I'm so excited! I just booked my flight to Colorado! For more than a year now, I've been planning a trip to Las Vegas to attend the first World Expo hosted by DeafNation. The original plan was to drive up there with Jon and to make lots of pit stops along the way to see grand sights like Grand Canyon and Route 66. Somehow, the plan evolved to Jon driving up to Colorado to spend time skydiving (and floating in a tunnel!) and hang out at a Deaf Pilot's convention thingie. Of course, I'm always up for adventure so I thought it would be so cool if I met Jon there to explore Denver for a few days before we road-trip it to Las Vegas.
After we're done with Las Vegas, we'll (hopefully) see the Grand Canyon on the way back and I'd REALLY love to take Route 66 back towards Texas.
Gears are turning in my head already - what I should pack, what I might need to buy, how to plan the road trip back to Texas, what I want to see, what I want to do and most importantly - how should I preserve the memory!? Of course, the answer's easy enough - take photos, lots and lots of them! However, if you know me, you know I have lousy memory sometimes. Chances are that I would forget where I took that photo, what day I took it and why. So - I think I'm going to bring along a binder with page protectors (the sleeves you put papers in). I'm going to drop in momentos like tickets, receipts, maps, brochures and anything else I pick up along the way. I'll also (or at least try) to make notes on some photos. The end result: a snappy scrapbook!
Over the next few days, I plan to do lots of research. With Jon out of town, I'm sure to have a lot more time on my hands (but I will definitely be happy when he gets back). I'm going to be looking into shows that I might want to see in Las Vegas (maybe America's Got Talent is hosting a show there while we're in town!), things I want to check out (maybe the Titanic exhibit? I'm a fan... and maybe the MGM lions, I hear that MGM has a habitat for them). So many things to do, so much potential and so little time...
Did I mention I'm excited? Whoo-hoo!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Still Lost
*Note: This is late, but better late than never...
One of my all-time favorite TV series has come to an end. I enjoyed its entire 6-year run. Although I became extremely frustrated at the writers from time to time, it was eventually worth it when the questions were (eventually) answered.
I looked at Lost as a "one step forward, two steps back" TV show. Whenever one question was answered, much more were brought forth. Guess that formula worked - millions of us kept watching every season to see what would happen.
The finale wasn't what I was expecting. In some ways, it was satisfying - an excellent way to wrap up 6 years of confusion. However, bits of it was disappointing. I decided to compile a list of why I'm still "lost." There are still tons of questions that went unanswered and if I'm going to watch something as confusing as Lost for 6 years, I'd expect answers to each and every one of them.
I stumbled across this website and this website had the same questions I had. What was up with the polar bear, how did it get on the island? Apparently, I wasn't paying attention. What was the Man in Black's name (and what's the deal with witholding that information from us)!? Why was Widmore so invested in the island? What happened to Walt when he was kidnapped? Each character was "assigned" a number - a number that was part of the combination to prevent the island from going into electromagnetic "whatever" - but the show didn't explain why that character got the particular number. And what I'd really like to know is whether Ben is really good deep down inside or if he's just nuts.
Anyway, this website answers covers some questions that I had and others that I didn't think of. Unfortunately, it doesn't answer ALL my questions. Guess we're all just meant to be doomed to wonder about the little stuff...
http://screenrant.com/lost-finale-explanation-kofi-61464/
One of my all-time favorite TV series has come to an end. I enjoyed its entire 6-year run. Although I became extremely frustrated at the writers from time to time, it was eventually worth it when the questions were (eventually) answered.
I looked at Lost as a "one step forward, two steps back" TV show. Whenever one question was answered, much more were brought forth. Guess that formula worked - millions of us kept watching every season to see what would happen.
The finale wasn't what I was expecting. In some ways, it was satisfying - an excellent way to wrap up 6 years of confusion. However, bits of it was disappointing. I decided to compile a list of why I'm still "lost." There are still tons of questions that went unanswered and if I'm going to watch something as confusing as Lost for 6 years, I'd expect answers to each and every one of them.
I stumbled across this website and this website had the same questions I had. What was up with the polar bear, how did it get on the island? Apparently, I wasn't paying attention. What was the Man in Black's name (and what's the deal with witholding that information from us)!? Why was Widmore so invested in the island? What happened to Walt when he was kidnapped? Each character was "assigned" a number - a number that was part of the combination to prevent the island from going into electromagnetic "whatever" - but the show didn't explain why that character got the particular number. And what I'd really like to know is whether Ben is really good deep down inside or if he's just nuts.
Anyway, this website answers covers some questions that I had and others that I didn't think of. Unfortunately, it doesn't answer ALL my questions. Guess we're all just meant to be doomed to wonder about the little stuff...
http://screenrant.com/lost-finale-explanation-kofi-61464/
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Fierce Guard Dog
See the chicken? Look closer. Yes, that chicken. That juicy bit of chicken from McDonald's, a very rare treat for me. I'm guarding it from that annoying black dog who'll eat anything, including cat poop (which makes Mommy's job a whole lot easier).
Apparently I didn't do such a hot job of guarding it. This little rascal got to it as soon as I stepped away to attend to a private matter.
She's fast. Very fast. And oh so very annoying.
When I realized that 12am stole my chicken, I chased after her and gave her a lickin'. Too bad Mommy didn't get a chance to get a picture of that. THAT would have been cool....
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Biggest Loser, Season 9 - Finale
Highlights of the Finale:
Daris now has a girlfriend. If he was still overweight, would that girl still be interested in him? Probably not.
Koli is just as obnoxious. I think that when he lost all that fat, he also lost some brain cells. What was he thinking, wearing pink pants and that ugly grey jacket!? Ew! During a flashback, Koli commented that he never valued himself because he was so overweight. Well, I think he values himself a tad bit too much now. I'll say it again - it's ok to be proud, but there's this teeny little thing called tact and down-to-earth appreciation (look at O'Neal, Mike, Daris... the list could go on).
Daris won America's heart and votes - he made it into the finale. However, now that I think about it - I think we made a mistake...keep reading to find out why.
Three previous contestants returned to watch the finale - Erik, Danny and one other. They looked great, especially Erik! He won the title of the Biggest Loser when he was there, gained almost all his weight back and is now fighting to lose that weight. He has lost 150 pounds to date. He's supposed to come back to the next season's finale and show us that it can be done. Sure - we already know it can be done. The question is - can he keep it off?
All season long, we've been waiting to see how Shay turned out. She was given a sweet deal by Subway. For every pound she lost (in between last season and this season's finales), she would get $1,000. She ended up losing 52 pounds for $52,000. However - it isn't over yet. Subway said that if she ran a marathon with the Subway dude at the end of the year, they'll double that money.
Yeah - I bet Shay was thinking "Oh damn, it's not over yet!?" She had that fake smile on her face. Now I am actually starting to feel bad for her. She's probably sick of all the media attention, take her money and live her life.
Now - we went through the weigh-ins of 19 contestants that went home. Some were shocking and some weren't. Some accomplished their goals, and others did not. What was extremely surprising (and rewarding) was Darrell taking Sherry's spot while competing for the $100,000. Sherry weighed in early on and held on to the winning spot for about 9 weigh-ins. When it seemed like she might just end up winning the prize, Darrell comes on and beats her by 2 pounds. Darrell was marked as the sickest man on campus when he arrived and has since then pulled a complete 180. It's amazing how many of them turned their lives around.
Koli ends up winning the $100,000 at home prize. Here's why I think we made a mistake by voting Daris into the finale. If Daris had been the one that joined the 'at-home' people, he would have been the one to get the $100,000 instead of nothing. Now Koli has $100,000 and his ego has multiplied by 100,000 as well. Oy vey!
For about a few weeks now, I swore that Daris would end up winning the title of the Biggest Loser. He never caused any trouble on campus and he looks so great. He weighed in first and lost at least 48% of his body fat. That is a huge feat to accomplish - especially in 7 months.
Ashley weighed in second and shocked the nation by beating Daris by 2 points. She still has more weight to lose - I wonder if she'll keep losing weight now or if she'll slack off a bit, now that money isn't on the line anymore...
I hate pink. I loathe pink. But if I ever gain weight and go on the Biggest Loser, I will ask to wear the pink shirt. It's good luck.
When Mike came out from behind the white screen, four jaws dropped in my living room. He is looking to be the favorite contender to win the whole thing. He obviously has lost so much, but can he beat the magic touch of Pink?
Right before they weighed in Mike, the trainers talked to him, Mike handed his mom a white rose and they talked about his time on campus. During that dragged-out moment, Ashley was standing there with a look on her face that said "ok enough - shut up and let's go!" It's ok Ashley, I would have felt the same way.
Mike needed to lose more than 256 pounds to take the the position from Ashley. He ended up losing 264 and won the title of being the Biggest Loser.
If Mike could do it, anybody can!
Don't forget to tune in next week for Jillian's series. Even though I'm not too crazy about her, I'm curious enough to watch.
Daris now has a girlfriend. If he was still overweight, would that girl still be interested in him? Probably not.
Koli is just as obnoxious. I think that when he lost all that fat, he also lost some brain cells. What was he thinking, wearing pink pants and that ugly grey jacket!? Ew! During a flashback, Koli commented that he never valued himself because he was so overweight. Well, I think he values himself a tad bit too much now. I'll say it again - it's ok to be proud, but there's this teeny little thing called tact and down-to-earth appreciation (look at O'Neal, Mike, Daris... the list could go on).
Daris won America's heart and votes - he made it into the finale. However, now that I think about it - I think we made a mistake...keep reading to find out why.
Three previous contestants returned to watch the finale - Erik, Danny and one other. They looked great, especially Erik! He won the title of the Biggest Loser when he was there, gained almost all his weight back and is now fighting to lose that weight. He has lost 150 pounds to date. He's supposed to come back to the next season's finale and show us that it can be done. Sure - we already know it can be done. The question is - can he keep it off?
All season long, we've been waiting to see how Shay turned out. She was given a sweet deal by Subway. For every pound she lost (in between last season and this season's finales), she would get $1,000. She ended up losing 52 pounds for $52,000. However - it isn't over yet. Subway said that if she ran a marathon with the Subway dude at the end of the year, they'll double that money.
Yeah - I bet Shay was thinking "Oh damn, it's not over yet!?" She had that fake smile on her face. Now I am actually starting to feel bad for her. She's probably sick of all the media attention, take her money and live her life.
Now - we went through the weigh-ins of 19 contestants that went home. Some were shocking and some weren't. Some accomplished their goals, and others did not. What was extremely surprising (and rewarding) was Darrell taking Sherry's spot while competing for the $100,000. Sherry weighed in early on and held on to the winning spot for about 9 weigh-ins. When it seemed like she might just end up winning the prize, Darrell comes on and beats her by 2 pounds. Darrell was marked as the sickest man on campus when he arrived and has since then pulled a complete 180. It's amazing how many of them turned their lives around.
Koli ends up winning the $100,000 at home prize. Here's why I think we made a mistake by voting Daris into the finale. If Daris had been the one that joined the 'at-home' people, he would have been the one to get the $100,000 instead of nothing. Now Koli has $100,000 and his ego has multiplied by 100,000 as well. Oy vey!
For about a few weeks now, I swore that Daris would end up winning the title of the Biggest Loser. He never caused any trouble on campus and he looks so great. He weighed in first and lost at least 48% of his body fat. That is a huge feat to accomplish - especially in 7 months.
Ashley weighed in second and shocked the nation by beating Daris by 2 points. She still has more weight to lose - I wonder if she'll keep losing weight now or if she'll slack off a bit, now that money isn't on the line anymore...
I hate pink. I loathe pink. But if I ever gain weight and go on the Biggest Loser, I will ask to wear the pink shirt. It's good luck.
When Mike came out from behind the white screen, four jaws dropped in my living room. He is looking to be the favorite contender to win the whole thing. He obviously has lost so much, but can he beat the magic touch of Pink?
Right before they weighed in Mike, the trainers talked to him, Mike handed his mom a white rose and they talked about his time on campus. During that dragged-out moment, Ashley was standing there with a look on her face that said "ok enough - shut up and let's go!" It's ok Ashley, I would have felt the same way.
Mike needed to lose more than 256 pounds to take the the position from Ashley. He ended up losing 264 and won the title of being the Biggest Loser.
If Mike could do it, anybody can!
Don't forget to tune in next week for Jillian's series. Even though I'm not too crazy about her, I'm curious enough to watch.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Biggest Loser, Season 9 - Episode 18
The show opened up with fantastic highlights of the final four. It's hard not to become invested in them, we have seen them at their worst, saw them get beaten by Bob and Jillian, and now we are seeing them emerge as completely new people. The world is their oyster.
The final four goes home for 30 days and then will come back to see how well each of them did under the pressures that daily life brings. We'll find out which two makes it above the yellow line, and which two will fall below (and beg America for compassion and their votes to put them in the final three).
We watched as each of the four contestants went home to their family and friends. They all weighed in to show their peers how much they've lost on campus and received standing ovations. At Koli's welcome home party, Sam wore a funny white shirt that said "I (heart) Koli Bear." Sam definitely looks different back at home - kind of a gangsta. While on the scale, Koli mentioned that at the first weigh-in (at home), he promised that he would make it to the final four. He did. Now he is making another promise - that he will win the entire thing. Careful, Koli... don't get too far ahead of yourself.
Ali announced that they would each be doing a marathon, just like they did when they first got to campus. However, the first marathon they did was on bike. This time, they would be going on foot. How fun!
At Mike's home, the family was gearing up for their usual Sunday dinner. Mike suggested "how about some good old spaghetti and meatballs?" J almost jumped at the screen and said "no no no!" How could Mike lose 204 pounds on campus just to go back home to his usual spaghetti and meatballs? Big mistake! But alas, Mike was playing it smart. He lectured his mom on how ground turkey is leaner and has more protein. Instead of carb-heavy noodles, he suggested wheat noodles. Seriously, like his mom didn't already know that!
A little while later, Ashley called Mike to talk about the upcoming marathon. Again - are they dating (or at least crushing)?
Bob and Jillian visited the remaining four contestants at their hometowns. Bob didn't go to California where Koli lives - he had to fly over to Las Vegas because Koli was hiding out and working out 24/7. He admitted to Bob that he wanted to 100% focus on the show and that he wasn't ready to be thrown back into life just yet. Wasn't that the purpose? To give a 30-day trial to see just how well they could handle all the daily stresses at home and still continue to make healthy choices and lose weight. It's better to learn to handle it now than later. Home is taking a heavy toll on each and every one of them. There's lots of pressure to eat with everybody else, drink and to stay out late.
The marathon started off cold and rainy but turned out to be a nice day. Daris commented "it turned into a nice day so hey, might as well go for a run!" My favorite part of the marathon each year is to see the previous contestants come back, run alongside the current participants and to give encouraging words. I wondered who would come on this year. I was hoping for Mike, who was a brown team member from two seasons ago. But then "J" says nah, he showed up last season, doubt he'd show up again.
Well, what a shocker - Mike showed up and ran alongside Mike (how funny!). Matt from one of the early seasons came on and ran with Daris. Ali (a 2 or 3-time returning marathon supporter) ran with Ashley, and both are members of the Pink team! Sione ran with Koli, which was fitting because they are both members of the gray team and both are Tongan. Mike, Matt and Sione looked like they gained weight. It was a little disappointing to see - especially Mike because he's so handsome and young and as for Sione, he became a personal trainer so it's disheartening to see him let go a little bit.
Daris beat Tara's record time of 4:55 by completing the marathon at 4:02. The way he's going, he could become a professional marathon runner in no time.
The weigh in was short compared to all the other weigh-ins in the past. Instead of weighing in 10+ people, we only had to weigh in 4. The two people who makes it above the yellow line automatically makes it to the finale. The two people that falls below will have to plead with America to vote them into the finale.
Mike lost 23 pounds in the 30 days he was at home. Not too bad, considering he probably didn't work out as much as he did at the gym, had to make all his meals himself, probably ate out a few times, etc. Mike is now 299 and finally out of the 300. This marked the first time ever in his life that he was under 300 (that is, once he got over).
Koli lost 13, which was disappointing to the trainers. He could have lost that much in a week. Even though he was in hiding in Las Vegas, he still didn't lose as much. Smart decisions have to start somewhere and real decisions start at home.
Ashley lost 18 and is automatically in the final 3. With Ashley in the final 3, Koli is pushed down below with Mike right underneath him. Now it was down to whether Daris would lose enough to put him Mike and above the yellow line or fall down below with Koli. If you thought that Koli's weight loss was disappointing, you'd be devastated by Daris' weight loss and the fact that he not only lost zero pounds but gained 2. He got a serious beating from the trainers.
Daris and Koli begged and pleaded with America to vote for them. Daris promised that he learned his lesson and that he'd do so much better from this point on and he will not disappoint us. Koli basically said the same thing over and over throughout his mini-speech. Just let him be in the finale so he can win. Yawn.
Who did you vote for? If you voted for Koli, I'll hunt you down and smack you.
Vote Orange!
The final four goes home for 30 days and then will come back to see how well each of them did under the pressures that daily life brings. We'll find out which two makes it above the yellow line, and which two will fall below (and beg America for compassion and their votes to put them in the final three).
We watched as each of the four contestants went home to their family and friends. They all weighed in to show their peers how much they've lost on campus and received standing ovations. At Koli's welcome home party, Sam wore a funny white shirt that said "I (heart) Koli Bear." Sam definitely looks different back at home - kind of a gangsta. While on the scale, Koli mentioned that at the first weigh-in (at home), he promised that he would make it to the final four. He did. Now he is making another promise - that he will win the entire thing. Careful, Koli... don't get too far ahead of yourself.
Ali announced that they would each be doing a marathon, just like they did when they first got to campus. However, the first marathon they did was on bike. This time, they would be going on foot. How fun!
At Mike's home, the family was gearing up for their usual Sunday dinner. Mike suggested "how about some good old spaghetti and meatballs?" J almost jumped at the screen and said "no no no!" How could Mike lose 204 pounds on campus just to go back home to his usual spaghetti and meatballs? Big mistake! But alas, Mike was playing it smart. He lectured his mom on how ground turkey is leaner and has more protein. Instead of carb-heavy noodles, he suggested wheat noodles. Seriously, like his mom didn't already know that!
A little while later, Ashley called Mike to talk about the upcoming marathon. Again - are they dating (or at least crushing)?
Bob and Jillian visited the remaining four contestants at their hometowns. Bob didn't go to California where Koli lives - he had to fly over to Las Vegas because Koli was hiding out and working out 24/7. He admitted to Bob that he wanted to 100% focus on the show and that he wasn't ready to be thrown back into life just yet. Wasn't that the purpose? To give a 30-day trial to see just how well they could handle all the daily stresses at home and still continue to make healthy choices and lose weight. It's better to learn to handle it now than later. Home is taking a heavy toll on each and every one of them. There's lots of pressure to eat with everybody else, drink and to stay out late.
The marathon started off cold and rainy but turned out to be a nice day. Daris commented "it turned into a nice day so hey, might as well go for a run!" My favorite part of the marathon each year is to see the previous contestants come back, run alongside the current participants and to give encouraging words. I wondered who would come on this year. I was hoping for Mike, who was a brown team member from two seasons ago. But then "J" says nah, he showed up last season, doubt he'd show up again.
Well, what a shocker - Mike showed up and ran alongside Mike (how funny!). Matt from one of the early seasons came on and ran with Daris. Ali (a 2 or 3-time returning marathon supporter) ran with Ashley, and both are members of the Pink team! Sione ran with Koli, which was fitting because they are both members of the gray team and both are Tongan. Mike, Matt and Sione looked like they gained weight. It was a little disappointing to see - especially Mike because he's so handsome and young and as for Sione, he became a personal trainer so it's disheartening to see him let go a little bit.
Daris beat Tara's record time of 4:55 by completing the marathon at 4:02. The way he's going, he could become a professional marathon runner in no time.
The weigh in was short compared to all the other weigh-ins in the past. Instead of weighing in 10+ people, we only had to weigh in 4. The two people who makes it above the yellow line automatically makes it to the finale. The two people that falls below will have to plead with America to vote them into the finale.
Mike lost 23 pounds in the 30 days he was at home. Not too bad, considering he probably didn't work out as much as he did at the gym, had to make all his meals himself, probably ate out a few times, etc. Mike is now 299 and finally out of the 300. This marked the first time ever in his life that he was under 300 (that is, once he got over).
Koli lost 13, which was disappointing to the trainers. He could have lost that much in a week. Even though he was in hiding in Las Vegas, he still didn't lose as much. Smart decisions have to start somewhere and real decisions start at home.
Ashley lost 18 and is automatically in the final 3. With Ashley in the final 3, Koli is pushed down below with Mike right underneath him. Now it was down to whether Daris would lose enough to put him Mike and above the yellow line or fall down below with Koli. If you thought that Koli's weight loss was disappointing, you'd be devastated by Daris' weight loss and the fact that he not only lost zero pounds but gained 2. He got a serious beating from the trainers.
Daris and Koli begged and pleaded with America to vote for them. Daris promised that he learned his lesson and that he'd do so much better from this point on and he will not disappoint us. Koli basically said the same thing over and over throughout his mini-speech. Just let him be in the finale so he can win. Yawn.
Who did you vote for? If you voted for Koli, I'll hunt you down and smack you.
Vote Orange!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Biggest Loser, Season 9 - Why They'll Win
Ashley
Never underestimate the power of Pink. 'Nuff said.
Never underestimate the power of Pink. 'Nuff said.
Daris
It's always the quiet ones... He got off to a slow start, losing big pounds but not getting much camera action. Towards the end, he started breaking through whatever wall he was hiding behind and emerged as a new person (who is also hot, by the way. Maybe I'm biased because he looks a little bit like one of my exes). In my book, he's already won.
Koli
He's hungry for a win and has dollar signs in his eyes. He has enough determination to push himself all the way to the end, maybe a little bit too much.
Michael
He still has a lot of weight left to lose. Because he started with a lot more weight than anybody else, he won't have to lose as much to get that percentage needed to win. If he can get himself down to the low 200's (for a total weight loss of 300 pounds), he'd probably win by a landslide.
At-Home Winner:It's easy to say that Sam could be the at-home winner. After all, he did achieve his ideal weight while still on campus, didn't he? We can't forget all the others who went home; they've had plenty of time to stay out of the limelight and to focus on their weight loss. I predict we're going to be in for some big surprises. In the running: Lance, Melissa, Sam, Sunshine and Miggy.
Why Lance will win: With a wife like Melissa to nag at him all day long, you can bet he'd be outside running all day just to get away from her.
Why Melissa will win: She's just as bad as Koli, maybe even worse.
Why Sam will win: He reached his ideal weight while still on campus. That's a feat that no one had accomplished until now. However, the muscles that he packed on may hurt him.
Why Sunshine will win: She's sweet, adorable and has an excellent father. She overcame being kicked off campus once, the loss of her uncle and seeing her father injure himself time and time again. How can she not win?
Why Miggy will win: If Melissa and Koli ever had a match, it would be Miggy. She's a Puerto Rican woman with a lot of fire in her. Once she's got her mind set on something, there isn't anything that's going to get in the way.
Biggest Loser, Season 9 - Episode 17
This is it! The last episode before the finale. We have our final five and this episode for sure will keep us on our toes while we wait to find out who will be the final four. Mike, Ashley and Daris are feeling pretty good about making it all the way to the end with Sam out of the picture. The way they see it - Sunshine and Koli are strong allies but only for each other, and if one of them falls below they will definitely be out-voted. I am really not liking Koli right now. He carried on a rant about how stupid the three (Mike, Daris and Ashley) were to vote Sam out instead of Mike because Mike poses a great threat at the finale - if he makes it that far. In the past, when someone asked him to help get rid of the competition, he refused and vowed that he would rather preserve his integrity than play the game. What about the time he tried to pit the younger contestants against Stephanie (whom we found out last week is dating Sam, how weird is that)? He scoffed at Melissa when she gave a very compelling speech about keeping her around because since she's the least threat and struggled with her weight loss the whole time, she'd fall below each week; therefore giving everybody an easy chance to pick off their competitors. Koli - just admit it - you're acting like a brat because you lost your partner, it's as simple as that.
Now that Sam is gone and Koli has almost made it to the end, his focus has changed - he is all about the finale and he is all about winning the money. Sure - at this point, it's normal to hope to win the money, but if you're willing to ruthlessly run over anybody who gets in your way, something's wrong. Earlier in the season, Koli proclaimed that he looks up to O'Neal and one day hopes to be the kind of man that O'Neal is. Well - he ain't even going to come close if he keeps acting this way. Suze Orman changed her prediction about Koli as the winner solely on the fact that he doesn't count his calories. For someone who isn't attentive to the little (but necessary) things probably won't succeed later on. How much do you want to bet that once the finale is over and the publicity dies down, Koli will slowly start to gain weight over the years (like Erik did).
Back to the show - the remaining contestants were shocked to find out there would be no yellow line this week, only one red line. The person who loses the least percent of body fat will automatically be sent home. While Ali was making the announcement, Koli sneaked in a grin (which looked devious to me) thinking that he's got it in the bag, he's already guaranteed a spot in the final four. We'll see....
Erik and Helen came back on the show to talk to the remaining five about the realities of keeping the weight off once you're off campus for good. Daris has genuine concerns about the single life. He's always been the joker and the "best friend" but has never had a girlfriend. He wonders how his life will change. It is my personal prediction (almost a guarantee) that Daris isn't going to be single for much longer. His time on campus has treated him well - very well! While Daris led a formerly quiet life and was wondering how much it would change, Ashley expressed concern over her former partying lifestyle and tried to figure out what she needed to do to stay fit. Her friends and her sister would still be partying. She wants to feel like she still belongs but she will need to set boundaries (less drinking and eating) so she doesn't fall off track.
When it was Koli's turn to talk to Erik, all he did was talk about winning. Erik can relate because he was the winner of season 3. Erik cautioned that he still needed to stay on path and don't let himself regress like Erik did. Koli spoke about how he's almost guaranteed to win the whole thing and that he feels he really deserves it. I wanted to reach through the TV and smack him. There were times where he fell below the yellow line and people kept him out of compassion when he begged for a chance to stay longer (to improve his health or a chance to win the whole thing?). How about paying it forward?
Mike is struggling the most with his weight loss (and lack of weight loss). He has lost a whole obese person weight-wise and he is still obese. That has got to be really tough. Mike blew a gasket during a workout. He felt extremely frustrated. With no yellow line, everything is riding on this last week - you either make it above or you don't. Mike's weight loss has been a roller coaster. With such a big guy like Mike, you would think that his weight loss would steadily be in the double digits like it did for Dane and the other bigger men that were on past episodes. Mike would lose big one week and then lose so little the next week. Would this week be a big one or a small one?
Having one red line this week is good in some ways. This will definitely decide who deserves to stay and who goes solely based on their weight loss and not based on game play. No chance to vote for favorites like Koli kept voting for Sam. Even if there was a yellow line and Mike fell below, he wouldn't be in danger of leaving because Ashley and Daris would not let it happen. However, if he fell below with either Ashley or Daris, he'd probably be gone. Koli had his sights set on getting rid of Mike. How is Mike a big threat? He's not even halfway done, he's dipped below the line several times and it's kind of far-fetched to think that he'll actually lose the other half of what he needs by the finale. All Mike needs right now is a great last week and he'd make it to the final four.
This week's challenge was the same as two seasons ago. The contestants had to run over 16 hills while carrying the weight that they lost over the past 16 weeks. Each hill represented one week on campus. Whenever they came to the top of a hill, they would shed the pounds they lost. First person to make it over 16 hills and to the end gets $10,000. I remember the winner for this game - who could forget Tara? She was a lean, mean, green fighting machine! Daris soared way ahead of everybody else. He had a very easy win. Koli got third place... and when he tossed his remaining weight over the cliff at the finish line, he almost threw himself over. That would have been fun to watch.
Everyone finished in steady streams except for Mike. Ashley and Daris went back to Mike and helped him finish the competition. Ashley and Mike held hands briefly - do I see another romantic match-up? At this rate, the Biggest Loser has a higher success rate of creating romantic couples than the Bachelor/Bachelorette. How sad is that? Of course, it would make sense. The Biggest Loser showcases real people with real struggles and real problems. These people have seen each other at their worst, supported each other and grew extremely close because of shared hardships. The Bachelor/Bachelorette displays fake people with fake blonde hair, fake nails and fake boobs who are whisked away on unrealistic romantic adventures (who goes from Hawaii to New York City to the Bahamas and to Fiji for dates in just a few short months).
Daris relinquished the $10,000 for a one pound advantage. I personally think he didn't need it but better safe to be sorry. You wouldn't want to fall below the red line if you had that one pound to help you stay above. Talk about a major personal beating if Daris had kept the $10,000 and fell below the red line because of that one pound.
Each contestant was able to watch a video montage of themselves and their journey over the past few months. It was touching to see how far they've come and how much stronger they've become. Daris' video was my favorite (maybe just because he's pretty nice to look at). I just hope that they continue to do well at home.
At the weigh in, Mike breaks (or actually makes) another Biggest Loser record. He became the first person to lose 200 pounds while still on the ranch. He lost 12 during this episode. With a big loss like that, he's definitely one of the final four. But it's still too early to tell...
Koli lost 13 and pushed ahead of Mike so he's definitely in the final four. I'm semi-proud of him but somewhat disappointed. His head is going to grow 10x bigger overnight now. Daris lost 10 and pushed up above Mike and guaranteed himself a spot in the final four. It turned out that Daris didn't need that extra one pound - he could have (and should have) kept the $10,000. Oh well.
All the boys pulled out really big numbers... can the girls keep up this week? Ashley ends up losing 7, which is a big number for her, but it wasn't enough to beat Michael. Now Michael is in the final four. Will Sunshine beat Ashley? She's done so well in the past so it's almost a guaranteed victory for her.... right? Sunshine ends up losing only 2 pounds - not quite enough to beat Ashley. I was genuinely shocked. I would have picked her as a possible winner of the season (and remember Suze Orman's prediction? She predicted that Sunshine would win). What a bummer for Sunshine... however, if there was a yellow line, she would have still fallen below with Ashley. We all know how Mike and Daris would vote - so either way, Sunshine was doomed. To add insult to injury, Sunshine fell short of her 100-pound loss by one pound. It would have been nice to finish out the season with the accomplishment of losing 100 pounds, wouldn't it?
So - in anticipation of the finale, I went online to NBC's website to find out when it's going to happen. The finale is on May 25th, which means that tomorrow's episode is going to be about something else. I decided to watch the previews (I have no patience!) and predictably, the final four goes home to their families. I guess they are going through their first true test - whether they can make it out alive back at home. The preview was juicy and delicious! It seems as though that at least one (or two, or three, or all of them!) didn't do quite so hot at home. One of them gained two pounds! Tune in tomorrow - I know I will be!!!
Now that Sam is gone and Koli has almost made it to the end, his focus has changed - he is all about the finale and he is all about winning the money. Sure - at this point, it's normal to hope to win the money, but if you're willing to ruthlessly run over anybody who gets in your way, something's wrong. Earlier in the season, Koli proclaimed that he looks up to O'Neal and one day hopes to be the kind of man that O'Neal is. Well - he ain't even going to come close if he keeps acting this way. Suze Orman changed her prediction about Koli as the winner solely on the fact that he doesn't count his calories. For someone who isn't attentive to the little (but necessary) things probably won't succeed later on. How much do you want to bet that once the finale is over and the publicity dies down, Koli will slowly start to gain weight over the years (like Erik did).
Back to the show - the remaining contestants were shocked to find out there would be no yellow line this week, only one red line. The person who loses the least percent of body fat will automatically be sent home. While Ali was making the announcement, Koli sneaked in a grin (which looked devious to me) thinking that he's got it in the bag, he's already guaranteed a spot in the final four. We'll see....
Erik and Helen came back on the show to talk to the remaining five about the realities of keeping the weight off once you're off campus for good. Daris has genuine concerns about the single life. He's always been the joker and the "best friend" but has never had a girlfriend. He wonders how his life will change. It is my personal prediction (almost a guarantee) that Daris isn't going to be single for much longer. His time on campus has treated him well - very well! While Daris led a formerly quiet life and was wondering how much it would change, Ashley expressed concern over her former partying lifestyle and tried to figure out what she needed to do to stay fit. Her friends and her sister would still be partying. She wants to feel like she still belongs but she will need to set boundaries (less drinking and eating) so she doesn't fall off track.
When it was Koli's turn to talk to Erik, all he did was talk about winning. Erik can relate because he was the winner of season 3. Erik cautioned that he still needed to stay on path and don't let himself regress like Erik did. Koli spoke about how he's almost guaranteed to win the whole thing and that he feels he really deserves it. I wanted to reach through the TV and smack him. There were times where he fell below the yellow line and people kept him out of compassion when he begged for a chance to stay longer (to improve his health or a chance to win the whole thing?). How about paying it forward?
Mike is struggling the most with his weight loss (and lack of weight loss). He has lost a whole obese person weight-wise and he is still obese. That has got to be really tough. Mike blew a gasket during a workout. He felt extremely frustrated. With no yellow line, everything is riding on this last week - you either make it above or you don't. Mike's weight loss has been a roller coaster. With such a big guy like Mike, you would think that his weight loss would steadily be in the double digits like it did for Dane and the other bigger men that were on past episodes. Mike would lose big one week and then lose so little the next week. Would this week be a big one or a small one?
Having one red line this week is good in some ways. This will definitely decide who deserves to stay and who goes solely based on their weight loss and not based on game play. No chance to vote for favorites like Koli kept voting for Sam. Even if there was a yellow line and Mike fell below, he wouldn't be in danger of leaving because Ashley and Daris would not let it happen. However, if he fell below with either Ashley or Daris, he'd probably be gone. Koli had his sights set on getting rid of Mike. How is Mike a big threat? He's not even halfway done, he's dipped below the line several times and it's kind of far-fetched to think that he'll actually lose the other half of what he needs by the finale. All Mike needs right now is a great last week and he'd make it to the final four.
This week's challenge was the same as two seasons ago. The contestants had to run over 16 hills while carrying the weight that they lost over the past 16 weeks. Each hill represented one week on campus. Whenever they came to the top of a hill, they would shed the pounds they lost. First person to make it over 16 hills and to the end gets $10,000. I remember the winner for this game - who could forget Tara? She was a lean, mean, green fighting machine! Daris soared way ahead of everybody else. He had a very easy win. Koli got third place... and when he tossed his remaining weight over the cliff at the finish line, he almost threw himself over. That would have been fun to watch.
Everyone finished in steady streams except for Mike. Ashley and Daris went back to Mike and helped him finish the competition. Ashley and Mike held hands briefly - do I see another romantic match-up? At this rate, the Biggest Loser has a higher success rate of creating romantic couples than the Bachelor/Bachelorette. How sad is that? Of course, it would make sense. The Biggest Loser showcases real people with real struggles and real problems. These people have seen each other at their worst, supported each other and grew extremely close because of shared hardships. The Bachelor/Bachelorette displays fake people with fake blonde hair, fake nails and fake boobs who are whisked away on unrealistic romantic adventures (who goes from Hawaii to New York City to the Bahamas and to Fiji for dates in just a few short months).
Daris relinquished the $10,000 for a one pound advantage. I personally think he didn't need it but better safe to be sorry. You wouldn't want to fall below the red line if you had that one pound to help you stay above. Talk about a major personal beating if Daris had kept the $10,000 and fell below the red line because of that one pound.
Each contestant was able to watch a video montage of themselves and their journey over the past few months. It was touching to see how far they've come and how much stronger they've become. Daris' video was my favorite (maybe just because he's pretty nice to look at). I just hope that they continue to do well at home.
At the weigh in, Mike breaks (or actually makes) another Biggest Loser record. He became the first person to lose 200 pounds while still on the ranch. He lost 12 during this episode. With a big loss like that, he's definitely one of the final four. But it's still too early to tell...
Koli lost 13 and pushed ahead of Mike so he's definitely in the final four. I'm semi-proud of him but somewhat disappointed. His head is going to grow 10x bigger overnight now. Daris lost 10 and pushed up above Mike and guaranteed himself a spot in the final four. It turned out that Daris didn't need that extra one pound - he could have (and should have) kept the $10,000. Oh well.
All the boys pulled out really big numbers... can the girls keep up this week? Ashley ends up losing 7, which is a big number for her, but it wasn't enough to beat Michael. Now Michael is in the final four. Will Sunshine beat Ashley? She's done so well in the past so it's almost a guaranteed victory for her.... right? Sunshine ends up losing only 2 pounds - not quite enough to beat Ashley. I was genuinely shocked. I would have picked her as a possible winner of the season (and remember Suze Orman's prediction? She predicted that Sunshine would win). What a bummer for Sunshine... however, if there was a yellow line, she would have still fallen below with Ashley. We all know how Mike and Daris would vote - so either way, Sunshine was doomed. To add insult to injury, Sunshine fell short of her 100-pound loss by one pound. It would have been nice to finish out the season with the accomplishment of losing 100 pounds, wouldn't it?
So - in anticipation of the finale, I went online to NBC's website to find out when it's going to happen. The finale is on May 25th, which means that tomorrow's episode is going to be about something else. I decided to watch the previews (I have no patience!) and predictably, the final four goes home to their families. I guess they are going through their first true test - whether they can make it out alive back at home. The preview was juicy and delicious! It seems as though that at least one (or two, or three, or all of them!) didn't do quite so hot at home. One of them gained two pounds! Tune in tomorrow - I know I will be!!!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Biggest Loser, Season 9 - Episode 16
Exciting news! The remaining contestants have been on campus for 4 months now and they have all lost a total of 805 pounds. Here's more exciting news - it's makeover week! How I've been waiting for this episode for so long! I've said it before and I'll say it again - Daris' hair has got to go!
The contestants' response to makeover week was no different than mine. They were all absolutely thrilled that they made it far enough to get a makeover. Sam blurted out "make me prettier! I love clothes and I love fashion." Sam!? Watching him this whole season, I wouldn't have known. I guess there's a whole 'nother side to all the contestants that we don't see. I was especially thrilled to see Daris make it all the way to this episode because.... his hair needs to go!
There are many things in life that we take for granted and we don't realize that we do. This past season, I've recognized that I do take things for granted and have started to reflect more on what I can do rather than what I can't do. O'Neal's triumphant trip up the stairs one foot after another was my first realization. My other realization (among many others) was that it isn't very hard for me to shop for clothes. When you're at my size, you don't have to worry about finding something that will fit - we become more obsessed with what's in style and what colors we like. For the contestants, they have to worry about whether they'll find anything in their size. Once they do, they settle for that - nevermind trying to scour the stores for something that's actually stylish because that'll never happen.
It was time for all of them to get a much needed haircut. The hairdresser joked that Mike would lose 5 pounds just by cutting off his hair because he had so much. Koli ended up with a mohawk, Sam got a prison-style cut (sounds bad but looks hot), and Daris finally lost all that hair! He looks so good!
At this week's challenge, the contestants had to climb (as Ashley put it) Jacob's Ladder from hell. Whoever stayed on it the longest would get a one pound advantage while the first person to fall would get a one pound disadvantage. Ashley is out almost immediately at 3:47 and gets the disadvantage. Mike fell second and then finally Sunshine fell at 45:13. Daris was up against the two cousins who was hungry for blood. Sam and Koli both want to beat Daris so that one of them can get the advantage. Daris simply wants to win just to win. He's just plain tired of the grey team dominating the challenges. Sam is out at 55:11, leaving Koli to defend the grey team's honor. Now here's where the real challenge started. Whenever the grey team won a challenge, it was usually Sam that won it for them - can Koli win this time?
Two hours have passed and both Daris and Koli are going strong. Daris asked if it is still considered peeing in the pool if he pees from up above. If I was on that ladder, I would have fallen off from laughing. At two hours and 30 minutes, Daris quits. I was really surprised because even though he stumbled a little bit, he was still going strong. He could have taken Koli. It would have been nice to see the rug be pulled out from Koli - it might have humbled him a little bit. His head seems to be getting bigger, it's a wonder how he's still able to pull his shirts on over his head. When the competition was over, Koli tried his best to step off the ladder as coolly as he could and just stood there. I was surprised he didn't jump off into the pool to cool down.
We finally see Bob and Jillian just past the halfway mark of the episode. I think this is the longest we've been in an episode without seeing Bob and Jillian. It's apparent that the episodes now are more about them and less about the trainers. They were absolutely shocked to hear that Koli won the challenge (and not Sam) and pretty upset to hear that Daris lost because he just quit, not because he fell off the ladder. Bob was disappointed in Daris because while he is physically capable of doing whatever he wanted, it was apparent that he still needed to work on his mentality. Do I predict another Dr. Jillian session coming up?
There wasn't exactly a Dr. Jillian session but Jillian starts pounding on Ashley extra hard this week. Of course - the game is coming close to the end and Ashley has a Pink reputation to uphold. It is Jillian's sole responsibility to make sure that Pink is still "in".
Bob gets a chance to pull Daris aside for some private talking. He tried to make Daris see that he's so close to the end and that he can't start slacking now. To teach him a lesson, Bob made him do a brutal last minute workout that even he and Jillian can't complete. And guess what? Daris did it.
Koli seriously needs a lesson in humility. It's ok to be proud of what you've done but I think he's taking it a bit too far. During his interview, he said he felt he was going to get double digits. Cocky, isn't he? Well - I guess he had a right to be because he ended up losing 15 pounds this week.
Sam only lost two pounds. This is evidence that his time is up. He's lost so much of his fat and gained a lot of muscle. Ashley makes it above the yellow line with 10 pounds lost and pushes Sam below. Never underestimate the power of the Pink ninja!
Mike was unfortunate enough to fall below with Sam. With these two contestants below, it is pretty obvious what the choice should be, but people might feel threatened by Mike and the potential he has with so much more weight to lose. However, they might be sick of the grey team winning all the time and want to split them up. Personally, if I was there, I would have sent Sam home.
Koli kept sniffing around to find out what the other three contestants were thinking so he could weigh Sam's fate. It seemed as though he wanted to figure out a way to blackmail them into voting to keep Sam. In the end, Sam was chosen to leave. It was sad but... it was about time!
The contestants' response to makeover week was no different than mine. They were all absolutely thrilled that they made it far enough to get a makeover. Sam blurted out "make me prettier! I love clothes and I love fashion." Sam!? Watching him this whole season, I wouldn't have known. I guess there's a whole 'nother side to all the contestants that we don't see. I was especially thrilled to see Daris make it all the way to this episode because.... his hair needs to go!
There are many things in life that we take for granted and we don't realize that we do. This past season, I've recognized that I do take things for granted and have started to reflect more on what I can do rather than what I can't do. O'Neal's triumphant trip up the stairs one foot after another was my first realization. My other realization (among many others) was that it isn't very hard for me to shop for clothes. When you're at my size, you don't have to worry about finding something that will fit - we become more obsessed with what's in style and what colors we like. For the contestants, they have to worry about whether they'll find anything in their size. Once they do, they settle for that - nevermind trying to scour the stores for something that's actually stylish because that'll never happen.
It was time for all of them to get a much needed haircut. The hairdresser joked that Mike would lose 5 pounds just by cutting off his hair because he had so much. Koli ended up with a mohawk, Sam got a prison-style cut (sounds bad but looks hot), and Daris finally lost all that hair! He looks so good!
At this week's challenge, the contestants had to climb (as Ashley put it) Jacob's Ladder from hell. Whoever stayed on it the longest would get a one pound advantage while the first person to fall would get a one pound disadvantage. Ashley is out almost immediately at 3:47 and gets the disadvantage. Mike fell second and then finally Sunshine fell at 45:13. Daris was up against the two cousins who was hungry for blood. Sam and Koli both want to beat Daris so that one of them can get the advantage. Daris simply wants to win just to win. He's just plain tired of the grey team dominating the challenges. Sam is out at 55:11, leaving Koli to defend the grey team's honor. Now here's where the real challenge started. Whenever the grey team won a challenge, it was usually Sam that won it for them - can Koli win this time?
Two hours have passed and both Daris and Koli are going strong. Daris asked if it is still considered peeing in the pool if he pees from up above. If I was on that ladder, I would have fallen off from laughing. At two hours and 30 minutes, Daris quits. I was really surprised because even though he stumbled a little bit, he was still going strong. He could have taken Koli. It would have been nice to see the rug be pulled out from Koli - it might have humbled him a little bit. His head seems to be getting bigger, it's a wonder how he's still able to pull his shirts on over his head. When the competition was over, Koli tried his best to step off the ladder as coolly as he could and just stood there. I was surprised he didn't jump off into the pool to cool down.
We finally see Bob and Jillian just past the halfway mark of the episode. I think this is the longest we've been in an episode without seeing Bob and Jillian. It's apparent that the episodes now are more about them and less about the trainers. They were absolutely shocked to hear that Koli won the challenge (and not Sam) and pretty upset to hear that Daris lost because he just quit, not because he fell off the ladder. Bob was disappointed in Daris because while he is physically capable of doing whatever he wanted, it was apparent that he still needed to work on his mentality. Do I predict another Dr. Jillian session coming up?
There wasn't exactly a Dr. Jillian session but Jillian starts pounding on Ashley extra hard this week. Of course - the game is coming close to the end and Ashley has a Pink reputation to uphold. It is Jillian's sole responsibility to make sure that Pink is still "in".
Bob gets a chance to pull Daris aside for some private talking. He tried to make Daris see that he's so close to the end and that he can't start slacking now. To teach him a lesson, Bob made him do a brutal last minute workout that even he and Jillian can't complete. And guess what? Daris did it.
Koli seriously needs a lesson in humility. It's ok to be proud of what you've done but I think he's taking it a bit too far. During his interview, he said he felt he was going to get double digits. Cocky, isn't he? Well - I guess he had a right to be because he ended up losing 15 pounds this week.
Sam only lost two pounds. This is evidence that his time is up. He's lost so much of his fat and gained a lot of muscle. Ashley makes it above the yellow line with 10 pounds lost and pushes Sam below. Never underestimate the power of the Pink ninja!
Mike was unfortunate enough to fall below with Sam. With these two contestants below, it is pretty obvious what the choice should be, but people might feel threatened by Mike and the potential he has with so much more weight to lose. However, they might be sick of the grey team winning all the time and want to split them up. Personally, if I was there, I would have sent Sam home.
Koli kept sniffing around to find out what the other three contestants were thinking so he could weigh Sam's fate. It seemed as though he wanted to figure out a way to blackmail them into voting to keep Sam. In the end, Sam was chosen to leave. It was sad but... it was about time!
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