Amazing Race-March to Russia

Only four teams left: 9:21 pm-Nick and Starr 10:47 Dallas and Toni 11:17-Ken and Tina 12:41 Dan and Andrew All board the same flight to Moscow, Russia with Dan and Andrew at the airport buying shoes because they stupidly left their shoes at the costume store. They looked really silly walking around the airport in the hotel slippers! Laurel and Hardy, Barney and Andy, Miss Piggy and Kermit, who would be Miss Piggy? I'm thinking Andrew? Arriving in Russia they catch cabs to a monastery where they will receive their next clue, however, taking cabs in Russia looks daunting and worst than Almaty. The detour is boots or borscht. Marching in military boots or serving borscht to a military army of 75. Nick and Starr for the first time have bad luck in catching the cabs from Hell. All teams chose boots and Dallas and Toni make it to the detour first, with Tina and Ken on their heels. Tina looked right at home in that military garb, that suited her militaristic style of traveling. Andrew for some reason doesn't know how to wrap cloth around his feet and both decide to do the borscht which they remove their uniforms only to find out that they needed to stay dressed. So once back in the uniforms they decide might as well do the march. Now come on, Dan can't march. At first I'm like, he's got to be kidding. No one is that uncoordinated! Wrong, Dan is. He can't march to save his life. Even the Russian army were having a good laugh. At work we were all marching like Dan, with Jeffie making the perfect Dan impression. What a klutz, Dan not Jeff! Andrew and Dan then decide to do the ladling of borscht, because that doesn't require coordination. Meanwhile, Nick and Starr have finally arrived to the detour and Starr tells her cab driver to take a hike since he got them lost in Russia. Of course when they finish their detour there isn't a cab to be found anywhere. Not a good leg for these two, but you knew their luck would have to run out sometime. Next challenge is to load 50, 50lb sacks of flour into a bakery. Looked like back breaking work, but Dallas insist on carrying two sacks at a time. I was so glad Dallas and Toni made it to the pit stop first. Next to check in were Ken and Tina with Nick and Starr making up a lot of time ahead of the bumbling idiots of Dumb and Dumber who finishes last, but were saved by a non-elimination round. My guess for the race to the finish, Nick and Starr and Tina and Ken. I really would like Dallas and Toni to win, but I just don't think they are fast enough, but maybe they will have the Luck Gods on their side.-Single D

Survivor-Gabon-Cookies and Venom and False Idols

Ok folks, was this not the best episode ever! We were buzzing at work about how crazy good it was. And Randy enough with the cookies already, as Sugar said, it's just cookies! This episode was the auction reward challenge, pitting bidding Survivors against each other for food. Randy wins the first item for bid which was beer and peanuts. Randy strikes me as a beer and peanuts kind of guy so that was appropriate. Kenny bids on the next which is a piece of paper that says send someone to exile island and take their money, so he sends Bob to exile again. Poor Bob! Next, Susie bids on a soak in a tub. At first that looked great, but having to soak in front of the gang and crew wouldn't necessarily be relaxing. She gets in, I assume sans clothes and soaks for all of 5 minutes. I think she got out quickly because she was uncomfortable washing her pits in front of America. Matty bids and wins the big plate of spaghetti and wine which he desperately needed since he is so thin he makes me look fat. And the whole cookie incident was brought on when Jeff brings out a plate of cookies and says it's for sale for 20.00 but it's for the tribe. Randy immediately jumps in and gives the money over and brings the plate for everyone to take a cookie, but at first Sugar says no, but then says I will give it to Matty. This ticks Randy off and he says no, it's for you. The very last cookie he asks Sugar again and this time Sugar takes it and gives it to Matty, which enrages Randy. Is there anything that doesn't enrage Randy? Back at camp Randy is on a rampage against Sugar and the whole cookie incident. Sugar keeps rolling her eyes and says, geez it's just cookies! Randy hatches a plan with Corinne, to incite the camp against him which I'm sure is not going to take much since everyone already hates him. When Bob comes back, Corinne is to sweet talk Bob into giving Randy the idol and thus save him from tribal. One major thing wrong with this plan, Bob doesn't have a real idol, only the fake one he made from resin and beads. On exile, Bob decides to get in touch with his African experience and enjoy the beauty of Africa. The immunity challenge was a maze of setting up pieces of wood to create a domino effect to win the immunity. In the final three, Corinne, Kenny and Matty, I was like holding my breath to see whose domino's would finish first. Kenny's gamer boy intellect leads him to win victory and all was well in Survivor world.

At camp Bob tells Sugar that he doesn't have the idol but made a fake one. Sugar says wouldn't it be funny if you gave that idol to Randy and he'd play it at tribal thinking it was a real one. For all of Sugar's blondness, she's not some dumb cookie. She's actually pretty smart and the way she handles people with that dumb blond personality people are like putty in her hands. I really didn't think Bob would spin a lie to Randy and Corinne, but I was amazed when Corinne asked if he found the idol and he kinda said yes in an off handed manner.

At tribal the cookie drama was still being bantered around with Sugar saying get over it!Everyone is pretty much done with Randy and his antics. During the vote, Crystal talks so loudly to the camera, everyone could hear her say, I'm so done with him since day one. Alrighty let's really tell everyone how you feel. I was laughing. When Jeff asked if anyone had the idol and would like to play it, a smug Randy turns over the resin beaded thing to Jeff. Corinne and Randy both had that smug look of triumph, but Sugar and Crystal could hardly contain their laughter behind their hands. They looked like school girls getting one over on their teacher. When Jeff declared it a fake, you know those girls wanted to laugh hysterically. I was howling on my couch, my daughter commenting, gee mom, you're so weird! Well, I guess you had to be there. I loved, loved, loved him getting blindsided, it was like a double blindside with the fake idol and all. And when he was eliminated, Randy's looks were spewing fire. Hell hath......Can't wait to see what he says at Ponderosa.-Single D

Reality Check-Traffic Tickets

Several months ago I got a speeding ticket. Ok, I was distracted,rushing to my daughter's orthodontist and then planning on leaving town for a week in San Diego. Who wouldn't be distracted? Which led me to think of my other tickets, not that there have been that many, which I could probably count on one hand since I drive more like "Driving Miss Daisy". I'm the person on the highway doing the speed limit! When we lived in Denver, I got almost two tickets there. I say almost, since one of the them I was stopped by the po-po for having out of state plates on my Subaru Outback. It just so happened, my timing was perfection! that I had gone to the DMV that day to register my car (from California) and received my new plates. I threw those in the back seat, when on University Ave there was a flashing red light in my rear view mirror. What, is that for me? Yep it was. He pulls me over, "Do you know your plates are expired and out of state?" I'm like, "well, dud, like I'm from California" (well, I really didn't use those words exactly). Yes sir. "Do you live in Denver?" Yes sir. "How long have you lived here?" Here I lie, about 2 months, (really more like 6 months). "Do you know it's illegal not to register your car when residing in this state?" But sir, I have my plates! Oh, where are they? In the back seat, because I just got them today, I remark happily. Po-po is not pleased at all! (I think that ticket was a hefty fine). So he says to me, put them on. I'm like what? Put them on! I say I don't have a screw driver. Guess what he says? "Use a nickle". Yep you heard me, use a nickle. Not a quarter, not a dime, not even a penny, use a nickle! Oh how those three words are burned into my brain to this very day! Use a nickle! So I get out of my car, now it's about 25 chilly degrees outside and it's getting dark. I take my plates, use a nickle to pry off the old ones (do you know how hard it is to unscrew a screw with a nickle?!) and put on the new ones, this taking about 20 minutes because I'll be darn if he didn't sit in that warm po-po car of his watching me do this. I think he secretly enjoyed seeing me suffer. I should have reported him! The one ticket I did get was one of the photo tickets, again on University Ave (I should have avoided that street altogether!). All of sudden I see this flash, but, I thought nothing of it. A couple of weeks later, I get in the mail a photo of me driving in my car, my passenger's face (my husband) blurred out like I was having some sort of secret affair. I thought I looked pretty good for a black and white photo, although I had this quizzical look on my face (what was that flashing light?). Well that good black and white photo which wasn't suitable for framing cost me $300.00! My very first ticket was in Oakland when I was really green around the ears. The four of us had gone out to dinner at a place called the "Gingerbread House" in Oakland. This restaurant only had two seatings for dinner. The four of us enjoyed the 9:00 seating, ate Cajun food and my friends had several bottles of wine between them. Leaving the restaurant and me unfamiliar with Oakland trying to find the freeway to get back to San Francisco, I saw the freeway entrance, but I was in the wrong lane to turn so instead I went straight for a half block and made a u-turn. So what if it was a little deserted street and I was going the wrong way down a one way street, what was the harm in that at midnight? Well, when I got to the corner to make the right turn onto the freeway, there was the po-po lying in wait. He followed me onto the freeway for 5 miles, surely waiting for me to drive like some drunk reckless person. When he finally pulled me over, shining the light in my eyes and sniffing the inside of my VW, he asked me if I had been drinking, to which I tersely said, No! He made me follow his flashlight with my eyes, which I guess it was some sort of sobriety test which I passed. He asked me what we were doing and I said I was trying to find the freeway back to SF, to which, after he wrote me the ticket said, would you like me to escort you to the freeway? I'm like yeah, deflated, defeated, and suddenly that Gingerbread House food giving me a terrible upset stomach! So when I got that ticket the other day, with my daughter strapped in the back seat, the police said he clocked me at 54 mph in a 35 zone, asking me for my license and registration of which I couldn't get my glove box opened, it was a new Saturn Vue which had a faulty glove box lock, the po-po said in his most generous sounding voice, of course after running my plates and seeing what a good little citizen I have been, said that he was going to reduce it to a parking ticket. A parking ticket I queried? Yes, it would act like a parking ticket and I will reduce your speed to 45 mph also. Somehow my mind could not wrap around the words speeding and parking. Those two words just didn't jive in my head. After he gave me my ticket and I resumed driving, this time 35 mph, my daughter's voice came through the fog, gee mom, I felt like crying! When I told my husband that I got a speeding/parking ticket, he's like what does that mean and why didn't you tell him who you work for, maybe he would have cut you some professional courtesy? First of all, being stopped like that is not an everyday occurrence for me, so I really didn't have my wits about me and besides he threw me off by throwing out words like parking. When I got my ticket, I was hoping it would be of the parking fines and not the speeding fines. Not! So the other day when I was leaving my house, lo and behold, there in front of my subdivision, was a motorcycle cop lying in wait. I'm like OMG, they're in my own neighborhood, my own backyard and where the speed limit is only 25 mph. 25 mph! Only wheelchairs and skateboarders go that slow! It's unnatural for cars to go 25 mph I whine to my husband and daughter! It's just not fair, not fair I think to myself, going 25 mph, still feeling the sting from paying $200.00!-Single D

Top Chef - Premier

The talent pool for Top Chef has exceeded itself once again or so it seems. Most of the contestants own their own restaurant or are a executive chef at one. There is one student. So everyone is making friends and having a good time when Padama and Chef Tom announce the quick fire challenge. They have to peel apples with a knife. The quick fire is done in three rounds and the one left standing is going home. The second round is chopping the apples while the third round is to cook the apples. One contestant slices his thumb and bleeds all over his apples but luck for him, he peeled them good and didn't have to continue. The two bottom people both make salads. Nothing wrong with salads but come on, this is your first impression with the judges! It doesn't work for Lauren and her spinach salad gets her a ticket home with Stefan winning immunity. At the house, personalities are emerging with Stefan and Fabio thinking they are superior. Check the ego at the door guys it usually goes before the fall.

In the elimination challenge, the chefs are paired up to go head to head and get an area of NYC to get their inspiration, China Town, Little Italy, etc. It seemed like one person from every twosome didn't know how to cook in that particular area. The shopping was funny, the one person who didn't know what they were doing would follow the other to get some clue. Back in the kitchen, Jeff was running around like a chicken, well you know, and not getting anything done. Everyone else was trying to get in the swing of things since they really aren't used to competing. I thought sure Eugene was going to win since he didn't know how to cook Indian food but came up with, apparently, is their national dish of lamb with basmati rice and tzatziki with tandoori glaze (yes I cheated and looked it up). But it was not to be and Stefan wins with his lamb chop paired with beef skewers, sounds plain by comparison. Pour student, Patrick, who had so much trouble with his black rice noodles didn't impress the judges and was told to pack his knives and go. Double D

Ghost Adventures - West Palm Beach, FL

The jury is still out on this show. I've been so spoiled by Ghost Hunters that I expect all investigators to be like them. These guys seem to be afraid of their own shadows, yell at each other and say 'dude' so much that I think they have forgotten each others names. Their gimmick is getting "locked down" in the property they investigate, which really didn't help much since in one episode since they got so scared they jumped out of a second floor window! Ok, I've had my say, so without further ado, it's on to West Palm Beach, Florida and the Riddle house.

The Riddle house was once used as a funeral parlor then became a private residence. It is now part of a village called Yesteryear Village. They did not go into detail about this Yesteryear Village and I thought it was a retirement village until I saw the placards in front of each building. Reports here are that unattended ladders get moved, knocked over or just plain disappear. A man hung himself in the attic using a ladder which seems to explain the ladder thing. People have been hit by objects and had their hair pulled. American flags also get moved or disappear. Zak get a psychic, Shiela, to go through the house. Shiela does not have knowledge of the house but gets the name of the man who hung himself, Joseph, and why he hung himself. They go into the attic where Shiela describes Joseph and says that he will be a problem for the team because he doesn't like men.

Lock down gets underway and Zak starts provoking Joseph right away. He leaves a wooden board at the top of the steps for Joseph to throw. It doesn't take long and the board comes down a few stairs. Zak continues to talk a big game in the attic. After provoking the spirit in the attic, Zak leaves poor Aaron up there by himself. What did Aaron ever do to you Zak?! Aaron is clearly scared to death but tries talking to Joseph and gets more and more nervous to the extent that he closes his eyes while he asks his questions. I guess that's like pulling the covers over your head. Downstairs, Zak & Nick hear a loud noise in the kitchen. Zak goes in like gangbusters demanding to know who made that noise, not likely he will get an answer. They didn't find the source of the noise but a flag, which was leaning in a corner in another room, falls across a doorway. Back in the attic, Aaron keeps chastising himself for asking Joseph stupid questions. He hears a noise behind him and that was all she wrote! He runs screaming from the attic. After reviewing the tape, you can clearly see a bird cage fall over behind Aaron. This team doesn't do any review, you have to catch that as they go, if there is anything. Like I said, I'll watch again, maybe because there really isn't anything on Friday night. If they could just tone down saying 'dude' so much.........Double D

Paranormal State

I came across this show about a group of students interested in the paranormal who conduct investigations. This particular case claims to have horses that die under unusual circumstances and shadows are also seen. The students bring in psychic "Chip" who says whatever is there is in the woods. So it's off to the woods where they find a horse down but, it's only resting so no problem. Psychic Chip still insists that there is something in the woods. The team turns to Native Americans to see if there is a connection. The Indians say there is a spirit that runs through the land and does whatever it wants (gee doesn't that sound familiar). Someone suggests burning tobacco and playing Native American music to arouse the spirits. They all gather around the fire with the Native American music playing, one man says he feels cold, clammy, light headed and weak. Sounds like the flu to me. After the feel good session, the team gets back to work by asking the now supposedly aroused spirits to make a noise or make something move. Apparently this was a 4 day investigation but the spirits were not cooperating and the only thing caught on tape was a chair that moved on it's own. Sorry kids, this show was extremely boring and I won't be watching. Double D

Ghost Hunters - Topsfield, MA

J&G go it alone in this episode of a private residence where the owner claims to be held down while cats walk across her chest (don't ask me, I just report what I hear) as well as doors that won't open (could be locked, did you think of that?), giggling and a creepy attic (what old house doesn't have one of those?). Gee, am I sounding cynical on this one? J&G gave Steve and Tango the night off so they go wireless with hand held cameras as well as stationary cameras. They go into the master bedroom and hear footsteps coming from the attic. Jason taps on the ceiling and gets a tap in return, twice. Grant tells the spirit you can do better than that and the bedroom door slams shut. They then go to the living room and dare the spirits to do something to make them leave. The first time, a coat hanger falls on the floor, they persist and the coat hanger flies at Jason. Except for the bedroom door slamming shut, nothing was caught on video or audio. Jason tells the owner whatever is going on is trying to make it's presence known and it's not anything to be afraid of. I don't know about that, that coat hanger seemed pretty angry! Double D

Ghost Hunters - Live!

It was another Halloween spent with the TAPS team at Fort Delaware. If you have been reading my blog on this, Fort Delaware was where the team saw the figure on thermal cam walk into a hallway, turn around and walk back. Real creepy stuff! This episode was live (on the east coast anyway) on Halloween. I was handing out candy while watching the TV and what self respecting Ghost Hunters fan would I be if I wasn't watching along on the computer as well! The team had a command central set up where fans could send in email questions as well as a "panic button" to press if fans saw something on the cameras via computer. One person emailed that she had seen a pair of disembodied legs crossing the courtyard. Not that it can't happen, but I'm thinking she may have had a bit too much witches brew while watching the show. I only say that because if there was something of that sort caught on tape, J&G usually show it. Speaking of the dynamic duo, they start off the investigation in the tunnels where they saw the figure from before. As they are walking around, you can clearly hear someone say, "you're not supposed to be here", maybe the spirits thought they should be home trick or treating. Next they go to the officer's quarters and hear footsteps and also get responses when Grant makes knocking sounds. They then go to the dungeon where Grant's jacket is clearly seen getting tugged by unseen hands. That was pretty wild when they played it back you could so see it! Just when you get over that, it happens a second time! Grant has the willies now and I can't say that I blame him since it gave me a chill, especially that second time. Steve and Tango go in the dungeon and end up playing with a bat which is kind of strange since Steve is afraid of anything except ghosts. They start getting high EMF readings but debunk them after finding bad wiring. Joe & Kris G along with special guest The Miz of ECW (whoever he is and whatever that is) are in the kitchen where The Miz (couldn't he use his real name for this?) gets bored and starts to provoke the spirits. It doesn't look like it works until Kris gets her jacket pulled (turned out she brushed up against something). There was not a lot of evidence this time, except Grant's jacket and the voice, but still a pretty good show. Jason does pronounce Fort Delaware haunted. Double D

Amazing Race-Bye to Terence and Sarah

First to depart are Nick and Starr at 10:14 pm on their way to Borat country of Kazakhstan.

10:24-Toni and Dallas

10:43- Terence and Sarah

Next to leave Ken and Tina

and lastly at 12:00-Frat boys, Andrew and Dan, gee are they still in it?

Teams are on three different flights with Andrew and Dan alone on the third flight with their only hope of catching up is that at their destination, the teams will have to spend the night and wait for their next challenge to open which is exactly what happens in Kazakhstan. All the teams meet at a chicken factory to look for the golden egg, except for Nick and Starr and Terence and Sarah who vie for the fast forward. Little do they know that they will have to eat a local dish of sheep's butt, yummy! Back at the chicken farm, teams have to look for one of seven golden eggs among 30,000 chickens. One thing I have to say, Kazakhstanian chickens look much happier than American chickens. Happy chickens come from Kazakhstan! Tina, who else? finds the golden egg the first. That team is like a pack of pit bulls, they keep fighting back. Next it's Toni and Dallas. After they find the egg, they have to take a crane truck to find the Mongol Warrior. It seems the crane truck driver doesn't know where to go and the Frat boys drive around Almaty like tourist on a sightseeing mission. Back at the fast forward, we knew Nick and Starr would wolf down that delicious dish in no time. I was so hoping Starr would puke. When Terence saw that it was meat and he's a vegetarian, why didn't they leave right then? They wasted so much time not eating and heaving that they should have left as soon as they saw what it was. I knew Terence the weakling would not be able to do it. Weak! After several lame attempts to swallow sheep's butt (boy my daughter better not complain about her dinners or I might have to make that dish for her, which looked like slimy, slithery, gelatinous, chewy yuck in gravy), Sarah and Terence finally leave the fast forward after Nick and Starr slurp down the dish and win. The next stop is to the Mongol Warrior whose falcon delivers their next clue which is either to act like fools, by dressing up in a cow costume or play like fools, playing instruments for money. Everyone chose wisely by dressing up like fools. Dallas had a little too much fun being the cow, I think he secretly liked that his mother was the cow's rear. Tina made poor Ken the butt of cow of course and plowed straight away her cow head on crooked. When Dallas and Toni made the milk stand, at least Dallas got it right by reading the clue at the bottom of the milk glass, unlike Tina drinking the milk and then didn't read the clue on the bottom of the glass nor did they follow instructions but instead changed their cow outfits, only to find out that they needed to be in costume when they delivered themselves to the butcher. They made some pretty silly mistakes for a team that seemed more savvy than most. Meanwhile, still lost in Almaty, Frat boys are trying to find someone that speaks English. What language do they speak in Kazakhstan? The entire time Frat boys bicker between themselves, like Shrek and Donkey, Tom and Jerry, Frick and Frack, Chip and Dale. Unfortunately for Terence and Sarah going up against Nick and Starr for the fast forward, didn't have a chance to make up time, no matter that the Frat boys goofed by taking a taxi to the pitstop when they were supposed to walk. Terence and Sarah are eliminated but in the end, all is well, as Terence says where ever life takes him, he'll take Visa, I'm mean Sarah! Aw how sweet now, I think there is a sheep's butt dish with Terence's name on it.-Single D

Reality Check-Tuscan Chicken Thighs and Giada's Polenta

Since we have to watch our budget when we go grocery shopping, I have been cooking a lot with chicken thighs and besides, my daughter only likes dark meat. This recipe is simple and quick and a great Sunday dinner.

For the marinade:

4 large cloves of garlic chopped and put in a bowl

1 sprig of rosemary, which I get from my garden, but I make sure I only use the top of the rosemary plant, since I'm sure Henry the chihuahua has peed on the bottom of the plant. Take leaves off stem and roughly chop

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

the juice on one lemon a couple of pinches of Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

whisk in 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil

pour over chicken and let marinade for an hour

put in oven at 350 for about 1 hour or until done

A perfect companion dish for this chicken is Everyday Italian's chef, Giada Delaurentis's easy polenta recipe:

2 cups of salted (1 teaspoon) water-bring to a boil

stir in 2 tablespoons of butter (she just uses 1, but I think it needs two)

stir in 1 cup of cornmeal (yellow or white, I used white)

continue stirring and cook for about 3-5 minutes, usually when it is starting to get stiff, I remove from heat and quickly spread out in butter 9x11 dish. Let cool slightly and cut into squares.

Put polenta on plate and add chicken with the sauce over the the polenta.

Sheer heaven! I lick my plate every time and my daughter loves it!-Single D

Survivor Gabon-The New Nobag Tribe

Why is it that once someone is saved by blinding siding someone else that person takes full credit for it, case in point, the awesome blindside of Marcus by Crystal's persuasive talking to Susie, who turned out to be the swing vote with Kenny taking full credit for that play. In my opinion, Susie single handily change this game. When the tribes meet for the reward challenge, you had to lift the jaws of Corinne and Charlie off the grass. I thought Charlie would weep copious tears for the loss of Marcus and Corinne was just darn mad. She said Marcus deserved to be in this game more that some other people with Kenny challenging her to name names. Ah that would be anyone from the Fang tribe. The reward challenge is a sling shot golf challenge with Randy going head to head with Matty on how to shot the ball. Randy's got some real control issues. It was a pretty close game and I had to crack up when Kenny was holding Susie so she wouldn't lift off the ground when Professor Bob shot the ball. I wanted the underdogs of Kenny and Crystal to win but a couple of loose cannon shots seals their fate and the new Fang tribe with Matty, Corinne, Sugar, Charlie and Randy end up winning the reward. Poor Matty, he sure looked like he needed this one for his body and for his spirit. Fang is met by a very colorful tribe dressed in bold red for lunch. I have to say, that for being tribal in Africa, this tribe of the BWITI village looked perfectly happy in Eden. Even the children looked happy if not snotty nosed. First each survivor is washed, I'm sure they must really stink and then are treated to a feast and afterward it's a rousing all let loose dance soiree. Randy actually thinks that one of the tribal women is coming on to him, what is he kidding? He's such a jerk. Randy, you're mean, sour, bitter and no woman would want you even if you won a million dollars.

Back at Kota, Kenny catches three fish for Crystal and Susie which makes him feel like a real he- man, bo hunk of the jungle. Professor Bob is chosen to go to exile island by Corinne whose hoping he'll find the idol which he doesn't because Sugar has it. I thought they might plant another one, but the last clue lead to an empty post. Bob gets the idea of making an idol and does a pretty good job of fashioning one out of beads, rocks and wood.

For the immunity challenge it is an individual challenge where Jeff tells the two tribes that they have merged much to the glee of everyone. This individual challenge is to make fire. You would think that Kenny who has been making fire almost everyday would be good at it, but the real contest was between who knew, Sugar and Susie, with Susie winning it. See, I bet in ancient times, it was woman that made fire first! The merged tribe decides to call themselves Nobag that's Gabon backwards as suggested by gamer boy Kenny. The tribe is still split along old tribal sides, with Corinne, Charlie (whose still in mourning for Marcus), Bob and Randy and the other side, Kenny, Crystal, Susie and Matty. It almost seemed like Sugar was going to be the swing vote as each side lobbies to get her to vote their way. Old Kota wants Crystal gone and Kenny trumps up is own personal lame vendetta story to get Charlie out. I can't believe that they would want to get rid of Charlie when Corinne or Randy are the strongest players from Kota. In the end, I was holding my breath to see which way weepy Sugar would vote which proved that her alliance with Fang was still in tact and innocent Charlie was sent into the arms of an awaiting Marcus. Well, at least they will be able to keep each other company at the jury camp which I'm sure is a sweet consolation prize for Charlie. -Single D

Reality Check-The Known or the Unknown

The other day was my daughter's 11th birthday. It seems as she gets older, birthdays are getting harder. No longer are the birthdays, of cake and invite 10 of your closest playmates over. Now it's full blown parties that cost hundreds of dollars and filled with not only buying your kid presents, but also giving out goodie bags for all those in attendance. This year she wanted to go to the Adventuredome here in Las Vegas. We took two of her friends, because that is all my car will safely hold and besides the price of admission is prohibitive. We let her and her friends run the gamut of the theme park, while we waited over foot long dogs that were grossly obscene in length and too much to eat. We sat with the other parents among the gift shops, food court and screaming kids. And finally after 5 hours, several cups of cappuccinos, 2 bottles of water, 3 cokes, and decidedly stinking heartburn from that foot long dog, we decided to call it a day. When I called my daughter to find out where they were, they were at the arcade. When we got there, the girls were delirious with giddiness, not from the rides or eating hot dogs and cokes, but because they had discovered a game that dispensed tickets freely. Tickets that they had collected in big plastic bags. Tickets that they could exchange for prizes. The more tickets the bigger the prizes. I'm like how did you get those tickets? Hopefully by not spending her entire birthday money on stupid arcade games. They rush me to the magical machine and lo and behold, two other kids are pulling tickets out of the magical machine. When they see me, they surreptitiously move away, looking like they had just robbed Fort Knox. We go to the machine, but the machine was empty and there were no more free tickets to be had. Back to the booth, we give the lady our bag of tickets. I know what you're thinking here, I should have told them to give the tickets back, because in the real world isn't that like stealing? The girls knew that they had practically committed a felony with their eyes shifting left and then right, but hey, the girls came across it and seized on it, I guess you could say they were entrepreneurial or at least that's the way I saw it. And besides, after a careful interrogation, I found out that it was her friend that discovered the magical machine and began pulling tickets, not my daughter, she was just an accomplice. I know, I know, that doesn't make it better or right, but I suspect if the booth attendant didn't say anything then we were good to go. And so, after it was all counted out, each girl got the big teddy bear and a good time was had by all.

Now back to the title of this post, the known or the unknown. After the party and several days later on my daughter's real birthday, it was on a Wednesday we gave her her the rest of her birthday gifts. Since she got the theme park party, we really didn't give her many presents, or at least anything she could get excited about. A shirt, a purse, socks, pjs. To this I did feel a little guilty that she didn't get anything on her wish list (it was all electronics). So I went out a bought her an IPOD Nano (to replace her shuffle we bought a couple of years ago). I had a brilliant idea. I told my husband that I would put the ipod in a shoe box. On a piece of paper, I wrote DS game/computer game. On the day of her birthday, I would give her the choice, the shoebox with the unknown or the paper with the game written on it (I told her previously that I would buy her a DS or computer game but that she would have to pick it out since I didn't know what she liked). Now as a kid, what do you think she chose? The known or the unknown? Everyone one I told said she would pick the unknown. My husband thought the unknown. I was hoping she would pick the unknown. That night came the moment of decision. She agonized over it for about 15 minutes. The shoebox was not wrapped, just a plain shoebox. The paper just had the words DS or computer game on it. In the end and to my amazement, she chose the paper. When she asked what was in the box, I said, she'll never know (well at least not until Christmas)!-Single D

Amazing Race-Paint and Numbers In India

The racers leave Bahia House in Delhi, India.

8:55 am-Starr and Nick

9:02-Kelly and Christy-are all their outfits matchy-matchy?

9:10-Dallas and Mom Toni

9:31-Terence and Sarah-hey Sarah those eyeglasses are too small for your face-makes you look like Mr. Magoo's wife.

9:44-Frat boys, Andrew and Dan

& last out of the gate at 9:51-Ken and Tina, still having to do the speed bump for being in last place last leg of the race.

Racers have to find an apartment for their next clue which is to participate in a "Holi Festival". Looks more like a paint ball fight. Here racers have to run through a crowd throwing paint to find a the clue hanging on a stand in the middle of chaos. Starr gets through the crowd relatively unscathed, looks like the participants didn't get the hang of it until they spy Nick standing innocently on the sidelines and pelt him with the powder dye. Next Dallas makes a charge through the crowd like a bull in the rink. Once again, Kelly and Christy make the stupid mistake of not reading or maybe not understanding what the clue said and Kelly brings back each ticket whether it was the right one or not. Each time she ran through the crowd she was hit with so much colored dye that she was black with mixed paint. Again she goes back. About after the fifth time, Christy says lets read the clue again. Uh duh! It did make for funny viewing but I did have to feel for the racers getting all that dye in their mouths, yuck! Three words for Kelly and Christy, stupid, stupid, stupid! They were so covered in paint none of the cabs would take them to their next destination. Tina and Ken make quick work of finding the right ticket but not before some one spills green dye onto Tina's hair. She just lost it and I know she wanted to say much harsher words than she did, but she held back. I would be like, your mother's eat beef!

Next it's on to the bird hospital, where funny Terence makes Sarah go into the bird cage and look under the sand box for the next clue. Sarah is like I'm so sorry birdies. Everyone had to go through the hospital without their shoes, what walk in India without shoes! Meanwhile, Ken and Tina's speedbump is to serve holy water to the thirsty temple goers. Looked like they gave water to the entire nation of India but managed to finish their speedbump in record time. The detour is either Bleary eyed or Teary eyed. Bleary eyed was to follow the power lines and write down the numbers and Teary eyed was to carry 2- 40lb sacks of chili and then make a chili powder out of the stuff. That did sound teary eyed and only Terence and Sarah chose to do that one. Not only did Terence have paint in his nose, he had chilies up it. That looked like agony! Dallas and Toni have a group of goodwill ambassadors, Indian children helping them find their destinations. How cute!

Starr and Nick and Dallas and Toni team up to find the numbers and make quick work of it, while Andrew and Dan tie with Kelly and Christi as the dumbest teams in history. Dumb and Dumber! They both were looking at the wrong numbers on the power poles and I would have said that Frat boys should leave, but with that stupid mistake at the paint festival, Kelly and Christy deserved to be sent home.

Laugh out loud incidents peppered this episode, like Terence snorting water in his nose to get the paint out, Kelly getting pelted with so much paint, Kelly and Christy getting a cab driver who looked like he was giving them a tour of India and the welcoming committee of one with Phil had to be called back to the mat each time a racer finish because he was more interested in watering the grass. Overall, one of the better episodes, definitely one of the funnier ones. Kelly and Christy make it to the mat last barely being edged out by the Frat boys whom I'm sure will be the next to go. I think Frat boys and Kelly and Christy should hook up after the race, they have a lot in common! Ken and Tina prove their stuff once more and make a strong comeback. -Single D

Nick & Starr get to the festival challenge first where Starr runs through the crowd without getting hit with any dye and climbs the ladder. The crowd, mostly men, gather under the ladder. I think they were just looking up Starr's shorts and forgot to hit her with the dye. Kelly kept grabbing the wrong envelopes. Terence is whining that he got hit in the nose then starts freaking out when they take a pedicab. Is this guy for real? I'll bet he's making his doctor rich!

The next challenge is to follow power lines and write down the numbers or make chili powder. I'm all about the chilis! Terence and Sarah do the chili powder thing with Terence coughing and spluttering the whole time. Ken and Tina make up ground while Kelly and Chris keep losing it and come in last. I'm sure the teams will be more than happy to leave India behind, I know it's not on my short list of places to visit. Double D

Survivor Gabon-Greatest Coup of the Season

I was hoping that the tribes would split one more time. Poor Fang being the underdogs this entire time. Both tribes think the feast signals a merge. Kenny spies a note under a pot but reacts too slowly as Charlie grabs the note and says that there is an hidden immunity idol and reads the clue. Everyone is afraid to react because as Kenny says, it's like accepting the apple in the Garden of Eden. If you take it you're doomed. Randy reads the clue and uncovers the idol in about 10 seconds. It is offered up like a sacrificial lamb, but no one bites. Marcus and Randy agree that it should be sealed in a bottle and tossed out to sea and with that fling of the arm the idol is set free, while everyone deep down inside was silently screaming, I want it, I want it!Then Jeff announces that the tribes will be split once more, with two new tribes of Kota being Randy, Matty, Sugar, Corinne and Charlie and Fang comprised of Kenny, Crystal, Marcus, Professor Bob and Susie. The real challenge here is how can the Fang survive the odds of 2 against 3 on each of the new tribes? The immunity challenge was how long can one keep their arms up to hold sticks. Crystal once again proves that she is such a weakling. She held it for one second and she's supposed to be some Olympic talent? Everyone pretty much loses it quickly and it's down to Matty and Bob. For an old guy, Bob has gumption. It was pretty gripping to see who would let go first and you could so feel their pain. Matty, whose pole was just inches away from being knocked off, was hooting and acting all deranged, while Bob suffered in silence. Both men's arms were shaking but Bob's post finally fell off and Matty won it for Kota. Back at Fang camp, the discussion is who is going to get voted off as Marcus finds out that Crystal is a cousin to one of his best friends and they both make a promise not to write each other's name down. Crystal however tells us, the viewing audience, that it's all just game playing so we know she's not keeping her word. Marcus think he has this game all sewn up and tells everyone that it's Kenny that will be going, but he forgot one important thing, that Susie is the swing vote and hasn't he been lobbying to get her out, isn't she Kota's target? When Marcus tells Crystal that Kenny is out, she gets into action and acts like the mother lion to protect one of her own. Crystal tells Susie that she doesn't have a chance if she sides with Marcus, who promised her the final three spot. Crystal says how can that be, since it will be Marcus, Charlie and Corinne at the final three. Drama and suspense surrounded whether Susie would be the sheep or the ram at the tribal council. Crystal and Susie pull off the greatest coup in this season so far by dramatically blindsiding the strongest player this season, Marcus. Wow, that was so good. Marcus failed to see that Susie was his Achilles heel and if he would have been smart, he would have lobbied to get Susie out and have Kenny and Crystal vote his way, but instead he chose to go against Crystal and in the end didn't see it coming. Satisfying TV at it's best, can't wait to see Kota's jaw drop when they see that Marcus was vote off!-Single D It was feast time with a twist, an immunity idol that everyone wanted but no one claimed so it was sacrificed to the ocean. I'm waiting for it to wash up on shore and someone finding it! After the split it was like old home week when Marcus finds out Crystal is the cousin of his best friend. How can you vote out family? Susie, feeling like the superior swing vote, tells Marcus that she could go either way at tribal but letting him she needs to be in the final three. Good luck with that Susie! She pretty much said she would flip which would make anyone want to vote her out. The challenge is balancing poles on the backs of their hands. I figured Crystal would be a shoe in for this one but before I could finish the comment, out she went. Weak as water! What was her Olympic event? A staring contest? It comes down between Matty and Bob. I was cheering for Matty until he got cocky and started laughing at Bob. Never count out the old dude! Matty came to his senses with a little prodding from Jeff and he out lasted Bob for immunity. Back at camp, Susie is so confident that Marcus will take her to the final three that she really doesn't listen to Crystal. At tribal, Ken lets loose his frustration at Marcus which doesn't help to keep him off the block but he gets saved when Marcus is sent packing. Double D

Top Design-Finale

I've been having the darnest time trying to adjust to the weather change and the time change. Yes kids, we really do have a weather change in Las Vegas. I have lived here several years and the weather immediately turns from summer into winter on Halloween night or the day after. It's really a dramatic and noticeable change. And with the time change, my sleep cycle is completely thrown off. So last night I tried to watch the Top Design finale, between bouts of eyes wide shut and eyes wide open. Top Design brought back recently booted, Andrea, who said that she shouldn't have made the choice to leave because she felt like she could have designed a whole house, well duh, you didn't give yourself a chance. Eddie, whose forced smile and unlikely pairing with his never to be my friend, Preston, was the last partner he wanted to be paired with. I wanted to slap that silly, frozen smile off Eddie's face. And Natalie. She's so bland, I almost forgot who she was. So between designing their houses and the end result, I had my eyes wide shut. I woke up just in time to see the finish products. I wasn't crazy about Ondine's 50's style house. The couches were pink, small and uncomfortable. Who watches TV on couches like that? But one of my favorite, I wish I could do that in my house item, was the square cut mirror headboard that she designed. I would love to do that in my living room. I think over all, my favorite was Preston's as a complete house. That was a house I could live in, especially the office with it's beautiful detailed moulding and the master bedroom with that heavenly canopy. Sweet dreams! I thought the dining room was elegant and tasteful. All the while, Adler while going through both Ondine's and Preston's, had that look of tasting sour milk. You could so tell that Adler's favorite designer was Nathan. I guess Adler likes rooms that can't be lived in. The dining room table was fit for breakfast only, one could never do dinner on a small square table like that and that paper plate light fixture looked like a fire hazard to me. I did like the painting, so simple-take a blank canvas and drip different streaks of paint, let dry and hang. Something DaVinci could copy. How simple is that? I think I might have to try that. Overall in the end, design outweighed function as they crowned stalker eye Nathan and give him the 100,000 grand. Hey Nathan, you looked much better when you had hair, less stalkerish and more artist designerish.-Single D