So its Wednesday (aka The Day Lost Comes On), and lots of Hammoratis are among the millions of Americans taken with ABCs Emmy-awarding winning drama, Lost. Even though we dont have a water cooler at Hammock, we still gather somewherein the hallway, kitchen or copy roomon Thursday mornings to dissect what happened on the show and to fill each other in on the many details that can be discovered in each weeks episode.
Since a few Hammoratis were late in tasting the Kool-Aid and are still catching up on the first season, we cant make any predictions just yet about whats going on in season 2. But below, some of the show’s biggest fans reveal which character(s) they identify with most:
* Spoiler warning, some small things about season 2 are mentioned in answers.
Summer: I’d have to say I identify most with Shannon. Give me a loving dog and some cute clothes, and I’m a happy girl no matter where I am!!!
Laura: I am trying really hard to like this show because I want to be a cool kid, too. I have just started watching in the 2nd season, and I have no idea who anyone is except for Jack [well, wait, is he the doctor or the guy who wanted to open the hatch??] and the guy who won the lottery. Oh and Rose. She seems nice. I’m sure she’s hiding /something/. It looks like everyone is. So I don’t have a favorite yet because I can’t discern who’s evil [besides everyone] and who’s good [besides everyone].
Barbara: The new season of South Park starts tonight. Thats much more important.
Shannon: Id say Im a mixture of Michaelbecause hes bound and determined to get off that island as I would be; Charliebecause he can be a little whiny (my worst trait); and Waltbecause he loves his dog.
Allison: On most issues I can say I identify with Jack. Even though he succumbed, I would not have re-set the clock/timer thing. I would have wanted to know what would happen, because I don’t think anything would have happened. I think it is a mind game being played on them. I would just be out to survive and create the best environment possible, but I wouldn’t feel like Locke and believe the island has some special powers or whatever.
Jamie: A little hard to write about … I think I’m a combination of Sun (observant), both Jack (skeptical) and Locke (while having faith in lifes mysteries), and Hurley (likes to eat).
Lena: I think I’m the female version of Hurley (minus a few pounds). I would avoid the monsters at all cost, people wouldn’t find me too terribly annoying and I’d have a good time, despite being stuck on an island in the middle of the Pacific with losers like JACK and KATE. That last statement, coming from someone who once said, “You guys are crazy! Shannon is cool. I like her.”
Julia: I would have to say that Sun fits that bill. She is strong, sensitive, creative and resourceful. In her life, she has stood up to her parents for the privilege of living her own life. She was ready to walk away from Jin, her husband and true love, when his lifestyle threatened her values. On the island, she has quietly added many things to the survivors’ existence acting as a nurse, gardener and friend. She seems to be an all around decent human being who is always ready to make her very worthwhile contributions to the cause. However, I would have to say that my favorite character is Sawyer. He brings a lot of humor and interest to every scene he’s in and, let’s face it, he’s very easy on the eyes.

October is a busy month so far for Hammock Days. What’s a Hammock Day you might ask Well, it’s the anniversary that each of us joined the Hammock team. Oct. 14 was that day for John Lavey, so we played a game of 20 questions, well, 10 actually.
1. October 14 was Hammock Day for you. How long have you been with Hammock Publishing? Nine years.
2. What do you remember most about your first day at Hammock? I started the same day as Anne Ray (formerly Crump), who worked at Hammock for several years and now works in San Francisco. She became a good friend. On that day, I remember thinking that the offices were much quieter than a newspaper newsroom, where I had come from.
3. If you didn’t work at Hammock Publishing, what do you think you would be doing? Hmm. Probably teaching literature and coaching track and cross country at a public school. With plenty of time left for my house full of girls (Hannah, my wife, and Frances and Mary Sparks, my daughters), and hobbies like running, travel and bird hunting. That, or Vandy divinity school.
4. What was your favorite cartoon growing up? On TV, there was a Japanese cartoon called Kimba the White Lion, which I watched back in the ’70s. It was basically the same story as today’s Lion King. In the newspaper, I was a fan of Peanuts (yes, really).
5. What was the last book you read? Last magazine you read cover to cover? David Halberstam’s “The Powers That Be,” a book about the rise of major media companies in the U.S. and the people behind the companies. Racer X, a magazine that covers the sport of motocross. This magazine is really well-done, beautiful images and well-written, relevant to the people who love this sport, fat with advertising, and of all things, published in Morgantown, W.Va.
6. What was your most memorable day at Hammock? Many memorable days, but 9/11 stands out. I walked in late because I had been at home watching, and no one here knew what was happening, so when I arrived, we all walked into the kitchen and turned on the TV. Everyone here (and it’s a pretty lively, opinionated bunch) was silent, horrified and in shock (no different than all Americans in those first few hours, I suppose). I’ll never forget the look on people’s faces here.
7. What’s your favorite reality TV show? Would you ever participate? Not a fan of the genre, but I suppose I have to say “Rock Star: INXS,” since my brother, Andrew, is a producer on the show. That show had great production values, and I do like the music competition part. No, I would not participate on the show. I’m the guy who selects Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” for Karaoke because it’s almost like speaking and not singing.
8. Where did you go to college? The College of William & Mary in Virginia. Second-oldest college in the United States, after Harvard. Established by Royal Charter in 1693. It’s where Thomas Jefferson and Jon Stewart both went to college. It’s where the academic honor code was established.
9. Where did you grow up? I grew up in the suburbs of Northern Virginia, about 15 miles from Washington, D.C., with the exception of two years in Colorado. Most of my life, I lived in Fairfax County. I lived in Annandale and went to school in McLean.
10. If you could switch places with any other Hammock employee for one day, who would it be and why? Bill Hudgins, because he lives on a farm and because he knows how to dance really cool ballroom dances, including Latin dances like the tango. I know how to dance the hustle and other appalling steps that entertain me.