"Save me from being confused/ Show me what I'm looking for"

This is an open letter to the wonderful invention that is Google (and all of the employees there):

Thank you for creating the best search engine ever. And then when I thought it couldn't get any better, you gave your search engine psychic powers because you always know what I am looking for before I even finish typing. So Google, thank you for helping me: come up with Christmas shapes other than stars and bells, make sure Bloomingdales makes the "big brown bag", correct lyrics for "Winter Song" by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, that it is in fact a palette that goes with a paintbrush, that oven mitts is two words, and what the RN nursing symbol looks like. And that was just for today. Can you tell the chapter I am writing now takes place in December?

One last time, thanks Google. You're the best!

"But I still haven't found what I'm looking for"

Alright, final five time on the Amazing Race. So... let's recap shall we?

Oh and I know this looks long but it is an hour long show and I have to use their names like 60 times each and there are only like 8 words in a line and.... I ramble. Sorry!

Previously on the amazing race: The six teams went to the Netherlands. It took Miss America over two hours to count to 64, Sam and Dan were team #1, the Globetrotters were dancing up a storm, the Poker Players couldn't swing a hammer or play putt-putt so they gave up and were eliminated. In the word of Phil, Five teams are left who will be eliminated * slight pause* next?

Sam and Dan are the first to depart at 9:33 p.m. We find out they are heading to Stockholm, Sweden and will have to travel by train and boat to get to the Tivoli amusement park. Sam and Dan are super excited to be in first place but are starting to snap and nag at each other due to their 21 years of sibling rivalry. I honestly just had to search for several minutes to figure out which was which. I think Sam is the shorter one. Don't hold me to that though.

Second to depart: Meghan and Cheyne. I refuse to spell his name that way and he will be Shane from here on out. The dating duo leaves at 9:48 p.m. Uh oh, background information: They have been dating for 4.5 years and marriage is definitely in their future according to Shane. He says they are running a good race so that shows they are compatible and have a good partnership. My guess: Either they fight or get eliminated this episode. Meghan exclaims in the car that they are going to Sweden. Did you not figure that out before from the clue? Or were you just really excited? She is blonde so this could go either way.

Globetrotters leave third at 10:32 p.m. It's Flight Time's birthday and they want to finish in first as his birthday present. They joke around about going to the red light district to "use the internet" before they have to leave Amsterdam. Teehee.

Matt and Gary (or Pinky and the Brain from here on out) leave 4th at 11:08. The Brain points out how he is the oldest contestant left and Pinky says his dad is doing a great job and he is trying to keep up with his dad most of the time. Oh no, too much background information, we always know it is the kiss of death.

The brothers and team blondie get to the airport around midnight and it's empty. The first flight is at 6:55 a.m. and a second leaves a 9:25 a.m. Blondie points out they need to get on the 6:55 flight. I'm sure the producer tells you to narrate the race but really Meghan? I think we know you want to be on the first flight.

Team Blondie and the brothers run into each other. The boys are carrying some trashbags and I'm immediately intrigued. What's in there? Dirty clothes? Some take out? Why won't they tell me? Guess I'll never know. The ticket counter is closed until 5:30 so the two teams set up camp to be first in line. The globetrotters get there as well as Pinky and the Brain.

The married couple leaves a 1:38 a.m. I think the guy, Brian, is nice (and a saint for putting up with his diva wife. Seriously, it took her two hours to count some bells in a tower) but I don't care the wife, Erika, Miss America. She's had some good oneliners but that's not enough in my book. We find out that they are doing to the race to prove to her family they are a good team because Erika's mom isn't crazy about the fact she married a white guy. Background info for them too?! That's team blondie, Pinky and the Brain, and the married couple who will potentially be eliminated according to the background information is the kiss of death rule.

Team Blondie, the brothers, and the globetrotters get onto the 6:55 flight. Pinky and the brain are getting on the 9:25 flight. Noooooo! I love Pinky and the brain. The married couple are also on the later flight. Not as upset about that one though.

The three teams in front are sprinting through the airport. Man these are some competitive teams. I know you get a prize and all for finishing first each leg of the race but seriously, there are two teams that are two hours behind you. Slow your roll. You don't want to get detained by airport security. The teams scramble to get tickets for the train using the different kiosks. Team Blondie is on the train first, the brothers are second. Aw, the globetrotters get left behind to take the next train.

The brothers point out that the GT are their main competition because they are the only other all male team left. Um, no, no they aren't. I know Matt has pink hair but he's still a boy. And so is his father. So no, they are two other all male teams left. OOoo. Unless this is footage from a later part of the race and therefore a mistake and that means P&B get eliminated. Noooo! Let's hope they are just being jerks.

The other flight departs from Amsterdam while team blondie and the brothers are on the boat. The GT get on the train. Planes, trains, and autoBOATbiles. Too much of a stretch? Sorry, I tried!

Again with the footrace at the amusement park, though I do look kind of dumb cause it proved to be vital last time since the GT missed the train. My bad. The clue reads that one member of each team must ride the Frit Fall and search for an arrow when they are at the top of the ride which will point them in the direction of the next clue box. They only have 15 seconds to search before the ride plunges 24 stories * dramatic pause by Phil * in less than three seconds. I went on a ride that was the opposite at Space Camp. This one shot you up in the air and the force would push you up in your seat and it would feel like you were floating. I almost peed in my pants on that ride... before I went on it like 45 more times because we had the place to ourselves. Ah, seventh grade memories.

Shane and Sam go up and agree to work together, scanning different sections of the park. Sam finds it and then the boys take the plunge. They each deliver a good reaction on the way down. They successfully find the second clue box. One member of the team will play ring toss with large red gnome hats acting as the goal. Ah... our product placement portion of the show. Not only must they get the ring on the hat but a Travelocity gnome must be underneath. Don't those hats just make you think of David the gnome and his wife Lisa (no, I didn't recall that on my own. Thanks google!)? The team must keep the gnome with them until they reach the pit stop. Dan gets his gnome rather quickly as does Shane. Well, that was a waste of suspense. They could have deleted that entire part of the race but we would have wondered why all the teams were carrying around gnomes.

Detour: Nobel or Viking? You fill up sandbags to create a bunker, set off an explosion, and get their clue. Or use the ancient viking alphabet to decipher a code and then find a viking to get the clue. Yeah, I'd wanna blow stuff up too so that's what blondie and the brothers decide to do.

GT are at the amusement park. Big Easy can't ride the Frit Fall cause he is taller than 6 foot four. Would they have had to chose another ride if Flight Time was too tall? These are the questions that plague my mind. Man and how tall is Big Easy cause he towers over Flight Time. I'm getting really tired of typing out their ridiculous names. Flight Time goes on the ride and finds the arrow with ease. And braces himself on the way down. He doesn't even make a peep, What a let down. Big Easy does the ring toss and is successful.

Pinky and the Brain and the married couple are at the train. The married couple makes it on and P&B don't! Rats! What is with my favorite teams getting left behind?! They are only fifteen minutes behind though so that's doable. Especially if Erika has to find the arrow on the ride, her false eyelashes clearly impair her ability to see clearly (counting bells need I remind you?).

Blondie and Brothers get a person to lead them to the quarry. GT debate names for their gnome on the way. Flight Time suggests sweet pea. Really? Big Easy suggests Louisiana Shorty, I wonder why? Where are you from again? Oh right, Louisiana. I almost forgot since you hadn't reminded us in this episode. They decide on Harlem Gnome. Uh, creative. Stick to tricks.

Brian is scared of heights so Erika goes on the ride. She finds the arrow with ease which shows a blind person could have found it as well. I want to see someone struggle producers! Come on! This certainly isn't amazing, it's not even entertaining. Get me some obstacles and struggles pronto.

Erika delivers a good "Oh hell naw" at the top and she screams on the way back to earth. Nice. She does the ring toss and "wins her baby" the gnome. Brian says how "the guy is suppose to get his girl something at the fair" and Erika retorts "It's 2009". I see what you were trying to do there Erika, but no, just no.

Pinky goes on the ride, finds the arrow, the Brain does the ring toss and gets the gnome, and decide to the dynamite task. This is becoming redundant. However, the person who is lifting the hats for the ringtoss tries to add an element of suspense by putting their leg in front of the hat so you can't see if it has a gnome or not. But the suspense is delayed all of .34 seconds. These are the small things I notice for you, readers. :)

Blondie and Brothers arrive to the quarry and are instructed to put on their safety gear. The GT arrive shortly after. The B&B complain that the GTs are there. Flight Time exclaims "We found it!" in a high pitched voice as they get out of their car. LOL. Shane says "Lucky" in a voice that is exactly like my friend Scott so that scores him a few points with me.

The three teams start filling up their sandbags. The brothers realize it is much faster to just use your hands as opposed to the tiny shovels provided. Even though they've helped other teams in the past (You know, like telling the poker player team how many bells there were so she didn't even have to climb the tower and count on her own!), they hid this tidbit. But seriously, if the other teams are that dumb, then they don't deserve to know. The GT sing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" as they shovel. How cute. Meghan tells Shane it will be faster if they work together and he holds the bag open while she shovels in dirt. Shane (and I) don't agree cause he doesn't help her out and Meghan isn't happy.

Brian and Erika offer to pay a cab driver to lead them to the quarry. Pinky and not-so-much the Brain struggle to find out their way due to the foreign street names. Oh no.

Meghan asks Shane to "please encourage [her]" and I lose some respect. You need motivation to dig some dirt into a bag? Come on now, honey. Wait, I just gave her encouragement (albeit sarcastically) when I really don't think she needs it. Oh well. The brothers build their bunker first and they cheer after the explosion. They do this many times each leg of the race.

The next stop is a farm which was the site of one of the "most infamous and daunting challenges in AR history" according to Phil. Yes! These were the struggles and challenges I was taking about!

GTs finish second and they are off to the farm. Meghan yell's Shane's name some more. She is becoming very whiny and I'm not sure I like her as much. They finally finish and are off to the farm. Meghan complains how Shane didn't listen to her the entire time and Shane says it's over and there is nothing they can do. Meghan huffs and puffs in the backseat.

Oh yeah Pinky and the Brain are still lost, literally driving in circles.

The married team get to the quarry. Erika complains that the dirt is getting into her manicure while she has a voiceover where she claims she doesn't care about getting dirty anymore. Contradicting statements darling.

The brothers get to the farm first, followed closely by Meghan and Shane. The brothers race each other to the clue box and I think Sam is about to regret expending that bit of energy. Roadblock: There are 186 haybales and only seven of them contain flags. One member of each team must unroll the bales of hay until they find the flag. Phil reminds us in a previous season that one team spent almost 10 hours looking for the clue and never found it. They were two hours behind the last team to arrive so they were eliminated. The farm is also the pit stop and the last team to check in MAY be eliminated. But they say that all the time now. In the beginning seasons they didn't unless it was a non-elimination round. Clearly too many people picked up on this since they had to change the wording. Bummer, I like mentally preparing myself if my favorite team is in last place.

Sam is up for his team. Dan is screeching directions from the sidelines and Sam keeps telling him to shut up. Sam struggles to unroll the hay quickly and Dan informs him that one team spent eight hours looking for their clue. Sam says, "Why on earth would you tell me that right now?" and rightly so. Now it all makes sense why Dan wasn't volunteering for this roadblock.

Meghan and Shane get to the clue box. Meghan asks if Shane wants to do it, he says nothing, she says she will do it since he won't speak up. Well two things: 1) Each member has to do a certain number of roadblocks. I think they each have to do six or something. I mean, it's rolling out hay, might as well pass on it if you are the stronger teammate. 2) No one is going to volunteer for that so I'd keep my mouth shut too. Meghan can try to be a martyr but it was her own stubbornness that brought this on.

Dan is still yelling at Sam. Sam is drenched in sweat and tells Dan to stop talking to him for ten minutes. Meghan is struggling and asks Shane to keep talking to her. I mean whatever works for you. She says it's the worst thing she's ever done and she is on bale #1. This is going to be fabulous. I'm actually giddy.

GTs arrive at the farm. Dan yells at Sam for picking through the haystack but I don't blame him. That flag looks pretty tiny, so I'd sort through some too. I do think that's unfair, and it should be a little bit bigger. Big Easy is up for the GTs and Flight Time says "Give me a birthday present baby!" Even though Meghan is immersed in the task she still tells Flight Time happy birthday. Aw, points for her. Flight Time tells her to not find the flag for his birthday present. LOL. She sort of half snorts/ scoffs and continues digging through the hay.

The married couple are almost done with their bunker and Pinky and the Brain get to work. Brian tells them "it's a blast" as they are on their way out. Hardy har har. P&B get the job done pretty quickly (or at least it seems that way due to editing) and are about to detonate their explosive. The camera pans over to the gnome and I sort of pray that it is too close to the dynamite and it's going to explode (even though I like them, that would be highly entertaining). No such luck, just tricky editing and more product placement. And P&B are off.

Back to the roadblock. We hear Meghan say this is the worst thing she's ever done in her life. Listen, I'm sure it's hard but you signed up for the amazing race. You know what's in store. It's not all going to be rainbows and butterflies and water rides and amusement parks. And I'm sure it's physically exhausting but just go down the row and do each bale one at a time. You have to find one eventually. And I'm sure it's harder than it looks and that's why I will never audition for the Amazing Race. :)

Dan yells some more at Sam. And Sam flips him the bird, his arm stretching out of the frame. Nice. Dan yells some more about Sam spending time going through the haystacks and sounds just like Jerry Seinfeld. That gets a double finger from Sam and a "screw you". Love it.

More jokes about how they don't have hay in the projects from the GTs. Where are you from again? Cause you haven't said it fifty eight times in eight episodes. This must be why the GTs are required to be funny visually and not so much verbally in their basketball exhibitions.

Big Easy finds a flag!!! Hooray! Flight Time reminds us that it's his birthday and he's super excited. And he looks just like a boy I went to elementary school with (David) when he says it so I cheer for him a little bit more.

Meghan is pissed that Big Easy got there third and already found a flag.

Just so you know, Safari just quit on me but because blogger is AWESOME and automatically saves your draft every few minutes, I lost none of my work. Cause if I had, I would have given up. Hm, maybe I wouldn't have lasted too long in that haystack challenge after all. Oh well.

Meghan and Sam say that the GTs are the luckiest team in the race. I contest this statement because 1) They haven't been saved by a non-elimination round 2) Poor Big Easy could not figure out the code of 835 even thought it was the position of the hands on the clock and 3) They missed the train. Someone is jealous me thinks.

Flight Time and Big Easy reach the pit stop and are greeted by a prepubescent swedish boy. They are team number one! Phil tells Flight Time they have a good present for him and it's a trip to Turks and Caicos. Flight Time asks if Big Easy knows where that is. LOL. Flight Time is proud of Big Easy for coming in first. They skip and dance off from the mat with their gnome. Love it!

Meghan asks Shane to help her pick the next hay bale and help her make a decision. Why? So when it's not there you can blame him? If I were Shane I'd keep my mouth shut.

Brian and Erika and Pinky and the Brain get to the farm. Man P&B must have done the detour fast since they get there at almost the same time. Sam and Meghan become quite downtrodden at the arrival of Brian and Erika. Brian points out that they've gone through a lot of hay already and provided they didn't miss a clue in an already rolled out haybale, then there is less to go through. The one benefit to being one of the later teams to arrive. And Brian and the Brain are up. Hehehe.

Meghan is crying that she's been doing this for two hours. Sam is yelling and threatening to kill his brother. Breakdowns. I love it. Dan is still yelling at Sam and Brian pipes in, "Daniel it's harder than it looks" in a very nice way and for some reason it finally dawns on Dan that yelling isn't helping. I understand where he is coming from where it would be hard to sit there and not be able to help but screaming out obvious instructions isn't helpful at all. Dan finally shuts up. Pinky explains how this helps their odds since so many have already been unrolled. Dan comments that the other teams are going pretty fast and Sam yells back "Yeah cause they haven't been doing this for an hour and half". True that. Pinky informs Erika about a team taking eight hours. Someone knows their past seasons of AR.

Meghan finally finds a flag and tells the camera she is going to surprise Shane. She pretends she is giving up and runs back to him. On the way, she totally trips in a ditch and faceplants. LOL. Then she shows him the flag and they take off running to the mat. Such energy we have now, Meghan, what happen to being exhausted? They are team number two. Shane says that he is overcome with pride since Meghan is his girlfriend and she's a strong woman. He says that he is glad she is his partner on the race as well as in life. He should have dropped down on one knee and proposed cause it would have been perfect (well minus the fact that she is sweaty and gross and they've been at each other's throats all day). But really, if this were a movie, he totally would have proposed.

Pinky comments that the Brain has worked with hay all of his life and they once again attribute their successes to working on a farm. Unfortunately not in this case case cause Brian finds the flag and he and Erika are team #3.

Sam sits down for a break. The Brain keeps going. Sam starts unrolling another bale and he finds a flag! Sam says he is exhausted and Dan apologize to his brother and explains that he feels terrible but then Sam goes "I'll race ya!" and they break off into a sprint towards the finish line. Sam does some leprechaun kicks and they are team #4. Dan breaks down into tears. DAN not Sam. Dan says he was being a jerk and he shouldn't have been and he isn't proud of himself. But they say their brotherly bond is stronger than any argument and they didn't just come on the race for the million but to also get to know each other better. Aw.

The Brain is still searching for the flag and a counter tells us it's been 1 hour and 55 minutes. He says giving up isn't him and he has a strong work ethic. We're up to 2 hours and 45 minutes and he finds a flag! They run to the pit stop and Phil tells us they are the last team and he is sorry to tell them..... that the next leg of the race is going to be a tough one! Yes, non-elimination. They will have to do a speed bump on the next leg but they're still in this. Awww. Matt calls his dad superman and gets choked up. What is with the people who didn't do the physical labor, breaking down into tears? Perplexing. The Brain says that they aren't giving up and are taking it to the limit. They dance and skip away from the mat and it's a happy ending until they start racing again in 12 hours.

For the record, I called it being a non-elimination round since they usually have three a race and we've only had one so far. Plus, they made the Brain keep searching after they were already going to be the last team. Guess the background info wasn't the kiss of death this round!

Next week, Matt doesn't know the word candelabra (sad!) and one of the GTs literally knock out one of the brothers. I'm excited!

I don't know how I feel about this recap. There isn't as much speculation as there is for Survivor since we always know who are the two teams racing to finish second to last. So it could have been a little boring. Let me know if it sucked! Well in the nicest way possible please. :)

"Isn't it strange how we all get a little bit weird sometimes"

It's official: I'm getting dumb...........er.

I knew writing a book would take a huge effort but I never knew it could be so mentally exhausting. And not just in the predictable way of "hm, how should I go from here? Should I have this happen or this? How am I going to get from this point to the next point?" I expected that. But it's... creatively exhausting or something. See, it's so difficult I can't even come up with the right phrase. This should be obvious though since in previous posts: a) I essentially asked for help with the word "northeast" and b) I explained my much too long thought process for coming up with the word "monologue". If you only knew how much time I spent sitting at my laptop, head in my hands, trying to come up with a phrase or word that is on the tip of my tongue. And I don't try to use fancy vocabulary; simply trying to come up with words I haven't used 500 times already is hard enough.

And spelling. Don't even get me start on spelling. Before, I considered myself to be a rather good speller. I mean, not to brag, but I was the representative for my 6th grade class in the school wide spelling bee. In fact it was down to the final three and I realized, "oh crap, if I win this I am going to have to go to the county spelling bee and that's for dorks. I'm outta here" and I purposely misspelt the first excusable word and got out of there. People don't believe me when I tell this story, but I can describe my thought process in vivid detail, down to the reaction of the assistant principal when I spelled the word wrong. SO, that being said, I was a pretty good speller. Key word: WAS. I had no idea how reliant I am on spellcheck. This is calling myself out, but when I talk to people on gchat, sometimes I give up and have to use a different word because I cannot spell the word I want correctly and gchat doesn't let you use spell check (at least when you don't have a mouse). It's terrible! In the beginning I would try to challenge myself and keep trying to spell the word correctly until I got it but that became too time consuming so that plan was abandoned. But at least I tried right? But seriously, I am a terrible speller but I think it's more so because words are no longer words, just random combinations of sounds and letters since all I do is stare at a Word Document or this here blog post template.

I've started to forget the most obvious things and this is why Sporcle has become my nemesis. I sit there, begging my brain to give up the answer to who sings "All My Friends Say" because my college roommate was obsessed with that song, along with 60% of UGA's population, and I had seen the music video 37 times, and I bought my roommate the cd for her birthday yet I could not recall the guy's name. (Luke Bryan for those who were wondering) This is just one instance, it's happened dozens of times. I can name four associations I have with the word/ phrase/ person/ title I am trying to come up with except for the word itself. It happens all the time and it is so sad.

And I forget everything. You know when you think of something and you have to go into another room and once you get there you have no idea what it is you were about to do. Yeah, that happened about four times today alone. I use to be able to reverse my thought process to get to my original thought/ purpose but that's not as common these days. Sigh. I'm a mess.

Oh and typing. I took two typing classes in middle school and I've always been pretty fast since then. Well and my generation grew up on AIM when you had to type fast if you wanted to have those brief yet meaningful conversations with the cute boy in your class before he signed off. But since all I do is type, whether it is cover letters, job search engines, blog posts, or the book, it's actually amazing how bad I've gotten. You'd think I'd be a lot better but, no. I can't explain it, I don't know why. All I know is I am probably going to wear out my backspace key in the next few months.

But after admitting all of this, I hope it IS because of the book and not because I'm getting older. I'm only 22! Yikes!

But on a happy note, sometimes I surprise even myself with how I plot some storylines or just connecting overall events throughout the book. I think, "okay this can happen, and it will prompt that, and then the reader will remember that clue from that chapter and then it will all tie together" and ta-da... a connection! Unfortunately since I am so forgetful these days, sometimes I don't remember these small bursts of creativity and they are lost forever in the back of my murky mind. Mental note: I need to start writing stuff down. And I had to make my mental note an actual note... irony.

P.S. That's right, I quoted a Hanson song. This should speak volumes about my mental state.

"I'm not gonna give up/ I'm not gonna stop/ I'm gonna work harder"

Alright, I am going to try recapping an episode of Survivor. Like I said last time, I really enjoy this site for recaps as well as some snarky humor so I’m going to try my hand at it. I’ve been thinking about doing it for Survivor for some time but didn’t want to start in the middle of the season so with the recent merge, I felt like that was a good jumping off point. Here we go!

Previously on * slight pause * Survivor: Galu continues to kick butt in almost every challenge. Shambo is the new leader. Shambo and Laura do not like each other. Liz was voted out. Galu is outnumbering Foa Foa (FF) 8-4 so in the words of Probst, who will be voted out tonight?

Time out. Here is what I don’t understand. I read Probst’s blog (is it starting to really shine through that I’m a dork. A) I watch Survivor B) I am recapping an episode C) I read Jeff’s Probst’s blog. Hey, he is an Emmy winner!) and he constantly writes about how Russell is completely controlling this game. I do not see this AT. ALL. I think Russell pounces on anyone who becomes suspicious since he is lying his butt off and since FF is going to Tribal Council (TC) every single time, people are willing to going along with any decision as long as it’s not their head on the chopping block. The remaining members are willing to do anything to stay in the game and it’s not because of the “Russell seed”. At least this is how I see it. Moving on...

Night 18. Jaison says their tribe needs “rah rah” when they return to camp after voting out Liz at TC. Hm, how about you actually step up in challenges? Cause you’re a water polo player who was on the U.S. National team, and if memory serves me correctly, you gave up in the challenge where you were in the water. And you’re a law student, sooo shouldn’t you be good at reasoning and deducting and analyzing? Well you also sucked on the puzzle. I understand you are sitting in the rain for five days straight and not eating anything substantial, but come on. You aren’t adding anything to challenges and all the cheering the world won’t prevent your days from being numbered.

The four remaining members of FF speculate that a merge is probably next and once that happens it’s “game on”. Really cause I’d think it was game over. Why wouldn’t they vote you off? They have no loyalty to you. I think they had a chance flipping Shambo over to their side since she was so clearly the outsider of her tribe, but now she’s the leader and all of that power has gone straight to her mullet so I wouldn’t count on her. Maybe Laura since she and Russell “made a deal to the final three” last week but since he has a deal with every person and palm tree on that island, I wouldn’t count on it.

Russell says FF needs the merge and they have some strong “idears” and he is immediately dead to me for mispronouncing that word. Not like he wasn’t already since he is eeeeeevil.

Oh no, my dear Dr. Mick said once they get in there, they will take the whole thing down by promising to vote with Laura. The only way it makes sense is if Laura and the other two girls on Galu team up with FF to vote off the Galu guys and Shambo. Then Laura has to hope that Russell stays true to his word and he flips to vote with the three Galu girls. But Russell is a) evil b) would still be outnumbered so why wouldn’t he vote with his original tribe. Bottom line: Laura doesn’t really benefit from aligning with FF.

Russell says he is “too good for this game” and that he is “too sly” and he is playing with a bunch of other “dumbasses” in this game. I’ll keep that in mind.

Credits. Day 19.

Over at the Galu tribe, Laura speculates how Shambo doesn’t like her and that’s why she was sent over to the losing tribe. On an unrelated note, I think Laura has had a boob job.

The good Lord did not give her those. Or manners apparently.

Moving on.

Laura says that when she was sent over to the FF she gave her canteen to Dave (who will be called Kevin Spacey from here on out because the resemblance is uncanny) who gave it to Shambo. It is now missing and Shambo and Laura make a big scene over counting the canteens over and over, but somehow doing that doesn’t make the missing one magically reappear. Laura blames Shambo and Shambo is incredulous. Well you do have a great record of keeping track of things. Speaking of, how are those chickens doing and that scuba gear?

Anyway, Shambo once again brings up the “90210” alliance, which truly shows her age because I doubt she is referring to the recently updated series on the CW and since all of the actors on the original 90210 are in their late 30s now, it’s not a good reference. Now, I don’t care for Shambo. Her voice is so whiny; simply hearing her speak drives me crazy. She also thinks she is this amazing player when she has either sat out of challenges or done little to contribute to a win. The mullet and sports bra aren’t doing her any favors either. I think due to her military background, she is pissed that she wasn’t selected as being the leader so she pouted and ostracized herself from her own tribe from the beginning since they were too stupid to see what great leadership skills she possessed (when they voted for their leader without ever having spoken to one another and it was based solely on looks and overall demeanor. Again the mullet probably got her a couple of strikes). Because when she went over to FF the first time or two, she was extremely outgoing and complimenting everyone and was all about sharing the love. If I had been on FF I would have been seriously creeped out by her. Now if she had been that way with her own tribe from the get go, I bet she’d have more friends. Well maybe not since it’s Shambo and she’s annoying either way.

Shambo claims there is a power struggle between her and Laura. Shambo says it’s like the “cheerleaders in high school who looked down upon those not in her group" and Shambo voluntarily admits why she doesn’t like Laura. She doesn’t fit in and rather than trying to be friendly, she just hates Laura for not accepting her. And since other people like and listen to Laura, heck Monica follows her around like a puppy. I think Laura does a good job explaining how it’s not her fault how Shambo perceives the situation and I agree. If Shambo just wants to assume everyone hates her and goes off in the corner and sulks then fine. But when you are constantly losing stuff and yapping to the other tribe, you might not have many friends.

Erik (the guy who got clotheslined by an actual clothesline) says that everyone knows Shambo is crazy so if you go and have a fight with her, you are showing that you are just as crazy for starting a fight with a crazy person in the first place. Right. Moving on.

Treemail over at FF. The rhyming clue clearly indicates a merge and feast is awaiting them. Russell goes to get his actually hidden hidden immunity idol (HII) and says how “outwit” is the most important part of the game. Maybe I’d take you more seriously if I could understand all of the words that come out of your mouth (that is missing a tooth, natch).

The two tribes meet on the beach. Jeff isn’t there but a treasure chest is. Man, what is Probst doing that he has been absent for two of these things. You won’t win more emmys with less screen time, buckaroo.

Merge with Caution

The chest is opened and it contains blue buffs (which actually say “Buff” on them. Guess they came straight from the CBS online store), a tarp, and paint. Merge! They are moving to the Galu camp and there are hugs and kisses all around. Monica freaks about the feast. It looks good and we get a montage of the tribe members eating and drinking and having a jolly time. That includes Shambo with food on her mouth (gross) and Russell being fed grapes by Monica. Someone had a little too much drinky and not enough food me thinks.

Jaison goes off to talk about smart people things with John. Kevin Spacey is hitting on Natalie. Mick is flirting and being all McDreamy with the Galu girls. Russell claims this is their plan to infiltrate the Galu group. I mean, why not, give it your best shot. What do you have to lose? Oh right a million bucks.

Yeah, John, I’d have that look on my face if I was around Mick shirtless all day too.

FF marvels at the Galu camp, especially Natalie who says she feels like she is at the Hilton. I like Natalie so I won’t hate too much on that blonde comment.

The only time I will ever in my life be jealous of Shambo

Brett (who will be referred to as MFBB—My Future Boyfriend Brett—from here on out) asks if anyone has any ideas for a group name. He then suggests Aiga, which is “Samoan slang for extended family”. Aw, if he wasn’t so adorable, I would make fun of him for googling that before he headed out to the jungle. Shambo asks those in favor to say “aye” and several punny people reply “Aye-ga”. Chuckle. I would have too.

Russe-lowercase l- lower case l-H or Russe-capital I-capital I-H as in HII backwards?! Nah, too much credit.

Erik reminds us that he found the HII and that he is on day 19 while FF is on day 2 and all they have is a new beach and new people to chat with. He mocks the new name and asks what is Samoan for “get the hell off my island?” Crickets. Stick to pouring drinks and not cracking jokes, jerk.

Day 20. Russell goes off with Laura into the jungle and shows her his HII (get your minds out of the gutter). He promises if she can get him to the top 7, he will give it to her. Russell continues to be delusional and says there are two rules: 1) The first person to get voted out post-merge must be a Galu. And 2) Well we never get a second rule, I don’t think. Laura says no way Jose and either an FF is going first or Shambo. She says she has 90% of the power while he only has 10% and we all know, Russell is very John Locke and don’t tell him what he can’t do. So Laura is now #1 on Russell’s crap list and he moves on to someone else to attempt to manipulate

He shows his HII to Monica (who is BFF with Laura) and they make a “deal”. Russell knows she is lying about promising him but thinks if he gets rid of Laura, then Monica will come running. Even though if that even happens, Galu will still outnumber FF 7-4. Giving him more credit than he deserves, Russell knows he needs one of their guys to turn so he goes to talk to John, the literal Rocket Scientist.

Russell shows John the HII. Russell tries to stroke John’s ego saying he knows John is the only one who can play the game on Russell’s level. Dude, you’re outnumbered 2-1, I wouldn’t be bragging about your skills anytime soon.

Russell suggests that Laura go first (because she doubted his powers). John goes along with it to break down the girl alliance since Monica and Laura are so close and he thinks that could be trouble down the road.

Russell then compares himself to Babe Ruth since Ruth struck out more than anyone but he also had the most home runs so he is going to keep swinging baby. And by swinging he apparently means showing his HII to any and everyone.

Day 21. Shambo is washing her mullet in the lake and says it feels like a fishing net. I know she is in the jungle but I see leaves stuck in the mullet and I resist the urge to puke. Shambo starts complaining about Laura to Russell so he jumps on the opportunity to suggest voting Laura out. Shambo claims she trusts Russell implicitly and notes they are both country bumpkins. Is that the new euphuism for stupid and delusional?

Shambo tells Russell to tell FF that Laura’s name will be the one written down tonight. Cut to Russell telling each member of FF, and saying how this was “too easy”. Me thinks someone is going to win immunity and foil the “too easy” plan.

Immunity Challenge: T-ball. You score the points according to where the ball lands and the highest score wins immunity. Oooo. TWO individual immunities: one for the top guy and top girl. Nice move, producers.

Guys are up first:

Kevin Spacey: Someone calls him Danger Dave. Yeah, that ponytail is real scary. Probst asks if baseball is his sport and his says “making love is his sport” and that he doesn’t play often enough and I immediately vomit a little bit in my mouth. 3 points for the Sketchy Spacey.

Jaison: Off the course. Zero points. Shocker.

Russell: 4 points. Must be since he is so low to the ground.

MFBB: Off the course. Good try, sweetie!

Mick: 2 points.

Erik: Off the course. 0 points.

John: 5 points. Probably because he factored in wind resistance, altitude, the curve of the ball, and the mass of the bat since he is a rocket scientist after all.

sin(ax) [ sin(bx) - {kcos(ax)cos(bx)}/sin(ax) + 1/sin(ax) ] = I WIN SUCKERS!

Ladies:

Natalie: 0 points.

Monica: 2 points.

Kelly: 3 points. Seriously, who even is this girl? She’s blonde and has dreadlocks. Since FF was sucking so badly and we basically saw only them for the first 4 episodes, I have no idea who half the people were on Galu until recently. I still have no idea who this girl is. Now she’ll probably end up in the final two as the classic “under the radar’ player.

Shambo: 0 points and it doesn’t even head in the direction of the course and it goes about ten feet. My seven-year-old niece could hit the ball farther than that. But why are we surprised cause what do we know? Shambo sucks.

Laura: 4 points. Seriously what gives that both people that went last in their groups got immunity? I smell something fishy, and it’s not just Shambo’s hair.

Shambo says how much it sucks now that the plan to vote out Laura is foiled. And now scrambling time begins.

Russell says they should vote out Monica to get rid of the girl alliance. Shambo says no since apparently Erik and Laura call the shots and they won’t agree to that. Look at Shambo stepping up as leader and making decisions. Oh wait this is the person where her first official decision was to sit herself out of a challenge and when she was suppose to elect her successor, she chose Erik only to have Dave say “No no no Brett!” and she immediately changed her decision. She rules with an iron fist, that one. Shambo says one of FF’s guys has to go and Russell thinks he is the main target. He doesn’t want to play the idol but if he is feeling antsy he just may.

Laura tells Erik that Russell has the HII. They decide that they should say they are voting for Russ but really vote for Jaison, forcing Russ to play his HII and making it null and void. So they’re voting for Jaison.

Erik tells John that Russ has HII. John says that Monica needs to go. Erik protests and John says they are playing JV Survivor right now by just knocking out FF members one by one. John wants to break up the BFF alliance cause it’s in his best interest. He is a rocket scientist so he probably thought this one through with many graphs and proofs etched in the sand. John tells Erik to vote with Laura for Jaison so they can blindside Monica. And then Laura will owe Erik one. So they’re voting for Monica.

Erik tells MFBB, Sketchy Spacey, and John to vote for Monica. Spacey disagrees because they should knock down FF like they are shooting turkeys. I think he got his reality show metaphors mixed up and meant “shooting fish in a barrel”. Maybe the ponytail is cutting off the circulation to his brain. So we’re back to voting for Jaison. Spacey thinks that Erik is crafty (even though he was outsmarted by a clothesline) and is now suspicious of Erik. So Erik is on the chopping block now?

Erik tells Dr. Mick, Jaison, and Nat to vote for Monica and not to tell Russell so Russ will play the idol. Okay, so they’re back to voting for Monica.

Jaison thinks they should say they are voting for Monica but then really vote for Erik. Jaison says he doesn’t like Erik (probably cause of that horrendous bulldog tattoo on his shoulder. Who drew that? An eight year old?) and will leave the game easily/happily just as long as Erik goes before him. So... they’re voting for Erik now?

Man, wouldn’t it be awesome if your job on Survivor was just to go around and set up the camera and film trees swaying in the wind, birds flying, waves crashing on rocks, and the snake creeping along for the inevitable “she/he’s a snake in the grass” monologue. It’d be a sweet job. Stand there, press a button, travel the world, and get a paycheck.

Natalie goes and tells the Galu girls that Erik wants Monica out. Laura is none too please so she tells Kelly who tells Monica. The Galu girls tell Spacey and MFBB. Spacey tells Shambo and she says, “Who is Erik?” LOL. I mean maybe she was just that shocked by the decision but I think she is a few fries short of a Happy Meal. So I think they’re voting for Erik. Right? My head hurts.

Russell isn’t sure if this is just a rumor or the real deal. He isn’t sure if people are just forcing him to play the idol. Well that’s what happens when you tell everyone that you have it. Jaison even asks if he is going to play the not-so-HII. Way to step up with the mind games Jaison! That’s my boy! Erik says that it was almost too easy to get everyone to decide to vote for Monica and he is worried about that. Yeah I would be too. Erik packs his HII and says he will play it if he needs to. So it’s either Erik or Monica? Or Russell or Jaison. Russell says this is the first time he has no idea what is going on. Well in the game of Survivor. Not life, cause I’m willing to bet he is confused by words with more than seven letters and why it is always 12:00 according to his VCR.

One big happy family... errr... yeah.

TC. Jaison says it is frustrating to go into the merge down in numbers. Monica says you never know whom to trust. Thanks for those revolutionary statements. Erik thinks FF has nothing to offer. His team is cohesive and it’d be hard to his people to turn on their teammates. Shambo nods along. Russell says FF has a lot to offer and he might be surprised. Erik says it’s a long shot when he has 8 people. Probst thinks that you shouldn’t underestimate a tribe that is willing to do anything to stay in the game. Erik says Russ has been scrambling, Mick simply accepts they are down in numbers, Nat doesn’t want to bother anyone, and that Jaison has great potential due to his size and smarts but hasn’t utilized them.

See, all he needed was a little food and he’s back in the game!

We revert to the Jaison we saw at the Ben-Voted-Off-TC. Here is why the kid is in law school: He is very eloquent in saying he doesn’t appreciate Erik calling him out and doubting him when he is very much playing a strategic game. Erik says he likes that in a player in a very condescending way that no one should use if they don’t have an immunity necklace around their neck. Jaison says he doesn’t care what Erik likes. Russell says they still have hope. Erik says he needs to refocus his competitiveness because FF is on their way out. Russell thinks Erik is saying FF should just roll over and get voted out quietly but that’s not going to happen and he’ll do anything to stay in this game.

Here is my question about TC: Are you allowed to look at other contestants? Because I think so many of them lack poker faces during tribal council. Half of them were grinning when Erik was running his mouth like a fool. Especially if I had the HII, I’d be checking to see if anyone was smirking when I was talking to make sure I wasn’t about to get blindsided. And also, I’ve read that TC goes on for hours and Jeff really grills each player. So is it all due to editing that it seems like Erik was acting cocky and all-knowing cause they showed the majority of his grill session or was he really that way? And does Jeff know what is going on back at camp? Cause he asks some pretty direct questions. I’m just saying...

John and Laura are keeping immunity. It’s time to vote. We see Russell vote for Erik and that’s it. Some intense music is going on. I like it.

I don’t know why Jeff says he is going to tally the votes. He doesn’t. I know the producers put them in order for the most dramatic effect (or at least show them to us in that order) but he doesn’t tally them. Just say, “I’ll go get the votes”. It’s always bothered me. Mini rant over.

OMG. Russell is playing the HII. I. Love. It. Please let Erik play his, please let Erik play his. Russ says, “If everyone knows I have it I might as well play it.” I agree and then I don’t. Sure you’re at risk of being blindsided but at the same time, it’s protection so people might not even bothering gunning for you if they can still get rid of other FF members or even “power players” like Laura and her sidekick, Monica. I’m not sure how I feel about this.

Votes:

Jaison

Jaison

Erik (thinking oh, that’s just Jaison’s, Silly boy who didn’t show potential)

Erik (panic is starting to set in)

Erik (visible gulp)

Erik (surprised but still thinking it’s FF votes)

Erik (complete confusion along with Shambo)

Erik (knows he is screwed)

Erik (bamboozled) is the seventh person voted out and the first person of our jury.

Just for the record: It looked like MFBB rejected Erik’s friendly goodbye handshake. He did not; he patted him on the leg as he walked by. He’s such a nice guy. Yeah so much for that everlasting guy alliance.

With a peace out, the arrogant guy who got completely blindsided is gone. So long Erik. Once again, not one but TWO hidden immunities idols are not played to their possessor’s advantage.

Pwned.

Question: Is it a rule that once you are voted out you are not allowed to say anything to the tribe aside from goodbye/good luck? Cause if I was screwed over by my tribe I would totally yell out everything I knew as I walked down the stairs/across the bridge. If I’m going out, I’m doing it with style.

Next time on * pause * Survivor: Everyone is gunning for Russell. About frigging time.

Also, can CBS stop giving so much away in the previews: Some one almost dies?!?! Oh yeah it’s Galu’s Russell. Which team loses their passports on The Amazing Race?!?! Oh wait it’s Zev and Justin. What is the game changing moment this week?!?! Oh right, the merge. So that being said, next week every one is gunning for Russell: Oh hold up, he wins individual immunity so let’s go after Jaison instead. No spoilers just Merely a guess using logic. :)

"I’ve been waiting all my life/ And now I found ya/ I don’t know what to do/ I think I’m falling for you"

It's fall: the most wonderful time of the year. Why is it the best you ask? College football? Close second but not what I'm talking about in this post. The leaves changing colors? Nope. Cooler temperatures? Nice especially in the south but no. School is back in session? Never. New television series and episodes?!? YES! It's the greatest. And there isn't a writer's or actor's or director's strike looming so maybe we will get some full seasons of quality shows this year! Man, that writer's strike was the worst, wasn't it? I think it was understandable and called for because the writers deserve the profits too but man it sucked not having new shows to watch. But this year is good to go so let's review a few new shows since they are hitting their stride (or not) with a couple of episodes under their belt.

1. Glee! I. Love. This. Show. I remember seeing previews last summer and being intrigued. A show about a high school choir filled with characters that literally march to their own beat. There's a new optimistic sponsor, the addition of the star football player, and the opposition of the always entertaining Jane Lynch as a scheming cheerleading coach trying to get funding back for her winning squad. So will the social stratification of high school be turned on its head if the glee club has cool kids? I watched the preview after the season finale of American Idol (Yeah Kris Allen!) and I thought it was funny and creative. All nice things but I really wasn't hooked. When it started again in the fall, I would watch and be entertained but still not completely in love with it. But after the "Vitamin D" episode, yeah, I was officially a gleek (that's geek and glee combined for you less sharp tools in the shed). Here is what sold it for me and the quality is terrible but you know YouTube and their copyright laws and this was the only visual evidence remaining.

It is awesome. I had it as my status on gMail with only the word "Obsessed" preceding it. Because that is oh so very true. I love it, I love it, I love it. And I am so glad that quirky show is doing well. I think Matthew Morrison is perfect (but I've already professed my love for him), Lea Michele is amazing (a mini Idina Menzel), and Cory Monteith is surprisingly endearing as well as adorable. I love this show and highly recommend it. I want the World Series to be over so that the show can resume.

2. Please, this show had me when it simply said "From the network that brought you LOST". I've explained my, uh, obsession with LOST in other posts so, really, just tell me there are going to be a few parallels and I'm game. Now, unfortunately this show comes on at the same time as several other shows so... I sort of didn't watch the first three or four episodes. But luckily, my brother JP had them all recorded so I got to catch up during my last trip to Birmingham. Love this show. I don't really consider myself to be into sci-fi stuff but I'm liking it. The premise: Everyone in the world blacks out at the exact same time for 137 seconds and sees themselves six months into the future. Now do they work towards what they saw in the future or fight against what is going to happen? Free will or destiny? Sound like another show we know (and love)? Actually, this recap site I read points out a whole bunch of similarities between Lost and FF but I mean, I don't hate it. I'm an episode behind though so don't ruin anything for me!

3. The Vampire Diaries. Whatever, if you've read Twilight, don't act like you're above this show. Yes, I know the vampire craze is getting ridiculous but this show is actually, dare I say it, good. Well it features Ian Somerhalder, who you may remember as Boone on the first two seasons of Lost. That being said, we were all sad when Boone died so if he returns to primetime as a vampire, and a bad boy one at that, I'm all about it. Paul Wesley is no Robert Pattinson, but I will gladly tune in and watch him try his best. Oh yeah the premise. Well it features two hot vampire brothers, one is good (Wesley as Stefan) and one is bad (Somerhalder as Damon), and they are fighting for the affections of the lovely, grieving Elena. Elena has a striking resemblance to a girl named Katherine, the same girl Stefan and Damon fought over 145 years ago. It's based on a book series I've never read but it's entertaining and I'm liking it. I also can be a fourteen year old girl about things (See: Twilight) so maybe I'm not the best one to ask.

4. V. I write this a mere 52 minutes after the series premiere. I'll keep watching but I'm definitely ehhh about this one. But I was also severely confused during the pilot. I just ask that the characters not all look alike, well namely the priest and Juliet's (sure her name is Erica in the show but we all know her as Juliet from Lost. Man, Lost is a common thread for all of these shows) FBI buddy. You should know what I mean if you've watched the pilot. I'm intrigued. But I also possibly sense some failure. Which could suck since it's the return of Bailey Salinger (Scott Wolf) and we all know he is good lookin (another common theme). The premise: Weird spaceships hover over 29 major world cities carrying "the Visitors" who claim to come in peace and only need "some water and a mineral that is abundant on earth but necessary for their survival since they are far from home" and in exchange they will share some of their technological advances and magically heal people all over the world. And then of course it turns out they are aliens who are trying to exterminate mankind. Or... something like that. I'll keep you updated on whether or not this one is a winner.

And those are the new shows I am watching this fall. I can only fit so much t.v. into my life. I've watched an episode or two of "Community" and thought about giving "Modern Family" a shot but I'm not sure.

But let's have a quick visit with some of the old favorites:

1. The Office. Love this show, always will. I feel like this new season is truly one of the best ones yet. Jim and Pam's wedding alone was enough to send the ratings through the roof in my book. I am growing a bit tired of the whole Michael/Jim competition going on so hopefully that will end soon. And can Rainn Wilson please win a Emmy already?! Seriously, Jon Cryer? Who even watches that show of his? I'll tell you who-- no one. And can someone throw a nom at John Krasinski?! He is half the reason why the show is so brilliant. Just a nomination, that's all I want.

2. 30 Rock. I won't lie. I was not into this show in the beginning. And by "not into it" meaning that I didn't watch it. Actually I think when it premiered, I was still into Grey's Anatomy and the times conflicted. Then I think I was bitter it kept stealing awards from The Office (namely Alec Baldwin taking away Best Actor from Steve Carell) so I refused to watch it. But then I started seeing some episodes after The Office, and well, I like it. And I'm currently catching up on season one. Favorite characters: Kenneth the Page and I really love Pete. I don't know why I love Pete, I just do. But really, it's great and if you were bitter like me, stop and let a little comedy in your life. :)

3. Gossip Girl. Talk about a dissappoint this season. Who would have thought it would become boring once Chuck and Blair were actually together? But sadly, it has. I was Team Serena in the beginning but my God, I cannot stand her character at all now. Not to mention it sounds like Blake Lively has marbles in her mouth whenever she talks. And that whole "going to Europe and acting insane so daddy will find me" plot was ridiculous. And Dan is dating a movie star? Not buying it. Let's hope this show picks up the pace because apparently newcomer Vampire Diaries is kicking its butt in the ratings.

And let's not forget good old reality shows:

1. The Hills. Sigh. There was a time it was such an addiction but it's going downhill so fast. Even Kristin, the girl you love to hate, is having trouble breathing some life into this show. Maybe because it is so absolutely fake and they openly address the fact that it is. Sigh. I miss LC. And whoever does the "Next Time on The Hills" preview seriously deserves a raise because every time I tell myself I am going to give up, the preview sucks me right back in. For example next week: Fight between Kristin and Jayde over Brody? I am so there. Even though the episode will most likely suck and the editor just combined the sole thirty interesting seconds of the twenty-two minute episodes

2. The City. It's better than The Hills this season even though Whitney's life has taken the backseat I guess since Jay isn't there to be a douche. I am over this Olivia storyline since there is no way anyone could ever act like that and keep a job. I know this isn't real life but still, if I were Erin I'd slap her. Erin is by far my favorite this season solely for the fact I think she looks exactly like Laura Bell Bundy, former star of Legally Blonde the Musical which I admit I loooooove. I am even liking Roxie since she tells it like it is. And Kelly Cutrone always bring the entertainment. So The City... we're good.

3. Survivor. My family sucked me back into this one. But it truly is entertaining. Well maybe not as much as previous seasons since Foa Foa is only a few tribe members away from being completely eradicated. But since the previews have informed us that a merge is impending, maybe things will get interesting. For Galu, I am pulling for Brett and for Foa Foa I am rooting for Dr. Mick. Now that I've said that, they will probably be the next two voted out. Let's hope not!

4. Project Runway. After months of waiting due to lawsuits and copyright issues, we are finally mere episodes away from Bryant Park for this group. I don't extremely care for any of the remaining designers-- personality or talent wise. That being said, I am pulling for an Althea win. She seems like the most likable and she has some talent. Even though I feel like we are firmly being set up for an Irina win. Boooo Irina. But as long as Tim Gunn is a part of PR, I will continue to tune in. I want him to be my best friend. Like in the episode where he was comforting Shirin about her design sucking, he could do that to me about finding a job! I heart Tim Gunn!

5. The Amazing Race. Another one I got sucked back into by the family. Always entertaining and hey, it's educational and helps me learn some geography and culture. I am pulling for the Globetrotters team, the Blonde team (Meghan and Cheyne), and the father/son team (Gary and Matt). I think Gary's joke about "Should I tell Matt he's adopted now?" in the most recent episode after the obviously gay brothers team came out to the remaining contestants, I think is one of the best lines I have heard on reality television ever.

My final conclusion after writing this post: I watch too much television. Thank God for Tivo and watching full episodes online!