Survivor: San Juan Del Sur - Season Premiere Blog Party

Survivor fans ready? We're heading into another season of Blood vs. Water! Albeit with a few familiar faces, (baseball's John Rocker, the "twinnies" from The Amazing Race), at least it's not former players. I like to see different faces on competition reality shows, perhaps with an "all-star" type season now and then. But I'm not too keen on previous players playing new players. I would rather not see the twinnies from TAR, but working apart they just might be bearable.

Just a few notes before we get on with the blog pool and the show:

• Remember! The 90-minute season finale of Big Brother 16 directly follows this 90-minute season premiere of Survivor! Claim your comfy spot early and settle in with snacks and tasty beverages! You're in for the long haul tonight!
• I'm setting things up so that the blog party post for the BB16 finale will show a few minutes before Survivor ends. So, when the party here wraps up, refresh your page so the new BB16 blog party post shows and join in there!
• Although entries for the blog pool for Survivor are closed (see list below), you still have time to enter the blog pool for The Amazing Race! If you want to enter that pool, please go to this TAR blog pool entry post and leave a comment there by Friday, noon ET. Only enter on that post as you might be (probably will be) overlooked if you put your entry request in on any other post. Merci!

As the show airs here, I'll update this post with the major happenings. You'll need to refresh the page for the latest news. As always, the real party is in the comments area. Come join in on the fun!

Lifeguard Laurie has revealed the random picks for the blog pool -- who's your hamster er, castaway? Laurie adds: "First people out of the pool will be randomly added to teams with only 2 people. Just think nobody should go home the first night. They barely get their feet wet!" You know, she rocks! 

Pool People
Alec = Karen in Case, Merrilee,
Baylor = Glenn, maquinn78, Sharon S
Dale = Brian, Margo,
Drew = Delee, Petals, SueGee
Jaclyn = CYW Coleman, rbennie,
Jeremy = Becky, Nana in the NW,
John R = Cheryl NC, MikesGirl, Terry in TX
Jon M = Donna in Alabama, Laurie,
Josh = crob61, Rochelle,
Julie = Donna NY, meb,
Keith = Donna in FL, PDX Granny,
Kelley = Babs Dud, ML, Russ
Missy = Ed in Ohio, Monty924, Sharon N
Nadiya = Jackie, Lynn1
Natalie = Jennasmom, Kelsey NY,
Reed = David, Kathy,
Val = Brenda, Nickelpeed,
Wes = Buzzmaam, ORKMommy, sanra

Oh, wow! I get one of the twinnies! I'm so darn lucky in these random picks!

On with the show we will go ...  

Silly castaways, they think they'll be working with their loved ones. So silly! They're being given flints as the duos to learn how to make fire. 

Monkeys! I see monkeys! Luck be a monkey tonight. Okay. Now I'm being silly. 

It will take me some time to tell who's whom on the show. Right now we're getting an intro into each "team." Who, of course, aren't teams and will be split up to compete against each other.

Now, they're split into two tribes. John Rocker feels he should take care of his woman. Keith tells us he recognizes John and that he's an "ass" -- was one in baseball and seems to be one now. 

First Reward Challenge -- one person races to retrieve rings from ropes and get two platforms. Jeremy goes for his tribe; competes against his wife Val (first twist of the game according to Jeff). They're playing for flint and a bag of beans -- loser will be sent to Exile Island. Oh my.  The one exiled will be back for the Immunity Challenge.

Jeremy wins reward for his tribe and sends his wife Val to Exile Island.  Jeremy has to pick one person to go with Val to Exile Island. He chooses Keith, part of the father/son team (father) because he thinks he's a woodsy type who will protect his wife. Keith is on Jeremy's tribe -- he had to pick someone from his own tribe to go.

Jeremy feels very bad about sending his wife to Exile, but wastes no time running around trying to get together an alliance.

On the other tribe, Dale is already being typecast as the "old guy." He finds a decal doohickey on the water source cover, pockets it thinking it's not the hidden idol but might save him at one point. He breaks his glasses in half to double their power and create fire.

On Exile, Val got a clue for the hidden idol at her camp while Keith got a blank note. 

John Rocker is trying to deny who he is, but it's not working with Wes. Now he wants to target Wes at the first tribal they go to. 

Immunity Challenge time. Val and Keith return from Exile Island. Race to top of tower, under obstacle, get three bags, climb three walls -- one with ropes, one with pegs, one just each other helping. Then three build a puzzle. (The making of this challenge is on the CBS website -- it's supposed to be the toughest ever. The puzzle pieces to make the Mayan puzzle weigh 50 pounds each.)

The tribe with Jeremy on it wins. Natalie, the twinnie, is also on that tribe.  

Coyopa (sp.?) is the tribe that lost. I have to get these tribe spellings down right. Ah, Hunahpu seems to be the winning tribe's name. Eep. Why can't they just be Smith and Jones?

Ohh ... Val's clue led her to the water source. That indeed could have been the idol Dale found!

Dale tells the others that Nadiya should go because she was a backstabber on TAR.  Val tries to put together an all girl alliance which includes Nadiya. They want to include Josh, the gay guy. @@ Oh noes! They want to target DALE. I like Dale! I'd rather they target Nadiya, please.

Tribal Council time. Time for Jeff's "Probsting" questions.

Time to tally the votes: Nadiya, Dale, Baylor, Dale, Nadiya, Dale, Nadiya, Nadiya, Nadiya!

Yay! I'm free from my random blog pool pick gal! (I really don't care for the "twinnies.")

Coyopa also got flint after the tribal council. 

The Big Brother 16 season finale blog party post is up and running if you wish to head there. 

Big Brother 16: Last Live Feeds Update of the Season - September 24

The Memory Wall

Welp, this is it! My last live feeds report on the BB16 happenings inside the house. Granted, there has been little to report on the last few days. But, here goes Hamsters in the Hole:

• BB has been kind enough to bring in food for their lunches the last several days.
• Victoria has given up begging Derrick for the final two.
• They lamented the loss of the pool table and yard when lockdown came yesterday.
• Every time they're somewhere, it's like, "I/we am/are the last one(s) here to be in this room, play pool, be in the yard, etc."
• Lots of reminiscing.
• It's Derrick and Cody vying for the final HoH comp win tonight. 
• It doesn't matter which one wins.
• Derrick will take Cody to the final two. Cody will take Derrick to the final two. Victoria will just go out the door.
• There was an interesting talk between Derrick and Victoria in the wee hours of the morning today.
• He all but came out and told her that he will go with Cody to the final two.
• He said that he brought her along this far to show that she deserves to be there and to give her the chance to win comps and go on on her own.
• He just thinks, due to things said by others, that he'd have no chance to win against her in the final two.
• He has to think of why he's there -- to better his family's finances for the future.
• And, he can't do that if he makes the wrong decision now.
• He told her he thinks he has a much better chance to win against Cody in the final two.
• She, in his mist, agrees and says she'll totally support him. She said she just didn't want to hear that he liked and worked with Cody more than he liked and worked with her.
• He's no dummy. He ain't gonna say that! He said the perfect thing to her, as he has said to so many so many times this season.
• Hopefully, he can mist the jury, too.
• They had a final bit for BBAD last night and for the live feeders this morning.
• Bring on the finale!

Now he snuggles with Victoria

Yesterday's lunch

Saying goodbye to the live feeders

Derrick telling Victoria his reasoning

The Amazing Race 25: Blog Pool OPENS and Meet the Cast Video

Wow. This is the 25th season of The Amazing Race! Of course, since there are two seasons per year, we're not THAT OLD. We have a new night for the show this year -- one which should rid us of that pesky sports lead-up and delay problems. About time ...! The show starts this Friday night (September 26) at 8pm ET/PT.

The Magnificent Margo and Mom will be once again running the blog pool for TAR. If you wish in on the pool, please sign up on this post (and this post only) by noon ET on Friday. If you sign up on any other post, it might be missed. In the pool, you'll randomly be assigned a team to cheer on until they are Philiminated or win it all. Come join in on the fun! The prize? Why, bragging rights, of course.

I think it's time we meet the cast --

Ready? GO!

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds into Tuesday - September 23

Derrick packs for the first time on the show

What? There are still hamsters in the house? Here's what's been going down in that Big Brother House of Prolonged Misery:

• Lots of pool playing. I mean LOTS of it.
• At least that's a bit better than watching them play chess.
• Of course, the pool players are Derrick and Cody. Victoria has rarely played all summer.
• She's barely played the game of Big Brother, either.
• Cody is the only one exercising. He runs, lift weights, does sit-ups and crunches. He needs to regain his manly figure.
• Derrick has alternately been teasing Victoria about "knowing the real me" and "you don't know the real me."
• Derrick got his suitcase for the first time all summer. He found a pack of cigarettes he had bought to use to schmooze with if there had been smokers in the house.
• He scared Victoria by telling her he was a smoker.
• He's not.
• They're all excited about seeing their families.
• Victoria told the guys that she can't talk to them after Sundown on Tuesday because of Rosh Hashana. 
• They're probably relieved.
• Cody wants BB to give them the comic page art from that comp. I don't blame him. I'd want mine if I were in there!
• BB gave them a small amount of booze. Cody was thrilled.
• Cody wants to become friends with fellow Jersey BBer, Enzo.
• The Meow Meow and Model Boy. Hmm.
• Derrick and Cody were glad there were no racist incidents in the house this season like last year's debacle.
• I said debacle.
• They didn't.
• They'd probably think I'm a college professor at Harvard if they heard me using the word.
• Victoria has calmed down a lot.
• Derrick has told her plenty of times that, by getting her as far along as he could, it had been up to her to win comps to further herself.
• That's about it.

Prone to loud outbursts of joy

Is sure Derrick will win it all

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds into Monday - September 22

They gave us comp goggles!

Yep, the three hamsters are still in the house! Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of About Five Days Too Long:

• They haven't killed each other yet.
• Cody and Derrick have verified and reverified that they will take each other to the final two when one of them wins the final part of the final HoH.
• Victoria, having lost the first two parts, is totally out of it unless one takes her with him.
• That just ain't gonna happen.
• BB has told them they cannot tell her that they (Derrick) won't take her to the final two.
• She's calmed down a bit at bugging him about it.
• However, sometimes she bursts into begging.
• I still think her jury vote will go to Derrick for the win anyway.
• Nonetheless, she keeps hoping for a miracle.
• (Ain't gonna happen.)
• Yesterday, BB ordered lunch for them from Panera.
• Lots of pool playing.
• Some playing in the pool.
• Much sitting around wondering about the jury.
• At one point they discussed Survivor. Cody didn't like the winner Tony because he lied about being a cop.
• Heh.

Dreaming of getting out of the house

Baking for the boyz