The Amazing Race Eliminates Ron & Christina in India

Last week it was the Mother/Son team of Margie & Luke that was eliminated from The Amazing Race. This week it was the Father/Daughter team of Ron & Christina that was eliminated.

Teams had to fly from Calcutta to Varanasi. An Indian city I'd never heard of before.

All the teams, but the Cowboys got on a Kingfisher flight arriving at 10:45am, the next day. The Cowboys booked a Jet Airways flight that got them in Varanasi an hour later.

Of course, the Cowboys are machines when they get on task. And they were tasked with gaining lost time. And they did.

In Varanasi teams had to find something called a Tonga Stand. I had no clue how they were supposed to find this. But, find it they did. Kent & Vyxsin found the Tonga Stand clue first.

Roadblock.

The streets of Varnasi had to be searched for 6 specific sadhus. A sadhus is, I think, a Hindu holy man. Each found sadhus handed the racer a part of phrase that had something to do with the meaning of life, and then find the 7th sadhus and read the phrase to him.

Ron had a particularly hard time finding the sadhus. Zev had a particularly hard time waiting for Justin to find the sadhus, because the loud noises were activating Zev's Asperger Syndrome.

Kent had found the 7th sadhus first. Then he teamed with Gary to find the other 6, telling Gary he knew where the 7th was. But, after following Gary to find the 6, Kent bolted and left Gary to find the 7th on his own. That Goth creep, Kent, bugs me bad.

Cowboy Cord arrived and went into high speed mode, quickly finding the sadhus and taking him and Jet out of last place.

Next it was on to a detour. Feed the Fire or Feed the Buffalo. Kent & Vyxsin, Gary & Mallory and Kisha & Jen fed the fire, while the Globetrotters, Jet & Cord, Zev & Justin, the Globetrotters and Ron & Christina fed the buffalo.

The fire feeding detour was amusing. Making mudpies out of cow dung, then sticking 50 of them on a wall, then setting some on fire to boil some milk. Jen & Kisha amused the locals with their sickened reaction to the malodorous manure.

Completing the detour got the clue to the Pitstop at Ramnagar Fort.

Kent & Vyxsin made the mistake of trying to get to the fort in a slow boat. When Vyxsin realized this was a mistake she panicked and jumped in the Ganges River to tow the boat back to shore.

In the end the Globetrotters went from last to first to the Pitsop, followed by Zev & Justin, Kisha & Jen, Gary & Mallory, Jet & Cord, Kent & Vyxsin, with Ron & Christina getting to the fort in last place, which got them eliminated.

Next week it appears the teams are leaving India and heading some place cold. It looks like it may be Russia.

The Amazing Race: Nat & Kat Win, Brook & Claire 2nd

Well, for the first time in 17 seasons of The Amazing Race a female team won. And another female team came in second.

Which left Jill & Thomas in 3rd.

It was straight from Seoul to the Final Destination City. Los Angeles. Arriving in LA Nat & Kat made it to the Long Beach Port location first.

The task involved a bungee jump. Nat, with her well documented fear of heights, was not too happy, but she managed it.

Next it was a helicopter ride to a surprise location. The Rose Bowl. Where teams found a Roadblock. Nat & Kat got to the Rose Bowl first. Nat chose to be the one to decorate a Rose Bowl Parade float.

Thomas chose to do the Roadblock, which he quickly regretted. But he managed it well. Then Brook & Claire's helicopter touched down.

Completing the Roadblock the next clue was a 3 part puzzle clue which directed teams to Studio 7 at Quixote Studios. Which I've never heard of. It was very confusing.

The confusion was worst for Jill & Thomas. They could get no help from their cabbie, who would not let them use his phone. Or find an Internet connection. Thomas handled the stress quite well, and it was very stressful.

Nat & Kat made it to Studio 7 first where they had to identify the greeters at each Pit Stop before Bob Eubanks would give them their final clue. It being some mansion, the name of which I've already forgotten. I assume it was in the Beverly Hills.

Nat & Kat got the greeters and the Pit Stops all matched right and were heading to the Final Destination before Brook & Claire found the studio.

Of course the editing made it appear that Brook & Claire might have a chance. But it was no great surprise to see Nat & Kat make it to the mat for the final first place finish of this iteration of The Amazing Race.

This was actually, I think, the best ending, I can remember, to an Amazing Race.

I was a bit surprised at the details of the surprise announcement about the next Amazing Race. I'll blog about The Amazing Race Unfinished Business after I hit the publish button on this blogging.

The Amazing Race Season 17 Episode 10: Nick & Vicki Eliminated

It was not much of a shock that Nick & Vicki got eliminated from The Amazing Race on Sunday. They had a 6 hour penalty and a Speed Bump to overcome.

I'm good with any of the remaining 3 teams winning the million dollars. No real villains in the bunch. 5 girls and 1 boy remaining. Nat & Kat, Brook & Claire and Jill & Thomas.

Jill & Thomas came in first to the Seoul Pit Stop. After Brook & Claire actually got to the Pit Stop first, but earned themselves a 30 minute penalty due to not following the instructions to take a subway or walk to the next destination. They took a taxi.

Jill & Thomas did not know Brook & Claire took a taxi, which greatly perplexed them as to how the Shopping Channel Hostesses got to the ice rink so fast.

I was not too thrilled with the Detours, finding the Clues and the Roadblock this episode. Teams had to get to the DMZ to find a clue on a bridge telling them to take a raft down a river to an army jeep which would deliver them to their next clue.

Which was a Roadblock. Hunt among a big group of army guys and gals doing some Taekwondo type martial arts exercise, finding a headband to match the one in your hand. After finding the right headband it was back to Seoul to a soccer stadium, to find a Detour.

All teams took the ice skating Detour. Actually I do not remember seeing Nick & Vicki ice skating.

After going a couple dozens times around the rink the next clue was to be found by an airplane statue, directing teams to the Pit Stop.

Jill & Thomas made it to Phil before Brook & Claire's penalty was up. Nat & Kat did not make it to Phil before the penalty was up, so the doctors came in 3rd.

The previews did not give a clue, at least to my eyes, where the final destination city is.

Phil did say to keep watching, after the winner wins, to hear a major announcement  concerning the next Amazing Race. Please don't let the major announcement be another Family Edition or All-Stars.

The Amazing Race: Chad & Stephanie Are Now Married & Having A Baby

Yikes. Just a couple weeks ago we saw Chad get down on his knees, in Oman, and propose to Stephanie on The Amazing Race.

That morning started with the pair oversleeping by a couple hours in Russia. At least, we assumed they were sleeping, due to the snoring sound effects.

Chad & Stephanie had been dating only 5 months when they teamed up on The Amazing Race.

Chad is a 26 year old Fort Lauderdale operations manager, whatever that is. While Stephanie is a 23 year old hair stylist.

Chad & Stephanie were eliminated from The Amazing Race and have since gotten married and are going to have a baby, due in June.

The couple had planned to get married in March of 2011, but, after Stephanie found out she was 3 months pregnant, that plan was aborted and the marriage date was moved forward, taking place at a friend's house in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Maybe if Chad & Stephanie have a second baby they can be on the next Amazing Race: Family Edition.

The Amazing Race Season 17 Episode 9: Nick Gives Up In Hong Kong In Non-Elimination Leg

Nick & Vicki were saved. Again. By a non-elimination leg of The Amazing Race, which saw Nick return to being a foul-tempered bad boyfriend to sweet, good-natured Vicki.

All teams arrived in Hong Kong on the same flight. They had to take a bus to a ferry to an island to find a clue on a trail to a cave.

Jill & Thomas had their usual good luck and got on a bus before the other teams, with all but Nick & Vicki catching up at the ferry.

Running to the ferry Vicki had an asthma attack. Nick did not offer to lessen her burden by carrying her backpack. By the time they made it to the ferry Vicki was crying, which then had Nick insisting she stop crying.

The cave clue directed teams to the Kowloon Majesty Chinese Restaurant Buffet Roadblock. The team member doing the Roadblock had to figure out an item of food that was fake. There did not seem to be any rule that said you could not feel the food. There was a rule that anything you tasted you had to eat. I didn't quite understand why it was so hard to find the piece of fake food.

Nat, of the doctors, was the first to find a piece of fake food. Thomas was an eating machine, to little avail. Then Brook & Claire arrived, with Claire doing the Roadblock, and then being horrified to find it involved eating, because she's a picky eater. Thomas and Claire were circling the buffet, with Thomas finding a fake shrimp, sending Jill & Thomas on their way.

Then Nick & Vicki showed up, with Vicki joining Claire. Soon, Claire could eat no more and ran to the restroom to throw up, to the great amusement of Nick. Vicki eventually had to do the same thing. Which had Nick suggesting she give up and they take the penalty.

But, Vicki eventually found her fake piece of Chinese food, finally sending Nick & Vicki on their way to find the Bruce Lee Statue, where a detour put them on a Ding Ding bus or a Sampan. On the bus they had to look for signs that would tell them where the Pit Stop was. Jill & Thomas were the only team to take the Ding Ding  Detour. With Thomas going on about meticulously observing everything, they rode right by "Pit Stop," "Statue," "Square."

Eventually Jill & Thomas gave up and headed to the Sampan option. They arrived before Brook & Claire, and before Nat & Kat found their clue, which involved delivering a birdcage, with birds, to a boat with a serial number matching the one on the birdcage. Seemed simple. But it was dark and the numbers were in random locations on the boats.

When Nick & Vicki made it to the Sampan, Brook & Claire were still searching, so Nick & Vicki knew they were still in it. But, Nick quickly became frustrated and gave up, saying he'd not slept in 2 days, he laid down and slept. Eventually Vicki gave up and agreed to give up and take the 6 hour penalty.

Arriving at the Pit Stop, Phil told them they were in Last Place. Then the pause. Then the news that this was a non-elimination leg. Usually this news is met with whoops of joy. In the picture above you are looking at Nick when he heard they were not eliminated. On the Sampan he said more than once he was ready to go home.

Early on in the episode we saw Nick crying due to being ashamed of how badly he treated Vicki. This seemed to foreshadow that he was going to be bad again. But, I didn't think Nick would be as bad as he was. Not a nice guy. Vicki deserves better. And she needs to lose the piercings. And tattoos. Vicki is a cute girl. She doesn't need those embellishments.

Jill & Thomas were the first to find their boat, getting their clue "Pit Stop Statue Square." Nat & Kat found their boat shortly after Jill & Thomas and beat them to a taxi, and to the Pit Stop. Jill & Thomas came in a close second.

Nick & Vicki have the 6 hour penalty, plus a Speed Bump in the next leg, which take them to South Korea. We did not see Nick & Vicki in the previews for next week's episode of The Amazing Race.

The Amazing Race Season 17 Episode 9: Double U-Turns Send Chad & Stephanie From First to Last & Eliminated from the Race

Yet one more entertaining leg of the most entertaining season of The Amazing Race in a long, long time.

This week, Chad & Stephanie, who had a euphoric week last week, getting engaged and coming in first, got U-Turned last night, coming in last to the Pit Stop, with Phil Eliminating the couple.

First to leave the previous Pit Stop, Chad & Stephanie read the clue telling them to fly to Dhaka, Bangladesh, the most densely populated city in the world.

In Dhaka teams had to find a sugar cane press and produce a glass of sugar cane juice. First at the airport, Chad & Stephanie found a Jet Airways flight that got to Dhaka at noon the next day. Jill & Thomas and Nick & Vicki soon booked the same flight.

Chad & Stephanie then proceeded to gorge on fast food, while Jill & Thomas worked an agent to get a better flight. Eventually the agent found a flight that got  them into Dhaka 7 hours earlier. Brook & Claire saw Jill & Thomas doing a happy dance, so they accosted the same agent, to no avail.

While Chad & Stephanie continued to pig out, Brook & Claire told Nick & Vicki that Jill & Thomas now had a 7 hour lead. This sent the pairs off to try and find a better flight, with Nick & Vicki successful at getting on a plane that would land in Dhaka at 8:40am.

Brook & Claire were stuck landing at noon with Chad & Stephanie. Along with Nat & Kat who took a more circuitous route to Dhaka.

After Jill & Thomas cranked out the sugar cane juice the next clue was a Detour. Balanced Meal or Balanced Bricks. Jill & Thomas opted out for bricks and a wild rickshaw ride. Balancing bricks in a basket on their head, the pair delivered the 100 bricks and got their next clue.

While Chad & Stephanie, Brook & Claire and Nat & Kat were en route from Mumbai to Dhaka, Jill & Thomas arrived at the Double U-Turn. Without much debate, Jill & Thomas U-Turned Brook & Claire, forcing them to do both detour tasks.

As Nick & Vicki were arriving in Dhaka, Jill & Thomas were at a Roadblock in Nazira Bazaar where one team member had to piece together a rickshaw. Again, Jill did the Roadblock. Thomas does not seem to like to do the manly things, like scale down cliffs and build things.

Jill put together the rickshaw and got the clue sending them to the Pit Stop where they got a $15,000 gift card from Discover.

Nick & Vicki arrived at the U-Turn after completing the Balanced Meal Detour option of delivering food to dockworkers. Nick wanted to U-Turn Nat & Kat, Vicki did not. Vicki won the argument with Nick saying she was too nice. When they came in 2nd at the Pit Stop Vicki remarked that being nice pays off.

The final 3 teams were in dead heat mode through the sugar cane press. All three opted to deliver meals, with Chad & Stephanie's rickshaw driver getting lost.

Nat & Kat made it first to the U-Turn and U-Turned Chad & Stephanie, sealing their fate.

Chad & Stephanie had all sorts of woes trying to completing the food delivery Detour. When they finally made it to the U-Turn Chad was all happy to see Brook & Claire U-Turned, then he saw that he and Stephanie had also been U-Turned.

The pair got the bricks delivered, and then made it to the rickshaw assembly spot to see Claire still working on it, while Nat & Kat were on their way to a 3rd place finish.

Stephanie and Claire were in a race to get the rickshaw built. Claire finished hers with Stephanie seconds behind. The teams were now in race to find Lalagh Fort, as darkness fell on the city. Brook & Claire got to the Pit Stop first, with Brook whining to Phil that they'd been U-Turned by a man, prompting Phil to say, "Don't even pretend you guys aren't a threat."

Then Chad & Stephanie showed up, taking the bad news well. The end of another good episode of The Amazing Race.

And might I add. I HATE the U-Turn gimmick. I have HATED it ever since it was introduced. I double HATE a Double U-Turn. The Amazing Race needs to lose the U-Turn.

The Amazing Race: Season 17: Episode: Gary & Mallory Eliminated While Chad & Stephanie Come In First With Marriage Proposal

Gary & Mallory had themselves a real difficult time finding their way around the Sultanate Of Oman, looking for Jabel Shams, the tallest mountain in the Sultanate. The troubles with finding the mountain led to Phil eliminating the pleasant dad and daughter team from The Amazing Race.

This leg of the race started off real rough for Chad & Stephanie, with the pair oversleeping, by precisely 2 hours, their departure time.

The other teams were on 2 other flights to Muscat, Oman, but somehow Chad & Stephanie managed to find a flight that got them to the Sultanate only 10 minutes behind the second flight, which greatly perplexed those teams, who thought Chad & Stephanie were far behind them.

Upon arrival in Oman teams had to find Burj Al Mubkaharah for an Omani to give them an ingot with a time inscribed on it, which indicated their time to climb the steps to the top of a fort to find their next clue.

Nat & Kat and Brook & Claire were the first to the ingots. They were followed in a tight taxi race by Chad & Stephanie, Jill & Thomas, Nick & Vicki and Gary & Mallory.

Jill & Thomas made it to the fort ahead of the others and snagged the 7:45 climb time. The remaining 3 teams had trouble finding the man and his ingots. With Chad eventually spotting the man and snagging another 7:45 start time.

Early in the morning, as they waited for the fort to open, Chad & Stephanie took walk along the Arabian Sea. Chad got down on bended knee and proposed to Stephanie, now in tears, as she accepted a ring from Chad. A ring which was Chad's mother's, who passed away during Chad's freshman college year. The other teams watched the proposal from afar and congratulated the newly engaged pair upon their return to the group.

Nat & Kat and Brook & Claire, at 7:30, ran up the stairs of the fort to find a clue directing them to find Jabel Shams, the tallest mountain in Oman. All the teams, except for Nat & Kat and Gary & Mallory relied on asking locals for directions to the mountain. Nat & Kat and Gary & Mallory relied on a map, which put them both far in back of the pack as they got lost, with both eventually abandoning the maps to ask locals for help finding the mountain.

Chad & Stephanie were first to the base of the mountain, where they found a man who took over driving, due to the mountain roads being steep and treacherous. At the top of the mountain the cluebox revealed a Roadblock. One team member had to rappel down a 500 foot high cliff to a narrow ledge where they had to look through 100s of Aladdin-type lamps, looking for Aladdin's magic ring to get their next clue.

Chad took this one for the team. Soon, Jill & Thomas showed up, with Thomas wimping out, making his girl friend rappel down the mountain. Chad found a ring and got his next clue. Drive to the town of Nizwa and find a giant stack of books.

Nick & Vicki and Brook & Claire arrived at the mountain at about the same time. Nick, who had been a bit of a boy bitch at Vicki, because Vicki had helped Brook & Claire, joined Thomas on wimping out on the rappelling. Claire was the brave girl on her team.

Vicki aced flying down the mountain, saying she felt like Spiderman. Then corrected that to Spiderwoman.

Back on the road, ahead of Brook & Claire, Nick was quite upset to find they had a flat tire. And to see Brook & Claire pass them by on the way to the stack of books.

Chad & Stephanie made it to the books just ahead of Jill & Thomas. The clue was a Detour. Water Table or Wedding Table. No one choose Wedding Table, so I'll forego describing it, except to say it involved 25 chickens. In Water Table teams had to pump some water and find their way to where it needed to be delivered.

Chad & Stephanie were ahead, but Jill & Thomas caught a break when they accidented upon a man whose cousin's house was where they needed to make the water delivery. This put them well ahead of Chad & Stephanie.

After the water delivery, the clue directed Jill & Thomas to a market in Muscat called Muttrah Souq to find a guy who would give them some smoking frankincense and then look all over the market for Ali Baba to get the Pit Stop clue.

While Brook & Claire and Nick & Vicki worked the water, Nat & Kat finally made it to the mountain. Kat did the task due to Nat being terrified of heights. Kat completed the task and the pair was back on their way to the stack of books, when Gary & Mallory showed up. Seeing Nat & Kat made Gary & Mallory a bit optimistic that they might still be in the race.

Mallory zipped down the mountain. What a perky girl.

Jill & Thomas found Ali Baba first, with the clue directing them to the Pit Stop at Al Alam Palace. On the way to the Pit Stop, Jill & Thomas broke a rule by paying a taxi driver to lead them. They arrived at the mat first, to be told by Phil they had incurred a 30 minute penalty. Which had Chad & Stephanie in 1st place when they arrived shortly thereafter.

Did Chad & Stephanie have a good leg of the race, or what? From last to first, starting out from a 2 hour hole, a marriage proposal and first place with a trip for two to Belize.

Nick & Vicki found Ali Baba and beat Brook & Clair for 3rd place, which put the shopping show hosts at 4th, followed by Nat & Kat, with Gary & Mallory, last, and eliminated.

This make 4 excellent episodes of The Amazing Race in a row. And didn't Oman look like a fun place to visit. The architecture. The scenery. The people.

The Amazing Race Season 17 Episode 7: Michael & Kevin Eliminated After Breaking Rules With Nat & Kat !st

I almost recorded all of Sunday night's Episode 7 of Season 17 of The Amazing Race, but a football game pushed the start of The Amazing Race back over an hour.

The recording stopped just when Michael finally completed the Roadblock, fighting with their taxi driver over not having enough money, then trying to find Phil at the Pitstop.

The CBS Amazing Race website now has full episodes available. And so with a little fussing and a few annoying commercials I was able to see Michael & Kevin eliminated from the race.

I liked Michael & Kevin, but they really deserved to get eliminated.

Leaving the Pitstop teams had to find Abtobo Circus. When it opened they found a detour. Either learn to play a song on an accordion or successfully spin 10 plates on a stick. Both seemed quite difficult and there was much frustration.

Jill & Thomas, who left the Pitstop first, gave up on the plate spinning, then gave up on the accordion. I don't remember if they gave up and switched a second time.

The challenging challenges had Thomas, Chad and Nick all back being their boy bitch selves. Just last week we heard Nick say he wasn't going to be mean to Vicki anymore. I guess he really was not that mean, just saying she was a 3rd grade moron, or something like that.

Eventually everyone made it out of the circus. Next it was off for some Russian Mystery, heading to Bank Bridge to find a clue directing them to Vladimirskiy Street Tower, the clue clearly telling the teams they had to walk, no taxi, nor could they pay the taxi to lead them. But they could ask locals for directions.

Michael plead with Kevin to carefully read every word of the clue. But, Kevin did not, thus sealing their elimination doom. They had their taxi lead them. Eventually Michael & Kevin sucked Brook & Claire into their mistake, but Brook & Claire realized their mistake, fixed it and ended up coming in 2nd.

At the tower only one team member could climb the ladder to the top, where all seemed to have a little trouble finding the little figurine that directed them to the Church on Spilled Blood.

I don't know how Michael & Kevin managed to not notice that no one else had their taxi. I think someone even mentioned the walking thing to them.

Nick tricked Kevin as he came down the tower, giving Kevin an erroneous clue. Kevin was sure Nick would not lie because Nick is awesome.

At the Church on Spilled Blood teams found a clue directing them figure out where Peter the Great is buried and to take themselves there. So, it was off to Peter and Paul Fortress where they found a Roadblock, with the Roadblock being a bizarre Russian version of bowling, where you threw a stick at a pile of pins, trying to knock them out of a marked area.

Michael had a lot of trouble with the Russian bowling, Kevin was very frustrated, totally clueless that he had worse troubles ahead than a dad who couldn't toss a stick.

Finally Michael finished and got the Pitstop clue. Leaving only Stephanie of Chad & Stephanie tossing sticks. Stephanie finished. Got the clue. Chad decided they should run to the Pitstop, without getting their bags and paying their taxi driver.

Chad & Stephanie made it to the mat before Michael & Kevin, but were shocked when Phil told them he could not check them in til they settled their taxi bill.

Michael & Kevin then stepped on the mat, thinking they'd narrowly avoided being eliminated, to hear Phil tell them they had incurred 2 penalties, with a 30 minute penalty for each.

Chad & Stephanie paid their bill and made it back to the mat. But when Phil checked them in he informed them that they had broken a rule by taking a taxi from the tower to the Church on Spilled Blood, which resulted in a 30-minute penalty.

But, since Michael & Kevin had 2 penalties and the two teams were the last two to arrive, Phil checked Chad & Stephanie in in 6th place.

And eliminated Michael & Kevin.

This was the 3rd extremely good episode of The Amazing Race in a row.

I forgot to mention, the doctors, Nat & Kat, came in 1st again. I like that pair. Like I already said, Brook & Claire were #2, Nick & Vicki #3, Gary & Mallory #4, Jill & Thomas #5 and you know who came in 6th and 7th.

CBS & The NFL Ruined My Sunday Night Popcorn and Viewing of The Amazing Race

The NFL and CBS ruined The Amazing Race for me again last night.

Sunday night, I let the DVR get about a half recorded, popped me up some popcorn and turned on the TV.

Due to football games running long I have the DVR settings for The Amazing Race set to record for 3 hours.

Last night when I hit the play button I saw football on the screen. Game not over. Usually it is seeing 60 Minutes that tells me the football game ran long, with the Fast Forward button quickly getting me to The Amazing Race.

But, not last night.

I  can understand, maybe, on very rare occasions, having some special event wreak havoc with regular programming. But not over and over again, like what happens on Sunday nights with The Amazing Race.

It seems like this type thing would be counter-productive for CBS. The networks seem to try real hard to motivate viewers to watch their shows. It seems counter-intuitive to then have the shows not show up at their appointed time.

On previous seasons of The Amazing Race the CBS website did not have an online viewing option. Maybe that has changed.

The Amazing Race Season 17: Episode 4: Jonathon & Connor Go From 1st to Last & Are Eliminated From the Race

This season 17 of The Amazing Race is being the best I remember in a long time. I sort of thought I'd just grown tired of the show. But no. It turns out that the quality had faltered. And now it is back.

Episode 4 was epic, maybe the best episode ever. Jonathon & Connor went from an easy first place to the Pitstop in Ghana to getting eliminated in Sweden.

The teams were provided tickets out of Ghana, supposedly due to limited flights. But were under no obligation to use the tickets. Wily dad Michael called ahead to see if their were any faster options. There were. A 2 hour faster flight out of the connection in Frankfurt.

At the airport Michael & Kevin shared their info with Gary & Mallory. Nat & Kat saw an Internet Cafe and gleaned the same faster flight into and booked tickets. Brook & Claire saw the doctors in the cafe. They also got the earlier flight.

Eventually the others realized the ones who'd gotten an earlier flight were acting way too happy. But it was too late for them. No more seats.

The final destination was in Sweden, the town of Kiruna in Swedish Lapland inside the Arctic Circle. When they landed the teams drove themselves to a chilly location called the Ice Hotel, where they'd find their next clue and Michael & Kevin would find their Speed Bump.

The Speed Bump was sitting on an ice chair for 10 minutes. The clues was etched in ice and directed the teams to Fjellsborg Lodge where they ran into a fun to watch Roadblock. Michael & Kevin got off the ice chairs and made it to the Roadblock first, due to the 3 teams ahead of them getting lost.

Michael did the Roadblock. He had himself a real fine time of being pulled by a mush team in a training sled while grabbing 5 flags to trade for a pile of fur pelts.

The Roadblock completed clue directed teams to Vassijaur Train Station. On the way to the train station the 5 teams in the late plane finally arrived in Kiruna.

When Jill & Thomas, the pair with the Express Pass, arrived last to the Roadblock they missed the marked path and took off running who knows how far before they realized they'd made a mistake.

At the train station Michael & Kevin found a detour. Sled or Bed. Do some downhill sledding or make a tent. They wisely chose the tent. The others, initially, all chose to sled.

The sledding looked fun. Take a chairlift up the mountain then sled down a course in less than 1:58. The sledding was brutal, with some real bad crashes. Nat & Kat were the first to successfully sled. This got them a clue directing them to a first place win at the Pitstop on the Norwegian border. After a few tries Gary & Mallory and Brook & Claire got the Pitstop clue, with Gary & Mallory beating Brook & Claire in a footrace to take 2nd.

Michael & Kevin completed the tent and came in fourth. That left Connor & Jonathon, Chad & Stephanie, Nick & Vicki and Katie & Rachel trying to sled, while Jill & Thomas went to the Bed option. Seeing no teams there, they wrongly assumed they had no chance, so they wasted their Express Pass to come in fifth.

Sledding turned out to be something the somewhat mentally challenged, but sort of likable team of Nick & Vicki were very good at. They zipped down the mountain and into 6th place.

Stephanie had a terrible time sledding down the mountain and refused to try again. So, it was off to the Bed detour option.

Then Rachel & Katie gave up on the sledding, soon followed by Connor & Jonathon.  The Harry Potter lookalike (is that Jonathon?) was a total disaster at sledding. They tried hard to catch up with Rachel & Katie in the bed-making, but they failed.

Connor & Jonathon took being eliminated well. They broke into song. Their singing sort of annoyed me, so I'm not all that displeased to see them go from first to last.

One thing puzzled me. Why did some teams hauls those clue blocks of ice all the way to the Pitstop? Or did they all do that and I did not notice?

Anyway, great episode of The Amazing Race.

The Amazing Race: Off to a Good Start With Episode 1 of Season 17

I remember the first episode of Season 1 of The Amazing Race like it was yesterday. And now we are in Season 17, which started off last Sunday with a 90 minute episode that began late in my Central Time Zone, due to a football game running late.

Even though the race started off well for Ron and Tony, the number of times they were shown talking about their great navigational skills sort of foretold that they were going to get lost. And they did get lost.

Super lost.

Ron and Tony managed to get to England in the lead with two other teams, being the first to get to the first plane to London. But, from that point on, nothing went well.

Ron and Tony got so far behind, by the time they got to the goofy little boat task, we saw them struggle with the boat and then quickly edited to the finish line where Phil eliminated them from the race.

The little boat task seemed a little unfair. It favored small teams who were similarly sized. Tony is a plus-sized greatly outweighing Ron. I don't think they could ever have managed to get across that water in that boat.

The Amazing Race seems to have done a much better job of casting this time. The teams all seem nice and likable. No annoyingly stupid beauty queen, no dumb mactors, no angry lesbians. Every one seemed fairly good natured, for the most part. The only bickering team was Chad & Stephanie, with Chad being the bicker boy. Chad & Stephanie were amusing in the end, when it took them hours, it seemed, to find Phil and the Pitstop, running circles around the Nevermore or Morenever or Whatever it was Named Castle.

Another amusing team is the tattooed/pierced pair of Nick & Vicki. They did a good job of getting lost. Vicki did not know what Stonehenge was. When Phil asked her what country she was in, Vicki said, "London."

I hope no football game wreaks havoc with tonight's 7 o'clock airing of Leg 2 of Season 17 of The Amazing Race.

The Amazing Race Finale: My Gravy! Dan & Jordan Won

Somewhat annoying brothers, Dan & Jordan Pious were the first to the finish line in Candlestick Park in San Francisco, beating everyone's favorite for the win, the Cowboys, Jet & Cord McCoy.

Brent & Caite were out of it early on. That made it nice to watch, not having to worry that those two might win.

The finale rumors turned out to be true. There was some drama at the end, of the sort we have not seen at the end of The Amazing Race.

And, the source of that drama turned out to be what many had guessed, that being something between the dumb beauty queen Caite, and the team Caite called the Mean Lesbians, Carol & Brandy. At the end Phil asked Caite something about the race proving something, to which Caite did her usual dumbtalk about proving to the world that she's not stupid, which always makes her sound so stupid. That set off Brandy, of the aforementioned Mean Lesbians.

Now, I have known a number of lesbians. I know mine is a small sampling, but a large percentage of them do tend to be mean. And not that Caite did not deserve a verbal tongue lashing, I think Brandy should have just kept quiet and not acted like such a bitter ol' shrew.

Tonight's finale went by real fast. I thought Dan & Jordan's crowding ahead of the Cowboys in the airport line in Shanghai was a stupid move for little gain. But later, those boys made several smart moves.

I am never a fan of the rappelling up or down something like Coit Tower type Roadblocks. But, the task at the Lucas Star Wars studio was a very good one.

It seemed real important to Dan & Jordan that they win. I think Dan said something about he wanted to do this to make his brother's lifelong dream come true. And I think Jordan mentioned that being on The Amazing Race and winning was his dream.

And, in the bigger scheme of things, I think the Cowboys, Jet & Cord, may not have finished first and won the million bucks, but they did manage to race around the world and become 2 of the most well-liked Reality TV characters in all of Reality TV. And if there is ever another Amazing Race All-Stars, the Cowboys would need to be on it.

My Gravy.

The Amazing Race 16: Final 3 Jet & Cord, Dan & Jordan, Brent & Caite

UPDATE: Jet & Cord come in 2nd. Dan & Jordan 1st to the finish line in Candlestick Park.

The cowboys, Jet & Cord better come in 1st on Sunday or it'll be another bad ending of The Amazing Race.

It will be a particularly bad ending if the dumb models, Brent & Caite win.

Less bad if Dan & Jordan win. Though I did find Dan & Jordan's meltdowns, in Shanghai, to be embarrassing and annoying, with both of them losing it in frustration in a taxi. And with Jordan losing it over the simple detour task of looking for his name on a ink stamp carving.

But the worst is Brent & Caite. Over and over and over again Caite's goes on about how she's proven to the world, by her imaginary stellar Amazing Race performance, that she is not the moronic idiot she showed herself to be in her infamous beauty pageant "such as" answer to a question.

Pretty much every time Caite reminds us how highly intelligent she really is, she does, or says, something stupid. Like, while looking for ink stamps Brent desperately needs a potty break. He is in such misery he can't concentrate. He tells Caite over and over again he needs to go to the bathroom.

Due to the rules, both have to be within a set distance of their cameraman, so, Brent could not take off by himself to find a restroom.

Eventually dimwit Caite figured out that it was hurting their effort to have Brent not concentrating, so she relented and let him have his bathroom break.

The detectives, Michael & Louis, over and over again bragged about what great detectives they were, only to be shown failing in an epic way. Like teaming with Dan & Jordan to look for the Water Bridge, with Michael saying he'd be able to detect it from on high. Then spying some random clothes and thinking they might be hiding the clue.

And Michael & Louis having trouble finding their ink stamps. They did do well at the Speed Bump, though. It didn't involve any sleuthing, just throwing coins in a hole.

Cord & Jet struggled a bit this episode. Communicating with the Chinese was a challenge for all the teams. Cord & Jet and Brent & Caite got the Pitstop clue at about the same time. It appeared that Cord & Jet got to the Pitstop location in 1st place, but then went the wrong direction on the boardwalk, while Brent & Caite went the correct direction and came in 1st.

Next week it appears the final destination city is San Francisco. Rumors abound on the internet that something happens of a confrontational sort at the race's end. Not between the Final 3, but between eliminated racers waiting for the Final 3.

Or maybe it will be something do to with one of the Final 3 teams. Something between Caite and her arch enemies, Carol & Brandy, the girl's nasty Caite calls the Mean Lesbians?

The Amazing Race Season 16 Episode 2: The Cowboys Turn Into Wily Smart Boys

I did not enjoy the first episode of the new The Amazing Race. Was considering ceasing watching.

But, with episode 2, The Amazing Race redeemed itself.

I didn't like the Granny Team of Jody & Shannon getting eliminated, particularly after Granny Jody got kicked in the head while milking a cow. She is one tough granny.

The Roadblock that involved the cow milking was a good one, gathering up ingredients to make some German cake, called kucken at a farm called Onces Bellavista. One of the ingredients was a baker's dozen of eggs. I was sure one of the racers would not know what a baker's dozen was, with being certain that model, Brent, would not know.

Brent & Caite, she of beauty queen fame, trying to redeem herself from some horrible beauty queen faux pas that became a national joke that I don't remember, whined about the others thinking she's stupid and making jokes about her.

Several of the teams are quite amusing. Like the brothers, Dan and Jordan. And the Big Brother team of Jordan and Jeff. I thought they were dummies at first. I was wrong.

And then we have undercover detectives, Louis & Michael. They seem like nice guys. But they seem to have a lot of trouble detecting where they are supposed to go.

But, the ones who really changed my opinion of them on this leg of the race were the Oklahoma cowboys, Jet & Cord. They came in first. And won a pair of sailboats. Jet & Cord are being lone rangers, not relying on anyone but themselves. Watching them outsmart Brent & Caite and Jordan & Jeff by getting to the correct bus terminal was amusing.

Jet & Cord say funny things, like "good gravy" over and over again. Their interaction is funny too.

The lesbian daters appear to get cranky with each other next week, according to the previews. I have been around cranky lesbians. It's never a pretty sight.

For the detour teams choose between dressing an llama or flying like a condor into a lake to retrieve their clue. I've dealt with an irascible llama before, so I would have chosen to fly like a condor. At least one teammate was kicked by an llama. A lot of animal violence this episode.

Looking forward to next week's The Amazing Race now.

The Amazing Race: Not Off To A Good Start

I don't know what it was about the first episode of Edition 16 of The Amazing Race that seemed off. But it seemed off.

I thought taking public transportation to get to LAX might be fun to watch. It wasn't. But I did get to see LA's light rail trail for the first time.

There seems to be a high level of dumb in this group. The pair of Rhode Island detectives, Louie and Michael. What could that pair detect? Thinking that painting over graffiti was the right thing to do?

And that Father/Daughter team, Steve and Allie, walking into someone's house and starting to paint. That was at least amusing, as the homeowners, speaking Spanish, had no idea why these people were doing this.

The first leg of the race had them flying to Santiago, Chile. A plane malfunction had all teams on the same flight. Landing in Chile they had to make their way to another town, the name of which I don't know, but it's known as the San Fransisco of South America.

I hated the Roadblock, walking a high wire. It was not entertaining to watch. The Brandy half of the Carol/Brandy Lesbian team had a few humorous remarks, all of which I've forgotten. I think some of them were said during her laboriously long crossing of the high wire. Adrian, married to Dana, could not make it across. Phil had to come Philiminate the team after all the others had arrived at the Pitstop, with Adrian still at the start of the high wire.

After crossing the high wire the next clue told them to take one of 2 funiculars down the hill. I don't think a single team knew what a funicular is. Several of the teams seem to have trouble reading. Like the model Brent and the beauty queen, Caite. They walked to the bottom of the hill, got to the Pitstop in 2nd place, but incurred a 30 minute penalty due to not taking a funicular.

There was no Detour on this episode. Just the Roadblock and then this task, which seemed very simple. Carry 4 cans of paint, a ladder and 2 brushes to paint a small swatch of the outside wall of a house. The clue told them what street to walk on to find the houses to paint. There were several street signs with the name.

Several teams wandered all over, up and down hills, carrying the paint and ladders. I can't remember who made what mistake. I do remember being shocked that the cowboy brothers, Jet and Cord McCoy got to the Pitstop in 3rd place. The boys got to the high wire late, but somehow moved ahead. The cowboys seem like nice guys, but, well, they were heading to Chile, but had their money changed to Brazilian currency. Stuff like that.

I liked the Grandma/Granddaughter team of Jody and Shannon. Grandma's a spunky gal who runs marathons. I found her amusing. The non-cowboy brothers, Dan and Jordan, they are likable and somewhat funny. Jordan is the gay brother, but he is not the Jordon who won Big Brother, that'd be the Jordan paired with Jeff. I think it was they who got to the Pitstop in 1st place.

I wonder if the producers purposefully cast for a lot of not so bright types this time? Hoping hilarity would ensue. Is this why the tasks seemed rather simple, thinking department wise?

Time will tell. I don't know if I'll be watching.

The Amazing Race Ends in Las Vegas With Meghan & Cheyne Winning

I did not much care who won the latest edition of The Amazing Race. Partly due to each of the 3 remaining teams had given me reasons to like them and dislike them, partly due to the fact that, for me, The Amazing Race just is not the amazing show it used to be.

The novelty has worn off. That and the race does not seem to go to as many exotic locations that I'd never seen or heard of before.

And the last couple Amazing Races have ended with taxi races to the finish line. At the end of Sunday's finale there was not much doubt that Meghan & Cheyne were going to get the million dollars, with the bickering brothers, Sam & Dan coming in second, with Brian & hot-tempered Erika coming in last.

Erika was in a good mood for the final episode, until she was unable to catch a bouquet and saw the other teams do so, causing Erika & Brian to lose their lead. But then those two knew the Monte Carlo is the most famous casino in Monaco. Meghan & Cheyne did not know if Monaco was a country or where it was located. Their cab driver thought it was the Venetian.

And then Sam & Dan also had no idea about the Monte Carlo. One of them had trouble pronouncing Monaco. They called for help.

The counting of a million dollars in poker chips at the Monte Carlo was tedious to watch. Of course the brothers started bickering and Erika started shrieking. Meghan & Cheyne took to the chip counting after the others were well underway. But finished first, with a correct count, by turning in to chip counting robots.

So, Meghan & Cheyne got back on the fast track to first place, finding Wayne Newton and then taking a taxi to Wayne's house. When Sam & Dan found Wayne Newton they recognized the face, but neither knew the name. Wayne told them the finish line was at his house. The red-faced brothers had to admit they didn't know who he was. Now, that was funny.

We did not get to see Brian & Erika finish the chip counting or see Wayne Newton. They were likley still trying to get the chips counted when they were told to go directly to the finish line.

Another amusing Wayne Newton moment was Cheyne apologizing to Wayne for having to rush off and then saying to Meghan he felt bad, that was really Wayne Newton, and wishing they could have had a longer visit.

The Roadblock of rapelling face first down the side of Mandalay Bay was amusing. Erika was a tigress. Cheyne did it with his eyes closed. Sam did it like a high speed maniac. I don't like this type Roadblock. To me Roadblocks should be things that people might actually do. I don't think rapelling down the side of Mandalay Bay is a regular tourist attraction.

I don't know when the next Amazing Race starts. I don't know if I'll be watching.

The Amazing Race Season 15: Globetrotters Eliminated, Las Vegas Final Destination Next Sunday

I watched The Amazing Race last night thinking it was the finale episode. Why I thought this, I do not know.

Meghan & Cheyne came in first again, once more with the Pitstop in Prague. The Harlem Globetrotters made it to the mat last and were eliminated.

Big Easy had way too much trouble figuring out the Kafka Roadblock and arranging N A F R Z to spell Kafka's first name. He gave up and took the 4 hour penalty. And thus their last place finish.

Brian, the teetotaler, & Erika got drunk on their Speed Bump, drinking Absinthe. Then Brian sailed through the Kafka Roadblock. The pair sort of stumbled in choosing the Detour option that had them carrying beer through the rowdy Prague streets. Erika did her usual amount of shrieking, while Brian stayed calm.

Meanwhile the Bickering Brothers, Sam & Dan and Meghan & Cheyne chose the 'Legend' Detour option and had to build a big Golem statue to push through the streets to a Synagogue to get told to go to the next Pitstop.

Prior to getting to the 'Legend or Lager' detour teams had to get as naked as possible and enter a deep freeze called the Kryocentrum where if they could tolerate the extreme sub-zero temperatures for 2 minutes they'd get their clue directing them to the Detour.

So, now I am almost 100% that next week is the actual end of Season 15 of The Amazing Race. It appears the final destination is Las Vegas. With Elvis in the house.

The Amazing Race: Dan & Flight Time Take a Tumble

If I remember right, during the first few seasons of The Amazing Race the race followed a west to east or east to west direction, sometimes going south, sometimes north, but always gaining on an around the world journey.

The current Amazing Race went west and north from Dubai to Holland, then back east to Sweden, then further east to this week's Tallinn, Estonia and next week south and a bit west to the Czech Republic.

It's a zig zag race around the world.

This week's Detours and Roadblocks were entertaining. Particularly the mud volleyball. The Candelabra Roadblock in Mustpeade, the home of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads, was amusing. Particularly when Matt had no idea what a Candelabra was.

The Globetrotters, Sam & Dan and Erica & Brian all running together, trying to find the marked route to the detour, was funny. The 4 boys beat Brian & Erica to the 2 volley ball courts, so the married pair opted to take slingshot vegetable shots at a moose target.

Meghan & Cheyne had already won their 5 volleyball points and had checked in at 1st place at the Pitstop before the next 3 teams found the detour.

It was neck and neck between the Globetrotters and Sam & Dan to get the 5 points. Flight Time & Big Easy got 5 first and took off running to where they thought the Pitstop was. Then Sam & Dan got their 5 and took off running the correct direction, over a boardwalk to a wooden tower. The Globetrotters realized their mistake, turned around, and quickly caught up with the brothers. Flight Time fell down twice trying to overtake Dan & Sam, taking down Dan with him on the second fall. Dan got up and running faster than the big guy, so Dan & Sam made it ahead of the Globetrotters to the mat to claim the #2 spot.

Big Easy was not pleased about being manhandled by the much smaller brothers, claiming that Dan had knocked the much bigger Flight Time down, saying "I'm 6'10", 260, so we're gonna do what we gotta do." I think Big Easy needs to watch the incident on re-play.

In the end, the dad and son team of Gary & Matt could not recover from their mistakes, including the illusive candelabra, and came in last and were eliminated.

I have to say, the Sauna Bus that Gary & Matt had to take a 5 minute sauna in for their Speed Bump, was a very bizarre thing.

The Amazing Race: Season 15 Episode 7: Maria & Tiffany Eliminated From The Race

I was so offput by this week's episode of The Amazing Race that for the first time, what used to be one of my all time favorite TV shows, brought out the I'm done with this impulse.

I was sure, do to the totally unfair nature of the pre-Pitstop Detour, that this would be a non-elimination leg. It wasn't.

Detours usually have tasks where one requires clear thinking, with the other more physical. Both Detour tasks on this episode required physical strength.

It was painful watching Maria & Tiffany try so hard to swing that mallet to try and ring a bell so they could learn a Dutch dance. Then they gave up that and went through the hell of swimming across a cold canal to try and play Dutch farmer's golf. That also favored strength and the girls could not make it work. So, they gave up, swam back and tried to swing some more at the bell

Maria & Tiffany then gave up once more on the belling ringing/dancing and pedaled their bikes back for the pre-golf swim again. By now they were getting exhausted. Through it all Maria & Tiffany stayed good-natured and positive. They had been well ahead of Brian and nagging Banshee Erica.

Erica had terrible trouble counting bells. Then the Brian & Erica pair mised the part of the clue that told them to ride provided bikes to the Detour. Then when they finished the dance task and ate the pickled herring, they borrowed bikes to pedal to the Pitstop, where Phil told them, to Erica's crying anguish, that they'd incurred a 30 minute penalty.

We saw Maria & Tiffany try and try. They were exhausted. They did not fight. They supported each other. These girls were among the nicest racers I've seen on The Amazing Race. When the half hour was up Phil checked Brian & Erica in. Then Phil arrived at the golf field. He never actually told Maria & Tiffany they'd been eliminated. I kept expecting him to tell them it was a non-elimination round. But he didn't.

I would think however The Amazing Race tasks are created, that it should always be designed to be possible. These were not weak girls. They were not of the weak Mika crybaby sort.

I have not been enjoying The Amazing Race much this season, though Dubai and Vietnam were cool. And last week's Mika meltdown was good TV. I am very fickle with my TV viewing. Irritate me with something really irritating and I easily bail. I've not watched a second of Big Brother since that idiotic all-star season that that repulsive Boogie person, who was not an All-Star, won.

The Amazing Race 15: Episode 6: Canaan & Mika Eliminated After Height Fright

The Harlem Globetrotters, Flight Time & Big Easy seemed doomed, due to having troubles with Roadblocks and Detours, like not being able to figure the 3 number combination to a briefcase lock or their taxi taking them to the wrong marina.

But, by the time the final team checked in, it was Mika & Canaan who Phil eliminated. Mika froze at the top of a water slide that ended in a pool with sharks. No amount of pleading by Canaan could get her to budge. One by one teams slid past the pair and down the slide.

Big Easy was funny doing the Roadblock where he had to row out to a bigger boat in a little inflatable that the 6' 9" guy was way too big for. When he could not move using the paddles he tossed them and used his big arms to move through the water.

The clue, after successfully completing the Gold/Hookah Detour, directed teams to the Leap of Faith at the Aquaventure Water Park. Meghan & Cheyne got there first, and even though both are afraid of heights, they zoomed quickly down the slide, even after Meghan noticed sharks swimming below.

Mika & Canaan arrived at the Leap of Faith in 6th place. Mika went into full meltdown mode. Canaan tried to reason with her, pretty much tried to shove her down the slide. Mika did some praying. That didn't help. Then the Globetrotters arrived. Mika now had 2 minutes to get down the slide or pull aside so the Globetrotters could go.

Canaan did some more begging. Big Easy played on Mika's fears. She started crying. Time up, the Globetrotters slide down the slide. Canaan followed the Globetrotters down the slide. Mika walked down the stairs, while Canaan waited at the bottom so they could make their walk of shame to hear they'd been eliminated from the race.

Good episode of The Amazing Race. I want to see Dubai in person.