, why is the second person so sure that Charlotte won't be a problem anymore? Ash and Zac aren't saying these things, because it's a realistic thing to say in the situation. They're saying it so the show will have multiple very-likely suspects for the murder.
55. Guessed that the killer will be someone who did NOT make any comments that made them look guilty.
56. Learned about Southern Cassowaries, for our biology lesson today.
They're dangerous animals but very beautiful and interesting.
57. Realized, while proofreading, that I never verified that Endemol Shine is a British company.
I consulted Lord Wiki, and it turns out they're not a British company. It's Dutch. Their headquarters is Amsterdam.
58. Guessed that Matt is the killer of Charlotte.
Maybe that's why I dreamed about him last night.
Read my online novel The Dead are Online