The Amazing Race: October 13, 2013 Episode Blog Party

Oh my gosh! The show is starting on time tonight here on the East Coast! Woohoo! I guess that must mean the pigs are flying over Hoboken!

As it airs, I'll update this entry with the major happenings -- refresh the page to get the latest! However, the real party is where it always is ... in the comments area. Come join us!

Margo's latest blog pool standings:
Ally And Ashley - LafayetteLisanne, Jackie,Tammy
Brandon And Adam - Donna in FL, Monty924, Sharon
Chester And Ephraim - Buzzmaam, Donna in AL, Sharon S
Jason And Amy - Nicklepeed, PDXGranny, Brian, DLA
Leo And Jamal - MEB, Margo, Brenda, Caela
Nicky And Kim - Nana in NW, Jennasmom, David
Tim And Danny - JOKATS, Dusty, Zoetawny
Tim And Marie - SueGee, DKNYNC, Rbennie
Travis And Nicole - Delee, Laurie, Lynn1, Merrilee

Sorry you have been PHILIMINATED
Hoskote And Naina
Rowan And Shane - ML, Becky, Cheryl in NC, KayBeeRN

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Teams are flying to Lisbon, Portugal.

Once in Lisbon, a painting clue heads them to the Coach Museum and a Detour clue -- Tiles (making a figure of tiles) or Miles (figuring mileage between several cities on Magellan's journey from a giant map).

Roadblock - Who has s hand for slings and arrows? Dressed in armor, they have to shoot arrows at a target with a huge contraption. Then it will be onto a castle for the Pit Stop.

The last team to arrive MAY be eliminated.

Pit Stop --
1. Nicole and Travis, won a trip to Costa Rica
2. Jason and Amy
3. Nicky and Kim
4. Tim and Danny
5. Brandon and Adam
6. Leo and Jamal
7. Ally and Ashley
8. Tim and Marie

Sigh. Phil meets Chester and Ephraim at the airport when they arrive after all the other teams already made it to the Pit Stop. Their bad luck flight streak did them in ... Philiminated.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 13, 2013

Yep. It's once again Sunday morning! G'mornin' to ya! This is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Later this evening, you're all invited to the blog party for The Amazing Race, but this here isn't about television.

It was a doldrums kind of week here with more gloomy skies than not. Thus, it was another week of not great photos for the most part. It's pitch-dark as I head to the train station most mornings. The saying "the darkest hour is before the dawn" is definitely right. While I'm not one to wander around Plainfield alone at night, walking to the train in the morning hours is different. The denizens of the dark are finally asleep and, while quiet, the folks I do see on my early morning walk are all heading to work ... just like me.

I come up with nicknames in my mind for those I encounter in my daily journeys:

• There's Banana Man at the Bridgewater Train Station. He parks his car at the Target parking lot across the street to avoid the $4 daily parking fee at the station. He's ALWAYS eating a banana as our paths cross.
• There's Confused Lady at the Plainfield Train Station. She's been taking the early train for a good six months now and still looks confused about where she wants to sit (on the mostly empty train) daily. She also looks befuddled every day when the conductor wants to take her ticket and takes forever to dig through her purse for one. If she catches the train home daily, she'd do better off with a monthly ticket, but it just might confuse her.
• There's the Waving Man outside Everybody's Food Market on East Front Street. He doesn't work for, but hangs around the market -- a Jamaican/West Indies run establishment -- during business hours. He arrives before the store opens, moves the newspaper stack out of the elements and sits in his car, apparently awaiting the person who opens. He always waves and says hello.
• There's Spike Lee Lookin' Dude with the shih tzu doggie. He usually has a cup of coffee in one hand, the dog leash in the other. We greet, small talk about the weather and go our separate ways.
• There's the regular bunch of Latino workers awaiting rides. These aren't guys looking for work -- they definitely have steady landscaping and/or construction jobs. They buy their breakfasts at the restaurant which used to be Mi Ranchito (don't think it still is) on East Front Street and tote small coolers for their lunches. They often say good morning in unison as I pass by.

 Oh well, onto the photos for this week ... 

Yay! Acorn season!

This squirrel at the Plainfield Train Station was one busy little dude.

Getting colorful

The foliage is still being very selective around here. Some trees, mostly smaller ones, are already barren. But, many trees are still green. I took this from North Avenue looking towards the Friends Meeting House on Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

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

Survivor: Blood vs. Water - October 9 Episode Blog Party

Oh my gosh ... is the newbie team ever going to win ANYTHING? At least, with the "loved ones" twist this season, there's a bit of a new dynamic in the midst due to the connections. Otherwise, it would just be another season of watching experienced veteran players trounce the newcomers.

As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. As always, the real party is in the comments. Please join us!

Here are the blog pool standings as of the last episode, brought to you by that ever-rockin' LifeGuard Laurie:

Galang
ARAS -- Donna in FL, MikesGirl
GERVASE -- Jackie, Pam in NJ
KAT -- Jig, Petals
LAURA B -- Buzzmaan, Laurie, SueGee
LAURA M -- AlbGlinka, JOKATS, rbennie
MONICA -- Becky, KayBeeRN, Russ
TINA -- Cheryl in NC, Lynn1, Terry in TX
TYSON -- Delee, meb

Tadhana
BRAD -- Brent McKee, Kelly D. Sharon N.
CALEB -- Glenn, ORKMommy
CIERA -- Andrea J, Karen in CA, Rochelle
HAYDEN -- Joanie, Quixotic Elf
KATIE -- David, Margo, Zoetawny
VYTAS -- Donna NY, ML

Redemption Island
CANDICE -- Dusty, Monty924
MARISSA -- Jennas Mom, PDX Granny
JOHN -- Ed in Ohio, Nana in the NW

Off the Island
RUPERT -- Brian, Kelsey NY, Sharon S.
RACHEL -- Donna in AL, Merrilee

Quit the game
COLTON -- Gaylos, Nickelpeed

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Survivor fans ready? Let's partay! And, watch the show. Of course.

Redemption duel time!
Uh-oh. Husband and wife will have to duel against each other ... and Marissa.

They have to unravel a rope on a horizontal ladder doohicky, get puzzle pieces and solve a puzzle. John wins! Candice survives in second place and Marissa gets the boot. Candice told John to give the clue to the hidden idol to Monica. He went with it -- to put a target on Monica's back due to Brad being institutional in his tribal ouster. On Brad's advice, Monica burns the clue.

Immunity Challenge time!
Paddle out to crates (five of them), gather crates with puzzle pieces, solve puzzle, raise flag. Ho-hum. Reward is tea and biscotti or can be traded for fishing gear. Galang (veteran players) win once again. Oy.

Tribal Council
Ciera is worried, as she needs to be. Caleb should be worried. Whoa! Caleb says he will write Brad's name down and puts the rest on the spot.

The tally: Brad, Ciera, Ciera, Brad, Ciera, Brad. It's a tie. Re-vote time. We see Hayden scribble out where he started to write Ciera and put Brad's name instead.

The re-tally -- Brad, Ciera, Brad, Brad.

Big Bad Brad is headed to Redemption Island!

The Amazing Race: October 6 Blog Party

Grr. Once again we're delayed by football here on the East Coast. That's two for two, not good odds at all for the start of the season.

But, speaking of odds ... Margo has announced the blog pool random picks!

Ally And Ashley - LafayetteLisanne, Jackie,Tammy
Brandon And Adam - Donna in FL, Monty924, Sharon
Chester And Ephraim - Buzzmaam, Donna in AL, Sharon S
Jason And Amy - Nicklepeed, PDXGranny, Brian, DLA
Leo And Jamal - MEB, Margo, Brenda, Caela
Nicky And Kim - Nana in NW, Jennasmom, David
Rowan And Shane - ML, Becky, Cheryl in NC, KayBeeRN
Tim And Danny - JOKATS, Dusty, Zoetawny
Tim And Marie - SueGee, DKNYNC, Rbennie
Travis And Nicole - Delee, Laurie, Lynn1, Merrilee

Sorry you have been PHILIMINATED
Hoskote And Naina

Although I'm putting the post up at the normal 8pm ET start time, I can't update this entry until the show comes on. Once it does, as it airs, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. As always ... the real party is in the comments area. Come join us!

I expect the show to start here in the NYC area at about 8:45pm. Grr.

8:45pm ET -- Finally we have theme music and the show is starting!

The first clue has them in a bunching situation with a ship not opening until morning. Then it's off to the salt mines.

Detour - Has them riding bikes, choosing between brining and mining tasks. Then they take a thousand-mile bus trip to Santiago, Chile.

The Roadblock has them shining shoes, putting together a shoe shine stand and delivering it.

Pit Stop order --
Leo and Jamal got there first, but hadn't paid the cab right.

1. Chester and Ephraim - they won a trip for two
2. Leo and Jamal
3. Brandon and Adam
4.Jason and Amy
5. Travis and Nicole
6. Tim and Danny
7. Ally and Ashley
8. Tim and Marie
9. Nicky and Kim
10. Rowan and Shane -- Philiminated

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - October 6, 2013

It's Sunday morning. Good morning to ya! A bit later I will post the blog pool picks for The Amazing Race and the blog party post as the show airs here on the East Coast. But, you're at my weekly off television topic post reflecting on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

We had another rather muggy and warm week here in this area. While the temperatures weren't bad at all, muggy isn't my favorite kind of weather. It's supposed to rain tomorrow night and the weather following that should be more seasonable for this time of year here. Good. Of course, I think all of us have a bit of trepidation as we head to the year anniversary date of Sandy. I don't particularly want to be a Rider on the Storm again this year!

My week was a bit uneventful once again. Work, home, eat, sleep and pay a lot of attention to a certain cat. I received my box of goodies ordered from Amazon.com with a gift certificate from my brother. So, I've started reading Stephen King's newest book (hardcover first release, half price!), enjoying new bath salts (not the drug kind, mind you) and bath foam, and playing with my new knives. Er, cutlery set. My other set was about 35 years old, its block discolored over the years and some of the knives broken or missing. It was time. I have a Peapod grocery delivery coming today and will get a chance to test out the slicer knife on a small roast. Woot.

Y'see, it's the little things. As the Rolling Stones say, "You can't always get what you want, you get what you need." I needed relaxing baths, an interesting book and knives!

Otherwise on the home front, all is quiet for the most part. The upstairs neighbor is still the best one ever up there and it's a relief to not worry about my bathroom ceiling flooding.

Last night coming home, it was dark but the streets in Plainfield seemed quite alive with skateboarders, couples walking, families with children in strollers and it all seemed very mellow. Probably there won't be too many evenings like that left. When I got to the bodega near my apartment, someone was playing P-Funk and people were nodding their heads to the music and they said hello. It all seemed so urban, yet so small town homey.

Oh well, the super just knocked on my door. Yes, on a Sunday morning. He wanted to set up a date to put new windows in. When they replaced the windows on the first floor last year, they told me not all the apartments will be getting them. I've noticed more and more getting them over the past few weeks. While new windows are going to be nice, it's definitely worrisome with Vincent and my work schedule. We decided he'll come by next Saturday around 8am before I leave for work. I'll put Vincent in my big old cat carrier crate thing before I go and they'll set him loose in the apartment when they leave.

Onto this week's photos, nothing really fancy once again ...

Who's your mum(s)?

Yep, 'tis the season of the mum. I found these on Berckman Street in Plainfield.

Let there be roses

Still hanging in nicely on East Front Street in Plainfield.

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