The Amazing Race 20 Season Finale Blog Party

Welp, this is it. It's the season finale. And, much to my dismay, Brendon and Rachel are still in it. Sigh. Tonight is a two-hour show ... I wouldn't mind it if the last hour didn't include them! I know. I'm a cruel person. But I'm SO tired of seeing their drama! If I had to cheer on a remaining team, I think I'd go for the Other Rachel and Dave.

As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major events. However, the real fun is in the comments area. Come join us! (And bring snacks!)

The teams are headed off to Japan. The teams will bunch up on the same flight. Brenchel missed the bus which the rest of the teams caught. Too bad, so sad. Sigh. They caught up. Now it's Dave and Rachel behind by missing the ferry.

Heh. The Roadblock is a Japanese TV game show!

The Detour has sushi and sumo premises. Sushi bingo, then eat. Or, with the latter, convince locals to pose for photographs with sumo wrestler cut-outs.

Rachel and Dave hit the Pit Stop first, tying the record for the most first place wins. They won a trip to New Zealand.
2. Art and JJ
3. Brenchel

Vanessa and Ralph are Philiminated

Teams are heading to Hawaii. After rappelling up and down a 45 story tower, the Roadblock has them shaving ice. JJ and Art are trailing.

Whoa! Brenchel took a cab when the clue said to go on foot!

Rachel and Dave arrived at the Pit Stop before completing the Roadblock! Eek! JJ and Art are at the Roadblock while Brenchel has yet to reach it. Art is stuck at the Roadblock, Rachel and Dave are on their way back to the Pit Stop.

RACHEL AND DAVE WIN THE AMAZING RACE!

Art and JJ make it second. Brenchel is third.

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - May 6, 2012

Yes indeed. Yes, it is Sunday morning and time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. On a television note -- remember, tonight is the two-hour season finale of The Amazing Race -- stop by the blog for the big party. (I so want Brenchel to be last!)

Let's see ... what happened this week? Well, it rained quite a bit. They claim that we're still in danger of a drought, though. For some reason, we've been having early morning thunderstorms this past week. Lucky me, I got drenched Friday morning going into work. I had my umbrella, but I should have worn a rubber suit!

Last night was the "super moon." It's a full moon and closest it gets to us in orbit. It sounds like a perfect photo op, but the clouds were obscuring it when I looked. And, once I had my pj's on, that was it. I wasn't going to go out again.

On both the work and home fronts, not much to share. I worked a lot, didn't sleep enough yet ate quite well. I have no drama to report. Nor did I mysteriously or miraculously receive a million dollars. I was hoping for the latter, but it never seems to happen. 

Onto the photos. Since they're on Photobucket, clicking on an image will open a new page, clicking again will open a larger view, then closing that page will land you back here.

Handicapped bird roost?

This one-legged sparrow seems to be fending for himself just fine in Bridgewater, NJ.

Purplish and poufy

Someone told me what these flowers were once, but I've forgotten. In the words of Dan Quayle, "A mind is a terrible thing to lose." Berckman Street, Plainfield.

An explosion of spring!

Here's "purplish and poufy" in their native habitat with pink azaleas.

***CLICK ON THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS***

Survivor: One World Blog Party - May 2

Survivor fans ready? If not for parties each week, this might be a season to give up on. Sure, it's great to see the women stomping their way to the final four. But things are SO predictable. Perhaps this will be the week Tarzan steps up to the plate and his real game will finally be afoot! Maybe this week Christina will tromp all the others winning both Reward and Immunity!

Yeah, right.

As the show airs, I'll update this post with the major happenings. However, the real fun is in the comments ... come join the party!

Sprint tree mail, the families time is here. Reward challenge has them getting a brief hug with their loved ones and participating in the challenge. Each castaway and loved one have to go through a rope course with knots while tied together.

The relationship between Kat and her cousin seems a bit much to me. Very unsettling. Kat wins, chooses Kim and Alicia as the ones to spend time with her and loved ones. The girl doesn't think. The others think Tarzan and Christina should have been chosen.

Once again, Immunity is up for grabs. It's endurance. I'm sure Tarzan has a chance at this one! Er ... or not. Sabrina's out, then Tarzan. He did better than I thought he would. Alicia is out, so is Chelsea. Christina is out. Despite her pouting that she wants to win, Kat is out. Kim wins Immunity!

The tally -- Sabrina, Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat.

Buh-bye, Kat! She will probably go down as the one who cried the most at the boot.

The Amazing Race 20 Blog Party - April 29

Oh, wow. The show is going to start on time again here on the East Coast. Amazing! From the promos, it looks like this week will be full of Brenchel drama and Mark's health is failing him. I really don't want to see the latter. 

I'm one who always claims that folks who need the money "that bad" shouldn't bother with being on television competition shows. But I really enjoy watching Mark and Bopper! Their relationship is fantastic, they don't argue, and they really work at staying in. I only hope they can.

As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major events. However, the real fun is in comments ... come join us!

There is a Fast Forward -- Brenchel is the first to try to go for it as Dave and Rachel can't. Ralph and Vanessa are also trying for it. It's the shaven head FF we saw a few years back. Cue Rachel drama.

The Roadblock has other teams making 40 feet of rope from husks. Rachel of Brenchel infamy, did NOT shave her head. She "needs hair to be pretty." @@

Detour - Pachy-derm or Pack-a-box. Decorate a live elephant or pack ginger for shipping.

Bopper and Mark JUST left the Pit Stop as others are approaching the Detour. Hopefully they will go for the not-yet-taken Fast Forward. They're at a Speed Bump, painting a tiger on the belly of a dancer.

YES! Kentucky is going to check out the Fast Forward!

1. Rachel and Dave - won ten grand each!
2. Brenchel
3. Vanessa and Ralph

Vanessa thinks that Brenchel cheated on the wheel barrow counts of elephant dung, now we have MEOW.

4. Sigh. Art and JJ.
5. Bopper and Mark ... Philiminated. Wah! 

Off Topic: That Was The Week It Was - April 29, 2012

Good morning everyone! It's Sunday morning once again. And, once again, it's time for my weekly off topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. 

I've had a bit of a stressful, hectic and just plain annoying at times week here. The weather has been at times cold and windy, other times rainy and it really wasn't conducive for photography. Yet I got in a few good shots and noticed some out of the norm kind of things. 

At home, the people upstairs managed to flood my bathroom once again. Thankfully the floor plans are in line here -- their bathroom over mine, bedroom over my bedroom, etc. So nothing of my own got damaged. Well, the brand new roll of toilet tissue I had put out was a goner. But it's not like they flooded my computer equipment or anything. I hope they finally get whatever up there fixed this time. Since I moved in here 11 years ago, it's been one thing after another leaking and subsequently fixed. 

There was some excitement here very early yesterday morning. Although I don't have to get up as early on Saturdays as I work later, I tend to wake up by 5:15 or 5:30. Well, I heard a ruckus in the hallway with police radios involved. Hmm ... I turned on my scanner. It turns out that a man fell from the fire escape shared by Crazy Joe across the hall and new tenants in the apartment next to him.

Now, they may call him Crazy, but Joe's not stupid. Nor is he athletically inclined. He's a retired guy who's lived here for nearly ten years without climbing the fire escape. So I would guess it was either the new tenants or a burglar. Since the cops didn't say anything about an arrest, I assume tenant. It's possible they only have one key, lost the key, didn't know who to call, aren't on the intercom system yet (as they connect the intercom to a phone number) or something. A compound fracture of the arm and a head injury. I bet he won't climb that again.

On the other hand, I wish I hadn't chucked my old small Hibachi years back. Although totally illegal, it would be so tasty to cook up steaks on a grill using the fire escape outside my bedroom window! I'm sure if I still had it, I wouldn't have the nerve to use it. But, still ...!

This week's quirky observation  -- when an automatic IN door doesn't function, a crowd will gather and stare at it instead of just pushing the door open. They'll back up and look. Then they'll get closer and give it a hard stare. But will they push it open? Nope. 

Since I had the hectic week, even to the point of working really late last night, I have a treat coming to myself with a Peapod grocery delivery in a few hours. I get the deliveries about once a month now. It's heaven not to worry about heavy items without a car. Plus, I do like the cuts of meat better than at the local supermarket a few blocks away. Yet I do stop in there on occasion because their produce department is fantastic!

Onto the photos ... remember, as of last week, they're hooked to my PhotoBucket account. Clicking on an image will bring you to the shot there, click again and it's large, close that window and you're back here!   

The NYC taxi again by the Plainfield Police Station

Nope, this is not the photo I took a week or two back. But it is the same passenger in the cab. Very odd. I'm not sure if it's the same taxi driver, but it could be. I don't feel bad spending $6.95 for grocery delivery when I see something like this! I edited the shot to leave only the taxi cab in color.

Up Close and Personal

Despite temperatures below freezing a few nights this past week, the flowers continue to bloom by the Bridgewater Train Station.

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