Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites - April 3 Blog Party

The merge is ON tonight! As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. Please refresh the page to get the latest. However, as always, the real party is in the comments area. Come join in on the fun with us as we watch the show!

There's a boat approaching Gota! They have to gather everything they need in their new home. MERGE ahead! Feast time and green buffs abound. Malcolm sneaked in his mother's name backwards as the tribe name -- Madeline or, in this case, Enil Edam.

Corinne wants to blindside Phillip and snags Malcolm for her cause. The other name coming up to go is Sherri.

Immunity is the old eating disgusting stuff challenge. It's been a while since we've seen this one.

Done in rounds --
Beetle larvae
Ship worms (actually a member on the clam family)
Balut! (Duck embryos -- we've seen these before)
Pig brains -- down to Cochran and Malcolm

COCHRAN wins Immunity!

Corrine wants to line up her boys, vote off Sherri, then Phillip. She's gathering the numbers. Dawn told Cochran, now they're trying to gather numbers to blindside Corrine.

Tribal Council time.

Phillip votes Corrine, Andrea Votes Corrine, Mike votes Sherri, Sherri votes Corrine

Tally: Sherri, Sherri, Sherri, Sherri, Sherri, Corrine, Corrine, Corrine, Corrine, Corrine, Corrine, Corrine.

Buh-bye, Corrine!   

The Amazing Race: March 31, 2013 Blog Party

Due to March Madness basketball, we have yet another delay in the start of the show. The water skiing with crocodiles better be worth it! Once the show starts here on the East Coast, the party will start in the comments area.

I'll be updating this entry with major happenings as they air. Well, once the show starts, that is ... it should be starting about 8:41pm EDT. (Grr)

Finally starting!

Teams are remaining in Botswana, heading to a village for their next clue.

Bates and Anthony are going for the Fast Forward tucked in with their Roadblock clue. They're going to try water skiing with crocodiles. Fun! They complete the task with relative ease.

The Roadblock is "Who wants to go up the creek without a paddle?" Transporting two goats up the creek in a native boat. The little goats are adorable!

The country-western gals (Caroline and Jennifer) and Max and Katie both got speeding tickets which have to be paid before they continue.

1. Bates and Anthony - Also won $7,500 each

Max and Katie, after getting/paying a speeding ticket, bumping a power pole,  and now have a Speed Bump. They have to perform a native seduction dance wearing grass skirts.

Detour: Brains or Brawn, Horse or Donkey -- searching for animal cut-outs and placing them in order. Doneys -- deliver wood.

2. Mona and Beth
3. Caroline and Jennifer
4. Chuck and Wynona
5. Joey and Meghan
6. Max and Katie
7. Pam and Winnie - Philiminated

Pam and Winnie were my blog pool team. I'm now a free agent.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 31, 2013

I hope everyone is having a fine Easter Sunday! Since it is indeed Sunday, 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. The blog party post for The Amazing Race will be up tonight approximately 8pm EDT. Come on by and watch the show with us!

I have a small ham I'll be making for today's meal here, along with cabbage I bought very cheaply in my Peapod grocery order last week. I timed my order so that I was catching the end of their St. Patrick's Day specials. The corned beef was way cheap and out of stock. They issue rainchecks, so I'll try for cheap corned beef on my next order. They had actually been out of the sale ham for the last three orders I made and that came through with this one. So I'll have a bit of a feast today for myself. Every day is a feast for Vincent the Cat.

Although the nights have still remained cold here, the daytime highs are finally in the 50s. Woohoo! Unfortunately, I leave for work so early that I'm still wearing my winter jacket. By the time I go home, a lighter spring jacket would do. But I'm not lugging spare jackets back and forth to the train station.

I still haven't met or seen my new upstairs neighbor. However, I did ask Lee (building gossip) if he had seen him. He certainly has and it explains a few things. It's an African man, not to be confused with African-American although it's a possibility that the man might be a US citizen.

Aha! The mellow music that I can't identify explained. The chanting I heard explained (religious maybe?). This could very well be the perfect upstairs neighbor. My next door neighbor on one side is from Africa -- the one whose mother was confused in the hallway during a fire alarm. All that man does is work a lot and live quietly. While I'm sure not all African folks work a lot and live quietly, it appears my new upstairs neighbor falls in that category. It's not likely that the man will throw wild parties or play rap music with heavy bass. Nor will he have live Mexican polka bands playing up there. YAY!

Living in this building is like living in a real melting pot -- Peru on one side, Africa on the other, Jamaica, Costa Rica and well, Georgia (US) across the hall. Africa above and um, well, New Jersey below. I'm certainly not in Round Lake anymore, huh? 

Not much else has been happening. I so want spring weather so that I'm more willing to get out and about. The cold makes me just want to stay home a lot.

Onto this week's photos ...

SPRING!

Yes, these were planted by a landscaper. But, the main thing ... they didn't die and keel over in a frost. It's finally SPRING!

Not so full Worm Moon

The full moon this past week was the Full Worm Moon. I didn't get a good shot of it with definition until it wasn't really full anymore. Oops.

Hawk in flight

I caught this hawk in Bridgewater. Well, I didn't literally catch it. What would I do with a hawk? That's just silly!

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

Survivor: Caramoan Fans vs. Favorites - March 27 Blog Party

Cool. No basketball tonight, so we get to watch our show! It should be interesting to see how the castaways mesh in their new tribes. I do think the fans are at a disadvantage as evidenced by Matt's boot last week. But, is Phillip at a disadvantage as well? I guess we'll see!

As the show airs, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. So, if you're peeking in for the big news, make sure to refresh the page. However, if you're here for the party ... head on down to the comments area! The water is fine!

Lifeguard Laurie has some real life stuff as of late and probably won't make it. She wants y'all to behave in the pool! Here are the latest blog pool standings:

Gota -
Brenda -- Brian, Laurie, Petals
Eddie -- Glenn, Monty, Zoetawny
Malcolm -- Glenn, Monty, Zoetawny
Erik -- Donna in AL, meb, Rbennie
Reynold -- Brian, Laurie, Petals
Sherri -- Becky, Joey & Julie, Nana in the NW
Andrea -- Becky, Joey & Julie, Nana in the NW

Bikal -
Dawn -- dla, Margo, Rochelle
Phillip -- Jackie, Nickelpeed  
Cochran -- Ed in Ohio, ML, Terry in TX
Julia -- Donna in FL, Merrilee, SueGee
Michael -- DKNYNC, Lynn1, Rbennie
Corinne -- DKNYNC, Lynn1, Rbennie

Reward Challenge time! It's the old belted together carrying sandbags through water bit. We've seen this before. Winners get a trip to a local island with a coffee, cookies, croissants and more feast.

Another total massacre. Gota wins reward!

Ah, Malcolm tried to get Reynold aboard with him and Reynold told him he has the idol. Of course, Malcolm has his own idol and has told no one.

Immunity Challenge time! It has them rowing, diving for statues, throwing grappling hooks to snag keys on land, etc.

It wasn't a complete massacre, but Gota won yet again. Man, these teams are really not balanced with the power players!

Phillip told Cochran that he deliberately threw the challenge so they could vote out Julia. @@ Corinne really wants Mike aboard, so that makes Phillip want him gone.

The tally: Mike, Julia, Mike, Julia, Mike, Julia. It's a tie. Re-vote without Mike and Julia participating. They can only vote Mike or Julia.

The second tally: Julia, Julia, Julia.

She's gone.  

The Amazing Race: March 24, 2013 Blog Party

Although I'm putting this post up and out there on time, the show is delayed here due to March Madness basketball. 60 Minutes started at 7:46pm ET, so I expect TAR at 8:46pm ET. Once the show finally starts, I'll update this post with the major happenings as they air. But, as always, the real party is in the comments area. Come join us!

From the promos, we know the teams are off to Africa. It sounds like a good episode. Since we have to wait for it, it better be good!

It's starting!

The teams are heading to Botswana. All the teams hit Africa at the same time, but the next safari charter flights divide them into three groups.

Roadblock: Who wants to make new friends? Get taught new skills from indigenous folks. In this case, scorpion hunting.

Detour: Fire or Fowl. Making fire with two sticks or hunting guinea fowl.

Well, the tides are changing -- Bates and Anthony are in the lead after so-so showings previously.

1. Bates and Anthony - also won a trip to Thailand.
2. Pam and Winnie
3. Chuck and Wynona -- Oh my!
4. Joey and Meghan
5. Caroline and Jennifer

Oh geez ... Mona and Beth decide to drive when they should make it on foot, then realize their error. 

6. Mona and Beth
7. Max and Katie - Non-Philimination leg, still in the race. They will have a speed bump in the next leg.