I am a very sad individual.

Not in the sense of being teary and unhappy, but in the sense of being slightly obsessive, and not doing more with my life than spending lots of time in the Television Without Pity forums and reading the re-caps.

Thus the upcoming end of the US TV leaves me wondering, again, what I will do with my procrastinating-at-work time once the shows go on hiatus and my role as a spoiler whore is given no outlet for several months.

Sadly, as I said, there�s nothing I like more than taking a mid-afternoon break from whatever project I�m working on to hit the spoiler threads and the discussions of just-aired-in-the-US episodes of some of my favourite shows. Episodes that I won�t actually see for months or years.

Some might argue that this takes all the fun out of watching TV, but I have to say that it really doesn�t. First, no recap or discussion can hit on all the little nuances, or describe the little bits in the background that make up the full viewing experience. So even if I�ve read a recap relatively close to watching an episode, watching it is completely different from reading a description of it.

But generally I don�t get to watch the episode within six months of it first airing and being discussed in North America, so most of the time I have forgotten all but the largest plot points of any one episode, if not an entire season by the time I actually get to see it, and don�t feel at all spoiled.

Though probably what draws me to finding out what happens in advance of watching an episode, a series, a show, is my desire not to be let down. For all the surprises I may miss out on, I don�t have to get my hopes up for a character to follow a certain path, a couple to get together or stay together, or someone to actually be alive next season.

In the days before the internet, I absolutely hated getting sucked in to a show, or emotionally attached to a character, only to discover that it took a completely different turn, or they got killed off after six months. While my expectations have always been realistic about the fulfilment of URST in particular, a show taking a completely unexpected and unwarranted turn could incite absolute hatred from me. However, if I know in advance which way the show is going to go I will either go into it with realistic expectations, or I won�t get attached at all.

So now I�m anxiously awaiting the finales of The West Wing - the current series hasn�t started airing here yet, but will some time in the next few months - Gilmore Girls - we�re about to see episode 8 of the current series � and Alias - we�re actually not that far behind because they�ve starting showing two episodes a week, but I don�t get reception on that channel so have to wait until the DVDs are released in September. I already know that each of the series have been uneven this year, and soon I will know what will be resolved and what will be left hanging. I�ll be happier or sadder for it, but at least I�ll know and won�t have unrealistic expectations.

And I�ll also soon be without my daytime distraction of the forums, at least for a couple of months. Which is probably a good thing, but feels like no fun.

Not that I don�t have other things to do. I�m surprised I�ve been able to finish this entry, actually (it�s only taken three days). I�m taking Friday off to go to my cousin�s wedding interstate, and as a result work has gone insane. I swear I�ve had eight days worth of work to cram into four. Plus ducking home this morning to let the washing machine repairman in � he had to take the machine away, so it�s still not fixed � phone calls to the insurance company to get the assessor out so my claim from the burglary can be finalised and I can get my new computer (fingers crossed and touching wood), driving Mum to the airport at stupid-o�clock in the morning, picking up the replacement shoes after the ones I bought last week had a dinky heel, making the edits on my book on my work computer after hours so that I can still submit it to the competition this week even though I no longer have a computer at home, several client meetings, and meeting with Betty to pick out and pick up Maria�s birthday present.

And, of course, I still need to pack. And do my nails. And find a battery for the camera I�m borrowing from Betty to take to the wedding because mine got stolen.