The Amazing Race 21 Season Premiere Blog Party

Yep, tonight's the night! Unfortunately utterly clueless CBS has NOT addressed the problem of airing sports which chronically cause delays in airing primetime shows on Sunday evenings. This time it was golf delaying a season premiere.

They desperately need to change to only TWO primetime shows -- airing 60 Minutes at 8 P ET, TAR at 9 PM, etc. That way we could depend on a standard time even if it is (technically) an hour later. 60 Minutes started at 7:21 ET, so although I'm putting this post up on time, expect TAR east coast approximately 8:20 PM .

Here's Phil Keoghan's take on this season's cast:

Margo has graciously offered to host the pool once again -- three cheers to her! Here's the random match-ups:

Art & J.J.- Auntie Leigh, Caela, Sydney
Brendon & Rachel - Donna in FL, Jennasmom, Lynn 1
Dave & Cherie - JOEY, MEB, SueGee
Dave & Rachel - Pam in NJ, Rbennie
Elliot & Andrew - Becky, DKNYNC, Donna in AL
Joey "Fitness" & Danny - Brent McKee, Karen in CA, Indiana Jane
Kerri & Stacey - Ed in OH, Margo
Mark & Bopper - Delee, Nana in NW, Petals
Misa & Maiya - Laurie, Terry in PA, Zoetawny
Nary & Jamie - Merrilee, PDXGranny
Vanessa & Ralph - Jackie, ML, Monty924

Although I'm hoping for an early exit for Brendon and Rachel, I do understand that some folks might like them. So far I don't have a favorite yet and I know it will take a few weeks to figure out the names on the teams.

I will update this with the (possible, probable) elimination, but I'm not going to post a blow-by-blow account. Everyone is invited to join in with comments! Who's got the booze?

Rachel and Dave (no, not Rachel and Brendon) came in first and got the Express Pass. Brenchel was second. Art and JJ, three. Mary and Jenny, Vanessa and Ralph ... oops lost track!

Misa and Maiya totally blew it. They were next to last and got screwed up finding Phil. They're Philiminated.

Life Interrupted

I will be hosting (and participating) in the big blog party for the season premiere of The Amazing Race tonight starting at 8 PM ET. Be there or be square!

However, I will not be putting up my weekly photo post this morning. My apartment has been undergoing painting and kitchen renovations for the last few days. I took it upon myself to move all my furniture away from the walls as well as get everything off the walls. He finished the painting yesterday and I just collapsed. I still have to move everything back (or rearrange!)

He has to come back tomorrow although I'll have to be at work -- new bathroom sink and medicine cabinet, possibly new tiling around the tub. If they're going to do all that, they might as well give me a new toilet and tub, too!

The bathroom sink replacement is my own doing. The night before he first showed up, I leaned on it and it fell off the wall! I scrambled to catch it before it ripped the water lines out of the wall and then strained about 15 minutes to get it up on its brackets. When I finally got it up there, I noticed the big S pipe underneath disconnected. I asked him to fix the pipe and he told me he'd get me a new sink in a vanity. Yay! But, in a way, boo as under the sink was Vincent's litter box. The bathroom is tiny. I have to come up with a new place for it.

Between moving my whole darn life of stuff, straining with a deceptively heavy bathroom sink and helping the 4'10" Ecuadorean contractor dude move the refrigerator ... I'm hurting all over. And I have so much yet to do moving things all back. Sigh.

But do come back tonight for the show! 

Survivor: One World - Season Premiere Blog Party

Welcome one, welcome all! Yep, it's a new season of Survivor at hand! Zoetawny was kind enough to create a new blog logo for the show and, knowing what she's been going through, she rocks indeed!

Lifeguard Laurie is running the pool -- the random draw has these picks:

Troy Robertson -- Lynn1, Margo
Sabrina Thompson -- Leigh, meb
Nina Acosta -- Laurie, ML
Monica Culpepper -- Jenna's mom, Monty 924
Michael Jefferson -- Jackie, Nana in the NW
Matt Quinlan -- Glenn, Pam
Leif Manson -- Estelle, PDX Granny
Kourtney Moon -- Ed in Ohio, Petals
Kimberly Spradlin -- Dusty, rbennie
Kat Edorsson -- Donna, Rochelle
Jonas Otsuji -- dla, Sue Gee
Jay Byars -- DKNYNC, Tammy
Greg Smith -- Delee, Terry
Colton Cumbie -- Caela, Zoetawny
Christina Cha -- Buzzman
Chelsea Meissner -- Brent McKee
Bill Posley -- Becky
Alicia Rosa --Ann


If you didn't make the pool cut-off, feel free to cheer on your favorite team for the win anyway! I was in shock that my pool pick actually won last season. I guess I can't depend on that two seasons in a row, eh? Well ... maybe I can! We'll see.

Margo will be running the TAR pool -- if you want in on that one, please reply to the cast post I made earlier today!

Survivor fans ready?

Jeff divided them into two tribes -- men and women. But we knew that would happen. They have 60 seconds to strip any goods they can off the truck they arrived in, but they don't know they'll be sharing a camp ... yet. Uh-oh. My pool pick stole from the women!

Jeff gave each tribe a map to the camp, yet still hasn't told them it's the same camp. He told them hidden idols will be in play, but no Redemption Island. (YAY!) The girls are already forming a "final five" as they hike to the camp. They arrive to the camp first and see both flags, so the cat is out of the bag.

They're all chasing chickens. One girl catches TWO -- Chelsea. Now the guys are hitting them up to share. Colton is already alienating his tribe by hanging around the girls. Will he spy for the guys or just hang with the women on his own?

The guys got a fire going first. Sabrina offered a chicken for fire. Hmmm. One gal wants the axe back that they stole. Heh, the girls went to go steal back the axe while the men slept and stole fire instead.

The women now are weaving twenty fronds for the guys in exchange for fire because their stolen fire pooped out.

One of the women (still not good on names yet, black woman) found the Manano (mens tribe) idol and must give it up before Tribal Council. She chooses Colton who has already groveled around for it with the women.

Immunity Challenge time! It's physical -- jumping into a net, balance beam. Uh-oh -- it looks like Kourtney might have broken her wrist. She needs x-rays. Due to her dropping out, the men win by forfeit. They have the choice to take the win and run or continue the challenge. The guys take the win.

Tribal Council time ... Kourtney still not back. She's their major pick to go. But one of the girls (Alicia) wants to get Christina out as she thinks she's in too much with the men. Whoa! Christina/Alicia cat fight ... MEOW.

Kourtney's wrist is broken in a few places, she'll need surgery. She's out of the game. No one is getting voted out.

My verdict? This could definitely be an interesting season, for sure! I just hope the women get together a bit more. The cohesiveness of the men (so far, except Colton) is going to hurt them.

The Amazing Race 20 - Meet the Cast

The Amazing Race begins this Sunday! Who's gonna be here? While I have no favorite team just going over the bio videos, I do have a least favorite team for the win. Can you guess who it is?



Is there any interest in a pool this season? If so, respond to this post. And, of course ... stop back tonight for the Survivor blog party!

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - February 12, 2012

Yes, it's another Sunday. That means it's time for another off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. Never fear, TV fans --- Survivor returns this Wednesday! As usual, I'll have the blog party going on as the show airs here on the east coast. Everyone is welcome to join in!

The esteemed Lifeguard Laurie will be running the blog pool. If you want to get in on the action (no real wagering, but bragging rights if your random pool pick is the sole survivor!), please respond here in comments or email her at lifeguardlaurie@gmail.com. This is the list Laurie has so far:

Ann
Becky
Brent McKee
Delee
Donna
Ed in Ohio
Jackie
Jenna's mom
Laurie
Leigh
Margo
meb
ML
Monty 924
Nana in the NW
PDX Granny
Petals
rbennie
Rochelle
Sue Gee
Terry
Zoetawny

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In other business, we had snow not once, but TWICE this past week! Wow. I'd say the total of both storms combined was less than an inch. Wow. During my skiing heyday, I'd be miserable about the lack of snow this year. But I'm not missing it at all. We've paid our snow dues the last few years, last year in particular.  I just wonder what effect it will have on the other seasons. I've never seen a winter in the northeast this warm.

On Friday morning, there was a big fire in Plainfield. There I was, making my lunch to take to work with the TV news on in the other room -- WCBS out of Manhattan. I heard, "We're over Plainfield ..." Huh? It must have been a slow news day in NYC as all the network affiliates had their helicopters hovering over Plainfield.  As I waited for my train, there were four helicopters just hovering there like dragonflies watching for prey.

Usually if they give that much coverage to a fire in NJ, it's huge. This one wasn't really huge like a city block or a forty unit apartment building -- it was a single home with an attached vacant body shop. But it was a relentless fire fueled by a gas main. And, the smoke as I headed to the train station was unbelievable.

No one was injured which, of course, is a good thing. However, I was very saddened to hear that the family there had three emaciated pit bulls in the yard, one which had to be put down on the scene as he was in such bad shape ... and not anything to do with the fire. Didn't the neighbors see the poor dogs suffering? Please, folks, if you see neglect like that, report it!

Not much else has been going on. As promised, I'm first bringing you photos of the Tropicana Train -- the Times Square shuttle. I'm really not sure how orange juice will make you feel better when the day goes awry, but it does make for a different NYC subway experience. I took them on January 29th. 

***HIT THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS!***