The Amazing Race 20 Blog Party - 03/18/12

Sigh. We were getting spoiled with the show starting on time. March Madness basketball is now the sporting issue. To be honest, I have no clue when 60 Minutes started as I wasn't watching the game before it. Oh. Wait. That started at 7:44pm here on the East Coast. We can expect The Amazing Race at about 8:44pm. Argh.

Once it starts, I'll be updating this post with the major events. But the most action can be found in the comments section. I hope to see you there!

Teams are on their way to Bavaria via Austria.

The Detour deals with fairy tales and champion male (styling a man's beard). Bopper and Mark's Speed Bump has them yodeling. Most of the teams are going for the beard Detour.

The Border Patrol is first to the Roadblock -- sliding their roaming gnomes across ice to a bullseye. Meanwhile, most of the teams have gone to the wrong castle to find the Roadblock clue.

#1 AGAIN -- Art and JJ (Border Patrol) won a trip to Thailand.
2. Joey "Fitness" and Danny
3. Vanessa and Ralph
4. Rachel and Dave
5. Brendon and Rachel
6. Bopper and Mark!!!
7. Nary and Jamie
8. Kerri and Stacy -- Philiminated

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - March 18, 2012

Why yes ... it's Sunday morning once again! That means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

Hmm. I've had a rather uneventful week. For the most part it seems to have been a bit chilly and rainy or just overcast. It was nice on my day off, but I had things I had to attend to around the apartment. Plus I napped. I'll admit it. Losing the hour makes it seem like I'm getting up before 4am for work! It's bad enough to be getting up before 5am daily! I'd prefer it if we just kept setting the clock BACK every six months instead of the "spring forward" part. I suppose that would screw up time for the future generations. Oh well. I'm quasi-used to getting up at FOUR in the morning now!

I hope everyone who's Irish (at least for the day) enjoyed St. Patrick's Day. I don't do this every year, but I did buy corned beef, cabbage, etc. to make myself an Irish feast (although I'm not Irish). Unfortunately, I worked late yesterday. So my feast is planned for today. Then I can live off of leftovers and not have to cook for a while.

Realizing how mundane my life is as I get older, I find bizarre things will get me excited. Yesterday in Target, I noticed they carry their store brand wet Swiffer refills scented with lavender. Now I'm looking forward to doing my floors today before I get the feast going on the stove. Sad, I know. 

I might also take a stroll looking for blooms and see if local blogger Dan Damon can have visitors over at the Norwood rehab place practically across the street from my apartment. That's the rehab I was going to go to for the first knee replacement, but my doctor thought I'd be okay not going to rehab. I was singng to myself, "They want me to go to rehab, I said NO NO NO." Of course, it's a way different kind of rehab than the one to which Amy Winehouse was referring to in her song.

In television, I've pretty much given up on American Idol this season. With it up against Survivor and the fact that no one on it rocks my world, it's easy to forget to watch. I keep actually forgetting Southland on Tuesday nights at 10pm and I don't want to forget that show! The finale is this week and I'll try to remember. I've ended up watching it online on Wednesdays during my day off. Since TNT hooked up with "cable providers" to watch the show on their site, the commercials are worse than watching it live on TV. Of course, we're still doing blog parties for both The Amazing Race and Survivor right here. So far, the March Madness basketball coverage hasn't affected them.

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will open it larger in a new gallery.

Dark mornings again

Just when I had gotten used to daylight for my early morning commute, I've been plunged into the darkness once again. This was Monday morning. Most of the other days, it was either overcast or drizzling. Plainfield Train Station.

Crocuses in bloom

Yes, I need to get better shots. It's been dark (and rainy) most mornings as I passed by the YWCA crocuses on East Front Street in Plainfield. And, alas, I was running a little late yesterday in actual daylight.

Waitin' on a train

I took this shot while on the handicap ramp access to the platform. Of course, that's the equivalent of placing the camera ON the platform. But I can see what I'm shooting, which is always a good thing. Yes, it was a wet morning. Plainfield Train Station.

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

Survivor: One World - March 14 Episode Blog Party

The show is about to start here on the East Coast. Now, this week's promos have the tribes, if not merging, then just mixing it up. I'm predicting a schoolyard pick of new tribes. Of course, I could be very wrong. It also appears that "so-and-so" Colton will still be ruling the roost. Jeff seems to have him pegged for a Super Villain. We'll see.

As I mentioned on the Amazing Race blog party post, I'd appreciate folks restraining themselves a bit to keep things on at the very most, a PG level. No matter how annoying a castaway might be, let's not go all crude over it. We're better than that!

That said, let the party start! I'll be updating this post with major events. However, the real fun is in the comments area. C'mon by!

The Reward Challenge. Wait, drop your buffs, we're switching tribes. A random switch by breaking eggs against themselves for the colors of the new tribes. 

I can't keep up with the listing of who's on what tribe. Oh no!

Reward has them carrying water, plugging holes in a bucket, and filling a tank. Reward is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and continue living at the One World beach. The losing tribe must make a new camp elsewhere.

The new Salani tribe won. That's the tribe sans Colton. It does have most of the muscular guys on it. Manono has Colton and Tarzan (not Troyzan).

Kim found the hidden idol (originally) for the women in the ex-mens area. She told Chelsea. They're on the stronger Salani tribe with four women, three men. Monica, Alicia and Cristina are on the Colton tribe, he wants Cristina out.

Immunity Challenge time. Race to get a ball in the water, others try to get it in the basket while the opposing tribe tries to block baskets. Salani wins Immunity! Michael, Jay, the womens alliance and Troyzan!

Monica, the ONLY Manono person to score in the challenge, is Colton's latest target. Now they're saying a Tarzan blindside. I be so confused! Colton is telling Tarzan and Leif the target is Monica.

The tally: Tarzan, Tarzan, Monica, Monica, Monica, Monica ... Colton has his way again. Those foolish dolts! 

The Amazing Race 20 Blog Party - 03/11/12

Wow. We must be going for a record with the show starting on time once again here on the East Coast! Once it starts, I'll update this entry with the major events. However, the real fun is in the comments area. Please jump on in and share your thoughts on the teams, locations and challenges!

I do have a request, though. I received comments from some folks offended by some of the language and crudeness of comments on the recent Survivor episode. I have to say that I agree with them. I've always tried to keep this blog PG-rated and some of the name-calling of castaways (or a particular castaway) have gone far beyond that. Please stop. I'd rather this place remain fun for all and there's no need to be really, really crude. Merci!

The teams are heading to Italy!

The Border dudes were first to the Fast Forward clue. The Roadblock has a team member rappelling down a scary distance for a clue. Ford Focus product placement.

The Border agents made their second first place showing, winning $5,000 each.

Rachel and Brendon are fighting. Why am I not surprised?

The Detour is Clean Statue or Name That Salami. The latter has them naming 14 salamis, the first definitely sounds easier!

2. Rachel and Dave
3. Joey Fitness and Danny
4. Vanessa and Ralph
5. Nary and Jamie
6. Brendon and Rachel
7. Kerry and Staci
8. Kentucky ... Bopper and Mark ...  the Border Agents are splitting their winnings with them! And it's non-elimination! They're still in it! I'd rather watch these two than Brenchel. 

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - March 11, 2012

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic photo post chronicling the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. I have to say this ... I want my hour back. I don't care about the extra hour of sunshine. I want my hour back NOW. 

Oh my. I've had such a week here. With my apartment still not put together from the painting and renovation work, last Sunday I got a notice that there would be a city inspection on Tuesday. Gah. I had to move everything back, go into panic cleaning mode (mopped and waxed all my hardwood floors, cleaned closets, cleaned EVERYTHING). Then I ended up with a really long day at work Monday, getting home several hours later than usual. (There have been work issues all week long, too.)

All pretty much for naught. 

The city inspector came in with his list of things to check from the last inspection -- painting done, new bathroom ceiling, bathroom sink faucet fixed (although it's a whole new sink, vanity and medicine cabinet), new kitchen floor. It took him about a minute and a half. I felt like screaming, "LOOK AT HOW MY FLOORS SHINE! WANT TO CHECK MY CLOSETS?!?"

But I didn't. I napped.

I'm just glad it's all over. I really don't like interference in my home life. I'm quite the private person and when I get home from work, I don't want to have to worry about workmen, inspectors, property managers, etc. I want to be left alone. I'll call them if I need them. That said, the building itself (and my apartment) look better than they have since I've lived here. 

Now if they'd stop renting to riff-raff in the front of the building -- folks who let their children run wild in the hallways or, worse yet, the idiot father boy who plays ball in the hall with his toddlers letting them run, thump and scream in our section where he doesn't live! I pointed out to the property manager where he's already scuffed the newly-painted hallways with the ball. My own wing and floor of the building is fine. We all respect each other, have consideration for others and don't have children running the hallways.

At work, my computer software is still all messed up. It's a nightmare. I don't want to talk about it.  

Onto the photos -- clicking on an image will open a larger view.

Sunset train

I realize the sun will be setting even later tonight, but it's been a good month since I left work on a weekday at sunset anyway. But I worked late Monday and caught these great skies as I waited for my train home. The white trailers to the right are part of the Big Apple Circus entourage. I still haven't spotted stallions outside!

Sunrise reflected

These are the row homes on East Second Street in Plainfield. Last week I posted their rather dismal courtyard. Yet the way the early morning sun reflected in some of the windows caught my eye on the way to work one morning. I edited the shot to leave only the windows in color.

Pretty skies

Monday evening looking over the toxic superfund field of geese in Bridgewater.

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