The Amazing Race All-Stars: 'Bull Down' Blog Party - May 4

We're two weeks away from the season finale with some pretty strong teams still in the running. At this point, I think any team except perhaps Jennifer and Caroline have a strong chance to win it all. Heck, if other teams keep helping them, I guess even they could win!

The show is starting on time here tonight in the NYC viewing area. As it airs, I'll update this post with the major happenings. Refresh the page to get the latest! As always, the party is in the comments area. Come watch the show with us and discuss it while it airs!

Since last week was a non-Philimination leg, the pool remains the same --

Jen & Caroline - Lynn1, Buzzmaam, DLA
Dave & Connor - Becky, Auntie Leigh, Rochelle
Brendon & Rachel (Brenchal) - Terry in TX, Brian
Cord & Jet (Cowboys) - ML, Nana in NW, Delee
Leo & Jamal (Afghanimals) - Jackie, Jennamom, Merrilee

Philiminated --
Mark & Mallory - SueGee, jonMD1627, Margo
Joey & Meghan - Brenda, Zoetawny, Dusty
Margie & Luke - Donna in AL, Monty924, PDXGranny
Jessica & John - Sharon S, David, Rbennie
Flight Time & Big Easy - Laurie, Donna in FL, nicklepeed

Teams ready?

The teams are off to Spain with a U-Turn ahead. Despite two different flights, it looks like an 8:30am bunching point. Most plan to U-Turn Brendon and Rachel if they can. Ah, there IS a lag for the second plane which had the girls, cowboys and Brenchal on it.

Roadblock -- Teams have to become Barbers of Seville, shaving a balloon within 60 seconds without bursting it. Connor got the deed done, keeping them in first place (for at least now) with the Afghanimals a little bit behind. The Cowboys are at the end of the second pack of teams. Wait! Brendon and Rachel are now trailing!

Detour has them either mastering the Flamenco (dance) or Run With the Bulls (running in balloon shaped bull bubbles). The latter looks like a hoot although they have to quote something from clues along the way while other bulls attack them.

Brendan and Rachel have pulled out ahead of the girls and the cowboys. Gulp, now the cowboys are last once again.

Caroline and Jennifer have to deliver six hams as their Speed Bump.

Oh noes! Leo can't feel his kneecap after a particularly rough hit from another bull! They're my blog pool team. Gah!

Dave and Connor get through first. They can't use the U-Turn. Meanwhile, the Afghanimals carry on despite Leo's injury. Rachel whines that she's a girl, not a boy and the bulls should be gentler with her. The Cowboys missed the first clue in the bull run. The girls are the only ones doing the Flamenco.

The Afghanimals decide to U-Turn the cowboys because they're the strongest team. They hope the Cowboys U-Turn Brendon and Rachel. Alas, the Cowboys are BEHIND Brenchel ... Brendon and Rachel should hit the U-Turn clue next unless the girls finish dancing quickly.

Brendon and Rachel don't use the U-Turn. Rachel expressed surprise that the cousins did the smart thing, not the popular thing.

Pit Stop --
1. Dave and Connor - won a trip to St. Croix.
2. Brendon and Rachel
3. Leo and Jamal

The girls U-Turned Brenchel not knowing they had already been through.

4. Caroline and Jennifer
5. Jet and Cord - Philiminated

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 4, 2014

Good morning! Since it is indeed Sunday morning, it's time for my weekly off television topic look back on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. Later on tonight, I'll be posting The Amazing Race blog party. If you watch the show, come by and watch with us!

I'm SO photo-heavy this week that I'm going to abbreviate my chatter. Here's a quick lowdown:

• It's finally looking like spring here. YAY!
• Then we had almost two days of steady to heavy rain -- almost six inches. That resulted in floods in the usual spots. I took this video Thursday afternoon going through the Bound Brook/Middlesex area. Ironically, it's the flooded flood protection project.

• Thankfully, the worst of the rain was on my day off and I didn't have to go out in it.
• I managed to tip over my rolling office chair at work and fall. I'm a bit sore, but okay. I can't say the same for my office wall. Oops. It now has a big hole in it. Oops.
• May the Fourth be with you!

Onto the photos! Clicking on an image will open it in a new window. There's a magnifying glass on the bottom right of the image. You can make it larger twice. Then stop, because that's all you can do! Just close that new window to return to the blog.

Church Street, Plainfield

I know I had a similar shot last week. But I so love the look of Church Street in the spring just after sunrise! I took this photo Monday morning. Most of the blossoms are gone now. Wah.

Scotch Plains

Last Sunday I went to nearby Scotch Plains, a town or so over -- Fanwood makes that a bit confusing! They too had white blossoms lining their streets.

What's going on here?

Looky, looky! It's a baby squirrel there! For the whole story, read on!

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

Survivor: Cagayan - 'Chaos is My Friend' Blog Party - April 30

Well, Tony has that special hidden idol with the power to be used AFTER the votes are revealed. It's quite possible, with the way he's been playing the game, that he just might be forced to use it tonight. I guess we'll see!

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! But, as you all know by now, the real party is in the comments area. Come watch the show with us!

The latest blog pool standings from the esteemed Lifeguard Laurie:

Pool People
Jefra Bland - David, Sharon S.
Jeremiah Wood - LostChyld
Kass McQuillen -Delee, MikesGirl
Spencer Bledsoe - Becky and Monty924
Tasha Fox - DKNYNC, Rochelle
Tony Viachos - Lynn1, Zoetawny
Trisha Hegarty - Jackie
Woo Hwang - Laurie, SueGee

Jury People 
Sarah Lacina
Morgan McLeod
LJ McKanas

Survivor fans ready?

Tonight is the traditional food auction. Tasha, Tony and Spencer are all waiting out the food for the advantage which should be offered. If they bid the entire $500 on the advantage, they will need to draw rocks. Spencer and Tony draw rocks. Tony draws black and wins the advantage.

Tony's advantage isn't for the Immunity Challenge -- it's a clue to another idol.

Tony has the hidden idol. He showed it to all in his alliance, hoping any blindsiding thoughts would end.

Immunity Challenge time! Digging up five bags in sand, retrieve five balls from them, table maze. Ho-hum. 

Tasha wins Immunity AGAIN! 

Tony thinks the girls are in an alliance and the guys need to target Jefra. Woo, Spencer and Tasha are on board with the plan. When Spencer goes off to look for the special power idol, Tony starts having second thoughts.

Tony pulls out his idol and wears it on a necklace -- the normal idol, not the secret power one. 

The tally --
Spencer, Jefra, Spencer, Jefra, Spencer, Jefra, Jefra. 

Spencer lives to face another day and Tony's latest plan (Spencer's plan) worked.

The Amazing Race All-Stars: 'Accidental Alliance' Blog Party - April 28

Oh my ... it looks like three teams are going to team up against Brenchal. Too bad, so sad. Although they have been running a good race for the most part and are definitely more bearable in their latest 15 minutes of CBS reality show fame, I wouldn't be heartbroken if they were knocked off the racetrack!

As the show airs  ... and it's actually airing ON TIME here this week ... I'll update this entry with the major happenings. Refresh the page to get the latest! As always, the party is in the comments area. Come watch the show with us!

Here are the latest blog pool standings going into tonight's episode:
Jen & Caroline - Lynn1, Buzzmaam, DLA
Dave & Connor - Becky, Auntie Leigh, Rochelle
Brendon & Rachel (Brenchal) - Terry in TX, Brian
Cord & Jet (Cowboys) - ML, Nana in NW, Delee
Leo & Jamal (Afghanimals) - Jackie, Jennamom, Merrilee

Philiminated --
Mark & Mallory - SueGee, jonMD1627, Margo
Joey & Meghan - Brenda, Zoetawny, Dusty
Margie & Luke - Donna in AL, Monty924, PDXGranny
Jessica & John - Sharon S, David, Rbennie
Flight Time & Big Easy - Laurie, Donna in FL, nicklepeed

Teams are on their way to Switzerland. Uh-oh. All the teams are on one train except for Jet and Cord. They got lost and are on the next one.

Rachel quote: "Who needs friends?"

There's a bunching point at the William Tell clue and the cowboys show up. Now they're driving to Luzern. Heh. Brenchal got lost.

Teams have to rehab hotel rooms wrecked by rock stars. Um. Okay. Brenchal is still lost. All the other teams are at the hotel. Brenchal is now there. The cowboys finish first, then the Afghanimals. Now the girls and Dave/Connor are also on their way. Brenchal remains last.

Teams have to guess what a huge doohickey was used for (to drill a tunnel). Then they must figure out the year of their product placement Ford Mustang.

Cowboys still in the lead. Followed by Dave/Connor.

Roadblock has them delivering milk via dog sled and gondola.

Apparently there is no Detour tonight. It's the cowboys in the lead closely followed by Dave/Connor. Gah. Brenchal is now in third place. Oh my gosh, Dave and Connor have taken over the lead! The Afghanimals, Dave/Connor and Cowboys are now all bunched up in a gondola heading to the pit stop. I think the girls are still stuck at the Roadblock.

Pit Stop:
1. DAVE AND CONNOR! They won a 2015 Mustang/
2. Jet and Cord
3. Leo and Jamal
4. Brenchal

The girls are still at the Roadblock.

It's a non-Philimination leg. Jennifer and Caroline are still in it!

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - April 27, 2014

Good morning! It's Sunday. You know what that means. Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Later on tonight, I'll be posting The Amazing Race blog party. If you watch the show, come watch with us!

This past week? Let's see ...

It was definitely one of the better ones as of late. The severe cold or whatever it was I had finally stopped. I only had a four-day work week as I had requested a vacation day for Saturday due to expected train issues. And, on Friday morning, a local taxi driver saw me walking and gave me a free ride to the train station as he was heading to his office and I'm a "nice lady." He was one of the regular drivers I used over the winter when the sidewalks were so dangerous. That made my day!

I'm sure many of you will be upset to hear I have no snake photos again this week. Apparently the location at the Bridgewater Train Station might have been some kind of birthing den and they've moved on. It wasn't a good place for the garter snakes anyway -- too close to people. It was good for me as I got to take photos of them. But they need to be away from people.

Our weather here still isn't really "normal." Some of the flowering trees, such as the magnolias, have suffered from the overnight freezes. The gingko trees are just starting to develop leaves. I looked at photos I took in previous years and, every year, things were in full bloom by now with all the leaves on the trees.

Onto the photos for the week -- clicking on an image will lead you to a Photobucket page of the shot, clicking on the magnifying glass at the bottom right of the photo will make it larger. You can make it larger twice. To return to the blog, just close out the Photobucket window.

Welcome

Welcome to the middle of town, that is. This new electronic sign has been erected on the grounds of Plainfield's Municipal Court and Police Department. I think they were testing it as I watched. It rotated between this welcome and advertisements for the sign company. Then it went into the temperature in blue, jumping randomly from 69 to 73 degrees. Then my bus came. Corner of Watchung Avenue and Court Place.

Even more welcoming

Church Street (Plainfield) in the sunrise hour of a spring morning.

Also quite welcoming

Tulips in a planter on a porch on Berckman Street in Plainfield. I showed the other planter last week.

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