Episode 2 -My Thoughts

And yet, another good one. In case anyone wants Miss Alli's short take, here's her recaplet.

And now, on to My Thoughts.

The most prophetic line ever from a team about to be Philiminated in 58 minutes? That of course goes to Megan and Heidi: "Heidi and I are leaders and will take charge! And my hair is blowing in my mouth!" That summed up all we need to know about to Boobsey Twins. Bye bye. Have fun in sequesterville--although I'm sure you'll have more fun once Brian and Greg get there!

Oh, Rob. Have you not heard of THE YIELD? Either he hasn't, or he has and he just doesn't care. I don't think he really justified the "You lied to us!" from the teams about not sharing information with them about the later bus getting there first, and then paying the security man not to say anything, and the paying the bus driver not to open the backdoor (with the other teams' in his alliance's money, not his own) was just brilliant, but at some point there's gonna be a yield and who are they going to be gunning for? The Rob-father himself.

And on that bus driver move, thank goodness Mirna's not on this race. Can't your just hear her melodic tones ringing throughout the episode? "Rob is Dis-GUS-ting!"

Dude, other teams. You can't fault Rob for asking for information when you didn't think to do it. That's why you were mad, wasn't it Patrick? That's what I thought. The dumb-as-a-rock Rob outsmarted your witty self. And what's up with that bandage on your eye? Seriously! And why did it go away so fast?

I liked this roadblock. I really did. Except for the part where Ron and Kelly decided he would do it because "he shined shoes in the miltary". And you never did that in the beauty pagents, Kelly? So, now Ron's use of military comparisons is three over the limit ("Lima looks like Baghdad!" "I was a POW and got shot down and if I win the million I'm going to donate some to the disabled veterans" "I shine shoes all the time"). How many times has he mentioned the military altogether? That's right. Three. Bye bye now. Get your right-wing butt of my screen. And take your girlfriend who apparently can't count (112 + 78 is 190, not your needed 180. Where's Bolo when you need him?) with you.

I did, however, find Lynn and Alex's decision as to who would do the roadblock quite funny. "Who loves shoes? We both love shoes!" Go boys, go.

However, Susan and Gretchen? The clue said shoe shine, not sock shine. There's a joke to be made there somewhere, but I'm not finding it at the moment.

And the teams rip open their clue and find...already booked airline tickets? That was a bit odd. Now, here's my theory. It wasn't like they were all bunching them on the same flight, because they were on two different ones. It was more like a cutting of the deck before shuffling again. There didn't seem to be too much time difference in when they got to Santiago. I'm guessing that they're trying out things for Amazing Race 8, when the families get on there. It's hard enough to book last minute international flights for four people (the two team members and their sound and camera dudes), but with AR 8, it's going to be at least six if not eight (I wouldn't be surprised if they double the crew as well, but I could be wrong). I think we'll see a lot of that next season. Having said that, I really miss the traditional airport shuffle.

And on to Santiago we go! Where they ride a funicular, my second favorite form of transportation on Amazing Race! At least no one called it a "small two person bike". Here's a song about a Funnicular. And if you want to hear the audio of this song you can come over to my cube at work or ask me of a copy of my Minnetonka Concert Band winter concert from a few weeks ago, where we played "Funiculi, Funicula". And you can hear me play my featured solo piece, too. 'cause I'm good. And now I'm done being egotistical.

A lotof people have been asking about why Susan and Patrick were running into money troubles at this point (and again at the detour, along with Meredith and Gretchen), when they weren't paying off drivers and security guards all over the place. I think it was a more a matter of them not having enough Chilean Pesos, as they hadn't stopped to change them anywhere. And that's all I'm going to say about money for the rest of this post.

This was a cool detour, because on one hand you have physical strength but also need to be able to navigate through the streets of Santiago (and remember to use your "library voice" as one of the Brothers said to the other), but on the other you've got to have enough money and language skills to be able to purchase at a reasonable price items from a very busy market. Cool, cool, cool.

Rob and Amber had no problem with that roadblock, probably owing to the fact that, since they go there first, they could take all the little books. Can it safely be said that Rob has book smarts after all? As for the others who chose that detour, they all managed it fine. Nothing much to say.

Oh, the marketers. This is not the first time teams have had to use their own money to complete a task, but for those of you who have become race converts in latter seasons might not have seen it. Here it is. I loved that both Gretchen and Meredith and Lynn and Alex got sent back because their fish was too small. Gretchen and Meredith handled it was grace, but I think Lynn and Alex were schooled at the Donald Rumsfeld School of Diplomacy and International Relations. And at some point in there, Lynn made the comment that "we're used to brining up the rear". And all the gay boys I know fall over laughing. And here's where I get to interject my first totally non-related to the race story but it makes sense in my head story of the season!

One time when my family was in Germany when my sister was either 4 or 6, we were walking down from Neuschwanstein, which is a bit of a hike. My dad was a few yards ahead of my mom and I, and my sister was kinda hanging back trying to keep up. For some reason one of the three of us asked someone else where Marissa was, and I think I answered "she's bringing up the rear". So we kept walking and soon I turned around and and she was bent over with her hands on the ground, just staying still and I said, "Marissa, what are you doing?" and she said, "You said I was bringing up the rear, so I am!"

Back to the race. The race to the pitstop.

This is why I like Debbie and Bianca--they take the time to explain to their cab driver, in perfect Spanish, why they're acting batshit crazy. I need to meet these two.

Meredith is actually kinda funny! "Seven is better than a sharp stick in the eye?" Talking to himself in the third person? I dig it. But everytime I verge on liking this team, Gretchen opens her mouth and makes strange noises. I don't understand.

Patrick, in a line that summed up his whole existence, "Yes Phil, it will be this traumatic each time." Thanks for the warning, kiddo.

And a footrace to last again. What could be better than that? Only if this show was now sponsored by Travelocity so I could see the garden gnome ads. Oh wait, it is! I have a thing for garden gnomes. But, apparently, so do others. You just can't make this stuff up.