The Amazing Race: All-Stars - 'Smarter, not Harder' Blog Party

Again we're starting on time? They're spoiling us! As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. Refresh the page to get the latest news. However, as always, the real party is in the comments area. I hope to see you there!

The latest pool standings by that Magnificent Margo are:
Flight Time & Big Easy - Laurie, Donna in FL, nicklepeed
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
Leo & Jamal (Afganimals) - Jackie, Jennamom, Merrilee

Philiminated --
Mark & Mallory - SueGee, jonMD1627, Margo
Joey & Meghan - Brenda, Zoetawny, Dusty

Let's get the party started!

They're staying in Malaysia at least for the start of the leg.

Roadblock -- Who's got a spring in their step? It entails jumping on a trampoline thingee supported by locals to pull down a clue.

Next they're off to Kuala Lampur with only three flights available. Dave/Connor are still maintaining their lead.

Margie tells us Luke came out to her as gay. Not a problem.

Uh-oh, the second flight is delayed and the third flight will get there before it. Dave/Connor, the Cowboys and the Afghanimals are on the first flight.

Detour: Mixmaster or Master Mix -- They have to learn how to DJ and show their scratching skillz. Or they have to mix a drinks into a pyramid of glasses.

Most of the teams go for the drinks part of the detour only to find out it's very difficult. The Cowboys have taken over the lead and are heading to the Pit Stop.

The Afghanimals and Dave/Connor are also heading there.

Pit Stop --
1. The Cowboys - Won a trip to London
2. Dave and Connor
3. Leo and Jamal

Luke is breaking down with frustration (deja vu) on the drink task. I don't see where switching tasks could help him as he can't hear. They HAVE to do this task. Brenchal is also stuck on the drink task.

4. Carline and Jennifer
5. Jessica and John

Rachel, of all people, pep-talked Luke/Margie and Brendan. It really helped Luke. He did it!

6. Flight Time and Big Easy
7. Luke and Margie
8. Brendan and Rachel -- but it's a non-Philimination leg!

I predicted that early on in comments, mind you. They will encounter a speed bump in the next leg.

Heck, Brenchal has improved and they're just about bearable this season.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 16, 2014

Good morning, world! It's Sunday. You know what that means. It's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. At 8pm ET tonight, I'll be posting The Amazing Race blog party post. C'mon by and enjoy the show with us!

This has definitely been the winter of my discontent here. It just won't stop! Even though we haven't had any more snow lately, we go from a warm (relatively speaking) day in the 50s to windchills below zero, up and down every other day. Yesterday it was around 50, tonight we're expecting a coating of snow by morning. The storm is supposed to be south of us, but we're due a dusting. Sure, the sun will take away any snow now that the snowpack is gone. But I want SPRING!

On Thursday when the windchills were below zero, all of the NJ Transit Raritan Valley line trains were delayed, canceled, suspended or whatever. That was due to a gasoline-filled tanker trailer which rolled over and exploded near the Newark Penn Station. Thankfully, I had heard about it as I have the early morning news on as I get ready for work. I then watched the website and managed to catch the ONE TRAIN they let through that morning. All of the folks who had been heading to the city for work were on that train, heading their way right on back home. No one could get through.

The only good news other than I really lucked out time-wise and spent little time in the cold, no one was hurt in the truck fire. The tracks, signals and overhead electrical wires were hurt, but no people.

With no additional snow this past week and the sun melting most of our snowpack, I was finally able to go to the Target store nearby my workplace this week. No, I wasn't boycotting the store as they compromised my card and I had to get a new one issued. I was boycotting it because snowplows blocked the sidewalk at the crosswalk with a ten-foot high snow pile and no way was I going to trudge through snow up the Target "hill." My friend Donald broke his leg on that hill! Sure, I could walk all the way to the Home Depot entrance. But ... no.

Because I did get to Target, I'm having an actual corned beef and cabbage dinner today for St. Patrick's Day. I always get cabbage from Peapod as I make some other dishes with it. But I wasn't enamored with the price of their corned beef when I last ordered. Target had it on a decent sale. Yay!

I don't have a ton of photos this week. I was too cold and the weather was irking me. But, here's what I got for you --

Just waiting on a train

If my morning train is just a few minutes late, the skies go from totally black to a pre-dawn beauty. Well, at least since the clocks lost us an hour this past week. Eventually it will be lighter for my early morning commutes.

NJ Transit train in the sunset

However, due to the time change, my Saturday later working day is now just past sunset as I wait for my train home. This is last night at the Bridgewater Train Station.

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

Survivor: Cagayan - "It's Our Time to Shine" blog party - March 12

Who says reality television isn't educational? I'm certainly learning not only the existence of, but how to spell, several bizarre islands. Tonight's show has one of the blindfold challenges in it. Ah, it's always such fun to watch them crash and tangle! Yeah, I know it's cruel to take delight in the suffering of others. But they're the ones who went on the show, not me!

Lifeguard Laurie, keeper of the blog pool, could use our kind thoughts and prayers on a loss this past week. Nonetheless, here are the latest pool standings:

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

Brains
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, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. However, as always, the real party is in the comments area. Come join us!

The blindfolded challenge is reward. First tribe to finish wins live chickens, second wins a dozen eggs, third place is nothing. Beauty wins first place! Brawn gets second place! Beauty had been leading, but J'Tia blew it by panicking.

Jeremiah found the clue to the idol in with the chicken feed. He read it aloud. Gah, Good think LJ already has the idol.

Woo and others think Cliff should go away. They're talking about throwing the immunity challenge to get rid of him. Woo might need to be convinced to go that far. Woo actually likes Cliff, but they see a threat when the tribes merge.

Immunity has them diving releasing buoys. Must retrieve and toss five buoys into a basket. Oh my, J'Tia screws it up again. I'm not surprised at all.

Beauty tribe wins! Spencer is really doing all the work for the Brains. It's between Cliff, NBA player, and Spencer shooting baskets. Spencer has to keep waiting for the balls to be returned. Brawn wins second place and Immunity, Brains will go to Tribal Council. Of course, that's after Brawn (except for Cliff and Woo) tried to throw the challenge. They (Brains) really do suck. If they vote out Spencer, we'll know their real tribe title is LACK OF Brains.

Tribal Council -- the tally --
J'Tia, Spencer, J'Tia, J'Tia.

Too few brains too late, probably.

Ah, the look at next week shows it's the merge. I'm surprised any of the brains have made it that far after such stupidity and ineptness!

The Amazing Race: All-Stars 'Welcome to the Jungle' blog party

Oh my. The show is beginning on time here in the NYC viewing area. Now, this is TRULY amazing, right?

Here are the latest blog pool standings from that Magnificent Margo:

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

Philiminated --
Mark & Mallory - SueGee, jonMD1627, Margo

As the show airs here, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. Refresh the page to get the latest news! As always, the real party is in the comments area. Come join us in the fun!

And, Laurie ... I'm thinking of you and your family this evening.

The teams are off to Malaysian Borneo on two separate flights, a few hours apart. Brendan and Rachel are the first on the second flight. Aw, so sad. Heh. Joey/Meghan and Jessica/John are with them on the last flight.

Roadblock -- teams join the roaming gnome in "Who will fall for this one?" -- rappelling down a waterfall to retrieve a clue. Dave/Connor in the lead.

River Delivery or Run through the Jungle are the Detour choices. Both entail going down the river. One has them delivering items via the river. The other has them going through the woods with a "native" and blowdarting a fake bird, then bringing that down river.

Gah! David and Connor missed a clue -- Leo and Jamal take over the lead.The Cowboys almost made the same mistake, but the Afghanimals have turned a new leaf and helped them. They don't want to be double u-turned this season!

The Cowboys didn't return the favor, passing right by as the cousins floundered in the water with their raft coming apart.

Dave and Connor ended up carrying the food on foot. Meghan and Joey (the later flight is finally there) may have made a horrible mistake by not telling their taxi to wait.

Wow. Dave and Connor are back in the lead! They rock!

Pit Stop -
1. Dave and Connor -- won a trip to Budapest, Hungary
2. Cowboys
3. Afghanimals

Meghan and Joey walked for a long time trying to get a taxi. Finally, success. With the river task being unpredictable, they may have a chance to stay in this. Or not.

4. Margie and Luke

Uh-oh. Brenchal, smug in their raft-making skills, are in the rapids with their raft coming apart.

5. Flight Time and Big Easy
6. Caroline and Jennifer
7. Jessica and John
8. Brendan and Rachel

Meanwhile, Joey and Meghan's raft has fallen apart.

9. Joey and Meghan -- Philiminated

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 9, 2014

Good morning! It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. For you television fans, my The Amazing Race blog party post will be up at 8pm EDT tonight even if the show is delayed. Come by and join the party as we watch the show!

Well, another week of winter has come and gone. Thankfully we didn't have additional snow every few days like we have had for most of the winter. While it was quite cold with the exception of yesterday around here, the sun has been able to do its thing and get some of our snowpack down. What snow we do have still on the ground is very dirty. It needs to go away. This has been the winter of MY discontent for sure. Grr.

Huh. Daylight Savings Time is upon us. This is coming way too early these days! It means that I'll be heading to the early train in the dark of night once again when I just got used to daylight at that hour. I personally don't care that it's lighter later into the evening. I remember when I was a young child it really irked me that the daylight lasted beyond my bedtime. Then again, it doesn't seem that today's parents on the whole have assigned bedtimes for children. Sigh.

At least, unlike years ago, most of the clocks I depend upon change themselves. Only my battery clocks need to be manually adjusted. Cell phone, appliances, computer ... just like magic, they do it themselves. Now if my body and mind can get adjusted. I truly enjoy the "fall back" part of "spring forward, fall back." That goes without saying.

But I said it anyway.

They've thrived despite the cold

But, I bet they'll be thrilled when they can once again eat yummy worms! I still can't believe they came back to the area in mid-January of one of the harshest winters on record here. Bridgewater, NJ

Plainfield Train Station

I wish they'd take better care of the lamps so that burnt-out bulbs wouldn't throw off my photos! I edited this shot to leave only the golden glow of the lamps in color, as well as the station track sign.

Aw, I don't love you, winter!

On Monday, we were originally supposed to have another big snowstorm. They called that one wrong (thankfully) although bitter cold lasted most of the week. When I left my apartment, this heart in the dusting of snow greeted me. I deliberately walked on it to make my position clear! Get out of my life, Winter!

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