What a night! While my TiVo takes care of taping The Amazing Race, NHRA was racing in Phoenix and the USA and Canada were playing hockey....oh, if I only had a clone to watch all this stuff! I watched most of the hockey game as I flipped to NHRA during commercials, then caught up with TAR - all in all, my eyeballs are a bit fuzzy now.....
We begin the second leg of The Amazing Race in Valparaiso Chile. Leaving first, Jordan & Jeff read their clue, which tells them to take a bus to Santiago, then another bus 575 miles to Peurto Varas. Then they must drive to a lake, take a boat and "climb to Mirador" for their next clue. They get to the bus stop and find out that it doesn’t open till 5 AM, meaning all the teams will be on the same bus. Jordan & Jeff see a dog while waiting around, and Jeff proves that Jordan isn’t the only dumb rock in the box - he insists that the dog only understands Spanish. (He needs to watch the Dog Whisperer!) The Cowboys think that everyone underestimates them, thinking they didn’t graduate eighth grade. They do make a comment, though, that doesn’t help - “I’ve been wearing a hat forever, and if I can’t wear a hat someplace, I don’t know if I wanna go there.” (Betcha he doesn’t get married any time soon, if he’s that attached to his hat!) Carol & Brandy decide to try and align themselves with Joe & Heidi, noticing that Joe speaks Spanish and liking their work ethic.
Joe & Heidi get crap from Louie & Michael for holding spots for Carol & Brandy as the ticket office opens, but Joe & Heidi protest, saying that the girls gave them money. The four managed to get the four last seats on the first bus and the rest of the teams will be leaving at 7:45 PM. However, standing in line and watching everyone buy tickets, Jordan & Jeff and Brent & Caite decide to double-check the clue and see if they have to take a bus directly from Santiago to Puerto Varas (they don't). The cowboys have the same idea and find an English-speaking local who tells them to take a bus to Temuco, then catch one from there to Peurto Varas. Asking the ticket agent, the other teams find out they can catch the same bus as the Cowboys to Temuco, leaving at 9:00 AM, and getting into Peurto Varas around 11 PM (rather than 8 AM the next day like the other buses). Carol & Brandy, thinking they’re going to be way ahead, are feeling pretty good even after waiting around Santiago for 9 hours to take off because they’re ahead of all the other teams. (Surprise coming, Brandy!) The Cowboys find out from the two other teams that they are leaving Temuco at 6:30 rather than the 7:00 that they’re on, but after checking find out that the 6:30 bus leaves from another terminal in Temuco which is ten minutes away, and it’s 6:20. They laugh to themselves and stay away from the other teams so as not to let them know they're in deep doo-doo until after 6:30. Looking for the bus, the teams stop at the ticket counter and find out they need to take a taxi to the other terminal to catch the 6:30 bus - and rush off only to find out that their bus has left. Brent & Caite and Jordan & Jeff get back to the original terminal just as the Cowboys drive by in their 7 PM bus. Their wonderful plan of getting ahead of all the other teams goes right down the drain as they end up having to wait around the rest of the day as no more buses are leaving. They manage to get tickets for a 1:00 AM bus and will get to Peurto Varas around 6:30 AM.
Arriving in Peurto Varas in first place, the Cowboys grab their car and drive to the Petrohue Hotel, only to find out the marked path won’t open until 7 AM. Joe & Heidi and Carol & Brandy get to the cars and take off before Brent & Caite and Jeff & Jordan arrive in their bus.
It’s raining as the Cowboys take off and one of them (can’t tell them apart yet, sorry) had borrowed a plastic bag to cover his hat, looking really dapper in a trashy sort of way. Some teams have a problem with driving stick shifts, which surprises me to no end - if they’ve EVER watched the show, they know that foreign countries drive sticks and one should think to practice before leaving!!!!
The clue is a Detour - since the Chileans have a great connection with the animals of their country: Llama Adoration or Condor Consternation. For Llama, the teams must choose a llama from a herd and dress it in a blanket and scarf to get their next clue. For Condor, the teams must put on a beak, feet and 16-foot wings and attempt to “soar” off a dock to a target in the water. Caite proves she can’t read, pronouncing “Adoration” as “add-or-shun.” (It also took some real sounding out to get “Consternation.” And this woman was a Miss America contestant????!)
The Cowboys get to the llama pen and find out that the llamas were in no mood to be “jacked with.” The first two llamas took off, but one seemed to come up to them and gave them no problems about getting dressed - prompting Jet to call Cord a “llama whisperer.” They get their clue and find out they need to drive to the Bellavista Farm for their next clue.
Joe & Heidi and Carl & Brandy try to lure the llamas with food, which isn’t working well, especially when Joe gets a good kick to the stomach by one of the llamas. Brent & Caite decide to try the Condor and are pictures of Condor beauty jumping off the dock and hitting the ice cold water. Joe & Heidi finally grab a llama that was lying down and manage to dress him and get their clue, and Carol & Brandy aren’t far behind. Jeff & Jordan are going to fly off the dock too, and find out there is no “flying off” but they get to the end of the dock and immediately drop. Steve & Allie decide to fly also and look just as goofy as the other teams.
Daniel & Jordan are having mega problems figuring out where to go and seemingly get lost, just as Jody & Shannon get to their car and realize they’re in last place. Shannon hopes that other teams will have problems driving a stick so they can catch up. Dan & Jordan end up at some house near the water, can’t go in reverse and push the car back enough to be able to move forward and take off once again.
At the llama pen, the detectives are having problems when Monique & Shawn show up and make short time with their llama, and Michael & Louie are ticked for being “beat by the mommies.”
Meanwhile, Jet & Cord get to the next clue box. Their Roadblock clue tells them they will be helping make a Kuchen - a cake baked by the German immigrants that make up this part of the country. They must run around the farm collecting the ingredients - butter, flour, sugar, eggs, and milk - straight from the cow. The Cowboys should have this one in the bag, I bet they’ve milked a cow or two! Once they get the ingredients they’ll get their next clue. Cord makes quick work of the cow milking, takes off his "hat protector" to carry the eggs, and get the rest to the kitchen and gets his clue. They must drive back to Peurto Varas and find Gruta De La Virgen, a park that is the Pit Stop. The baker lady also offers Cord a piece of the cake, and he plays dumb when he gets back to Jet, saying “it looked like some kinda pie” but Jet realizes that Cord ate some and calls him out.
Heidi and Carol do the Roadblock together, dodging getting kicked and cows peeing next to them. Funny watching the city slickers deal with the cows! It seems as if the teams don’t have any real problems with this challenge, but all are complaining about the smell in the cow barn. We see Michael & Louie get to the farm but don’t see the proper signage and drive right by. Monique decides to try the challenge and finds out it’s dangerous trying to milk a cow as she dodges a kick.
Dan & Jordan get to the llamas, and Jordan (the gay one) decides to take off his jacket and does a striptease move, twirling the jacket above his head, as the local women “ooh and aah” and Dan laughs “if only they knew.” They get what looks like the smallest llama there and finish shortly after Jody & Shannon show up.
Jet & Cord get to the Mat first, and Phil tries to be cute saying “you may need another buckle for your belt.” (That’s the only cowboy reference you could come up with, Phil?)
Jordan does the ingredient-gathering, talking to the cows and seeing his cow poop after he gets done milking, saying “Bessie, if you had done that as I was milking you, we wouldn’t be friends.” (*rolling eyes here) Jeff & Jordan are back in Peurto Varas looking for the Pit Stop, and meet up with Michael & Louie, who find out that they had passed the farm right by and have to go back 19 miles. They get there as they see that Jody & Shannon are there. Michael can’t find the pantry, and Jody is almost done filling her cup when she gets kicked in the head by the cow and drops the milk and has to begin again. Michael gets through the challenge and Shannon has to watch as the detectives take off. The show tries to edit the ending, making it look like Jody & Shannon have a chance, but they end up eliminated. Too bad considering that Grandma was in pretty good shape and didn’t seem like they should have been that far behind.
So here’s the order of finish:
1 - Jet & Cord
2 - Joe & Heidi
3 - Carol & Brandy
4 - Brent & Caite
5 - Monique & Shawn
6 - Jordan & Jeff
7 - Steve & Allie
8 - Dan & Jordan
9 - Louie & Michael
10 - Jody & Shannon - eliminated
So does it look like the Cowboys aren’t really as dumb as everyone expects? And that Caite is dumber than everyone thinks she is? Is anyone emerging as the team to beat? We’ll find out more next week!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Amazing Race 16 Begins!
The Amazing Race 16 begins! Starting from a park on the outskirts of Los Angeles, we meet the teams:
Brent & Caite, the dating models (Caite was the dodo South Carolina Miss America contestant that said people don’t know where to find South America on maps because they don’t have any); Jet & Coy, Cowboy brothers; Steve & Allie, father & daughter; Dan & Jordan, brothers - Jordan is gay; Dana & Adrian are married high school sweethearts; Jordan & Jeff are dating and are ex-Big Brother contestants - Jordan won; Jodie & Shannon, grandmother & granddaughter who both train for triathalons; Louie & Michael, friends and undercover detectives; Monique & Shawn, best friends and attorneys; Joe & Heidi, married; and Carol & Brandy, the “token” gay couple.
Phil informs them that their clue is waiting on their backpacks, and the teams must get to the airport using public transportation. There are two flights, but there’s only room on the first flight for three teams. The second flight leaves almost an hour later. Given the instructions, the teams are ready to begin, so Phil sends them off:
“Good luck ... travel safe ... GO!”
The clue tells them they are going to Santiago, Chile. I notice that Carol & Brandy have huge backpacks - that’s gonna kill them eventually! The Cowboys are wondering how they’re going to manage the public transportation, saying their town has only one light, and it’s flashing yellow. Teams start asking bus drivers and cabbies where to go and are told to go to Union Station and take the Flyway Bus. Louie & Michael huff and puff as they run, seeing Jodie & Shannon get ahead of them and noting “Nanna is kicking your butt.”
Four teams get on the first bus to LAX - Joe & Heidi, Carol & Brandy, Dana & Adrian, Monique & Shawn. As they get to the airport, there’s a race to the ticket agent and Monique gets there first. As Jordan gets up to the desk she says “we need tickets to China.” (She definitely is a few bricks short of a load!) Carol & Brandy don’t make the first flight. While waiting for the plane, the Cowboys exchange their money and get Brazilian dollars. Brandy says that she’s hoping for either bad weather or a mechanical failure so the first three teams get held up; maybe she’s a witch, because there’s a very convenient mechanical problem with first plane. The airline agent says they will have to get another plane, and Dana & Adrian decide not to take a chance and get tickets for the second plane. Joe & Heidi and Monique & Shawn follow suit, and all the teams are on same flight. When they land in Chile, the clue tells them to go to Valparazo and find the Ascensor Villaseca. The first bus takes Jordan & Jeff, Brent & Caite, Dana & Adrian and Monique & Shawn. Getting on the second bus, the Cowboys can’t use the Brazilian money and have to go exchange it for Chilean money. It’s hysterical listening to everyone speak Spanish to their cab drivers - and seeing the cab drivers waggle their heads in laughter. (Silly Americans!)
The clue is a Roadblock, in which one team member has to do cable walking. On cables strung 120 feet above the ground, they will walk a cable the length of a football field. Caite does it (because Brent is afraid of heights), with Jordan following. Dan falls on his attempt but scoots down the ropes to the finish on his hanging clips. Brandy inches along, talking to herself ... “I can do this” and “don’t throw up.” She sits on the line, but Carol yells to her and she gets back up.
Caite gets done in admirable fashion and the clue tells them to take the Ascensor Artilleria, or Finacular (hillside train) down the hill to the next clue box. That clue is a Detour, “Time to Paint the Town.” The teams are to choose cans of paint in their color choice, supplies such as brushes and a ladder, and find a house matching their paint color with a block unpainted. Once they’re done the painter will give them their next clue. The task is easy enough, but as it turns out there are many problems trying to find the location of the houses (maybe because there’s a street sign with the name of the street going in two directions). Brent & Caite wander around, snipping at each other trying to find the house.
Joe decides to do the rope challenge because he has the strength. Louis does it as well, and starting after the two, Adrian passes Joe.
Brent & Caite are still walking around and see stairs - and since “it’s the only place we haven’t tried yet,” decide to take stairs. Jeff & Jordan find a house to paint first. As Carol & Brandy head off to find the house, they remark that “we’re looking for the Martha Stewart seafoam green from the 1997 collection - before jail.”
Joe & Jordan zip through the painting (I think it was all of a six foot by six foot white panel to paint) and get their clue, telling them to go on foot to the Palacio Barbarizza, which will be the first Pit Stop on the Race.
Back at the rope challenge, Granny Jodie says Shannon will do this Roadblock because “I have the balance of a drunken elderly person on stilts.” Joe, panting and sweating, falls off the ropes. He can’t get his legs back up or really move much, so a guy comes out and says they have to go back to the beginning. In the meantime, Louis finishes his rope scoot and Cord begins his. Adrian, huffing and puffing, gets out of the gear - will he quit? Wonder how much of a penalty they’ll get for that?
Monique & Shawn ask around and get directions up the steps to find their house to paint. Dan & Jordan realize they’ve dropped a paint brush and decide to look for it. Steve & Allie, wandering through the neighborhood, end up inside a house with half-painted red walls and start painting, with the work guys saying “I don’t know what they’re doing here.” (If only they had grabbed green or blue paint!) Dan & Jordan decide to keep going without their second paint brush even though they think there might be a penalty. Everyone gets done with rope challenge and after much goading from Dana, Adrian decides to try again. Steve & Allie are inside the house painting the walls and the worker guys are cracking up, saying “they don’t know how to paint.” Steve & Allie finish and watch the clueless looks on the painters - literally! They don’t have a clue for them. Michael & Louis end up painting a house with graffiti on it, covering the graffiti with a much different blue.
Jordan & Jeff get to the Mat and Phil first. Brent & Caite are second, but are told by Phil that since they didn’t take the Fanicular down the hill, they must sit for 30 minutes. Monique & Shawn are then awarded second place. As Brent & Caite sit and stew, Jet & Cord come in third, and Brent & Caite watch Dan & Jordan come to the Mat next. However, Dan & Jordan have a 15-minute penalty for losing one of their paint brushes. Steve & Allie obviously found the correct place to paint because they arrived at the Mat and weren’t given a penalty, ending up in 4th place. Joe & Heidi are 5th, Carol & Brandy 6th, and finally Brent & Caite are allowed to formally check in at the Mat and get 7th place. Dan & Jordan end up 8th, Louis & Michael seemed surprised to find out they were 9th, and Jody & Shannon are relieved with their 10th place finish.
Adrian falls again and it looks like curtains for them. We see Phil walking down the stairs at the rope challenge. Dana & Adrian hope it’s a non-elimination round, but find out otherwise - they’re eliminated. Dana is very sweet to her husband - “We have had life challenges that the cable can’t even come close to.” Aaww!
1 - Jordan & Jeff
2 - Monique & Shawn
3 - Jet & Cord
4 - Steve & Allie
5 - Joe & Heidi
6 - Carol & Brandy
7 - Brent & Caite
8 - Dan & Jordan
9 - Louis & Michael
10 - Jody & Shannon
11- Dana & Adrian - eliminated
So the previews for next week show that some teams are allying with each other and causing problems saving space in line for other teams. The cops seem pretty ticked, and I don’t think I’d want to aggravate them - they know a lot of dirty tricks dealing with criminals! Same time next week!
Brent & Caite, the dating models (Caite was the dodo South Carolina Miss America contestant that said people don’t know where to find South America on maps because they don’t have any); Jet & Coy, Cowboy brothers; Steve & Allie, father & daughter; Dan & Jordan, brothers - Jordan is gay; Dana & Adrian are married high school sweethearts; Jordan & Jeff are dating and are ex-Big Brother contestants - Jordan won; Jodie & Shannon, grandmother & granddaughter who both train for triathalons; Louie & Michael, friends and undercover detectives; Monique & Shawn, best friends and attorneys; Joe & Heidi, married; and Carol & Brandy, the “token” gay couple.
Phil informs them that their clue is waiting on their backpacks, and the teams must get to the airport using public transportation. There are two flights, but there’s only room on the first flight for three teams. The second flight leaves almost an hour later. Given the instructions, the teams are ready to begin, so Phil sends them off:
“Good luck ... travel safe ... GO!”
The clue tells them they are going to Santiago, Chile. I notice that Carol & Brandy have huge backpacks - that’s gonna kill them eventually! The Cowboys are wondering how they’re going to manage the public transportation, saying their town has only one light, and it’s flashing yellow. Teams start asking bus drivers and cabbies where to go and are told to go to Union Station and take the Flyway Bus. Louie & Michael huff and puff as they run, seeing Jodie & Shannon get ahead of them and noting “Nanna is kicking your butt.”
Four teams get on the first bus to LAX - Joe & Heidi, Carol & Brandy, Dana & Adrian, Monique & Shawn. As they get to the airport, there’s a race to the ticket agent and Monique gets there first. As Jordan gets up to the desk she says “we need tickets to China.” (She definitely is a few bricks short of a load!) Carol & Brandy don’t make the first flight. While waiting for the plane, the Cowboys exchange their money and get Brazilian dollars. Brandy says that she’s hoping for either bad weather or a mechanical failure so the first three teams get held up; maybe she’s a witch, because there’s a very convenient mechanical problem with first plane. The airline agent says they will have to get another plane, and Dana & Adrian decide not to take a chance and get tickets for the second plane. Joe & Heidi and Monique & Shawn follow suit, and all the teams are on same flight. When they land in Chile, the clue tells them to go to Valparazo and find the Ascensor Villaseca. The first bus takes Jordan & Jeff, Brent & Caite, Dana & Adrian and Monique & Shawn. Getting on the second bus, the Cowboys can’t use the Brazilian money and have to go exchange it for Chilean money. It’s hysterical listening to everyone speak Spanish to their cab drivers - and seeing the cab drivers waggle their heads in laughter. (Silly Americans!)
The clue is a Roadblock, in which one team member has to do cable walking. On cables strung 120 feet above the ground, they will walk a cable the length of a football field. Caite does it (because Brent is afraid of heights), with Jordan following. Dan falls on his attempt but scoots down the ropes to the finish on his hanging clips. Brandy inches along, talking to herself ... “I can do this” and “don’t throw up.” She sits on the line, but Carol yells to her and she gets back up.
Caite gets done in admirable fashion and the clue tells them to take the Ascensor Artilleria, or Finacular (hillside train) down the hill to the next clue box. That clue is a Detour, “Time to Paint the Town.” The teams are to choose cans of paint in their color choice, supplies such as brushes and a ladder, and find a house matching their paint color with a block unpainted. Once they’re done the painter will give them their next clue. The task is easy enough, but as it turns out there are many problems trying to find the location of the houses (maybe because there’s a street sign with the name of the street going in two directions). Brent & Caite wander around, snipping at each other trying to find the house.
Joe decides to do the rope challenge because he has the strength. Louis does it as well, and starting after the two, Adrian passes Joe.
Brent & Caite are still walking around and see stairs - and since “it’s the only place we haven’t tried yet,” decide to take stairs. Jeff & Jordan find a house to paint first. As Carol & Brandy head off to find the house, they remark that “we’re looking for the Martha Stewart seafoam green from the 1997 collection - before jail.”
Joe & Jordan zip through the painting (I think it was all of a six foot by six foot white panel to paint) and get their clue, telling them to go on foot to the Palacio Barbarizza, which will be the first Pit Stop on the Race.
Back at the rope challenge, Granny Jodie says Shannon will do this Roadblock because “I have the balance of a drunken elderly person on stilts.” Joe, panting and sweating, falls off the ropes. He can’t get his legs back up or really move much, so a guy comes out and says they have to go back to the beginning. In the meantime, Louis finishes his rope scoot and Cord begins his. Adrian, huffing and puffing, gets out of the gear - will he quit? Wonder how much of a penalty they’ll get for that?
Monique & Shawn ask around and get directions up the steps to find their house to paint. Dan & Jordan realize they’ve dropped a paint brush and decide to look for it. Steve & Allie, wandering through the neighborhood, end up inside a house with half-painted red walls and start painting, with the work guys saying “I don’t know what they’re doing here.” (If only they had grabbed green or blue paint!) Dan & Jordan decide to keep going without their second paint brush even though they think there might be a penalty. Everyone gets done with rope challenge and after much goading from Dana, Adrian decides to try again. Steve & Allie are inside the house painting the walls and the worker guys are cracking up, saying “they don’t know how to paint.” Steve & Allie finish and watch the clueless looks on the painters - literally! They don’t have a clue for them. Michael & Louis end up painting a house with graffiti on it, covering the graffiti with a much different blue.
Jordan & Jeff get to the Mat and Phil first. Brent & Caite are second, but are told by Phil that since they didn’t take the Fanicular down the hill, they must sit for 30 minutes. Monique & Shawn are then awarded second place. As Brent & Caite sit and stew, Jet & Cord come in third, and Brent & Caite watch Dan & Jordan come to the Mat next. However, Dan & Jordan have a 15-minute penalty for losing one of their paint brushes. Steve & Allie obviously found the correct place to paint because they arrived at the Mat and weren’t given a penalty, ending up in 4th place. Joe & Heidi are 5th, Carol & Brandy 6th, and finally Brent & Caite are allowed to formally check in at the Mat and get 7th place. Dan & Jordan end up 8th, Louis & Michael seemed surprised to find out they were 9th, and Jody & Shannon are relieved with their 10th place finish.
Adrian falls again and it looks like curtains for them. We see Phil walking down the stairs at the rope challenge. Dana & Adrian hope it’s a non-elimination round, but find out otherwise - they’re eliminated. Dana is very sweet to her husband - “We have had life challenges that the cable can’t even come close to.” Aaww!
1 - Jordan & Jeff
2 - Monique & Shawn
3 - Jet & Cord
4 - Steve & Allie
5 - Joe & Heidi
6 - Carol & Brandy
7 - Brent & Caite
8 - Dan & Jordan
9 - Louis & Michael
10 - Jody & Shannon
11- Dana & Adrian - eliminated
So the previews for next week show that some teams are allying with each other and causing problems saving space in line for other teams. The cops seem pretty ticked, and I don’t think I’d want to aggravate them - they know a lot of dirty tricks dealing with criminals! Same time next week!
Monday, January 25, 2010
AMAZING RACE BEGINS FEBRUARY 14!
Just to let you know - Season 16 of The Amazing Race will begin on February 14th on CBS at 8:00 p.m. My blogs will begin the next day! Stay tuned for a season of fun!
Here are short descriptions of this season's teams:
Brent Horne - Age: 28 - Current Occupation: Model
Caite Upton - Age: 20 - Current Occupation: Model
Relationship: Dating
Carol Rosenfeld - Age: 47 - Current Occupation: Consultant
Brandy Snow - Age: 40 - Current Occupation: Actress
Relationship: Dating
Adrian Davis - Age: 40 - Current Occupation: Medical Sales
Dana Davis - Age: 39 - Current Occupation: Market Manager
Relationship: Married High School Sweethearts
Cord McCoy - Age: 29 - Current Occupation: Professional Bull Rider
Jet McCoy - Age: 30 - Current Occupation: Cowboy
Relationship: Brothers
Jody Kelly - Age: 71 - Current Occupation: Personal Trainer
Shannon Foster - Age: 22 - Current Occupation: Healthcare Outreach Contract Analyst
Relationship: Grandmother/Granddaughter
Joe Wang - Age: 42 - Current Occupation: Software Sales Executive
Heidi Wang - Age: 37 - Current Occupation: Homemaker
Relationship: Married
Daniel Pious - Age: 24 - Current Occupation: Financial Advisor
Jordan Pious - Age: 22 - Current Occupation: Strategic Consultant
Relationship: Brothers
Jeff Schroeder - Age: 31 - Current Occupation: Salesman
Jordan Lloyd - Age: 22 - Current Occupation: Receptionist (She won Big Brother 11 also)
Relationship: Newly Dating
Michael Naylor - Age: 45 - Current Occupation: Undercover Detective
Louie Stravato - Age: 47 - Current Occupation: Undercover Detective
Relationship: Friends
Monique Pryor - Age: 39 - Current Occupation: Mom/Attorney
Shawne Morgan - Age: 39 - Current Occupation: Mom/Attorney
Relationship: Friends/Moms
Steve Smith - Age: 57 - Current Occupation: Professional Baseball Coach (Cleveland Indians), World Series Champion Coach (2008 Philadelphia Phillies)
Allie Smith - Age: 23 - Current Occupation: Marketing
Relationship: Father/Daughter
Here are short descriptions of this season's teams:
Brent Horne - Age: 28 - Current Occupation: Model
Caite Upton - Age: 20 - Current Occupation: Model
Relationship: Dating
Carol Rosenfeld - Age: 47 - Current Occupation: Consultant
Brandy Snow - Age: 40 - Current Occupation: Actress
Relationship: Dating
Adrian Davis - Age: 40 - Current Occupation: Medical Sales
Dana Davis - Age: 39 - Current Occupation: Market Manager
Relationship: Married High School Sweethearts
Cord McCoy - Age: 29 - Current Occupation: Professional Bull Rider
Jet McCoy - Age: 30 - Current Occupation: Cowboy
Relationship: Brothers
Jody Kelly - Age: 71 - Current Occupation: Personal Trainer
Shannon Foster - Age: 22 - Current Occupation: Healthcare Outreach Contract Analyst
Relationship: Grandmother/Granddaughter
Joe Wang - Age: 42 - Current Occupation: Software Sales Executive
Heidi Wang - Age: 37 - Current Occupation: Homemaker
Relationship: Married
Daniel Pious - Age: 24 - Current Occupation: Financial Advisor
Jordan Pious - Age: 22 - Current Occupation: Strategic Consultant
Relationship: Brothers
Jeff Schroeder - Age: 31 - Current Occupation: Salesman
Jordan Lloyd - Age: 22 - Current Occupation: Receptionist (She won Big Brother 11 also)
Relationship: Newly Dating
Michael Naylor - Age: 45 - Current Occupation: Undercover Detective
Louie Stravato - Age: 47 - Current Occupation: Undercover Detective
Relationship: Friends
Monique Pryor - Age: 39 - Current Occupation: Mom/Attorney
Shawne Morgan - Age: 39 - Current Occupation: Mom/Attorney
Relationship: Friends/Moms
Steve Smith - Age: 57 - Current Occupation: Professional Baseball Coach (Cleveland Indians), World Series Champion Coach (2008 Philadelphia Phillies)
Allie Smith - Age: 23 - Current Occupation: Marketing
Relationship: Father/Daughter
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Meghan & Cheyne Are Winners of The Amazing Race!!
Prauge, Czech Republic is the starting point for this, the last leg of the Amazing Race. The teams must fly to Las Vegas and go to the Graceland Wedding Chapel to get their clue from “the King.” Meghan & Cheyne go to a travel agent and find out there is one flight leaving at 6:40 p.m. and landing in Vegas the next day around 2 p.m. Sam & Dan decide that all they have to do is “beat Meghan & Cheyne (really, guys?) and not yell at each other” and they’ll win the Race. Brian & Ericka are ticked at the brothers for stealing their cab “and we’re comin’ for ‘em.” Ericka says she hopes the show will show her Mom, who doesn’t like Brian, that they are a couple “no matter what the color.” They figure everyone will be surprised when they walk in the airport. Sam & Dan are freaked out, and start apologizing to Brian & Ericka, saying “you should blame your taxi driver.” Brian said “I’ll forgive, but I’m not gonna forget.”
It’s a mad dash out of the Vegas airport and a scramble for taxis. Brian & Ericka get out first and the brothers are last, but everyone pretty much makes it to the Chapel at the same time. They’re forced to stand and sing with Elvis until he finishes “Amazing Grace” (which, if you change the syntax a little, is "Amazing Race." Cute, huh?)next to an alleged-getting-married-couple. Reading their clues outside, the teams find out they have to go to the Mandalay Bay Casino. Brian & Ericka’s driver takes them a different way than the other teams “and we’ll just have to trust him” (which can be the best thing on earth or the kiss of death). Sam (or Dan - terrible that I don’t know which is which at this point of the Race!) are complaining that Ericka tried to grab the clue right out of his hand. (They owe you one, bro!) Brian & Ericka get to the hotel first and their clue is a Roadblock. “Who’s ready to climb down the mountain?” One team member must rappel 600 feet, face first, down the side of the building to get their next clue. Ericka will do it because Brian is severely afraid of heights. Ericka says “today I’m fearless.”
Meghan & Cheyne show up and Cheyne will attempt the task, as we see Sam & Dan stuck in traffic. Brian looks like he’s about to puke just watching Ericka go over the side of the building and start her way down. Cheyne is a little afraid of heights but wants to conquer that fear, and Meghan goes back downstairs to stand by Brian, saying “Cheyne is freaking out.” He’s going down with his eyes closed! Ericka tells Brian “I feel like Spider Woman!” She gets down and their clue says “This desert has only one Mirage. Go to it.” Sam does the task and begins as we see Cheyne about halfway, saying he can hear Meghan so “I must be getting close” because he’s still not looking. Sam is kicking butt climbing down the building, saying “Tom Cruise, step aside.” Once at the bottom and in last place, they tell the cabbie he’ll get a big tip if he hurries.
Brian & Ericka get to the Mirage and find out they have to join the cast of Circque du Soleil’s “Love.” They’ll use bungee cords and one team member will launch the other to jump in the air and grab a bouquet of flowers to get their next clue. Ericka gets strapped in and gets peeved seeing Meghan & Cheyne there already. It takes a few tries to even get close and Sam & Dan show up and get strapped in. Ericka wants to trade spots with Brian because he’s taller and starts barking and pointing her finger, saying “get me down, I want to switch! Don’t get me pissed off!” Brian wants her keep trying but she’s insistent. In the meantime, Meghan & Cheyne have all three flowers and get their next clue, “What’s the most famous casino in the country of Monaco?” They have to find the Monte Carlo Casino to get their next clue. Meghan asks another cab driver, who tells her “the Venetian.” Their cab driver says he’s not sure.
Ericka snarls at Brian that the brothers “cannot get out ahead.” She just doesn’t have the strength to bounce Brian high enough to get the flowers, and he tells her she needs to get back on the bungee cords. She freaks out “I can’t take this” but they decide to switch again as Sam & Dan finish and take off. Ericka keeps missing the flowers and screams in frustration and cries. “I can’t stand losing the lead, Brian!”
Sam & Dan are trying to figure out what casino they need to find, and tell their driver to follow Meghan & Cheyne’s cab. Meghan & Cheyne tell their driver to lose Sam & Dan. Sam borrows a phone and calls the Mandalay Bay and finds out that they’re looking for the Monte Carlo Casino. Meghan & Cheyne are telling to people in the street, asking what the casino is. As Brian & Ericka get their clue, they know right away that they need to look for the Monte Carlo. Sam & Dan get there and tell their cabbie to wait, and run inside for their clue. They have to count out $1 million in poker chips. There are 8400 chips on a table in varying amounts, and they must get enough chips to add to $1 million. Once the dealer counts the chips and they are correct, they will get a special poker chip and their next clue. Sam & Dan both start digging for the red $1000 chips.
Meghan & Cheyne get to the Venetian and ask some guy standing outside, who tell them they need the Monte Carlo, but he doesn’t sound sure. Cheyne goes in to ask the concierge, and they go to the desk and ask a group of people, who agree it’s the Monte Carlo and they take off again.
Sam & Dan are bickering again as they grab chips. Brian & Ericka show up and say “it’s an awesome feeling” that they got there before Meghan & Cheyne - who show up shortly after. Each team is muttering under their breath to each other (although Sam & Dan are doing their usual bickering), mostly “as fast as you can.” Meghan & Cheyne are more supportive as Cheyne tells Meghan “don’t worry about them.” Brian & Ericka are quietly grabbing chips and Ericka tells Brian “I love you.” All the teams get done at pretty much the same time and have to wait for their dealers to count the chips. Meghan & Cheyne are correct, but the other two teams have incorrect amounts of chips.
The clue tells Meghan & Cheyne to find their way to the MGM Grand and find the High Roller Suite, where “Mr. Las Vegas” (who is Wayne Newton) will tell them the location of the finish line. Meghan & Cheyne ctually stop and ask some folks in the casino who Mr. Las Vegas is - and Cheyne asks “is it Frank Sinatra?” (Hoo boy, I’m rolling my eyes big time at that one. If it were, how would Frank tell them where the finish line was? He’s probably pretty decomposed and smelly by now too!)
Sam & Dan get the correct amount of chips on the next try but Brian & Ericka find out they are incorrect yet again. Meghan & Cheyne get to the proper room and get hugs from Wayne Newton, telling him they’d “love to stay and chat but we’re in a hurry, what do you got?” He tells them “my house.” And that’s it. (Time to get one of those Maps to the Stars’ Homes!) Sam & Dan show up and walk in, saying that they don’t know who Wayne Newton is (and Newton thankfully tells them, or they could be there half the night).
Meghan & Cheyne’s driver knows where the house is, but when they get there they can’t find the entrance. Sam & Dan get there and it’s a good edit by the producers, making it look close and not knowing who will get there first. Meghan & Cheyne come running around the corner and high-five the other teams as they get to Phil and find out they are the winners of the Amazing Race. Meghan is stuttering that “I don’t know what to say, I can’t even feel my body right now.” Cheyne says she’s a “strong and intelligent woman and I’m glad she’s mine.”
Sam & Dan come running around the corner and Phil tells them they are in second place. They admit that they bicker, but in the end they love and respect each other. Brian & Ericka finally come running down the path (I wonder if they finished the challenge). As Phil tells them they’re in third place they laugh and say “what?!” as if they’re surprised. Phil asks Ericka about her family’s impression of Brian now, and she looks at Brian, who is tearing up and tells him “oh, not now!” She says people should evaluate the character of a person instead of face value, and she’s glad he’s in her life. Cheyne thoughtfully says “the money isn’t even as important as what we got to do together.” Awwwww!
So if you ask me, I think Meghan & Cheyne really deserved the win. They were 99% together, supportive, and it was a total team effort. The annoying, arguing brothers Sam & Dan proved that you can fight and still be friends and Brian & Ericka did too, kind of - her family will see the abuse she gave out and realize that if Brian puts up with that, he really does love her!
So until the spring and the next Amazing Race, have a great holiday season!
It’s a mad dash out of the Vegas airport and a scramble for taxis. Brian & Ericka get out first and the brothers are last, but everyone pretty much makes it to the Chapel at the same time. They’re forced to stand and sing with Elvis until he finishes “Amazing Grace” (which, if you change the syntax a little, is "Amazing Race." Cute, huh?)next to an alleged-getting-married-couple. Reading their clues outside, the teams find out they have to go to the Mandalay Bay Casino. Brian & Ericka’s driver takes them a different way than the other teams “and we’ll just have to trust him” (which can be the best thing on earth or the kiss of death). Sam (or Dan - terrible that I don’t know which is which at this point of the Race!) are complaining that Ericka tried to grab the clue right out of his hand. (They owe you one, bro!) Brian & Ericka get to the hotel first and their clue is a Roadblock. “Who’s ready to climb down the mountain?” One team member must rappel 600 feet, face first, down the side of the building to get their next clue. Ericka will do it because Brian is severely afraid of heights. Ericka says “today I’m fearless.”
Meghan & Cheyne show up and Cheyne will attempt the task, as we see Sam & Dan stuck in traffic. Brian looks like he’s about to puke just watching Ericka go over the side of the building and start her way down. Cheyne is a little afraid of heights but wants to conquer that fear, and Meghan goes back downstairs to stand by Brian, saying “Cheyne is freaking out.” He’s going down with his eyes closed! Ericka tells Brian “I feel like Spider Woman!” She gets down and their clue says “This desert has only one Mirage. Go to it.” Sam does the task and begins as we see Cheyne about halfway, saying he can hear Meghan so “I must be getting close” because he’s still not looking. Sam is kicking butt climbing down the building, saying “Tom Cruise, step aside.” Once at the bottom and in last place, they tell the cabbie he’ll get a big tip if he hurries.
Brian & Ericka get to the Mirage and find out they have to join the cast of Circque du Soleil’s “Love.” They’ll use bungee cords and one team member will launch the other to jump in the air and grab a bouquet of flowers to get their next clue. Ericka gets strapped in and gets peeved seeing Meghan & Cheyne there already. It takes a few tries to even get close and Sam & Dan show up and get strapped in. Ericka wants to trade spots with Brian because he’s taller and starts barking and pointing her finger, saying “get me down, I want to switch! Don’t get me pissed off!” Brian wants her keep trying but she’s insistent. In the meantime, Meghan & Cheyne have all three flowers and get their next clue, “What’s the most famous casino in the country of Monaco?” They have to find the Monte Carlo Casino to get their next clue. Meghan asks another cab driver, who tells her “the Venetian.” Their cab driver says he’s not sure.
Ericka snarls at Brian that the brothers “cannot get out ahead.” She just doesn’t have the strength to bounce Brian high enough to get the flowers, and he tells her she needs to get back on the bungee cords. She freaks out “I can’t take this” but they decide to switch again as Sam & Dan finish and take off. Ericka keeps missing the flowers and screams in frustration and cries. “I can’t stand losing the lead, Brian!”
Sam & Dan are trying to figure out what casino they need to find, and tell their driver to follow Meghan & Cheyne’s cab. Meghan & Cheyne tell their driver to lose Sam & Dan. Sam borrows a phone and calls the Mandalay Bay and finds out that they’re looking for the Monte Carlo Casino. Meghan & Cheyne are telling to people in the street, asking what the casino is. As Brian & Ericka get their clue, they know right away that they need to look for the Monte Carlo. Sam & Dan get there and tell their cabbie to wait, and run inside for their clue. They have to count out $1 million in poker chips. There are 8400 chips on a table in varying amounts, and they must get enough chips to add to $1 million. Once the dealer counts the chips and they are correct, they will get a special poker chip and their next clue. Sam & Dan both start digging for the red $1000 chips.
Meghan & Cheyne get to the Venetian and ask some guy standing outside, who tell them they need the Monte Carlo, but he doesn’t sound sure. Cheyne goes in to ask the concierge, and they go to the desk and ask a group of people, who agree it’s the Monte Carlo and they take off again.
Sam & Dan are bickering again as they grab chips. Brian & Ericka show up and say “it’s an awesome feeling” that they got there before Meghan & Cheyne - who show up shortly after. Each team is muttering under their breath to each other (although Sam & Dan are doing their usual bickering), mostly “as fast as you can.” Meghan & Cheyne are more supportive as Cheyne tells Meghan “don’t worry about them.” Brian & Ericka are quietly grabbing chips and Ericka tells Brian “I love you.” All the teams get done at pretty much the same time and have to wait for their dealers to count the chips. Meghan & Cheyne are correct, but the other two teams have incorrect amounts of chips.
The clue tells Meghan & Cheyne to find their way to the MGM Grand and find the High Roller Suite, where “Mr. Las Vegas” (who is Wayne Newton) will tell them the location of the finish line. Meghan & Cheyne ctually stop and ask some folks in the casino who Mr. Las Vegas is - and Cheyne asks “is it Frank Sinatra?” (Hoo boy, I’m rolling my eyes big time at that one. If it were, how would Frank tell them where the finish line was? He’s probably pretty decomposed and smelly by now too!)
Sam & Dan get the correct amount of chips on the next try but Brian & Ericka find out they are incorrect yet again. Meghan & Cheyne get to the proper room and get hugs from Wayne Newton, telling him they’d “love to stay and chat but we’re in a hurry, what do you got?” He tells them “my house.” And that’s it. (Time to get one of those Maps to the Stars’ Homes!) Sam & Dan show up and walk in, saying that they don’t know who Wayne Newton is (and Newton thankfully tells them, or they could be there half the night).
Meghan & Cheyne’s driver knows where the house is, but when they get there they can’t find the entrance. Sam & Dan get there and it’s a good edit by the producers, making it look close and not knowing who will get there first. Meghan & Cheyne come running around the corner and high-five the other teams as they get to Phil and find out they are the winners of the Amazing Race. Meghan is stuttering that “I don’t know what to say, I can’t even feel my body right now.” Cheyne says she’s a “strong and intelligent woman and I’m glad she’s mine.”
Sam & Dan come running around the corner and Phil tells them they are in second place. They admit that they bicker, but in the end they love and respect each other. Brian & Ericka finally come running down the path (I wonder if they finished the challenge). As Phil tells them they’re in third place they laugh and say “what?!” as if they’re surprised. Phil asks Ericka about her family’s impression of Brian now, and she looks at Brian, who is tearing up and tells him “oh, not now!” She says people should evaluate the character of a person instead of face value, and she’s glad he’s in her life. Cheyne thoughtfully says “the money isn’t even as important as what we got to do together.” Awwwww!
So if you ask me, I think Meghan & Cheyne really deserved the win. They were 99% together, supportive, and it was a total team effort. The annoying, arguing brothers Sam & Dan proved that you can fight and still be friends and Brian & Ericka did too, kind of - her family will see the abuse she gave out and realize that if Brian puts up with that, he really does love her!
So until the spring and the next Amazing Race, have a great holiday season!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Running Around in Prague - Answering Phones and Freezing Their Buns!
It’s getting down to the nitty gritty! Three teams are left (you have to read to the bottom to figure out who they are) and the finale is next week!!!!
Still in Prague, Meghan & Cheyne leave the Pit Stop first and the clue tells them to look for the Spanish Synagogue, which is the city’s oldest Jewish house of prayer. Sam & Dan know that they are now “looked at as the villians” because they stole Ericka & Brian’s taxi during the last leg of the Race. They don’t care, they want to make the final three.
At the Ekotechnicke Museum, the clue is a Roadblock. (Ericka & Brian’s Speed Bump is there as well). One team member must go into a huge room of ringing old-style telephones which the locals call “kafka-esque.” Only five phones will have someone on the other end, and each of the five will give the teams a letter. They then have to go to the supervisors and fill out a form and put the five letters at the bottom of the form in the proper order to get their next clue - it spells “Franz.” Meghan goes in and gets the letters and associates them with animals to remember them: R for rabbit, F for ferret, Z for zebra, and then gets to N and can’t come up with an animal. Meghan has to fill in such things as name, height, weight, partner’s name, and then misses it on the first try, but gets it on the second. Their clue tells them to go to Kryocentrum for their next clue. As Meghan & Cheyne come out of the Museum, Sam & Dan are just pulling up in their cab, and Meghan & Cheyne try to grab it but Sam & Dan tell the driver to wait for them. Meghan gets the driver to call for another taxi. (They should have offered the driver more money like Sam & Dan did - wouldn’t that be cosmic justice?) Dan runs in to do the Roadblock while Sam hopes he doesn’t get overly frustrated with the task.
Brian & Ericka leave the Pit Stop saying they can overcome more than “a little Speed Bump” because they’re the only team that has been in last place. The Globetrotters get to the Museum and Big Easy goes in to the phones as Dan finishes getting his letters and gets his first try rejected. (I love how the supervisor stamps big red X’s over the form, with great vehemence, like he’s trying to tell the teams they’re idiots.) He “doesn’t know if it’s a Czech word or English word.”
By this time, Meghan & Cheyne are at the Kryocentrum and get their next clue, which tells them to “check out the coolest holistic treatment in town.” They will have to strip down to their skivvies and spend two minutes in a -180̊ room. They get to wear socks and gloves, at least, and cover their ears and wear masks.
Brian & Ericka get to the Museum and find their Speed Bump. They have to “pay a visit to the green fairy.” They will have to find the M1 Pub and prepare a traditional shot of Absinthe by lighting a sugar cube on fire and dropping it into the shot glass with the Absinthe, and then drinking it. They will then get their next clue.
Dan is still having trouble spelling the correct word and calls the supervisors “douches.” The Globetrotters get to the Museum and Big Easy goes in to the phones as Dan gets to the supervisor’s room and gets rejected. The two decide to work together to try and figure it out. A lot of good it does, because neither of them can get the right combination.
Meghan & Cheyne come out of the freezer saying that “I feel bad for polar bears.” They get the next clue, telling them to go to the Charles Bridge, which connects the old and new sections of the city, and look for their next clue.
Brian & Ericka get to the bar and see the party going on, and try to pay attention to the bartender while he makes the drink. Brian doesn’t drink alcohol at all and says “it’s gonna be a challenge for me.” Brian sees all the women dancing on the bar and says “you’re gonna get me in trouble!” Ericka wisely tells him “you’re gonna get yourself in trouble!” They make their drinks and the looks on their faces after the shot are priceless! They say it was like drinking rubbing alcohol. (I’ve never tried Absinthe, myself.)
In the meantime, Dan finally gets the right combination and spells Franz. He tells Big Easy “it starts with an F, that’s all I’m saying.” Big Easy protests “that’s all you’re gonna give me?” Dan interviews that they’re trying to make the final three and he wouldn’t want to help him too much. (They were right, the brothers really seem to be nice guys but when it comes to a million bucks, they can be as nasty as the rest. Can you blame them, or are they being obnoxious?) Dan comes out and tells Sam that he and Big Easy were working together and he helped, but not much. Sam seemed upset that Dan helped even that much, and we see Big Easy griping in the supervisor’s room about how he felt Dan screwed him (I don’t blame him at this point, but I’m not sure I have a problem with it. It’s a million bucks!) Brian & Ericka get to the Museum and Brian tries the Roadblock. As he begins answering phones, Meghan & Cheyne get to the Charles Bridge and their clue is a Roadblock: Legend or Lager. In Legend, “teams will delve into Prague lore and Jewish mythology and build a Golem Man, which is made of straw and clay and was constructed to protect the Jewish quarters in the 15th century. Teams will cover a wooden Golem Man with clay and transport the figure through the town to the Old-New Synagogue and if it is deemed okay by the Rabbis, will get their next clue.” (I really hope everyone appreciates the research to find out what the hell Phil was describing there - it took me all of three minutes to Google it and find out what it was!) In Lager, teams must “drink in the local culture and deliver beer to a group of rowdy soccer hooligans.” Beer drinking is also considered a sport in Prague, and the Czech people drink more beer per capita than any other country. They have to carry 30 beers from a brewery through the town square to a bar to get their next clue.
Sam & Dan get to the Kryocentrum and complain that the Speedos are too small (although I have no complaints, they’re some cute butts there!) As they enter the cold room, Brian gets to the supervisor’s room and sees Big Easy still struggling with the letters for the name - he tells Brian he’s been there for about 2½ hours. Brian gets rejected and says the supervisor “is mean with the stamp.”
Meghan & Cheyne get to the Legend task and start to cover the wooden figure with mud as Sam & Dan come out of the freezer. Flight Time says he’s never coming back to the Czech Republic if they don’t get the word right. Brian gets the word and comes out of the Museum yelling, saying “I did it drunk, too!” Big Easy gets rejected once again and decides to go out to Flight Time saying that he’s willing to take the penalty. Teams who cannot finish a task must take a four-hour penalty before they can resume the Race. They insist it’s taking a strategic move, but I see it as dumb. With process of elimination, and anagramming the letters, it would have to be shorter to figure it out than four hours!
Meghan & Cheyne are struggling to move their clay-covered Golem, as the clay makes the statue much heavier. Brian & Ericka get to the Kryocentrum, with Ericka telling us that she’s from Florida and didn’t see snow until she was 21. Welcome to the cold, boopsie! Cheyne is complaining that Golem is heavy, and Meghan tells him that he’s taking the whole handle and not letting her help. Sam & Dan drop their Golem and Dan is asking if they should keep doing the challenge. Meghan & Cheyne are in the middle if the road trying to move their Golem and getting beeped at in traffic. They stop at the curb and she reminds him to be positive, as Cheyne tells Meghan he’s not yelling at her. The brothers bicker at each other covering the wooden statue (hey, we haven’t had a bickering couple the whole Race, it might as well be them!) Brian & Ericka decide to try the Lager challenge. Meghan & Cheyne get to the Synagogue and the Rabbis okay their statue, giving them the clue telling them to go to the next Pit Stop at Strelecky Ostrov, which is a small island next to the Charles Bridge.
Sam & Dan are rolling their Golem down the road and the arm is cracking and ready to fall off. They stand it up and bicker - Dan wants to go find the synagogue first and come back for the statue rather than drag the statue to the location. They stop a taxi driver and get directions from him.
Brian “used to be a server” so he’s instructing Ericka on how to carry the tray of beer. He takes 8 glasses and gives Ericka 7 and they walk through the street with locals bouncing around them and leering at the beer (or maybe at Ericka. Or maybe Brian!) He asks “don’t you people have jobs?”
Meghan & Cheyne run up to Phil at the Mat and find out they are team #1 once again. They each win 52" TVs.
Sam & Dan are seen pulling their statue and yapping at each other. Dan is complaining about how heavy it is, and Sam is telling him “Meghan did it!” Back at the Museum, Big Easy tells Flight Time that he killed about four trees filling out the forms. We then see Ericka & Brian carrying their beer, and as Brian tips one of his glasses over, Ericka turns around and loses her whole tray of beer. She tries to convince Brian to go do the other task., saying “it’s insane” and they won’t be able to do it. After seeing the other teams go through the Legend task, I’m with Brian - just stick with this one! Ericka just wouldn’t have the strength to pull that statue around. Brian gives her two glasses and tells her to just keep with it, and Ericka uses her hands to carry the two glasses. They have to dodge drunks walking down the street trying to grab the beers. Sam & Dan are still yapping and carrying the statue. Brian & Ericka are walking down the street with full trays of beer, and a girl walks by and says “For me?” and tries to grab a beer. Ericka gets an attitude saying “she’s about to get her ass beat” and saying she has “an American attitude.” Back at the Museum Big Easy is saying “it’s all on me.” Brian & Ericka meet up with some more drunks and manage to deliver their beer anyway. Sam & Dan get to the Synagogue and call it the “Detour from Hell” and still bitch at each other in the cab to the Pit Stop.
Brian & Ericka grab their last 11 beers and end up with a couple of guys following them down the street. Sam & Dan make it to the Mat and they two guys say “ooh, ow!” as they see the pretty lady standing with Phil. Phil tells them they’re Team #2, and still in it for a million bucks. They think they can overcome Meghan & Cheyne because the other teams see them as “second or third place.”
Back at the phone bank, the Globetrotters’ penalty is over and they head to the Kroycentrum. It’s daylight when Brian & Ericka finish delivering the beer and the guy waiting for them is half asleep. As they head to the Kryocentrum, Big Easy & Flight Time are hoping that someone had a real problem with a Detour - but it’s not to be, as Brian & Ericka get to Phil at the Mat and are told they are Team #3 and they celebrate.
We don’t see the Globetrotters go into the freezer, or which Detour they chose, but we get to see a recap of their exploits on the Race, with them riding the bikes, and dancing at the Opera House. As they get to the Mat, they know they’re in last place and Phil tells them they are eliminated. Big Easy says that this Race can tear up relationships, and it didn’t do that to them - and I give them credit. They really were the quintessential team, helping each other and staying positive the whole way. Too bad they were eliminated, but someone had to go!
Here is the order of finish:
1 - Meghan & Cheyne
2 - Sam & Dan
3 - Brian & Ericka
4 - Big Easy & Flight Time - eliminated
So next week is the finale - who will be victorious and get the million bucks? Will Meghan & Cheyne keep their winning streak alive or will the brothers manage to get ahead? Will the perpetual last-place team of Brian & Ericka pull it off? We’ll find out next week!
Still in Prague, Meghan & Cheyne leave the Pit Stop first and the clue tells them to look for the Spanish Synagogue, which is the city’s oldest Jewish house of prayer. Sam & Dan know that they are now “looked at as the villians” because they stole Ericka & Brian’s taxi during the last leg of the Race. They don’t care, they want to make the final three.
At the Ekotechnicke Museum, the clue is a Roadblock. (Ericka & Brian’s Speed Bump is there as well). One team member must go into a huge room of ringing old-style telephones which the locals call “kafka-esque.” Only five phones will have someone on the other end, and each of the five will give the teams a letter. They then have to go to the supervisors and fill out a form and put the five letters at the bottom of the form in the proper order to get their next clue - it spells “Franz.” Meghan goes in and gets the letters and associates them with animals to remember them: R for rabbit, F for ferret, Z for zebra, and then gets to N and can’t come up with an animal. Meghan has to fill in such things as name, height, weight, partner’s name, and then misses it on the first try, but gets it on the second. Their clue tells them to go to Kryocentrum for their next clue. As Meghan & Cheyne come out of the Museum, Sam & Dan are just pulling up in their cab, and Meghan & Cheyne try to grab it but Sam & Dan tell the driver to wait for them. Meghan gets the driver to call for another taxi. (They should have offered the driver more money like Sam & Dan did - wouldn’t that be cosmic justice?) Dan runs in to do the Roadblock while Sam hopes he doesn’t get overly frustrated with the task.
Brian & Ericka leave the Pit Stop saying they can overcome more than “a little Speed Bump” because they’re the only team that has been in last place. The Globetrotters get to the Museum and Big Easy goes in to the phones as Dan finishes getting his letters and gets his first try rejected. (I love how the supervisor stamps big red X’s over the form, with great vehemence, like he’s trying to tell the teams they’re idiots.) He “doesn’t know if it’s a Czech word or English word.”
By this time, Meghan & Cheyne are at the Kryocentrum and get their next clue, which tells them to “check out the coolest holistic treatment in town.” They will have to strip down to their skivvies and spend two minutes in a -180̊ room. They get to wear socks and gloves, at least, and cover their ears and wear masks.
Brian & Ericka get to the Museum and find their Speed Bump. They have to “pay a visit to the green fairy.” They will have to find the M1 Pub and prepare a traditional shot of Absinthe by lighting a sugar cube on fire and dropping it into the shot glass with the Absinthe, and then drinking it. They will then get their next clue.
Dan is still having trouble spelling the correct word and calls the supervisors “douches.” The Globetrotters get to the Museum and Big Easy goes in to the phones as Dan gets to the supervisor’s room and gets rejected. The two decide to work together to try and figure it out. A lot of good it does, because neither of them can get the right combination.
Meghan & Cheyne come out of the freezer saying that “I feel bad for polar bears.” They get the next clue, telling them to go to the Charles Bridge, which connects the old and new sections of the city, and look for their next clue.
Brian & Ericka get to the bar and see the party going on, and try to pay attention to the bartender while he makes the drink. Brian doesn’t drink alcohol at all and says “it’s gonna be a challenge for me.” Brian sees all the women dancing on the bar and says “you’re gonna get me in trouble!” Ericka wisely tells him “you’re gonna get yourself in trouble!” They make their drinks and the looks on their faces after the shot are priceless! They say it was like drinking rubbing alcohol. (I’ve never tried Absinthe, myself.)
In the meantime, Dan finally gets the right combination and spells Franz. He tells Big Easy “it starts with an F, that’s all I’m saying.” Big Easy protests “that’s all you’re gonna give me?” Dan interviews that they’re trying to make the final three and he wouldn’t want to help him too much. (They were right, the brothers really seem to be nice guys but when it comes to a million bucks, they can be as nasty as the rest. Can you blame them, or are they being obnoxious?) Dan comes out and tells Sam that he and Big Easy were working together and he helped, but not much. Sam seemed upset that Dan helped even that much, and we see Big Easy griping in the supervisor’s room about how he felt Dan screwed him (I don’t blame him at this point, but I’m not sure I have a problem with it. It’s a million bucks!) Brian & Ericka get to the Museum and Brian tries the Roadblock. As he begins answering phones, Meghan & Cheyne get to the Charles Bridge and their clue is a Roadblock: Legend or Lager. In Legend, “teams will delve into Prague lore and Jewish mythology and build a Golem Man, which is made of straw and clay and was constructed to protect the Jewish quarters in the 15th century. Teams will cover a wooden Golem Man with clay and transport the figure through the town to the Old-New Synagogue and if it is deemed okay by the Rabbis, will get their next clue.” (I really hope everyone appreciates the research to find out what the hell Phil was describing there - it took me all of three minutes to Google it and find out what it was!) In Lager, teams must “drink in the local culture and deliver beer to a group of rowdy soccer hooligans.” Beer drinking is also considered a sport in Prague, and the Czech people drink more beer per capita than any other country. They have to carry 30 beers from a brewery through the town square to a bar to get their next clue.
Sam & Dan get to the Kryocentrum and complain that the Speedos are too small (although I have no complaints, they’re some cute butts there!) As they enter the cold room, Brian gets to the supervisor’s room and sees Big Easy still struggling with the letters for the name - he tells Brian he’s been there for about 2½ hours. Brian gets rejected and says the supervisor “is mean with the stamp.”
Meghan & Cheyne get to the Legend task and start to cover the wooden figure with mud as Sam & Dan come out of the freezer. Flight Time says he’s never coming back to the Czech Republic if they don’t get the word right. Brian gets the word and comes out of the Museum yelling, saying “I did it drunk, too!” Big Easy gets rejected once again and decides to go out to Flight Time saying that he’s willing to take the penalty. Teams who cannot finish a task must take a four-hour penalty before they can resume the Race. They insist it’s taking a strategic move, but I see it as dumb. With process of elimination, and anagramming the letters, it would have to be shorter to figure it out than four hours!
Meghan & Cheyne are struggling to move their clay-covered Golem, as the clay makes the statue much heavier. Brian & Ericka get to the Kryocentrum, with Ericka telling us that she’s from Florida and didn’t see snow until she was 21. Welcome to the cold, boopsie! Cheyne is complaining that Golem is heavy, and Meghan tells him that he’s taking the whole handle and not letting her help. Sam & Dan drop their Golem and Dan is asking if they should keep doing the challenge. Meghan & Cheyne are in the middle if the road trying to move their Golem and getting beeped at in traffic. They stop at the curb and she reminds him to be positive, as Cheyne tells Meghan he’s not yelling at her. The brothers bicker at each other covering the wooden statue (hey, we haven’t had a bickering couple the whole Race, it might as well be them!) Brian & Ericka decide to try the Lager challenge. Meghan & Cheyne get to the Synagogue and the Rabbis okay their statue, giving them the clue telling them to go to the next Pit Stop at Strelecky Ostrov, which is a small island next to the Charles Bridge.
Sam & Dan are rolling their Golem down the road and the arm is cracking and ready to fall off. They stand it up and bicker - Dan wants to go find the synagogue first and come back for the statue rather than drag the statue to the location. They stop a taxi driver and get directions from him.
Brian “used to be a server” so he’s instructing Ericka on how to carry the tray of beer. He takes 8 glasses and gives Ericka 7 and they walk through the street with locals bouncing around them and leering at the beer (or maybe at Ericka. Or maybe Brian!) He asks “don’t you people have jobs?”
Meghan & Cheyne run up to Phil at the Mat and find out they are team #1 once again. They each win 52" TVs.
Sam & Dan are seen pulling their statue and yapping at each other. Dan is complaining about how heavy it is, and Sam is telling him “Meghan did it!” Back at the Museum, Big Easy tells Flight Time that he killed about four trees filling out the forms. We then see Ericka & Brian carrying their beer, and as Brian tips one of his glasses over, Ericka turns around and loses her whole tray of beer. She tries to convince Brian to go do the other task., saying “it’s insane” and they won’t be able to do it. After seeing the other teams go through the Legend task, I’m with Brian - just stick with this one! Ericka just wouldn’t have the strength to pull that statue around. Brian gives her two glasses and tells her to just keep with it, and Ericka uses her hands to carry the two glasses. They have to dodge drunks walking down the street trying to grab the beers. Sam & Dan are still yapping and carrying the statue. Brian & Ericka are walking down the street with full trays of beer, and a girl walks by and says “For me?” and tries to grab a beer. Ericka gets an attitude saying “she’s about to get her ass beat” and saying she has “an American attitude.” Back at the Museum Big Easy is saying “it’s all on me.” Brian & Ericka meet up with some more drunks and manage to deliver their beer anyway. Sam & Dan get to the Synagogue and call it the “Detour from Hell” and still bitch at each other in the cab to the Pit Stop.
Brian & Ericka grab their last 11 beers and end up with a couple of guys following them down the street. Sam & Dan make it to the Mat and they two guys say “ooh, ow!” as they see the pretty lady standing with Phil. Phil tells them they’re Team #2, and still in it for a million bucks. They think they can overcome Meghan & Cheyne because the other teams see them as “second or third place.”
Back at the phone bank, the Globetrotters’ penalty is over and they head to the Kroycentrum. It’s daylight when Brian & Ericka finish delivering the beer and the guy waiting for them is half asleep. As they head to the Kryocentrum, Big Easy & Flight Time are hoping that someone had a real problem with a Detour - but it’s not to be, as Brian & Ericka get to Phil at the Mat and are told they are Team #3 and they celebrate.
We don’t see the Globetrotters go into the freezer, or which Detour they chose, but we get to see a recap of their exploits on the Race, with them riding the bikes, and dancing at the Opera House. As they get to the Mat, they know they’re in last place and Phil tells them they are eliminated. Big Easy says that this Race can tear up relationships, and it didn’t do that to them - and I give them credit. They really were the quintessential team, helping each other and staying positive the whole way. Too bad they were eliminated, but someone had to go!
Here is the order of finish:
1 - Meghan & Cheyne
2 - Sam & Dan
3 - Brian & Ericka
4 - Big Easy & Flight Time - eliminated
So next week is the finale - who will be victorious and get the million bucks? Will Meghan & Cheyne keep their winning streak alive or will the brothers manage to get ahead? Will the perpetual last-place team of Brian & Ericka pull it off? We’ll find out next week!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Cooperation is Out the Window! Sam & Dan are Thieves!
The teams begin this leg of the Race in Estonia. Meghan & Cheyne leave first, finding out they have to fly to Prague, Czech Republic. They will have to find a man in a Praga, which is a vintage convertible. Sam & Dan leave next, saying that the Globetrotters are their biggest competition, especially “since they accused us of elbowing them” running to the last Pit Stop. For their credit, Big Easy & Flight Time say they’re not harboring any ill will. “They’re in the final four and you have to respect them for that.” Brian & Ericka bring up the rear but catch up at the airport because the first flight doesn’t leave until 5:20 a.m. Meghan & Cheyne spot a Praga on the internet and find out that it’s a vintage car and plan to tell everyone that they need to look for a certain kind of hat - but they see the Globetrotters see the car on the internet too so they don’t bother.
Once the teams land, they all take off in taxis - except for Brian & Ericka, who talked to someone on the plane who said it would be quicker to take the subway. Flight Time & Big Easy say “we gotta go to an old town and look for an old car, and we’ve got an old man driving, and he’s driving like one.” In the cab, Sam & Dan discuss what a Praga might be, asking their cabbie if it’s a robe.
The clue tells the teams to go to an outdoor adventure center, Kayaky Troja, and search for the clue box. Sam & Dan saw Meghan & Cheyne running to the car and realized that is where they needed to go, and in the cab afterward mentioned that they would have looked forever because they didn’t know what they were looking for. Ericka & Brian are stuck in traffic on a shuttle bus to the subway and finally decide it’s taking too long and grab a taxi. Brian says “we did what we did, and we’re only looking forward.” Eternal optimist, that one!
At the Kayaky Troja, the clue is a Detour: Fast and Furious or Slow and Steady. In Fast and Furious they have to ride down a white water course that is used to train professional kayakers. They will have to grab a ribbon with their next clue written on it. If they tip over before they get to the ribbon, they have to start all over again. For Slow and Steady, they have to pull themselves along an aerial rope course to the end to get their next clue. Sam & Dan think they can do the white water, while Meghan & Cheyne decide to do Slow.
Brian & Ericka get to the square but have no idea what they’re looking for. (Now, they got the tip from somebody to take the subway to the square - but they didn’t ask the person what a Praga was?)
Sam & Dan paddle underneath Meghan & Cheyne and the Globetrotters as they hit the rope course, yelling “we’re gonna beat you!” They end up bickering the entire time about paddling. They get into the part of the course with faster water and end up tipping over. The rope teams find out it’s harder than it looks, as they first go downhill, but then end up having to pull themselves uphill. Big Easy is so heavy his feet are hitting the water. Meghan figures out to lay back and put her feet up on the rope to make it easier, but Flight Time was already there and making good headway. Sam & Dan paddle under them for their second attempt, yelling at each other again and tipping over once again. Flight Time is the first one to the end, and Meghan mentions that it’s the first time she’s seen the big strong Big Easy struggle on anything. The locals at the end platform tell Flight Time to go down and Cheyne wants to go first because Flight Time is going too slow - Flight Time says “I’m going slow because I’m tired.” Cheyne keeps yelling that he’s going slow on purpose, and Flight Time realized that he could hold them up by doing just that. Flight Time talks to Meghan on the ground saying “I don’t play like that” but “once you gave me the idea, it sounded good.” Meghan tells him it’s okay. The brothers seem to have the paddling down and tip over yet again. After that spill they decide to try the Slow and Steady. They say “as long as Brian & Ericka don’t show up we’re okay.” And of course, here come Brian & Ericka.
The teams need to figure out the next clue on the ribbons, which are Stavotske Divadlo and mean the Estates Theater. Meghan & Cheyne ask a local about getting a taxi and he points them to the train station. Meghan yells to the Globetrotters “we know where we’re going” and Cheyne isn’t too thrilled, but the Globetrotters say they would have followed them anyway so it was no big deal. Brian says he’s afraid of heights but they decide to do the rope challenge, and Ericka thanks him for challenging his fear for her (she’s afraid of water).
Meghan & Cheyne ask a local about the fastest way to get to the building, and as she’s writing it down for them, Cheyne spots a taxi and just snatches the note pad out of her hands to run to the taxi. The Globetrotters get the woman to write it for them, and Meghan chastises Cheyne for being rude to everyone, and leaving the Globetrotters after saying they’d help each other. Cheyne has a point, that this “isn’t a frickin’ hold your hand game.”
Sam is having mega problems with the ropes, and Brian shouts to Ericka to “use two hands” (which she is) and she’s getting upset with him. In the cab, Cheyne apologizes to Meghan “if you thought I was rude” but Meghan tells him that if the Globetrotters get ticked off at them it will motivate them and “give them a reason to mess with you.”
The clue at the Theater is a Roadblock - “who can remain composed under pressure?” The Estates Theater is where Motzart premiered his opera Giovanni. One team member must look throughout the theater for a tiny mandolin, which is the instrument Giovanni plays in the opera, and give it to a singing Giovanni for their next clue. Cheyne takes off to look for the mandolin in the massive opera theater. Cheyne finds a lute-looking thing and hands it to the Giovanni on stage, who laughs at him and says “no.”
On the train, the Globetrotters say how they hope they can catch Meghan & Cheyne and “stick it to Cheyne” for not wanting to work with them. Big Easy is going to do the Roadblock and takes off looking for the little instrument. Back at the Detour, the brothers finish and find out the taxi waiting is Brian & Ericka’s, and tell the driver they will pay him more to take them. Brian yells to Ericka “here’s some motivation...the brothers are trying to steal our taxi.” Brian & Ericka yell to the taxi to wait for them, but the taxi driver decides to take the brothers. Ericka gets her motivation and says “I’m going for the jugular now.” Meghan is telling Cheyne’s name and encouraging him, while driving Big Easy crazy. Brian & Ericka get finished and moan about Sam & Dan stealing their cab, and Brian says “I don’t think we’ll be working with them any more.” Ericka is firm, “We’re not working with anybody ... ever.”
Sam & Dan get to the theater and Dan will do the Roadblock. Sam sits with Flight Time and Meghan, and when Meghan asks about Brian & Ericka Sam says “we kind of took their cab.” Big Easy grabs a guitar and Meghan laughs that “It’s miniature to him.” Flight Time starts ballet prancing around the stage as Giovanni sings, and when Dan brings up a small violin, Giovanni laughs at him, too, and says “no.” Flight Time says “I haven’t seen Big Easy in five minutes - somebody send the paramedics up there.” Cheyne is crawling around the upper stage walks, and Big Easy finds a small bag and gives it to Giovanni, who laughs at him. Big Easy says “you can’t laugh at me no more, I’m gonna find it.” He does find a small case and brings it back - but it’s empty, and he gets laughed at again. Cheyne finds a small case and hands it to Giovanni, singing with him (badly) and getting his clue. It tells them to go to the next Pit Stop, Prague Castle. It is the largest ancient castle in the world.
Brian & Ericka get to the Theater as Dan finds the small case and gets his clue. Brian & Ericka walk in as the brothers walk out, and Brian complains that they didn’t even look him in the eye or apologize. Big Easy says “I don’t want to hear him sing no more” as he finds his case. “No offense, but I want to get to the Pit Stop.” To her credit Ericka isn’t freaking out looking for the little case. The Globetrotters get done and Sam & Dan are still looking for a taxi, and they end up leaving at almost the same time, but Sam & Dan beat them to the Mat. Flight Time & Big Easy say “we’re gonna crash this party” as they show up and when Phil asks if there’s tension on the Race, they say “All we know is someone stole someone else’s taxi, so we’ll just let them beat each other up and step on ahead.” Sam & Dan are standing there looking like they’re ready to kill someone. I think they don’t have room to complain, they were pretty nasty doing that - but again, this is a race for a million bucks!
Back at the Theater, Giovanni grabs a sandwich and sits with Brian as he waits for Ericka. When they finally make it to the Mat, Phil asks if they’ve enjoyed the Race, and Brian says they’ve had an angel every leg, and it’s been fun. Phil tells them they have another angel because it’s a non-elimination leg. (I’m wondering if the producers did that because Sam & Dan stole their cab).
So here’s the order of finish:
1 - Meghan & Cheyne
2 - Sam & Dan
3 - Big Easy & Flight Time
4 - Brian & Ericka
So, should Sam & Dan’s karma bite them in the ass because they were rotten and stole Brian & Ericka’s taxi? Are things getting nasty between the teams and is it really the end of cooperation? Should it be the end of cooperation? Can Meghan & Cheyne be beat? Stay tuned!
Once the teams land, they all take off in taxis - except for Brian & Ericka, who talked to someone on the plane who said it would be quicker to take the subway. Flight Time & Big Easy say “we gotta go to an old town and look for an old car, and we’ve got an old man driving, and he’s driving like one.” In the cab, Sam & Dan discuss what a Praga might be, asking their cabbie if it’s a robe.
The clue tells the teams to go to an outdoor adventure center, Kayaky Troja, and search for the clue box. Sam & Dan saw Meghan & Cheyne running to the car and realized that is where they needed to go, and in the cab afterward mentioned that they would have looked forever because they didn’t know what they were looking for. Ericka & Brian are stuck in traffic on a shuttle bus to the subway and finally decide it’s taking too long and grab a taxi. Brian says “we did what we did, and we’re only looking forward.” Eternal optimist, that one!
At the Kayaky Troja, the clue is a Detour: Fast and Furious or Slow and Steady. In Fast and Furious they have to ride down a white water course that is used to train professional kayakers. They will have to grab a ribbon with their next clue written on it. If they tip over before they get to the ribbon, they have to start all over again. For Slow and Steady, they have to pull themselves along an aerial rope course to the end to get their next clue. Sam & Dan think they can do the white water, while Meghan & Cheyne decide to do Slow.
Brian & Ericka get to the square but have no idea what they’re looking for. (Now, they got the tip from somebody to take the subway to the square - but they didn’t ask the person what a Praga was?)
Sam & Dan paddle underneath Meghan & Cheyne and the Globetrotters as they hit the rope course, yelling “we’re gonna beat you!” They end up bickering the entire time about paddling. They get into the part of the course with faster water and end up tipping over. The rope teams find out it’s harder than it looks, as they first go downhill, but then end up having to pull themselves uphill. Big Easy is so heavy his feet are hitting the water. Meghan figures out to lay back and put her feet up on the rope to make it easier, but Flight Time was already there and making good headway. Sam & Dan paddle under them for their second attempt, yelling at each other again and tipping over once again. Flight Time is the first one to the end, and Meghan mentions that it’s the first time she’s seen the big strong Big Easy struggle on anything. The locals at the end platform tell Flight Time to go down and Cheyne wants to go first because Flight Time is going too slow - Flight Time says “I’m going slow because I’m tired.” Cheyne keeps yelling that he’s going slow on purpose, and Flight Time realized that he could hold them up by doing just that. Flight Time talks to Meghan on the ground saying “I don’t play like that” but “once you gave me the idea, it sounded good.” Meghan tells him it’s okay. The brothers seem to have the paddling down and tip over yet again. After that spill they decide to try the Slow and Steady. They say “as long as Brian & Ericka don’t show up we’re okay.” And of course, here come Brian & Ericka.
The teams need to figure out the next clue on the ribbons, which are Stavotske Divadlo and mean the Estates Theater. Meghan & Cheyne ask a local about getting a taxi and he points them to the train station. Meghan yells to the Globetrotters “we know where we’re going” and Cheyne isn’t too thrilled, but the Globetrotters say they would have followed them anyway so it was no big deal. Brian says he’s afraid of heights but they decide to do the rope challenge, and Ericka thanks him for challenging his fear for her (she’s afraid of water).
Meghan & Cheyne ask a local about the fastest way to get to the building, and as she’s writing it down for them, Cheyne spots a taxi and just snatches the note pad out of her hands to run to the taxi. The Globetrotters get the woman to write it for them, and Meghan chastises Cheyne for being rude to everyone, and leaving the Globetrotters after saying they’d help each other. Cheyne has a point, that this “isn’t a frickin’ hold your hand game.”
Sam is having mega problems with the ropes, and Brian shouts to Ericka to “use two hands” (which she is) and she’s getting upset with him. In the cab, Cheyne apologizes to Meghan “if you thought I was rude” but Meghan tells him that if the Globetrotters get ticked off at them it will motivate them and “give them a reason to mess with you.”
The clue at the Theater is a Roadblock - “who can remain composed under pressure?” The Estates Theater is where Motzart premiered his opera Giovanni. One team member must look throughout the theater for a tiny mandolin, which is the instrument Giovanni plays in the opera, and give it to a singing Giovanni for their next clue. Cheyne takes off to look for the mandolin in the massive opera theater. Cheyne finds a lute-looking thing and hands it to the Giovanni on stage, who laughs at him and says “no.”
On the train, the Globetrotters say how they hope they can catch Meghan & Cheyne and “stick it to Cheyne” for not wanting to work with them. Big Easy is going to do the Roadblock and takes off looking for the little instrument. Back at the Detour, the brothers finish and find out the taxi waiting is Brian & Ericka’s, and tell the driver they will pay him more to take them. Brian yells to Ericka “here’s some motivation...the brothers are trying to steal our taxi.” Brian & Ericka yell to the taxi to wait for them, but the taxi driver decides to take the brothers. Ericka gets her motivation and says “I’m going for the jugular now.” Meghan is telling Cheyne’s name and encouraging him, while driving Big Easy crazy. Brian & Ericka get finished and moan about Sam & Dan stealing their cab, and Brian says “I don’t think we’ll be working with them any more.” Ericka is firm, “We’re not working with anybody ... ever.”
Sam & Dan get to the theater and Dan will do the Roadblock. Sam sits with Flight Time and Meghan, and when Meghan asks about Brian & Ericka Sam says “we kind of took their cab.” Big Easy grabs a guitar and Meghan laughs that “It’s miniature to him.” Flight Time starts ballet prancing around the stage as Giovanni sings, and when Dan brings up a small violin, Giovanni laughs at him, too, and says “no.” Flight Time says “I haven’t seen Big Easy in five minutes - somebody send the paramedics up there.” Cheyne is crawling around the upper stage walks, and Big Easy finds a small bag and gives it to Giovanni, who laughs at him. Big Easy says “you can’t laugh at me no more, I’m gonna find it.” He does find a small case and brings it back - but it’s empty, and he gets laughed at again. Cheyne finds a small case and hands it to Giovanni, singing with him (badly) and getting his clue. It tells them to go to the next Pit Stop, Prague Castle. It is the largest ancient castle in the world.
Brian & Ericka get to the Theater as Dan finds the small case and gets his clue. Brian & Ericka walk in as the brothers walk out, and Brian complains that they didn’t even look him in the eye or apologize. Big Easy says “I don’t want to hear him sing no more” as he finds his case. “No offense, but I want to get to the Pit Stop.” To her credit Ericka isn’t freaking out looking for the little case. The Globetrotters get done and Sam & Dan are still looking for a taxi, and they end up leaving at almost the same time, but Sam & Dan beat them to the Mat. Flight Time & Big Easy say “we’re gonna crash this party” as they show up and when Phil asks if there’s tension on the Race, they say “All we know is someone stole someone else’s taxi, so we’ll just let them beat each other up and step on ahead.” Sam & Dan are standing there looking like they’re ready to kill someone. I think they don’t have room to complain, they were pretty nasty doing that - but again, this is a race for a million bucks!
Back at the Theater, Giovanni grabs a sandwich and sits with Brian as he waits for Ericka. When they finally make it to the Mat, Phil asks if they’ve enjoyed the Race, and Brian says they’ve had an angel every leg, and it’s been fun. Phil tells them they have another angel because it’s a non-elimination leg. (I’m wondering if the producers did that because Sam & Dan stole their cab).
So here’s the order of finish:
1 - Meghan & Cheyne
2 - Sam & Dan
3 - Big Easy & Flight Time
4 - Brian & Ericka
So, should Sam & Dan’s karma bite them in the ass because they were rotten and stole Brian & Ericka’s taxi? Are things getting nasty between the teams and is it really the end of cooperation? Should it be the end of cooperation? Can Meghan & Cheyne be beat? Stay tuned!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Mud Volleyball & Estonian Hotties
It’s the 8th Pit Stop of the Amazing Race in Stockholm, Sweden. Flight Time & Big Easy leave first, and find out they have to go to Tallinn, Estonia and then open the door to Mustpeade. They talk a local cabbie into letting them follow him to the ferry. Once at the ferry, they find out it doesn’t leave until 5:45 p.m. the next afternoon. Meghan & Cheyne get a cabbie to write the directions for them. Brian & Ericka mention that Ericka didn’t win any preliminaries during the Miss America pageant, but won the crown so they’re not worried about not winning a leg. They get a cabbie to follow to the ferry, and end up beating Meghan & Cheyne there. They see Flight Time & Big Easy sleeping in their car and are bummed that they have to wait till 5:00 for the ferry. Flight Time & Big Easy mention that Sam & Dan acted badly by yelling at each other "flipping the bird and stuff" during the hay challenge and they shouldn’t win. Once on the ferry, the teams have rooms with beds for the 16-hour ride. They’re all hanging out watching the scenery, I’d be zonked the whole time!
The teams ran down a long hallway to get off the ferry complaining the whole time, but the Globetrotters laugh “ya’ll getting tired, huh?” However, they end up leaving last from the ferry stop. At the door of Mustpeade, Meghan & Cheyne and Sam & Dan find a little lock on the building that’s the one they need to open (as opposed to the actual door) and get it unlocked and into the building before Brian & Ericka get there and see them. The clue inside is a Roadblock. It involves the brotherhood of the blackets, which is a secret society of merchants. One person will join the ranks of the brotherhood. They go down to the cellar and find a candelabra with a room number on it, go to the room and be given a “blank” scroll. They have to figure out that they need to hold the scroll over a lighted candle and will get their next clue.
As Gary & Matt show up they find their Speed Bump. They have to find a bus and take a five-minute sauna with a group of locals. As they dash off to find the sauna bus, we see Cheyne and Sam looking for their rooms. Brian & Ericka get into the building and Flight Time & Big Easy don’t have to use their key but follow them in.
Flight Time got to his room first and got his scroll. He sees a red crayon and scribbles across his scroll, thinking that it was the way to get his clue. At this time, my hunny is screaming about how Flight Time slams his candelabra on the top and is scribbling on a beautiful grand piano and possibly wrecking the patina. Cheyne immediately uses his candle to try and read the scroll.
At the sauna, Gary & Matt are enjoying sitting with the locals, especially Matt, who is next to a beautiful blonde woman who is looking like she’s thinking “these guys are dorks.”
Cheyne manages to see his clue, which is Pikk Herman Tower Garden. Ericka is right behind him. While Sam and Flight Time are still looking for their clues, Gary & Matt get to the Mustpeade and Matt does the task, pronouncing it “candle - a - BRA” and getting a laugh out of the locals. Sam figured it out, and Flight Time finally used the candle and got his clue. Matt can’t figure out what a candle-a-bra is, asking if some guy can lead him to a room. I think the pink hair dye has finally gotten to him! He gets lucky and associates the candelabra with the number on it as what he needs.
Meghan & Cheyne get to the Tower with Ericka & Brian, and their clue is a Detour. Teams have to choose between Serve or Sling. In Serve, they have to play a round of volleyball in the bog with a local team and score 5 points to get their clue. In Sling, they have to stand in the mud and use a sling to hit a moose target, dumping a table full of cabbage and get their clue.
Meghan & Cheyne decide to do Serve since Meghan has played beach volleyball. As they race off to find a taxi with Ericka & Brian, they grab a taxi that Ericka thinks is theirs (although Meghan & Cheyne were running in front). They jump in the cab and the driver asks about “the other guys” and Meghan & Cheyne say “no, we don’t care about them” as their driver grabs his cell to call another cab ofr Brian & Ericka. Matt, back at the building, tries the "rub" method on the scroll and gets nowhere. Brian & Ericka find a cab and she decides she has to “keep an eye on Brian” because he has a big heart. Brian refused to say that Meghan & Cheyne "stole the cab."
All the teams are going to the volleyball challenge. Sam & Dan are begging for a guy to get out of a taxi but the man riding inside says he can’t walk. They see another taxi as the Globetrotters do, and both teams end up in the same taxi complaining that Big Easy & Flight Time are just “hanging on our coattails.” Gary & Matt end up walking/running to the Tower. In the cab, the teams read the clue saying that they have to play volleyball in their underwear, and Ericka says “you’re gonna have to get out another pair of underwear, because all I’m wearing is a stringy thong and that ain’t happening.”
Gary & Matt are at the Tower, and decide to go into it and totally miss the clue box in front. After running around inside, they decide to look outside and find the clue box. They decide to do the Sling challenge. Gary & Matt get a cabbie with a cab-driving buddy with Meghan & Cheyne in his cab, and tell the driver to tell the other driver to go slowly. Meghan & Cheyne’s driver lets them know what was up and doesn’t go along with it.
Meghan & Cheyne get to the volleyball and score three points pretty quickly. They look like they’re having fun, even knee-deep in mud and moving very slowly. As the Globetrotters, Brian & Ericka and Sam & Dan show up, they can’t find the marked path through the forest and wander around. Meghan & Cheyne finally get their 5 points and get their next clue, telling them to go run through the bogs and look for the next Pitstop, the Keava Raba Overlook Tower. Meghan & Cheyne get to the Mat first, full of mud. Their prize is a sauna, which doesn’t seem to impress them all that much.
We see the other three teams wandering and they finally manage to find the arrows to their destination. Sam & Dan say that there were some “hottie Estonian guys.” The Globetrotters and Sam & Dan take the volleyball nets, and since only two teams could play at a time, Brian & Ericka end up trying Sling. They had to put "snowshoes" on to walk over the mud.
The volleyball is not going well for either team, and I guess the “Estonian hotties” got Dan all excited, because his crotch was all blurred out. They all interview that they enjoyed playing volleyball but they couldn’t move so it wasn’t easy. The Estonian players started feeling sorry for the teams and ended up giving points away. Flight Time & Big Easy got their 5 points first and Sam & Dan were right behind and after getting their clue, realized that the Globetrotters were going the wrong way. Big Easy & Flight Time realize their mistake and quickly catch up to Sam & Dan. As they run one of the Globetrotters tangles with either Sam or Dan and falls, but the brothers manage to get to the tower ahead of the Globetrotters. Phil mentions that “Big Easy looks like he wants to kick some butt right now.” (Nothing like fanning the fire, Phil!) After the replay we see that the Globetrotters were the instigators and tried to knock over the brothers. However, Big Easy did the most complaining about being knocked over.
Brian & Ericka, after many slingshots, get their cabbages to fall and get their clue and race to the Mat. Phil asks them if they know if they’re last, and when they say no, he says “I’m gonna put you out of your misery and tell you you’re team number 4.” Gary & Matt interview that they enjoyed the experience and “shooting radishes” was part of it. They get to the Mat and Phil tells them they are eliminated. Gary gets overwhelmed and sniffly as he says how much fun it’s been doing the Race with his son.
So here’s the order of finish:
1 - Meghan & Cheyne
2 - Sam & Dan
3 - Flight Time & Big Easy
4 - Brian & Ericka
5 - Gary & Matt - eliminated
It looks like any one of the remaining teams could take it. Who are you rooting for?
The teams ran down a long hallway to get off the ferry complaining the whole time, but the Globetrotters laugh “ya’ll getting tired, huh?” However, they end up leaving last from the ferry stop. At the door of Mustpeade, Meghan & Cheyne and Sam & Dan find a little lock on the building that’s the one they need to open (as opposed to the actual door) and get it unlocked and into the building before Brian & Ericka get there and see them. The clue inside is a Roadblock. It involves the brotherhood of the blackets, which is a secret society of merchants. One person will join the ranks of the brotherhood. They go down to the cellar and find a candelabra with a room number on it, go to the room and be given a “blank” scroll. They have to figure out that they need to hold the scroll over a lighted candle and will get their next clue.
As Gary & Matt show up they find their Speed Bump. They have to find a bus and take a five-minute sauna with a group of locals. As they dash off to find the sauna bus, we see Cheyne and Sam looking for their rooms. Brian & Ericka get into the building and Flight Time & Big Easy don’t have to use their key but follow them in.
Flight Time got to his room first and got his scroll. He sees a red crayon and scribbles across his scroll, thinking that it was the way to get his clue. At this time, my hunny is screaming about how Flight Time slams his candelabra on the top and is scribbling on a beautiful grand piano and possibly wrecking the patina. Cheyne immediately uses his candle to try and read the scroll.
At the sauna, Gary & Matt are enjoying sitting with the locals, especially Matt, who is next to a beautiful blonde woman who is looking like she’s thinking “these guys are dorks.”
Cheyne manages to see his clue, which is Pikk Herman Tower Garden. Ericka is right behind him. While Sam and Flight Time are still looking for their clues, Gary & Matt get to the Mustpeade and Matt does the task, pronouncing it “candle - a - BRA” and getting a laugh out of the locals. Sam figured it out, and Flight Time finally used the candle and got his clue. Matt can’t figure out what a candle-a-bra is, asking if some guy can lead him to a room. I think the pink hair dye has finally gotten to him! He gets lucky and associates the candelabra with the number on it as what he needs.
Meghan & Cheyne get to the Tower with Ericka & Brian, and their clue is a Detour. Teams have to choose between Serve or Sling. In Serve, they have to play a round of volleyball in the bog with a local team and score 5 points to get their clue. In Sling, they have to stand in the mud and use a sling to hit a moose target, dumping a table full of cabbage and get their clue.
Meghan & Cheyne decide to do Serve since Meghan has played beach volleyball. As they race off to find a taxi with Ericka & Brian, they grab a taxi that Ericka thinks is theirs (although Meghan & Cheyne were running in front). They jump in the cab and the driver asks about “the other guys” and Meghan & Cheyne say “no, we don’t care about them” as their driver grabs his cell to call another cab ofr Brian & Ericka. Matt, back at the building, tries the "rub" method on the scroll and gets nowhere. Brian & Ericka find a cab and she decides she has to “keep an eye on Brian” because he has a big heart. Brian refused to say that Meghan & Cheyne "stole the cab."
All the teams are going to the volleyball challenge. Sam & Dan are begging for a guy to get out of a taxi but the man riding inside says he can’t walk. They see another taxi as the Globetrotters do, and both teams end up in the same taxi complaining that Big Easy & Flight Time are just “hanging on our coattails.” Gary & Matt end up walking/running to the Tower. In the cab, the teams read the clue saying that they have to play volleyball in their underwear, and Ericka says “you’re gonna have to get out another pair of underwear, because all I’m wearing is a stringy thong and that ain’t happening.”
Gary & Matt are at the Tower, and decide to go into it and totally miss the clue box in front. After running around inside, they decide to look outside and find the clue box. They decide to do the Sling challenge. Gary & Matt get a cabbie with a cab-driving buddy with Meghan & Cheyne in his cab, and tell the driver to tell the other driver to go slowly. Meghan & Cheyne’s driver lets them know what was up and doesn’t go along with it.
Meghan & Cheyne get to the volleyball and score three points pretty quickly. They look like they’re having fun, even knee-deep in mud and moving very slowly. As the Globetrotters, Brian & Ericka and Sam & Dan show up, they can’t find the marked path through the forest and wander around. Meghan & Cheyne finally get their 5 points and get their next clue, telling them to go run through the bogs and look for the next Pitstop, the Keava Raba Overlook Tower. Meghan & Cheyne get to the Mat first, full of mud. Their prize is a sauna, which doesn’t seem to impress them all that much.
We see the other three teams wandering and they finally manage to find the arrows to their destination. Sam & Dan say that there were some “hottie Estonian guys.” The Globetrotters and Sam & Dan take the volleyball nets, and since only two teams could play at a time, Brian & Ericka end up trying Sling. They had to put "snowshoes" on to walk over the mud.
The volleyball is not going well for either team, and I guess the “Estonian hotties” got Dan all excited, because his crotch was all blurred out. They all interview that they enjoyed playing volleyball but they couldn’t move so it wasn’t easy. The Estonian players started feeling sorry for the teams and ended up giving points away. Flight Time & Big Easy got their 5 points first and Sam & Dan were right behind and after getting their clue, realized that the Globetrotters were going the wrong way. Big Easy & Flight Time realize their mistake and quickly catch up to Sam & Dan. As they run one of the Globetrotters tangles with either Sam or Dan and falls, but the brothers manage to get to the tower ahead of the Globetrotters. Phil mentions that “Big Easy looks like he wants to kick some butt right now.” (Nothing like fanning the fire, Phil!) After the replay we see that the Globetrotters were the instigators and tried to knock over the brothers. However, Big Easy did the most complaining about being knocked over.
Brian & Ericka, after many slingshots, get their cabbages to fall and get their clue and race to the Mat. Phil asks them if they know if they’re last, and when they say no, he says “I’m gonna put you out of your misery and tell you you’re team number 4.” Gary & Matt interview that they enjoyed the experience and “shooting radishes” was part of it. They get to the Mat and Phil tells them they are eliminated. Gary gets overwhelmed and sniffly as he says how much fun it’s been doing the Race with his son.
So here’s the order of finish:
1 - Meghan & Cheyne
2 - Sam & Dan
3 - Flight Time & Big Easy
4 - Brian & Ericka
5 - Gary & Matt - eliminated
It looks like any one of the remaining teams could take it. Who are you rooting for?
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