The Amazing Race: All-Stars - March 2 Blog Party

Sure, others are having Oscar parties, but that's not my kind of scene. My own Oscar-related prediction is that this here blog party is probably going to be quieter than many as so many will be watching the awards show. Oh well. More snacks and tasty beverages for us, eh?

The Magnificent Margo has done the random match-up for the blog pool and here it is --

Flight Time & Big Easy - Laurie, Donna in FL, nicklepeed
Mark & Mallory - SueGee, jonMD1627, Margo
Jen & Caroline - Lynn1, Buzzmaam, DLA
Dave & Connor - Becky, Auntie Leigh, Rochelle
Margie & Luke - Donna in AL, Monty924, PDXGranny
Brendon & Rachel (Brenchal) - Terry in TX, Brian
Jessica & John - Sharon S, David, Rbennie
Cord & Jet (Cowboys) - ML, Nana in NW, Delee
Joey & Meghan - Brenda, Zoetawny, Dusty
Leo & Jamal (Afganimals) - Jackie, Jennamom, Merrilee

Tonight's show is actually even starting on time! As it airs here, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. Refresh the page to get the latest update. As always, the party (or perhaps lack thereof due to the Oscars) is down in the comments. Come join us!

Teams are remaining in China for now. They have to meet up with a "Master" who will ink a clue on their foreheads. The Cowboys aren't doing too well at the start of this one. The forehead clue leads them to a Roadblock at a play park in a mall. Dave and Connor got there first. They have to build a kiddie car.

Wow! Mark built that car like he could have done it blindfolded! They have to take the cars with them to deliver them. Margie/Luke are in second. But ... GAH ... Mallory left her backpack behind after they put the car in the trunk of their taxi! The blondes are finally at the Roadblock. Eep. It was MARK's backpack she left behind. They have to go back for it, thus losing their lead.

The blondes are trying to get the cowboys to give them the Express Pass. Oh my gosh ... they gave it to them!

Before they head back for the bag, M&M deliver the car. The Detour clue has them playing hacky-sack or Featherball or China Cup.  No one seems to be choosing the latter. Mark and Mallory are wasting a lot of time arguing about going back for the pack or doing the Detour. Mallory has Mark's passport but Mark wants his other stuff. They blew their first place lead.

Margie and Luke are currently leading the pack. Nope. Now it's Dave and Connor leading.

Most of the teams are heading to the Pit Stop.

Pit Stop --
1. Brenchal - won $2500 each
2. Margie and Luke
3. Caroline and Jennifer -- did not use the pass given to them
4. Dave and Connor
5. Globetrotters
6. Cowboys
7. Leo and Jamal

The remaining teams are stuck at the Detour. Meghan and Joey get through first.

8. John and Jessica
9. Meghan and Joey -- that's what they get for helping John and Jessica at the Roadblock!
10. Mark and Mallory -- Philiminated

Aw, that's sad.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 2, 2014

Welcome to yet another Sunday morning off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. It's still cold. It's still winter. I am starting to have doubts that this winter will ever end. While they've changed our forecast for today from a serious winter storm to just a plain old winter storm, it's depressing. We're supposed to go back into the deep freeze for most of the week after having two days of over 32 degree temps.

Wah.

I am SO over winter this year. I know, come summer, I'll be SO over the heat and humidity. I'm not saying I want that. I want SPRING.

For those of you who plan to be at the blog party for The Amazing Race tonight -- I'll set up a post shortly before 8pm ET for it. Meanwhile, the Magnificent Margo (and Mom) have made the random blog pool match-ups. The good news is that no one had to pseudo-support the "twinnies." The bad news is that I ended up with the Afghanimals. To be honest, I didn't really mind them as much as some of the others last season. We'll see. The blog pool match-ups can be found on this post here.

I really don't have much to report this week. It's getting very same old, same old kind of like Groundhog's Day, the movie. Get up before the dawn, bundle up, go out, head to work thankful for pocket warmers, work, head home, still grateful for pocket warmers, rinse, repeat ... all week long. The sciatica is still present, but quite diminished. Alas, it ruined my sleep last night and I overslept this morning -- thus this post is up later than planned.

I have a Peapod delivery scheduled later today. Usually they're decent with the out of stocks or give a standard substitution. I looked at my invoice online. Sigh. My big family pack of chicken is out of stock, no substitution. That was going to be five meals! Gah. My family pack of hamburger is coming, but not the hamburger rolls I ordered. No substitution. Gah! Between the two items, that was a lot of meals. Sure, I'll still have the hamburger which I tend to freeze in portions anyway. But the local bodega's cheap rolls (when they have them) are horrible and I'll have to brave the cold to go to a real grocery store. The chicken I'll just have to go without this month. In the good news, they had Vincent's cat treats.

Onto the photos for the week ...

Almost sunrise

Until next week when the time change goes down, it's just about sunrise when I wait for the early train to work. Plainfield Train Station.

Dramatic skies in the 'hood

Before sunset with the sun hanging low in the sky. East Front Street, Plainfield.

Reflected sunrise

The red sunrise is reflected in the windows of the apartments over Danny's Bakery at the corner of North and Watchung in Plainfield.

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

The Amazing Race: All-Stars - Blog Pool Match-Ups

Hopefully tomorrow night's show will begin on time! After being so buried in snow here forever ... okay, two or three months, it really irked me last week to have a delay for GOLF. It was like rubbing salt into the wound.

"Oh, one of your favorite shows is having its season premiere? Oh, you've had a horrible extreme cold and snowy winter? How 'bout we delay that show with golf from a warm sunny wherever?"

Grr.

Any way, the Magnificent Margo (and Mom) have done the random match-ups for the blog pool. Without further ado, here they are:

Flight Time & Big Easy - Laurie, Donna in FL, nicklepeed

Mark & Mallory - SueGee, jonMD1627, Margo

Jen & Caroline - Lynn1, Buzzmaam, DLA

Dave & Connor - Becky, Auntie Leigh, Rochelle

Margie & Luke - Donna in AL, Monty924, PDXGranny

Brendon & Rachel (Brenchal) - Terry in TX, Brian

Jessica & John - Sharon S, David, Rbennie

Cord & Jet (Cowboys) - ML, Nana in NW, Delee

Joey & Meghan - Brenda, Zoetawny, Dusty

Leo & Jamal (Afganimals) - Jackie, Jennamom, Merrilee

Survivor: Cagayan - Season Premiere blog party!

It's HERE -- the 28th season of Survivor! Of course, with two seasons per year, that's only 14 years, but still ...! This is the first time they've gone with a brains, beauty, brawn scenario on the show, so we'll see how that works out. I still say the qualities tend to overlap and infringe upon each other.

Lifeguard Laurie's random blog pool picks were posted late last night. However, for ease of trying to pick out your pick when we don't know these castaways yet, here it is again for easy reference:

Beauty
Jeremiah Wood - LostChyld
Alexis Maxwell - Donna in FL, Petals
Brice Johnston - Karen in CA, PDX Granny
Jefra Bland - David, Sharon S.
LJ McKanas - Lorraine, ML
Morgan McLeod - Donna in Alabama, ORKMommy

Brains 
David Samson - Jennasmom
Garrett Adelstein - Brenda, Paula Bell
J'Tia Taylor - Knickelpeed, Merrilee
Kass McQuillen -Delee, MikesGirl
Spencer Bledsoe - Becky and Monty924
Tasha Fox - DKNYNC, Rochelle

Brawn
Trisha Hegarty - Jackie
Cliff Robinson - Dusty, Margo
Lindsey Ogle - Brian
Sarah Lacina - Buzzmaan, Tammy
Tony Viachos - Lynn1, Zoetawny
Woo Hwang - Laurie, SueGee

As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. Refresh the page to see the latest! As always, the real party is down in the comments. Come join us! And, if you're not in the pool, go ahead and find a castaway to cheer on for the season!

Each tribe chooses a leader -- LJ Beauty, Brawn is Sarah, Brains is David

Leaders have to decide who is the weakest and most expendable. LJ picks Morgan. Sarah picks Trish (my blog person, eek!). David picks Garrett. The three chosen head to camp early, don't leave the game, and need to make a "decision" on the part of their tribes.

Notes on trees -- help themselves with a clue to a hidden idol or help their tribe  (bag of rice for the tribes). Garrett helps himself. Trish goes for the rice. Morgan goes for the idol. Garrett found his idol. Morgan, caught by her arriving tribe members, lied and told them she picked the supplies over comfort for them. Not too shabby thinking, I must say.

Oh my. Beauty got fire first!

The immunity challenge is a convoluted obstacle course ending in a puzzle. First two tribes done win immunity. The reward is fire. First is a fire-making kit, but the second winning tribe only gets flint to make fire.

Jeff calls the Brains effort one of the worst ever coming out of the gate. Beauty wins! Brawn is second. Brains will go to tribal council.

Time to tally the votes:
J'Tia, David, J'Tia, David, David, David ... Yay! He's obnoxious!

Second immunity challenge time! Swimming out into bamboo cage, retrieve fish traps, puzzle. First two win immunity. Reward - 1st tribe, large fishing kit. 2nd, fishing supplies. Brawn tribe wins! J'Tia is once again screwing up for Brains. Beauty was way behind, but is now pulling into second place. Beauty is second place. Brains goes to tribal once again.

Tony (Brawn) found a clue to the idol in their reward basket. He's got the idol! He sounds like he's having an orgasm. :X

Second Tribal Council. J'Tia admits she threw the rice in the fire after Garrett decided they should have an open talk about voting her out.

The tally -- J'Tia, Garrett, J'Tia, Garrett, Garrett ... voted out with his idol in his pocket. Wait, even worse ... he forgot to bring it to tribal because he was so sure it would be J'Tia going home!

Survivor: Cagayan: Blog Pool Match-Ups

Survivor fans ready? The Lovely Lifeguard Laurie has made the random picks for the blog pool. So, the pool entries are currently CLOSED. If you missed signing up, you can choose your own castaway to cheer on throughout the season. After all, it's not like we're in this for the big bucks, right?

Beauty
Jeremiah Wood - LostChyld
Alexis Maxwell - Donna in FL, Petals
Brice Johnston - Karen in CA, PDX Granny
Jefra Bland - David, Sharon S.
LJ McKanas - Lorraine, ML
Morgan McLeod - Donna in Alabama, ORKMommy

Brains 
David Samson - Jennasmom
Garrett Adelstein - Brenda, Paula Bell
J'Tia Taylor - Knickelpeed, Merrilee
Kass McQuillen -Delee, MikesGirl
Spencer Bledsoe - Becky and Monty924
Tasha Fox - DKNYNC, Rochelle

Brawn
Trisha Hegarty - Jackie
Cliff Robinson - Dusty, Margo
Lindsey Ogle - Brian
Sarah Lacina - Buzzmaan, Tammy
Tony Viachos - Lynn1, Zoetawny
Woo Hwang - Laurie, SueGee

Wednesday night, 8pm ET. Bring snacks and tasty beverages!