Watching TAR19 with Wannietta part II

Okay - we're starting off at 9:28PM with Ernie & Cindy.
Teams are on their way to Jarkarta Indonesia and take an overnight train to the tropical city of Yogyakarta.
Jeremy & Sandy are close behind at 9:36, Jennifer & Justin at 9:39. Ethan & Jenna are out at 10:07, Amani & Marcus at 10:15, Laurence & Zac at 10:22, The 'Boarders on their heels at 10:23.
Looks like there are no flights out until 8:45AM; the airport equalizes again.
Ron & Bill are off at 10:48, The Showgirls at 11:09, The Twins at 11:31.
Cathi & Bill join the Race at 3:57AM. Everyone professes joy at seeing them - some for less genuine reasons than others.
Justin & Jennifer are going to self-destruct at the airport ... forget Roadblocks!! They are hilarious talking over each other!!

OMG - people are riding on the roof of the train!!
Teams are scrambling for cabs & cabbies who know where they're going and can get their fast.
The Twins are terrified & holding on to each other for dear life.
At the Goa Jomblang Caves the teams will go spelunking, hunting for a javanese mask and indiginous dagger then scale a towering bamboo ladder and deliver the artifacts for their next clue.
For their Speedbump Bill & Cathi have to undo a massive knotted rope to get to a carabiner before they can do the Roadblock. Fortunately for them they have a slight advantage having arrived first.
Cathy is heading down into the caves along with Marie & Marcus. Bill is headed down too. They are all professing awe and excitement ... we'll see how long that lasts.
Jeremy, Tommy, Justin, Ethan, Kaylani, Zac & Bill are all going down.
It seemed so simple - the first teams down just grabbed the first mask & daggers on stakes that they found and headed to the ladder.
Bill is first up the ladder and on to the Detour with Cathi - way to go!!!
Shake Your Money Maker - one team member must learn a traditional dance while the other accompanies them on a gamelan. They need to earn 30,000 rupiah to complete the task.
Be A Ticket Taker - teams need to park enough motorbikes to earn 15,000 rupiah.
Then all teams need to travel to an orphange and donate their detour earnings to get their next clue. In addition, teams need to indepedently notice a sign telling them that they must give over all of the money in their possesion and then they will get a clue to help them find the next Pit Stop. This is a totally devious & tricksy Race!!!

Zac, Kaylani & Bill are the last three to get their masks.
The Twins are Shaking Their Money Makers!!
Bill & Cathi are Ticket Taking.

All of the teams are out of the Caves and on their way to the Detour.

Ernie & Cindy grabbed a Ticket Taking spot up from Bill & Cathi and snaked a lot of clients before they even got down to them and are now out in front again.
Amani & Marcus are Shakin'.
Justin & Jennifer and The 'Boarders are Ticket Taking.
Bill & Cathi and The Twins are on their way to the orphanage.
Ethan & Jenna are Shaking it.
Ernie and Cathy didn't notice the sign ... but are on their way to the Pit Stop.
Bill & Cathi and The Twins ... double ditto.
The 'Boarders and Justin & Jennier are off to the orphange.
The Showgirls, you guessed it, are Shakin' it along with Ron & Bill.
Laurence & Zac are Ticket Taking.
The 'Boarders didn't see the sign but then Andy noticed the sign at the last minute!!!
Ernie & Cindy tried to check in but have been turned around with the infamous Phil "however ...".
Having given up all of their money Andy & Tommy are hot-footin' it to the Pit Stop while Cindy moans & cries all the way back to the orphange.

Ethan & Jenna have shaked enough but then left their clue behind & need to go back to get it.
The Showgirls are on their way to the orphanage.
Justin & jennifer, unobservant, along with Jeremy & Sandy and Amani & Marcus.
Phil has just turned back The Twins.
Laurence read the sign - good on him!!
The Showgirls totally saw it too.
Bill & Cathi have been turned back ... disappointed in the lack of observation skills in the teachers.
Ethan's ragging on Jenna for forgetting the clue.
Andy & Tommy are the 4^th team to try to check in but because they don't have to go back they are Team #1!!
Ernie & Cindy are back to the orphanage.
Ron & Bill are done Shakin' it.
Jeremy & Sandy have been turned around.
Justin is yelling at Jennifer to go faster and have been turned around.
Amani & Marcus are on their way back.
The Twins are back to the orphange for the 2^nd time.
Ethan & Jenna did not notice the sign.
Laurence & Zac go from the 8^th team to check in to the 2^nd!
Jeremy & Sandy are on the way back.
Ethan & Jenna have been turned around.
The Showgirls have gone from 10th with tears to 3^rd with tears of joy!! Phil is evil!!!
Teams are checking in for the 2^nd time.
Ron & Bill didn`t see the sign & have been turned back.


#1 - Andy & Tommy - a trip for two to Ireland
#2 - Laurence & Zac
#3 - Kaylani & Lisa
#4 - Ernie & Cindy
#5 - The Twins
#6 - Jeremy & Sandy
#7 - Bill & Cathi
#8 - Justin & Jennifer
#9 - Amani & Marcus

Good bye - Ethan & Jenna and Ron & Bill

Watching TAR19 with Wannietta part I

Wow - there are some really strong-looking teams this season!! I think that Ernie & Cindy, Justin & Jennifer and Liz & Marie have their work cut out for them. My early faves are Andy & Tommy and Bill & Cathi.

And Andy & Tommy are the first to find the TAI umbrella to complete the clue that their first destination is Taipei Taiwan.
The show girls "with it going on up here too" are the last and have an additional task to complete - a Hazard. Oh, and they drop a passport at the gas station and didn't notice.
Ron & Bill, Ethan & Jenna, Ernie & Cindy are the first 3 teams on the early flight along with Amani & Marcus, Laurence & Zac, Justin & Jennifer, Andy & Tommy and Jeremy & Sandy.
The Showgirls didn't find Kaylani's passport at the gas station so they took a chance that one of the other teams stopped at the same gas station & found it & brought it with to the airport. Is anyone else surprised that this didn't work out? Now we see the cracks in the friendship.

So Ethan & Jenna think that no one is going to know they were on Survivor and won?
Holy freakin' lucky!!! Some guy found Kaylani's passport, tweeted about it, got tweeted back about how he should take it to LAX and now Kaylani & Lisa are bffs again!!! <3
Once they land the teams need to find Ximendig Commercial District & "figure out" that they need to find a billboard that will reveal chinese characters that are their next clue. This is not going to be an easy race!!
And Marcus is deciding to skate the edges of truth & not reaveal that he was a pro football player.
"Everything here is race colours; the people working on the streets have yellow & red hats on. It's like practically the national colour here." Jenna. Yeah, think about it.
No one is cluing in on the red & yellow balloons on the billboard, especialy not Amani & Marcus who look right at it, comment on it & discard it.
Justin & Jennifer firgure it out first & are on their way to the the Confucius Temple.
Kaylani & Lisa think that it would be more obvious than the giant LED billboard.
Tommy doesn't think it could be the balloon billboard b/c "it's always stripes".
In this Roadblock teams need to dial 1-800-Confucius & memorize the Confucian proverb then recite it word-for-word to get their next clue.
Marcus thinks that all of the girls are doing the Roadblock b/c "all girls like phones". wtf?
Yeah, this is a lot harder than they thought!
Cindy got it first and she & Ernie are on their way to Daijia Riverside Park, followed closely by Justin & Jennifer then Jeremy & Sandy.
The Showgirls & Twins finally figure out the balloon billboard but Bill & Cathy are totally clueless.

Andy & Zac are struggling; Ethan finally got it.
Ernie & Cindy are at the next Roadblock - rowing & beating out a stroke rhythm with a dragon boat team.
Amani & Zac finally got all the words right follow closely by Bill.
Andy and Tommy are finally on their way to the dragon boats.
I think that Sandy needs to pick up the beat a bit.
Ernie & Cindy are the first on the way to the sacred grounds of the Martyr's Shrine.
Jeremy & Sandy and Jennifer & Justin are heading to the pitstop.
The Twins aren't so good at the memorizing but the Showgirls are on their way to the Core City Pacific Mall to complete their Hazard; Kaylani is going to do the bungee jump.
Bill & Cathi are still struggling to find the billboard clue.
Laurence & Zac, Ethan & Jenna, the 'Boarders (snowboarders Andy & Tommy) and Amani & Marcus are putting the paddle to the water!
Bill & Cathi have the billboard clue figured out and if Liz keeps blowing the memorizing they stand a chance. Of course, Marie is being as supportive as the team member watching usually is. LOL!!!

50^th time's a charm!!
Cathi is doing the Confucius memorizing & unless they just edited it hard she totally nailed it right off!!
A non-elimination leg right off - BIll & Cathi live to race another day but will have to complete a Speed Bump.
And for the first time ever there will be a double elimination next week - they've got their work cut out for them but other teams have come back from behind.

#1 - Ernie & Cindy - they get the Express Pass
#2 - Jeremy & Sandy
#3 - Justin & Jennifer
#4 - Ethan & Jenna
#5 - Amani & Marcus
#6 - Laurence & Zac
#7 - The 'Boarders
#8 - Ron & Bill
#9 - The Showgirls
#10 - The Twins
#11 - Bill & Cathi

Watching TAR17 with Wannietta - part le 8

Argh - missed the first 20 mins - Amanda was working on homework.

So ... teams are on their way to Jebel Shams where a driver will take them up the mountain to the next clue.
Guess asking for help wasn't such a horrible thing, was it Chad?
"Shut up!" Really Nick?? Vicki just confirmed that they were going the right way - a little Karma goes a long way dude. Hating on Nick a lot right now.
Chad & Stephanie are the first team to arrive at Jebel Shams.
Gary isn't sure that Mallory is navigating properly.
Road Block - Who wants to add a little magic to their lives?
Someone must repel down the mountain then look among hundreds of lamps for one containing Aladdin's magic ring which they deliver to the shaman for their next clue.
Chad is going to look for the magic.
Jill is going for it despite a fear of heights.

Argh - missed about 4 minutes ...

Nick & Vicki's cab has a flat - Nick is freaking out of course.
Chad & Stephanie are at the Detour - filling a water truck then directing the driver to the delivery address.
Gary & Mallory are back on course. Maybe.
Brook & Claire, Nick & Vicki are all on their way to the water trucks.
Kat is on her way down the mountain.
Jill & Thomas actually happen upon the cousin of the person to whom they need to deliver the water & he takes them right there.
They now need to make their way to the Muttrah Souq Market in Muscat and look for a specific vendor who will give them frankincense, then find Ali Babba who will give them their next clue in exchange for the frankincense.
Chad & Stephanie are done the water delivery.
Kat is checking the lamps, then checking them again.

She found a ring!
Sunshine Mallory is going for the magic.
Jill & Thomas have their frankincense and are on the hunt for Ali Babba.
Nick & Vicki are delivering their water as are Brook & Claire.
Mallory has found their ring and they're off!
Jill & Thomas are off to Al Alam Palace - the Pit Stop for this leg of the race.
OMG - they/Thomas paid a cabbie to lead them to a location = 30 minute penalty. They watch while Chad & Stephanie check in first and take the trip to Belize!
I missed Chad & Stephanie getting engaged!!!
Brook & Claire are going the wrong way on a one-way street, the police don't help the traffic situation much by showing up to tell them so.
Gary & Mallory are off to deliver water.
Nick & Vicki are off to the Pit Stop followed closely by Brooke & Claire.
Nat & Kat are delivering their water & on the way to the market. They have their frankincense.
Gary & Mallory have their frankincense.
Both teams are on their way to the Pit Stop ... OMG the tension!!
Nat & Kat are on the mat!!!


#1 - Chad & Stephanie
#2 - Jill & Thomas
#3 - Nick & Vicki
#4 - Brooke & Claire
#5 - Nat & Kat

Good bye - Gary & Mallory

Watching TAR17 with Wannietta - part le 7

Jill & Thomas - 8:30 AM - off to Avtovo Circus for their next clue.
Brook & Claire - 8:35 "I wanna be in a circus - that's where I belong." "I hope I get to wear a leotard." Brook's kinda crazy is growing on me!!
Michael & Kevin - 8:40
The circus is closed - teams are catching up & lining up at the gate.
Detour - Circus Band or Circus Clown

Band - Teams need to choose an accordion player who will teach both members a Russian folk song. When they both perform the song correctly they will receive their clue.
Clown - Teams go under the Big Top & learn a plate spinning routine. When they can keep 10 plates spinning simultaneously for at least 10 seconds the clown will give them their next clue.

Jill & Thomas are doing Clown, Michael & Kevin are going for Clown, Brook & Clair are doing Band, Nat & Kat are doing Band, Chad & Stephanie are doing Clown, Gary & Mallory are doing Band, Nick & Vicki are going with Clown.
Brook & Claire have the hang of the spinning, Nick has deep seated, early childhood issues with clowns ...
Kevin & Micheal are forgetting to keep the spinning plates spinning while they get new plates going.
Gary & Mallory are finding the song longer than their memories.
Jill & Thomas are switching to Band.
?!? Nick has forgotten his lessons!! Dumbass???
Brook & Clair are off to Bank Bridge, but they have to figure it out from a clue, "find the canal bridge guarded by four creatures with golden wings."
Nat & Kat gave the fingering sequences numbers ... it worked & they're off.
Thomas is feeling defeated ... again.
Chad thinks that plate spinning is stupid so they're switching to Band - "it's like Guitar Hero."
Nick & Vicki are done being spinny!
The song is broken up into three parts - by the time they're learning the 3rd one Thomas has forgotten the 1^st one.
Gary & Mallory are sickenly positive, but it's working for them - they're done followed by Michael & Kevin.
They must now travel on foot to Vladimirkiy Prospekt Tower & find a little statue that leads them to the Church of Spilled Blood where they will find their next clue. They can ask locals to guide them but cannot pay a cabbie to lead them there.
Stephanie has the same idea about numbering the fingering sequences.
Jill & Thomas are totally all thumbs.

Thought so ... Jill & Thomas are back to plate spinning.
Chad & Stephanie are done Band.
A whack of teams are on Vladimir Prospekt looking for the flagged bldg.
Are Michael & Kevin following their cab? Ruh-roh!
Jill & Thomas are finally done.
Nat & Kat, Nick & Vicki are using their binoculars but are totally missing the little statue on the window ledge.
They finally see it & on their way down Nick tells Kevin that all they saw was DS-13. Kevin doesn't think that Nick would like 'cause he's awesome.
Kevin & Claire are looking for where to go. They finally find the little statue. "I think that Nick may have lied to us though."
Thomas & Mallory are up in the tower ... how long will it take them to find the statue clue.
This is when I wish things were more real-time and I knew how long stuff was taking them.
They see Chad & Stephanie on their way back to the cabs and are like, "Yes, we're not last!"
Nat & Kat, Nick & Vick now need to figure out that the riddle, "Peter the Great is buried inside me" is leading them to the Peter & Paul Fortress where they will find their next clue.
Nat & Kat and Nick & Vick are going back for their taxis since this clue doesn't say anything about not taking cabs.
Stephanie is up the tower looking for the little statue.
Nick wants to hail a new cab since going back is out of their way but they're having a hard time getting a new one.
Brook & Claire have realized that they should have "walked to their next clue" and have got their cabbie to take them back to the Tower so that they can do it right. They are worried about Michael & Kevin who are ahead of them and haven't realized their mistake. This will cost them penalty minutes if they're lucky and if not they'll have to go back and do it over.

Stephanie couldn't see it so she's tagging Chad in. He found it - "It was right in front of your freakin' face; a little figurine!!"
Nat & Kat are the 1st to the Road Block where they need to master a centuries old Russian game - Gorodki. Looks like crazy stick bowling.
Brook & Claire are back on track.
Gary & Mallory, Jill & Thomas have the clue figured out and are off to get a cab to the P&P Fortress.
Kat, Michael & Brook are playing. Kat is on her 3^rd "frame".
Kat's done & they're off to the Pit Stop inside the Fortress and find the correct bastion.
Chad & Stephanie aren't far behind - they're on their way to the Fortress.
Nat & Kat are checked in.
The Gorodki is about whipping the throwing stick hard and low putting plenty of spin on it.
Brook is taking time to bust a move, but she's cleared her 2^nd frame while Michael is still on his 1^st.
Brook is done!
Michael is hitting the small sticks that he has to clear he just needs to get some velocity behind the his throws.
Nick is rockin' it out - 1 clear. 2 clear. 3 clear - a conctructive use of his aggression.
Thomas - 2 clear.
Gary - 1 clear - nice 2-handed toss.
Michael - 1 clear.
Stephanie - 1 clear
Gary - 2 clear
Thomas - all done, but they need to go get their bags.
Gary - all done
Kevin is whining about going from 2^nd to potentially last - he still doesn't know about their penalties yet.
Michael - 2 clear
Stephanie - 2 clear
Michael - all done & they're going back for their bags.
Hill & Thomas don't have enough money for the cab, neither do Kevin & Michael.

Stephanie keeps throwing high.
Jill & Thomas give their cabbie $60 US and are off.
Kevin & Micheal only have 3,000 Russian but give their cabbie $40US and are off.
Stephanie finally gets her 3rd frame done and are off to the Pit Stop instead of going back for their bags.
They check in but cannot check in without paying their cabbie - they need to go back & do that.
Kevin & Michael have 2-30 minute penalties to sit out.
Chad & Stephanie are back but they took a taxi from the tower to the Church of Spilled Blood but even with their penalty they beat Kevin & Michael. This'll hit them on their leave time for the next leg.


#1 - Nat & Kat
#2 - Brook & Claire - just barely, they went back to the cab for their bags. Why don't teams remember to take their bags with them more often.
#3 - Nick & Vicki
#4 - Gary & Mallory
#5 - Jill & Thomas
#6 - Chad & Stephanie

Good bye - Kevin & Michael.

Watching TAR17 with Wannietta - part le 6

8:26 PM Nat & Kat lead the pack off to St. Petersburg Russia
Awww - looks like everyone is going to be on the same train to Stockholm in the morning.
Brook & Claire are sniffing socks with The Doctors; now they've worked up to shoes.
Now it's a rush to get a taxi to the airport.
Chad's being a jackass to Stephanie - somehow she's the lamest girl in the race.
The flight is another equalizer - everyone is on the same flight to St. Petersburg.
Brook & Claire are in Russia & are Russian through traffic. GROAN!!!
Detour - Classical Music or Classic Cinema

Music - teams make their way to an historic palace find the maestro with 3 gramophones and listen to 3 compositions then enter ballrooms and find the 3 pianists playing the same 3 compositions. They choose the sheet music from the piano, place it in a folder and match it to the gramophone #. Once they have all three correct they will get their next clue.

Cinema - teams find a legendary film studio & sound stage. They search through piles of film strips and find one that matches any part of the scene playing on screen - Sergei Eisenstein's October, the director will give them their next clue.

I think I'd go with Cinema.
Brook & Claire are going Cinema as are Michael & Kevin.
Chad & Stephanie are going Music are are Gary & Mallory.
Jill & Thomas go with Music, Nick & Vicki go with Music as do Nat & Kat.
Poor Kevin is totally out of his element with actual film strip.
Brook & Claire are lost.
Chad & Stephanie have arrived at the palace & are trying to memorize their gramophone music. They think that they have it until they walk into the ballroom with so many pianos all playing something different.

Chad has picked out #1 song. Stephanie thinks that she's got #3.
No one is having much luck at either task - these really are challenging!!
Thomas found the right film strip!!
He & Jill are off to Palace Square to get their next clue.
Chad & Stephanie think that they've got #1. Not.
Nat & Kat think that they've got #2.
Gary & Mallory are all sorts of niet.
Niet, niet, niet.
Brook found the right strip!!
Kevin cottoned on to the words at the top of the strip & they're off.
Jill & Thomas are now off to Alexandrovskaya then follow a marked road to a neighbourhood store.
No one has succeeded at the Music task yet - Gary & Sunshine are the first to jump tasks.
Nat & Kat, Nick & Vicki are changing as well.
Chad & Stephanie are going to tough out their tin ears.
Don't worry Sunshine, I'm sure that Jesus has a minute to help you out.
Jill & Thomas have lost their marked road.
Brook & Claire have found the Road Block.
After donning a traditional Babushka outfit, the teams will have to plant a row of 50 potatoes then fertilize their crop with a generous helping of cow manure in order to get their next clue.
Brook is doing this one - she's eager at first.
Kevin makes a ... cute? Babushka. "Poop & Potatoes" idjit, and clumsy in a skirt.
Chad is such a cry baby, whining loser. Poor Stephanie - she's trying so hard to stay positive but he's a mill stone.

Okay - they're staying at music.
Good for Stephanie for hanging in there and sticking to her musical guns - they did it!!
Nat & Kat found the film strip!
Jill & Thomas are at the Road Block.
Kevin is getting right into the spirit of the task - the Russian ladies sure do love him!!
Brook has been sullied by the excrement and all of the neighbourhood is hearing about it.
Gary & Sunshine have found the film strip.
Nick & Vicki are switching back to the music because he can't handle this crap anymore. Did he forget the cacophony that they just left!?
Kevin & Michael are off to St Issac's Cathedral - the Pit Stop for this leg of the race.
Brook is done planting followed closely by Jill.
"These skinny girls can do everything". LMAO!!!
Brook & Claire's cab needs to stop for gas!
Nat is Babushkaing it up!
Stephanie is totally doing it for their team, but she's a bit lost.
Nick & Vicki are back at the music palace, focusing on one song at a time. It's pretty easy that way.
With Nick's new zen ways they did it!!
Michael said the park ... Kevin said no.
Oh Yes - Jill & Thomas are #1!!
Kevin needs to listen to his dad ... it might have cost them the win and definitely cost them 2nd place.
Mallory is going to be the Babushka, Stephanie has finally found the sign to Duck's End for her manure.
Nick & Vicki are on their way to the Road Block.

Sunshine is having a problem finding the manure pile too.
Nat is done planting and they're off to the Pit Stop.
Stephanie plays a bit of dirty potatoes by throwing the handle of the shovel into the manure.
Mallory is a little ball of energy, that's for sure.
Stephanie is done planting, Mallory is hanging in there.
Chad thinks that Stephanie should take the Babushka outfit home & clean the house in it. Ass hat!!!
Mallory is done!
Nick is doing the Road Block because he thought "drag" race - he had a sense of humour though - "more queen than cars"!! LOL

#1 - Jill & Thomas
#2 - Brook & Claire
#3 - Michael & Kevin
#4 - Nat & Kat
#5 - Chad & Stephanie
#6 - Gary & Mallory
#7 - Nick & Vicki - I had high hopes for this team at at the beginning and they kind of let me down but they were real and Nick learned a lot. Vicki is a super nice girl!! Non-elimination leg - Go Team Freak!!!

Watching TAR17 with Wannietta - part le 5

I missed last week but I'm back in the Race tonight!!

From the Swedish Lapland they're off to Narvik, Norway to the top of a mountain via a specific gondola station.

Nat & Kat - 6:00AM
Gary & Mallory (AKA Sunshine) - 6:04
Brook & Claire - 6:05
Michael & Kevin - 6:30 - I don't know ... Kevin seems like the kind of kid who will live at home for a while or move back.
Jill & Thomas - 6:48 - I missed what school that she went to but Thomas doesn't seem extra smart for having been to college to me.
Nick & Vicki - 7:11 - Yeah ... Narvik is so funky!!
Chad & Stephanie - 8:12
Katie & Rachel - 8:34

Nat's having a bit of a panic attack going up the gondola but she did fine. There's a Fast Forward - they need to eat a sheep's head!! They don't know that ... they just know that it's some sort of traditional Christmas ritual.
Brook & Claire are on the way up, Gary & Sunshine, Michael & Kevin.
Everyone else needs to go to the Skjombrua Bridge for their next clue.
Kat is a vegetarian. Ruh-roh!!!
They've decided to rip the head up so that they don't know what every little bit is. I don't think that it's working.

Kat's choking it down - trying a trick that I used to use for ham when I was little - swallowing it whole.
Teams need to repel over & down to the water below, signal for 1 of 2 boats for their clue then use a mechanical ascender to take them back up to the bridge where they can open their next clue.
Strength, Stamina & Guts - Kevin is going for it along with Claire (who explains a wedgie to the nice Norwegian).
Nat & Kat are listing all sorts of other foods that they are imagining the sheep's head to be.
Gary is down nice & fast.
Hey - those vikings are wearing knitted head-things. OMG - I have lost my grasp of the English language!!!
Nat & Kat are off to the pit stop - Ankenes Marina.
Nick & Vicki just got to the top of the mountain & are deciding to try for the Fast Forward. "We're going to have to hurry because I think everybody's going to be doing that FF". WTF? Why would they try to do it when 4 teams are ahead of them.
Katie thinks that there's less anxiety being (close to) last. Okay ...
Thomas just repelled like two north magnets!!
Mechanical ascender is misleading - it's makes you think that you don't have to do all the work yourself.
Poor Vicki doesn't know what "Fast Forward Taken" means. OMG!!! Does it mean that someone is in there, or taken for just right now or period. Should they wait?
There's no "do you want to do the other one", you have to do the Road Block.
Nice sweater on the Norwegian Pit Stop greeter!!
Chad & Stephanie just got their 1st clue with the Sporty Spices right on their heels.
Claire got tired of Brooks non-stop cheerleading. "Bam, just shut up!!"
Kevin is at the top along with Gary.
Thomas banged it out.
Claire is hanging half-way up - this poor girl gets all the rough Road Blocks!!!

She's inching up ... she did it!!!
OMG - Vicki is the one to do it for their team. I'm sure that Nick will lose his shit on her on her way up.
Kevin & Michael are at the Detour:
Bike or Boat
Bike - Choosing a pair of bikes, making note of the colour of their bicycle lock, take a grueling ride to the sign where they have to memorize the combination matches the colour of their lock then ride back to the start and using the combination, unlock the next clue.
Boat - Make their way to a fishing trawler. Using a map for reference they need to direct the captain to specific spot on shore, continuing on foot teams must deliver two large cod & a chainsaw a summer lodge to receive their next clue. Another nice sweater on the lodge clue-giver.
Kevin & Michael are doing Boat, Jill & Thomas and Gary & Sunshine are doing Bike.
Brook & Claire are going by sea.
Geez - Vicki rocked out that ascending!!! Chad isn't far behind her but she totally did excellent!!!
Katie is doing it for team Sporty Spice.
Gary & Sunshine discover that the rocks are slippery & walking the bikes is safer.
Thomas puts Jill in charge of memorizing their combo - even though she asked if it matters what number they use. She remembered it. They are now off to the Pit Stop.
Gary & Mallory and Kevin & Michael are off to the Pit Stop too.
Kevin thought that they fish weighed about 40lbs, Brook is reckoning them at 60lbs.
Jill & Thomas might be lost or maybe they're just fighting about it. No, they're driving in circles followed by Kevin & Michael.
Katie just finished her bridge Road Block. They think that they're not far behind the rest of the pack because they saw Jill & Thomas drive past.

Thomas gets directions - apparently behind them.
Vicki is totally kicking Nick's ass on the Bike.
Chad & Stephanie are pulling up to shore; Katie & Rachel are going for Boat too.
Foot race at the marina - Jill & Thomas win followed by Kevin & Michael.
Brook smacked her face with the car door and has a cut on her eye. Phil is making a big deal out of it. Sigh.
Chad is ragging on Stephanie to hurry up the rocks ... though he's carrying the fish & the chainsaw so I guess he can talk.
As long as Chad & Stephanie don't get lost ... they ask for directions so maybe they'll be okay.
They're okay.

#1 - Nat & Kat
#2 - Gary & Mallory
#3 - Jill & Thomas
#4 - Michael & Kevin
#5 - Brook & Claire
#6 - Vicki & Nick
#7 - Chad & Stephanie

Goodbye - Team Sporty Spice ... Katie & Rachel

Liz has some links up for recipes to match up with Amazing Race countries.

Watching TAR17 with Wannietta - part le 3

7:34 AM - Brook & Claire are off to the Akotoku Boxing Academy.
7:35 - Katie & Rachel
7:45 - Michael & Kevin

So one team member must properly wrap their hands, suit up in training gear, work a speed bag for 60 seconds then skip rope for 60 seconds.
Brook is quite gung-ho!!
7:52 - Chad & Stephanie are off
7:58 - Jill & Thomas
8:01 - Team Glee

Brook's putting some nice hip action into that speed ball.
Now they're off to find a marked supply depot for their next clue.
Chad's wrapped, Katie's working on it.
Jill & Thomas are getting directions.
8:02 - Nat & Kat
8:04 - Nick & Vicki - who's strategy is still to communicate
8:06 - Gary & Sunshine - who's goal is to move up from last place
Chad's stylin' on the skipping forces him to start over on his 60 seconds.
Kevin is endlessly putting down his dad for his age and lack of physical prowess; it's getting on my nerves.
Connor is focused hard on his speedballin'!!
Thomas is having a hard time figuring out the hand wrapping.
The Doctors are lost and are stalling Chad & Stephanie and Katie & Rachel in their attempt to get turned around.

Gary's wrapped up, so is Thomas.
Nat & Kat seem to be on their way.
Vicki is done the boxing challenge and they're out ahead of Jill & Thomas.
Nat & Kat have finally arrived.
Team Glee has passed Brook & Claire.

They must now choose a pair of wheelbarrows & load them with construction supplies and deliver them to the Adebi D/A Primary School. If all of the supplies are correct they will receive their next clue.

Team Glee rocks it out! But now they are going to be tested on African geography. This should be hilarious!!!
Brook & Claire are loading their wheelbarrow - they are using just one. Will they have to go back?
Team Glee finally found Ghana.
Bicycle Parts or Language Arts

Bicycle Parts - teams need to use a stick to roll a bicycle rim up & down the length of a soccer field.
Language Arts - teams choose a proverb containing 8 phrases, each of which has a corresponding symbol which they need to find in the correct sequence on a massive wall - like a word search. This would normally be right up my alley but it's boggling my mind just to think about it right now!!!

Team Glee went with Language Arts.
Yup - Brook & Claire need to take everything that they carried back & get another wheelbarrow.
Michael & Kevin are making the same mistake, but Katie & Rachel are on point.
Nat & Kat's cabbie is over heating a bit.
Katie & Rachel are missing trowels.
The killer bit is that the teams need to haul everything back & forth every time that they are missing something.
Team Glee has solved their puzzle and are now in search of the home of Awusa Ntso - a rural farm which is the Pit Stop for this leg of the race.
Brook & Claire are trying to find Ghana on the map.
Nick & Vicki brought 2 bags of cement & now have to take one back. Nick is throwing an absolutely jackass hissy fit over Vicki mis-reading the list.

Gary & Sunshine are at school to find Ghana on the map. Gary gets it on the first go!!! They choose Bicycle Parts.
Chad & Stephanie are off to school.
Katie & Rachel are off to school.
Nat & Kat are working on their supplies.
Chad, Katie, Thomas and Brook have all found Ghana and have all chose Language Arts.
Nick & Vicki are going to school.
Brook & Claire invented a simpleton game of drawing circles around the little African children in the dirt.
Jill & Thomas are looking for a "decoder key".
Do these people read instructions in their normal day to day lives?
Kevin found Ghana and selected Language Arts.
Gary & Sunshine are done their Bicycle Parts.
Chad & Stephanie are changing to Bicycle Parts.
Once the children have labeled every other country in Africa Nick & Vicki find Ghana - Nick chooses Bicycle Parts.
Nat gets Ghana on the first go - Good Doctor!!!
Chad is bangin' out that Bicycle rim!! Stephanie has the hang of it too.
Nick is an ass to the 'nth degree.
Katie & Rachel are getting the hang of the rims.
Nick has finally manned up and is working it out.
Nat & Kat are at Bicycle Parts.
Now Nick is harassing Vicki because she can't sort it out & her asthma is acting up. Oh, now he cares.
Jill & Thomas are switching tasks, Michael has decided that they should switch too.
Vicki is done - Nick allows that he felt kind of crappy and that Vicki didn't deserve the way he treated her.
Brook & Claire are done.
Thomas looks like a candidate for the short bus the way he's driving his rim.
Kat has her hand up so far on the stick that it looks like she's using her hand.
Michael is having a hard time out there in the heat - I don't think that he's going to make it.

Michael is getting medical assistance. He's going to finish ... good decision since you never know with Nat & Kat. ;-)
He did it - will they beat the Doctors???
Not today.

BUT - OMG - it's a non-elimination leg. They will have to complete a Speed Bump next week but I'm sure that Michael will give it his all.

All of the teams are going to get together and do some work on the school - giving back a bit. They all seem genuinely happy to be able to do it.

#1 - Team Glee
#2 - Gary & Sunshine
#3 - Chad & Stephanie
#4 - Katie & Rachel
#5 - Nick & Vicki
#6 - Brook & Claire
#7 - Jill & Thomas
#8 - Nat & Kat
#9 - Michael & Kevin

Watching TAR17 with Wannietta - part le 2

Okay teams - let's not brag about how smart we are this week & work on just getting the job done.

11:55AM - Jill & Thomas are out first to Accra, Ghana.
12:00PM - The Doctors
12:20PM - Team Glee
12:21PM - Brook & Claire
12:22PM - Katie & Rachel
12:40PM - Gary & Sunshine
12:41PM - Kevin & Michael
12:50PM - Chad & Stephanie
1:35 PM - Andie & Jenna
1:45 PM - Nick & Vicki

Once again the airport is the great equalizer - all of the teams are on the same flight.
The mad scramble for taxis - not sure if just standing in the lot & screaming "Taxis!!!" is very effective.
OMG - when the taxi driver winces but doesn't slow down I think that it's time to start praying.
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park - clue box tells them to go the Makola Market for their next clue.
Nick & Vicki are 1^st!!
In this Road Block teams must sell sunglasses, earning a total of 15 cedis (like $10) while not selling any pair for less than 3 cedis.
Brooke is flirting with the men while Chad is charming the ladies.
Micheal is rolling with pitiful.
Gary & Sunshine are having some mechanical issues with their taxi. What should you do Mallory? I'd suggest finding another cab.

It's rolling again.
Nick has no technique. "Either they're buying them or they're not."
Jill is having no luck, Kat's having a hard time too.
Jenna & Sunshine are giving it their best but it's Brook who has finished first - she & Claire are off to Peace Motors Spare Parts for their next clue.
OMG - Connor just sold 2 pairs and got 16 cedi!! Go Glee!!
Michael is done & so is Chad.
Tune In or Check Out
Tune In - at an electrical supply store teams pick up a TV antenna system, find a marked house & install the antenna to the owners satisfaction and get the signal properly tuned in.
Check Out - at a woodworking shop a team picks out a custom coffin then transport it through town to a specific show room.

Brook & Claire are installing the antenna - it's way harder than it looks. LOL
Brook is climbing on the fridge to get the cable across the ceiling.
Michael & Kevin can't find the clue box, Team Glee's cabbie is lost.
Chad & Stephanie are doing the antenna too.
Katie & Rachel are doing Check Out.
Michael & Kevin are doing Tune In.
Nick & Jill are still trying to pawn sunglasses.
Jenna is done & off.
Sunshine makes her money but Kat is still not getting into a groove.
Jill is wasting time trying to sell only perfect sunglasses but she's finally done!
Nick had a lady do a dance and then walk off with his sunglasses but then she came back and he's done!
Kat's bedside manner is not helping her on the streets of Ghana.

Kat is done but she & Nat will have to come back from last place.
Brook & Claire are working on tuning the antenna.
Katie & Rachel are crossing the road like blonde natives.
Brook & Claire are done and off to Kaneshie Market where they'll need to navigate through the market to the Pit Stop by a bridge.
Katie & Rachel have delivered their coffin & are off to the Pit Stop as well.
Team Glee are Tuning In.
Chad & Stephanie need to tune their antenna.
Kevin & Michael are working well together & are off to the PS followed by Chand & Stephanie.
Jill & Thomas are doing Check Out.
Nick & Vicki are doing Tune In.
Nat & Kat's cabbie has asked for directions, hopefully they're back on track.
Brook & Claire are at the market & searching for Phil. They found him!!
Team Glee might be able to sing in tune but are not so much about tuning in a TV.
Jill & Thomas have delivered their camera coffin.
Nat & Kat and Gary & Sunshine and Andie & Jenna have cabbies who are all asking for directions then turning around.

Team Glee has switched to Check Out.
Gary & Sunshine are doing Tune In.
The Doctors are on coffin delivery.
My favourite freaks have tuned the TV and are off to the Pit Stop.
Team Glee is creating traffic chaos trying to navigate their fish coffin through the streets, but mission accomplished!!
The Doctors are riding up on the curb, not great technique but they're done.
Gary & Sunshine are done as are Andie & Jenna.
It's gridlock Jonathan - passing is highly unlikely.
These last 4 teams are going to have to rely on crazy ass drivers - which Nat & Kat seem to have!!!Of course, they're taking their lives into his hands but there ya go.
I don't know how the teams are keeping their eyes open. Somehow honking their horns seems to magically create new lanes.
Connor thinks that he may have soiled himself, but he runs well with a load - Pit Stop achieved followed right behind by The Doctors.
Poor Sunshine is near to losing her light.
Awwww shame - I really liked Andie & Jenna. I hope that they can keep bonding - they are both so nice.

#1 - Brook & Claire
#2 - Katie & Rachel
#3 - Micheal & Kevin
#4 - Chad & Stephanie
#5 - Jill & Thomas
#6 - Team Glee
#7 - The Doctors
#8 - Nick & Vicki
#9 - Gary & Sunshine

Good bye - Andie & Jenna

Watching TAR17 with Wannietta - part le 1

It's that time again!!
That's right Brook & Claire (Hostesses) - TAR is all about the communication.
Give it at least a few legs Chad to see if you're still in love with Stephanie.
Sporty Spices (Katie & Rachel) ... I'll give them odds.
The Tenors (Connor & Jonathan) are going to get on my nerves.
The Doctors (Nat & Kat) - too book smart I think.
Father & Son team Michael & Kevin - is this just to boost their online readership?
I like Nick & Vicki - go freaks & don't let the dating get in the way!!
Ron & Tony ... outside odds.
Jill & Thomas - I sense fireworks.
Gary & Mallory. Hmmm - first out?
Andie & Jenna - I hope that TAR doesn't ruin the whole "getting to know each other" thing for them.
The first team to check in at the end of this leg receives an Express Pass like a Fast Forward ticket. Totally worth competing for!!
BTW - there is only room for 3 teams on the 1^st flight to their destination and is scheduled to arrive 30 mins ahead of the 2^nd flight. Yeah, but we all know about how flights can get messed up!!
They're on their way to London England.

The Smart cars are adorable!
The Tenors are off to a rough start, but at least they seem happy.
Ron & Tony are at the airport followed closely by Chad & Stephanie. Jill & Thomas are hot on their heels along with Sporty Spices.
Gary & Mallory and the Hostesses are thrilled that The Doctors have missed their shuttle.
1st Flight - Ron & Tony, Jill & Thomas, Chad & Stephanie

Henceforth The Tenors will be knows as Team Glee.
Tony is not fat he's healthy.
Everyone is making happy with each other. That's okay there's lots of time for their true colours to start showing.
Thomas gets into the wrong side of the car to drive - I'm sure that he won't be the only one!
Ron & Tony stopped at a petrol station for a map.
Stephanie is driving around in a big circle and Chad is showing his snappy impatience.
That's safe - Nat is doing her diabetes testing while she's driving a stick on the "wrong" side of the car.
Grind those gears Andie - bad enough to be making a nice burning smell.
Ron & Tony have been going the wrong way.
Team Glee has stopped to try & help Andie & Jenna. Is anyone else surprised that they didn't have any insightful tips?

They're going again ... something about "forgetting the part about taking your foot off the clutch".
The Doctors are the 1^st team to arrive at Stonehenge followed by Jill & Thomas and the Sporty Spices.
Now they have to sort out that Eastnor Castle is "the opposite of nor'easter". Though I'd be inclined to think that sou'wester would be the opposite. What do I know?
Brook & Claire have their clue while Rachel has trouble getting into first gear on a hill.
Claire actually gets out and tries to push the car then has to run after it when Rachel kicks it in.
Ron & Tony are having a real rough time trying to find Stonehenge; Gary & Mallory and Team Glee have their clues.
Andie & Jenna have arrived with Chad & Stephanie right with them.
Oh Dear ... Vicki hasn't heard of Stonehenge before.
Ron & Tony stopped at a Starbucks for directional assistance.
Jill & Thomas have the clue first - they need to "Storm the Castle" - climb a ladder while being pelted with water by a peasant mob, retrieve a medieval flag, cross a moat in an ancient bowl boat (OMG - this should be hilarious!!) to a knight in shining armour for their next clue.
The Hostesses get to the ladder first and are going strong with Jill & Thomas going hard at it too.
The Doctors are making good time up the ladder.
Gary & Mallory have a flat tire and there ends the partnership with Team Glee who forge ahead on their own.

Awww - they have a rope to pull themselves across on. I seriously thought that they'd have to paddle them. Although they are all sinking - they have to really balance themselves and kind of hold their weight up with the rope as well as using it to propel themselves across the moat.
Chad & Stephanie and The Sporty Spices are next to the castle.
Ron & Tony are the last team to arrive at Stonehenge.
Thomas has Jill doing all of the pulling along the rope, The Doctors are doing a tiny little hand over hand thing, Brook & Claire
Chad is totally losing all patience on this one. If he proposes, Stephanie should think twice.
Nick & Vicki have stopped to ask for directions to Eastnor Castle.
Jill & Thomas are the first to the Roadblock. Their knight will give them a ride across the jousting field, then they need to use a ballista to fire watermelons at a suit of armour 50' away. Once they knock it flat they need to find a jester for the next clue.
Thomas, Nat & Claire are all shooting watermelons.
Team Glee has stormed the castle while Chad & Stephanie have sunk on their 12th attempt to cross the moat. Chad & Stephanue have been dubbed "Tinkerbell & Pan" by Sporty Spices.
Thomas knocks out his suit of armour!! Now they need to search the sprawling grounds of Eastnor Castle for the forested meadow where the Pit Stop is.
Team Glee is in their boat ... will they pass Tink & Pan?
Nat knocked out her suit of armour while Clair keeps narrowly missing hers.
Michael & Kevin are storming the castle while Rachel starts her watermelon tossing.
OMG - Claire takes a watermelon that flew backwards right to the face!!

She has a fierce headache & can't see straight but Brook is telling her that she has to finish, "it's not called the Amazing Race for nothing". She now has a fear of watermelons but she's back at it.
Connor is tossing his melons.
Claire did it followed by Connor then Rachel.
Chad is stepping up to the melon tossing ballista.
Gary & Mallory are storming the castle while Michael & Kevin do a Two Stooges routine in the boat. Will they be able to get footage of this to post online?
Chad has knocked out his suit of armour.
Mallory (aka Sunshine) is a screamer - this could get annoying.
Chad thinks that the Pit Stop will be on the "other side of the castle" so they're wandering all over while Andi & Jenna have arrived at the castle.

Ron & Tony are going in the wrong direction, again.
Michael & Kevin have learned from Gary & Sunshine and are on their way across the moat. They're whispering as if talking loud will capsize them!!
Nick & Vicki have arrived at Eastnor Castle but having arrived at the top do not know what a battlement is from which to retrieve their flag. Oh Dear!! I had such high hopes for these two.
Gary is tossing melons with Kevin arriving now too. Chad & Stephanie have gone around the entire castle & are still looking for the Pit Stop.
Nick & Vicki have no idea that the upside-down bowl boats are what they should be using. "I don't see any boats".

The light bulb has flickered on!!!
Jenna is going to toss the melons while Ron & Tony have arrived at the castle.
Chad & Stephanie are still looking ...
Gary knocks over his suit of armour followed immediately by Kevin.
Chad & Stephanie check in while Nick & Vicki are across the moat.
Andie & Jenna check in while Ron & Tony try to get into their boat.
Nick is trying to figure out the ballista ... score!!
Vicki thinks that she is in the country of London, but they are not the last to arrive.



1^st - Jill & Thomas
2^nd - The Doctors
3^rd - Connor & Jonathan (sliding on his ass)
4^th - Brook & Claire
5^th - Sporty Spices
6^th - Gary & Sunshine
7^th - Michael & Kevin
8^th - Chad & Stephanie
9^th - Andie & Jenna
10^th - Nick & Vicki
Eliminated - Ron & Tony


Once again Savory Spicy Sweet has a delicious recipe for every leg of the race - tonight, Boston Baked Beans.

Watching TAR with Wannietta - The Finale

So it all comes down to this - the safe money is on Meghan & Cheyne based on their performance over the whole race, but I'm backing Brian & Ericka; I think that they want it a lot.

So it's off to the Grace Land Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas for their next clue.
Meghan & Cheyne are out in the lead at 11:10 AM.
Sam & Dan are next at 12:08 PM followed by Team Zebra at 3:15 PM.
Once again the airport is the big equalizer - all of the teams are going to all be on the same flight.
Of course it wasn't your fault Sam & Dan - the cabbie asked you for more money for the privilege of dumping his fare.
The big cabbie race is on from the airport to the chapel.
What is up with the bride in black shoes with the white dress?!?
They all arrive at the same time, listen to Elvis finish his corny version of Amazing Grace then the cabbie race to the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
Brian & Ericka arrive 1st and Erika is going to do the 600' rappel down the face of the building. Good thing - Brian is terrified of heights!!
Ericka is talking the talk about being fearless - we'll see what happens when she goes over the side.
Meghan & Cheyne arrive next and Cheyne is going to do the deed.
Sam & Dan's cabbie is going the wrong way into the entrance of the hotel.

Ericka is totally doing it but I think that it would go faster if she had her legs straighter.
Cheyne is over the side and Sam & Dan have arrived.
Cheyne is going down with his eyes closed.
Ericka is Down and they're off to the Mirage.
Cheyne is halfway down and glad he's wearing a helmet as his head goes off the side of the building.
Sam is rocking it out and catching up fast!!
Cheyne is Down and opened his eyes.
Brian & Ericka have arrived at the Mirage and need to join the cast of Love. One person needs to sproing the other one up from a bungee harness to capture a bouquet of flowers in order to move on.
That was lame Brian - she needs more force than that!!
Ericka is projecting her frustrations onto Brian and ordering him to settle down.
Cheyne is bouncing with Meghan!! OMG
Oh snap - both girls almost had it! Meghan just got a piece of hers!
Ericka is losing it and demanding that her & Brian switch and she's telling Brian not to get her pissed off. I think that train has left the station.
Meghan & Cheyne are off to find the Monte Carlo.
Poor Dan is getting his balls squished, but has his bouquet.
It's more about using your momentum in the harness than being tall.
Ericka is losing it - she can't get the hang of it and is sprawling herself all around rather than compacting herself and springing up to the target.

Meghan & Cheyne don't have the right destination casino & Sam & Dan are following it.
Sam & Dan called someone and they're off to the Monte Carlo and are trying to not let Meghan & Cheyne see them peel off.
Meghan & Cheyne may be headed off to the Venetian.
Brian & Ericka are finally done & headed to the Monte Carlo.
Sam & Dan are at the Monte Carlo and need to count out $1,000,000 of chips.
Meghan & Cheyne are at the Venetian and are seeking 2nd & 3rd opinions and are now off to the Monte Carlo.

Sam & Dan are arguing about the best way to sort and count out the chips.
Brian & Ericka have arrived and started counting.
Sam & Dan are at $300,000
Meghan & Cheyne have arrived.
It's just a mass of chips clinking and teams encouraging each other to go faster.
Sam is a freakin' mess, but Dan is handing over chips. If they don't have the total right Sam is going to go apeshit on Dan.
Brian & Ericka think that they are done.
Meghan & Cheyne too.
Meghan & Cheyne are correct - Sam & Dan and Brian & Ericka ... not so much.
They are off to the MGM Grand high roller suite where Mr. Las Vegas will tell them where the finish line is.
I'd be totally letting Kerwyn be in charge of counting.
Sam & Dan are correct.
Brian & Ericka are wrong again and Ericka (no surprise) is falling apart.
Meghan & Cheyne are at the MGM and they are off to find Wayne Newton's house.
Sam & Dan aren't far behind.
Meghan & Cheyne are having a hard time finding the main entrance to Wayne's ranch.
But they totally did it!!!

#1 - Meghan & Cheyne - no one else matters tonight.

Just for fun - Sam & Dan are the 2nd place team. They didn't show how much longer it took Brian & Ericka or the ragging that she must have done on him.

It was a great race - thanks for watching it with me!!!

Watching TAR with Wannietta - part XI

So from Prague Castle, Meghan & Cheyne are the 1st out at 9:46PM to the Spanish Synagogue for their next clue.
Their next stop is the Ekotechnicke Museum where they'll find their next clue
Sam & Dan are out next at 10:13PM.
I'd be totally excellent at attempting the absurd!!
Okay, the ringing phones would drive me mental but I'd be excellent at remembering a few letters.
Romeo
Zulu
who would pick "ferret" over the obvious "fox"?!?
Foxtrot
Ummmm ... Newt?
November
Right behind are the Globetrotters at 10:17PM.
Alpha
Why wouldn't she fill in the letters first and then the rest of the form?
Meghan & Cheyne are off to the Kryocentrum for their next clue.
Geez - they're talking about stealing someone else's cab again! Not good karma.
Brian & Erika have some time to make up - their out at 11"40 PM and they have to do a Speed Bump task.
Dan's working the phones.
Yeah, that totally has to suck that you're way out in front of everyone else and then you have to wait for your own taxi.
Flight Time & Big Easy have gotten to the Kafka-esque task - BE is doing it for them.
Dan didn't rearrange the letters to FRANZ.
-180C!!! WTF wouldn't you lose skin at that temp even for 2 minutes?!? I don't know if I'd be able to do it.
IDK, making and drinking a shot of absinthe doesn't seem like such a bad speed bump, especially with that cryo thing coming up.
BE has all of his letters; Dan's still struggling. BE got his first guess wrong.
These two guys obviously don't play many word games!! D'oh!!!
Meghan & Cheyne are don't their two freezing minutes and are off to the Charles Bridge.
Brian & Erika have tears in their eyes from that drink, but they are one their way.
Dan & BE had an agreement to work together and now that Dan has the word right he's saying that he'll only give Big Easy the first letter!!!

BE is a man after my own heart - it is what it is.
Brian is at the phones now - this could be close!!
Legend or Lager
Teams need to cover a wooden gollum with clay, then transport it across the city to a synagogue or deliver 30 beers across town to a tavern full of roudy soccer fans.
Legend would be heavy but there'd be less chance of spilling and dropping the glasses of beer.
Sam & Dan are at the Kryocentrum - brrrrr all over again!!!
Brian has all of his letters and Big Easy is still at his guessing.
Meghan & Cheyne are doing the Legend.
Oh man - I'm sure that I'd break a nail or two in that clay!!!
Sam & Dan are out of the freezer and off to the Detour.
OMG - Brian has the answer and is outta there!!! Poor Big Easy!!!
The Globetrotters are going to take the penalty - 4 hrs!!! - rather than keep trying to figure out the word. Geez!!! Brian & Erika totally got lucky!

Meghan & Cheyne are done "mudding" up their gollum and are wheeling it across the city.
Sam & Dan have just arrived at the Detour while Brian & Erika are about to step into the freezer.
Sam & Dan are doing Legend too.
They let their gollum drop and apparently cracked it's arm.
Team Zebra is done in the freezer and on their way to the Detour.
Meghan & Cheyne are struggling with their gollum across the city - Cheyne is in no end of pain from hauling the gollum; it's got to weigh about 200 lbs.
Brian & Erika are doing lager.
Meghan & Cheyne are filthy and exhausted but on their way to the Pitstop at the Strelecky Ostrov.
Sam & Dan are done mudding up their gollum but are having a rough time moving it.
Dan wanted to leave the gollum in the road and find the synagogue first so that they knew where they were going. His argument was that while a car could hit it, the gollum would stop the car. ARGH!!!
Princess Erika is carrying her beers trying not to be all offended by the roudy soccer fans.
Meghan & Cheyne are checked in and have won matching 50" TVs. Kerwyn & I totally have to do an AR - we'd rock!!!
Sam and Dan are fighting about how heavy the gollum is and are yelling at each other in the street.
The Globetrotters are still waiting ...
Brian dropped one drink and Erika dropped her whole tray. Erika is begging to switch tasks (Lord, if she only knew!!!). Brian used to be a server so he's not caving. Good on ya man, stand yer ground!!!

Erika is telling the drunk passers-by, "get outta the way, no, no, don't touch"
Sam & Dan are still struggling with each other and their cracked-arm gollum.
Erika is threatening the harmless drunks who just want a wee drinkie. But they only need one more trip to bring 11 more.
The rabbis are totally oblivious to the cracked arm and have given Sam & Dan a pass to the Pitstop.
The Globetrotters are on their way to the Krycentrum; Brian & Erika are on the way to the Pitstop.
They totally dodged a big ole bullet on this leg of the race!
Flight Time & Big Easy don't even have to go into the deep freeze - their clue said to go right to the Pitstop. They were a fun team & I'm a bit sad that Dan was such a jerk and didn't help them out when he'd made the agreement to.

#1 - Meghan & Cheyne
#2 - Sam & Dan
#3 - Brian & Erika
Good bye - Globetrotters

OMG - I miss my Smileys!!!

Watching TAR with Wannietta - part VIII

Sorry - Amanda & I went to The Royal last weekend and she was feeling oogy (yes, a technical term) and I was totally exhausted and then we had some hardware problems that required the services of a professional Nerd. But I'm back and completely gutted that I missed the straw rolling task!!!

Flight Time & Big Easy are out 1st at 2:23AM on their way to Estonia.
I'm seriously annoyed with our new virus software - it won't let me download my smiley faces!!!
Yes FT, 17:45 is a long time from the wee hours of the morning.
Meghan & Cheyne are next out at 4:12AM.
I'm not sure that cutting off a taxi is the best introduction to asking for his most accurate help.
Team Zebra is next out at 4:37AM.
I've got to agree with Brian - winning the battles are irrelevant if you can win the war.
Sam & Dan are next out at 5:04AM - they seem unreasonably excited about visiting Estonia, unless maybe while they're out of the closet they are still closet knitters!!
FT & BE are sleeping in their car - the other teams are blown away that the ferry isn't until 5PM.
Gary & Matt are out at 6:29AM & have a great shot at finishing their speed bump and still getting to the ferry with the rest of the racers.
Argh - the Speed Bump is after the ferry ride.
Meghan & Cheyne and Sam & Dan are the first in the house of the Brotherhood of Blackheads. They need to find a candelabra, pick a room number, find the room and uncover their next clue on a "blank" parchment.
Gary & Matt need to get on a Saunabuss and take a 5 minute sauna. That doesn't sound so horrible.
Erika is having a hard time getting the secret door open; the Globetrotters have caught up with them.
Erika & FT are doing this task.
Sam & Cheyne are still searching for their rooms.
FT found his room and is trying to find the clue on the scroll by rubbing a red "crayon" on it.
Cheyne right away starts rotating the scroll ofer the candle, as does Erika.
FT had it over the candle and the clue was on the paper but he didn't notice!!!
Cheyne has it - Pikk Hermann Tower Garden.
Erika as well. Why is she still carrying her candelabra?
Gary & Matt are done with their sauna and are back with the rest of 'em - Matt's doing the task, but he doesn't know what a candle-a-bra is!! D'oh!!!
Sam & Dan are off and FT finally sorted it out.
Poor Matt, but I guess there really isn't any call for high-falutin' candle-a-bras in Minnesota.

Ding, ding, ding!!! I guess the "candle" part finally twigged with Matt and he's off to find his scroll.
Serve or Sling
Mud volleyball or hitting a tiny Moose target with a slingshot.
Megahn & Cheyne are going with Serve as they have played volleyball in high school and on a beach.
Matt tries the rub technique but is now holding it over the candle.
Matt only got the Pik Herman Tower - I hope that the "Garden" part isn't too important.
Sam & Dan and the Globetrotters are looking for a taxi and end up sharing one.
Gary & Matt don't see the clue box and are trying to figure out how to get into the Tower - I guess the garden part was important.

They finally find the clue and are going to Sling it.
Brian & Erika are going to Serve.
I think that once the girls see the mud that they'll rethink playing in their underwear.
Meghan isn't certain that the mud is entirely mud. LOL
The 2 boys teams are going to play volleyball too but they and Team Zebra can't find the route markers.
Meghan & Cheyne have gotten their 5 points and are on their way further through the bog to Keava Rava Overlook Tower.
Brian & Erika are taking their "shot" at the Sling since Sam & Dan and Flight Time & Big Easy are using the 2 volleyball bogs.
BE is almost up to his waist in the bog and Sam & Dan are not having fun and are taking it out on each other with advice on how to play bog volleyball.

The Globetrotters have their 5 points and are on their way.
Sam & Dan are right behind them.
FT & BE have been running the wrong way and it's a real foot race - Flight Time fell on the wooden path and tripped up Dan a bit. Now there's a bit of a macho pissing contest between the boys.
Brian hits the target and brings down their clue just as Gary & Matt are arriving.

#1 - Meghan & Cheyne
#2 - Sam & Dan
#3 - Flight Time & Big Easy
#4 - Brian & Erika

Sayonara - Gary & Matt - you ran a good race and dodged a bullet last weekend and were a fun team to watch!

Watching TAR 15 with Wannietta - VI

Meghan & Cheyne are out of the gate at 8:17 AM and off to find the Dubai Yacht Club.
This Roadblock is for one of the team members rowing a dingy out to a yacht, receiving a watch, rowing back and then realizing that the code to open the briefcase that they chose at the beginning of this leg is the time on the watch - 8:35.
Brian & Erika are out at 9:59 followed by the Globetrotters at 10:42.
Big Easy has summed up the climate by repeating the word "Hot".
Matt & Gary are hot (no pun intended) on their heels at 10:45
Cheyne has his watch and has opened the the briefcase with no problem to get their next clue - off to the Abra Station - a water taxi port - for their next clue.
Brian is trying to get the hang of rowing a dingy.
Sam & Dan are off at 11:34.
Big Easy & Flight Time's cabbie have taken them to the wrong marina.
Brian and Erika have no trouble with the lock code.
Awwww - Brian has a blister!
Gary's off in his dingy and is laying on his stomach to row is canoe-style-ish.
Detour - Gold or Glass
Teams have to either weigh out exactly $500,000 worth of gold - based on a constantly changing gold exchange rate or assemble 12 hookahs from parts in a crate.
Maria & Tiffany are next to depart at 11:47 AM.
Mika & Canaan are the final team out at 11:54 - 3:37 after the lead team.
Big Easy is going to row for their team - definitely out of his element in the water!!
Meghan & Cheyne have chosen the hookahs - while I think that it would be easier than the gold weighing, it's not easy; all of the hookahs are different.
BE & Dan are rowing with his hands!!!
Meghan is losing her cool real fast on this task.
Brian & Erika have decided to go for the gold.
FT tells BE to "Do it for the 'hood!" so Sam tells Dan to "Do it for the suburbs!"
The are having a rough time figuring out the combo to the briefcase - Sam & Dan are out ahead of them.
Tiffany is rocking out that rowing!!
Canaan has his watch; Tiffany has figured out the combo and Big Easy is still trying - he's hung up on the hand being on the 7 rather than thinking of the "35".
Mika & Canaan have left the Globetrotters sitting on the dock.

He's finally got it and now the 'trotters have some time to make up.
Kerwyn would be totally awesome at the math for the weighing - Brian wants to switch tasks but Erika says that he can do it.
Gary & Matt are going to do the hookahs.
Meghan & Cheyne don't realize that they have some spare pieces on the edge of their carpet & Team is switching tasks.
Meghan & Cheyne have their hookas done and off the the Atlantis, The Palm to a massive water slide.
Sam & Dan and Maria & Tiffany are going to try the gold weighing.
Nice - Mika opens the envelope, drops the garbage and tells Canaan to "pick it up".
Brian & Erika are stuck on the hookahs.
Sam & Dan have a calculator but can't sort out the price/oz and it's relation to $500,000.
Maria helps them out with it but the price/oz keeps changing.
Mika & Canaan are working on the hookahs.
Sam & Dan and Maria & Tiffany are on to the water slide.
That water slide is killer scary - almost straight down and it passes under a live shark tank!!!
Meghan and Cheyne hold their lead and are the first to check in.
BE & FT have arrived to put together their hookas; Brian & Erika still can't sort out what little detail(s) are keeping them from being finished.

Brian & Erika are trying to step through what the problem is - they had the wrong hoses on a couple of the hookahs.
Matt is really feeling the heat.
Maria & Tiffany have taken their "leap of faith" and are off to the pit stop with Sam & Dan close behind.
Seeing how long it took Brian & Erika to do the hookahs, the have switched to the gold task.
Gary & Matt have assembled their hookahs.
Brian & Erika are down the chute.
Mika & Canaan are done the hookahs but remember that Mika is terrified of heights.
Gary & Matt did the slide with no problems.
Canaan is trying to bully poor Mika into going down.
Big Easy & Flight Time are done with the gold and are off to the water slide - will they make it before Canaan can get Mika to go down it?!?
OMG - I can't that he tried to push her down!!!

Flight Time & Big Easy have arrived - Mika has 2 minutes to summon up the courage to just go down.
FT & BE are trash talking her which Canaan is totally pissed about.
She couldn't do it - my heart breaks for her because she's really scared that Canaan is going to hate her for not being able to go down the slide.
Of course he doesn't hate her - I can't imagine being that crippled by a phobia.


#1 - Meghan & Cheyne
#2 - Maria & Tiffany
#3 - Sam & Dan
#4 - Brian & Erika
#5 - Gary & Matt
#6 - Flight Time & Big Easy
Mika & Canaan

Watching TAR 15 with Wannietta - V

And they're off to the Persian Gulf to find the Burj Dubai. Here's Liz's recipe for this leg of the Race.
Erika knows that the tallest building in Dubai straight up!
Sam & Dan are trying to book tickets to "the Persian Gulf"!!
So Lance is going to marry Keri because they have "a lot of non-refundable deposits on stuff". How very romantic.
And Lance knows about booking flights because he's a lawyer and he works out.
Team Zebra is rockin' it out in first place.
It's so hot there when they land (at night!!) that the cameras are steaming up.
And the random idiot cabbie strikes again - Mika and Canaan were apparently at the hotel where the water fountain (and the sign up) was and then the cabbie kept driving and they are in the 2^nd tour group to go up the tower.
Yeah Lance - making jokes about planes and towers is quite past funny.
Mika is struggling with a fear of heights and she's still on the ground.
Awesome - the Fast Forward.
The teams who want to complete this task needs to find the Dubai Autodrome, complete a lap in under 45 seconds in the race car. Kerwyn would totally rock it out!!!
Lance is such a jackass - "Try and keep pace baby, it won't kill ya". And when Keri tells him that all of the other teams went the other way he doesn't even give it a thought.

FT & BE are turning right and Mika & Canaan are going to turn left - who's correct???
Lance & Keri are finally in their car - Lance doesn't want Keri asking for directions and Keri is not opening up the map and tells Lance that he's on his own.
Cheyne & Meghan are at the Fast Forward and, no surprise, Cheyne is driving.
Sam & Dan, Brian & Erika and Maria & Tiffany are in 4x4 jeeps heading across the desert.
Mika & Canaan are still on the highway; Lance is not listening to Keri's navigation directions.
The Road Block is for one of the team members to take a traditional water bag, and head off in the desert in search of clay urns with water buried in the desert.
Apparently "chocolate melts" so Brian is doing the task along with Tiffany and Dan.
Big Easy & Matt have joined the water hunt.
"My judgment sucks." Lance has probably never uttered truer words.
I don't understand why Meghan is crying - sure, Cheyne is driving very fast but he's the only car on the track!
And he totally does it in 40 seconds and they are off in a Maserati to the pit stop.
Brian has found water!!
This is the Fire & Ice leg of the race - from the heat of the desert, Brian & Erika are now off to Ski Dubai for their next clue.
Matt totally rocked it out with no help from anyone and he & Gary right behind the other 3 teams.
That totally sounded not good! Maria drove over a metal stake or something and has totally punctured their radiator.

"... gave the tummy of our car a little tickle and now it's bleeding radiator fluid."
Same and Dan are hanging around to make sure that the are set because Tiffany shared her ladle.
BE has water, Sam & Dan and Maria & Tiffany are under way, Canaan is going to be the Water Whisperer and Lance and Keri are still on the highway.
Meghan & Cheyne have checked in - they are going to have a massive head start on the next leg of the race!
Lance and Keri are on their way out to the water search and now Lance and Canaan are wandering the desert sands.
Gary & Matt are the 1^st team to Ski Dubai
Build a Snowman or Find a Snowman
I'm with Matt - toboganning down a hill then digging through snow to find a tiny snowman figurine would be easier than taking snow outside to the sweltering heat and building one (complete with traditional accoutrements) before it melts.
Typical Lance - can't find water in any of the urns so he breaks urns.
Sam & Dan, Maria & Tiffany and Brian & Erika arrive at Ski Dubai at the same time.
Lance may be getting delirious - he's rambling away to himself and in a show of bravado declares that he totally could have done another lap (of the desert) but he has to get to the next clue.
All of the teams are looking for a snowman.
Erika has found the first snowman and now she & Brian are off to the pit stop.
Geez!!! When Lance, in all sincerity, asks Keri which way she would like to go, she can't make a freakin' decision!!
FT & BE are going to look for a snowman, Maria & Tiffany and Matt & Gary are switching and going to build a .
Sam & Dan are sticking with the search.

Lance & Keri have decided that they are "directionally challenged".
Brian & Erika check in.
Sam & Dan switch tasks at the same time that the Globetrotters find their little snowman.
They gave Mika & Canaan a heads up about the snow and suggest that they get some jackets.
Gary & Matt have finished building their snowman; Mika & Canaan decide to build a snowman.
Maria & Tiffany have finished their snowman.
Sam & Dan are quick on their heels.
Mika & Canaan seem a bit defeated but they have no idea how far behind Lance & Keri are.
Lance & Keri are arriving as Mika & Canaan head out.
What a freakin' idiot! Lance wants to kick the snowman - I think that if Keri wouldn't have talked him out of it he would have forgone the clue to do it.
Merciful Lord!! It's not a non-elimination leg!!!

#1 - Meghan & Cheyne
#2 - Brian & Erika
#3 - Flight Time & Big Easy
#4 - Gary & Matt
#5 - Sam & Dan
#6 - Maria & Tiffany
#7 - Mika & Cannan
Lance & Keri

Watching TAR 15 with Wannietta - IV

FT & BE are out first at 18:53 on their way to Cambodia to make contact spy style for their next clue.
Once again the airport is the big equalizer - no flight out until 12:25 the next day.
Zev has nicknamed Phonm Pehn "Sean Penn".
I hate Lance more every time that he opens his pompous mouth. "We just wanted to beat you guys here - now you're in last place." Pride goes before the crash - Lance & Keri are on the 2^nd flight out 1.5 hours later along with Zev & Justin.

And they both made it on stand by.
Zev & Justin are off the plane and into their cab in 1^st place.
I can't believe that Lance is the first one to recognize Jackie Kennedy!! I totally knew it right off.
Cover or Wrap
I'd totally pick wrap - finding a family of 4 who a) need helmets & b) want to pay $10 for them seems like a more challenging task.
Matching scarves seems like more fun too!
Everyone is choosing Wrap so far.
Hmmm - Lance & Keri are doing Cover - let's see if Lance can put on some charm.
Zev & Justin are done their scarf challenge & on foot to find their next clue.
OMG - those monkey actors are awesome - like totally out of Planet of the Apes.
Brian & Erika matched up their scarf almost immediately!
Zev is looking right exhausted; being a is harder than it might seem - maybe it's dehydration?

Dan's done his monkeying around - he & Sam are off to Wat Phnom - the pit stop for this leg of the race.
Zev finished his task.
Erika is Team Jungle Fever/Zebra's monkey.
Meghan & Cheyne, Gary & Matt are done the scarf challenge.
Lance & Keri have finally sold their helmets.
Flight Time took to that monkey business like a fish to water.
Meghan & Gary are going to be their teams' monkeys.
They got to keep their monkey masks - I'd totally ditch a t-shirt to find room to pack that.
The have their scarf matched as well as Mika & Canaan in last place.
Zev & Justin are first!!
OMG - Zev & Justin have lost Zev's passport!!!
They need to find it before the last team checks in or they're out of the race.

They're back-tracking.
I'm going to DIE of not surprised - Lance is yelling at Keri.
Canaan sure is channeling his inner simian!
All of the teams are done the challenge - Zev & Justin are still looking for Zev's passport.
Awwww - they couldn't find it. I agree with Zev - they ran an awesome race and it's a sucky way to have to exit it.
I wonder how long it will take to get it sorted so that they can leave the country?


#1 - Sam & Dan
#2 - Flight Time & Big Easy
#3 - Brian & Erika
#4 - Gary & Matt
#5 - Meghan & Cheyne
#6 - Lance & Keri
#7 - Mika Canaan
#8 - Maria & TiffanyZev & Justin

Watching TAR 15 with Wannietta - III

Gary just did one of my pet peeves - asking a question then 2^nd guessing the answer. If you didn't want to pick the way that Matt chose, why ask the question?
Yeah - let's see how long Lance lets Keri lead.
Geez, Keri caved on that pretty fast.
Only 45 minutes between the 1^st & last place teams depart times, let's see how that plays out.
Those dragons are crazy quick - it's going to be tricky and a matter of timing/luck to snatch a clue out of their mouths!
Flight Time & Big Easy are out quick followed by Gary & Matt.
Beautiful post office!!
Justin & Zev are next.
Matt decides that they should just leg the 1 km to the Post Office.
Childs Play or Word Play
Dragging a clumsy concrete animal around a park collecting balloons or going to a high vantage point, finding 6 Vietnamese letters on cyclists hats or carts the getting help to unscramble them.
I'm with FT & BE on the Child's Play - and they picked the !
OMG - Lance & Keri are the only ones who don't realize that they're supposed to unscrew the bullet for the clue.

And Keri finally thinks to look inside!
Are Mika & Canaan trying to dance/charm the clue out of the dragon's mouth?
Marcy & Ron are the first team to choose word play.
FT & BE have finished their Detour and are on their way to the busiest intersection at Dien Co 008 for their next clue.
Lance & Keri have totally missed the clue box outside and have slipped to last place. Lance of course blames Keri.
Maria & Tiffany's dolly has broken and they have to go back for another one - Sam & Dan tried to help them but it was irreparable.
Justin & Zev chose a - even Amanda saw the flaws in that strategy and sure enough it was top heavy and tipped.

Meghan & Cheyne are done & in 2^nd place.
Marcy & Ron have all of their letters on the 2^nd try.
Lance let go of the red balloon and then leaves their animal in traffic to go back for another one.
Ron's sight seeing while March is trying to work on the clue.
Tiffany is panting and feeling the burn of pulling their animal because Maria is strolling up ahead scoping for balloons.
Lance is yelling and manhandling their animal - that guy does not deal with stress very well.
In this Road Block one member of the team needs to break down 2 VCR's and separate the different parts for recycling of some sort.
Marcy and Ron are trying to make up the Vietnamese word DOCLAP on their own - they are finally asking for help!
FT & BE are the first out on their way to the pitstop at the Reunification Palace.
Marcy & Ron are in 4^th place.
Team Zebra (Brian & Erika) are out in 5^th.
It's a foot race between FT & BE and Meghan & Cheyne.
Flight Time & Big Easy are there first by seconds!!
Lance & Keri are coming apart.

Brian & Erika made amazing time and have hit the mat in 4^th place.
Marcy says the most random things - "If you don't have patience with the opposite sex you shouldn't live on planet Earth." WTF?
Lance goes with his strength and just bashes the shit out of the VCRs and rips them apart with his hands - apparently it's the "man" thing to do. His hands are going to be cut up I'm sure.
Amanda & I can't stand the sound of Keri's voice - totally screechy!
Justin & Zev are done and on their way.
I think that Ron is the first guy that I've seen wearing gloves to do this task - maybe not as "manly" as Lance but much smarter.
Lance is a wreck in his cab & Zev is totally zen.
Zev & Justin beat out Lance & Keri in a foot race for the mat!!!
Awww - Marcy & Ron are done.

1 - Flight Time & Big Easy
2 - Meghan & Cheyne
3 - Gary & Matt
4 - Brian & Erika
5 - Sam & Dan
6 - Tiffany & Maria
7 - Mika & Canaan
8 - Justin & Zev
9 - Lance & Keri
- Marcy & Ron