Big Brother 14: Season Premiere Blog Party!

Come one, come all! It's the season premiere of Big Brother 14 and the biggest (and most fun) blog party is right here! While I won't be posting blow-by-blow happenings, I will update this entry with major events. However, the real fun is to be had in the comments area. Come join the fun! The pool is ready and the drinks are on the (BB) house!

The live feeds themselves won't be starting until 1am here on the East Coast. I plan to be gathering some fodder and getting a post up after a few hours.

Oh my, rumors were true. "One will leave before the night is through."

The returning rodents will be "coaching" the hapless hamsters.

Invitations, but no keys?

Ian, the cute little nerd dude, is already onto Willie Hantz as he's also a Survivor fan.

Returning: Dan, Janelle, Britney and Mike Boogie (rumors were true). Each coach picks three hamsters to coach. If a coach has the winning hamster, he or she wins 100 grand. Dan outed Willie Hantz as Russell's brother, but Willie is denying it.

They received invitations instead of keys because there are only 11 keys. (Their budget must be really bad ... couldn't make another key!) The comp will determine who leaves.

Britney picks Shane, Willie, JoJo

Boogie picked Frank, Ian, Jenn

Janelle took Wil, Ashley, Joe

Dan chose Kara, Danielle, Jodi

HoH comp, playing in teams. Winning team coach picks HoH. Losing team coach must pick the person to leave. They have to get bears on a shelf -- it's slumber party related. They have cross three moving beds.

Britney's team won. The comp is still on for the worst team. Coaches can make substitutions now.

Janelle's team is second, Boogie's is third.

Britney chose Willie as HOH. Dan has to send someone home. Jodi is indeed gone. Gee, now the cast is all white. Oh. And Dan still shouts in the Diary Room. Gah. 

Big Brother 14: Blog Pool Picks and Schtuff!

First off, I'd like to extend a big thank you to ORKMommy for running this season's blog pool. She rocks and so do all of you with your excitement over the upcoming season! I think we're in for a lot of fun!

Here are the random picks -- you can cheer on your pick until they get the boot. Of course, if they never get the boot, you get bragging rights until next season!
 

Ashley Iocco - JonMD1267, Cha Cha, Monty924, Auntie Leigh

Danielle Murphre - Laurie, Ayana, Petals, Terry in TX

Frank Eudy - Micaela, Donna, ORKMommy, Serina Cox

Ian Terry - Rbennie, Brenda, QuixoticElf, MEB

Jenn Arroyo - AmyTL, Jessica, Michi, Marlo Lee

Jodi Rollins - Joey, Gaylos, Witt, Nana in NW

Joe Arvin - bbbw_princess, Janice/GA, Karen from CA, Glenn

JoJo Spatafora - Brent McKee, Donna in FL, Alicia, Jennasmom

Kara Monaco - Lynn1, Nina, Sasha, PDXGranny

Shane Meaney - Buzzmaam, Jackie, SueGee, Sydney

Wil Heuser - Delee, Dierdre, Merrilee, Becky

Willie Hantz - M&M, Chris, Sister Sue, Tammy

Cool. I ended up with Shane Meaney. I personally don't know how great he'll do since he was never a fan of the show, but is a recruit. If memory serves, he was the sexiest man in Vermont in Cosmopolitan magazine. So, he's eye candy for me. Plus, he's from Bennington, VT. I'm quite familiar with Bennington as it's nearby (and a part of) family stomping grounds.

Onto SCHTUFF --

• At 9 PM EDT tonight, I'll put up a blog party post. Everyone is invited to party and comment as we watch the show together!
• The live feeds don't go live until after the West Coast premiere -- at 1am EDT. I will gather some fodder for a post a few hours after they start.
• The hamsters have already been in the house since this past Saturday, so the feeds tend to be a bit confusing at first as we don't know what's already gone down. Bear with me.
• My plan for posting this season is three live feeds updates per day -- early morning, early evening and late evening based on my own East Coast times. Of course, there may be extra posts when things warrant.
• I will be including screen caps from the live feeds, but they've really come down on any videos posted. I don't want to lose the blog by posting videos even though I do have the technology to do it. Anyone you see post extended videos of the feeds or posting the feeds themselves are exposing themselves to fines and shutdowns of their accounts. The videos of mine on YouTube date back before the crackdown.
• I do ask that folks remain fairly civil and PG-rated here. I know it's prudish, but ...! 
• Not everyone is going to like or dislike the same hamsters. Speak your mind about the hamster, but treat other members of the blog with respect, please! I reserve the right to remove any comments which disrupt the community.
• Just a personal request -- even when posting about the hamsters, it tends to creep me out when folks make personal appearance insults. Sure, this cast is "pretty," but I'd prefer you post about their ACTIONS, not insults about noses, waistlines, etc. Your choice, of course. But I just wanted to get that out there.

Hamster watchers ready?

Blog Pool is ON! Get your names in here!

We have a volunteer to run the pool -- the same person who started it so long ago! Woohoo! Thank you, Theresa! We also might have something going on with a pool for the "mentor" twist. Stay tuned!

To get into the pool, your name MUST be submitted by noon EDT on Thursday! Be there or be square! Or something like that ...

Volunteer Needed for Pool!

Folks ... if someone wants to run the blog pool for Big Brother 14, I'd really appreciate it! It would entail a random pick of blog readers and hamsters, as well as an update regarding who's out with each eviction.

Any takers?

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - July 8, 2012

What? It's Sunday? I guess it must be time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

But, first ... (as says the ChenBot), I do have to touch on all of the Big Brother 14 news just a bit. If you haven't noticed, I've started posting about the cast. I plan on posting more a bit later today about our new hamsters. They actually entered the house last night, but the live feeds don't start until after the premiere airs. I posted cast interviews over on my Big Brother Facebook Page for this blog. Please feel free to like the page -- I link all my BB blog articles there, as well as some additional content.

On more personal non-television matters, I received word from the new landlord that Vincent can indeed stay despite the new "no pets" lease. YAY! I really didn't want to move. But if they said he had to go, we would find another place to live. I did make it clear to them that I would be moving if they didn't allow him. I know this area isn't the easiest to find good tenants and, apparently, so do they.

As for my knees mishap last week, they seem to be okay. I couldn't make an appointment due to the holiday week, but really need to call back this week. The left (older) knee swelled up for about three days and is still sporting all kinds of beautiful colors. The right (new) knee has a scrape and a small bruise in addition to some residual pain around the kneecap. Both seem to be stable enough. I'm not going to have them redone no matter what! At least not for the next twenty or thirty years, I hope.

My latest staycation started yesterday. Supposedly the latest heat wave should end tonight and I might be able to enjoy roaming about with the camera or take a run into the city. I'd go to the beach but too many people go there this time of year!

Onto the photos I've taken this week -- I had some extra photo fodder because the Plainfield 4th of July Parade was held yesterday, on the 7th. Don't ask. I watched the parade because it goes right by my apartment building. But I didn't partake in any of the other events of the day because it was just too darn HOT. Clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger, then close that window to return here. 

Horse in the 'hood!

I edited this to leave only the horse and rider in color. Obviously, this is from the parade. We rarely have horses just roaming around here in the 'hood.

Early morning Presbyterian

I like the way the early morning sun played out on the local Presbyterian Church. East Front Street, Plainfield

I see the bee's knees!

The bees are still busy in Bridgewater!

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