It has been a great season for both Survivor and The Amazing Race.

For Survivor, I like how they have mixed things up and added some new challenges. It’s fun to not as many puzzles or straight endurance challenges. It’s also interesting to see how the game has involved and going to a shorter season (26 days instead of 39). Seems to be much more scrambling as there is a lot less time to talk and strategize between tribal councils.

As far as the latest episode, why do people continue to not use idols and get voted off. As I have said many times, this is one of the big reasons I need to be a contestant on Survivor. I want to see for myself how difficult it actually is to determine who is an allie, who is an enemy, and who is lying and who is telling the truth. I wonder if I would ever feel 100% not to play an advantage if I had one. I could not believe that Bruce did not play his idol. He had to know that there was at least a chance he would be voted out. I think I would play an idol as soon as I found one. Gets me a day further where anything can happen. The next few tribals are going to be interesting with a lot of idols still in play. Also want to see Drew finally use his advantage. Should be fun

I am also enjoying this season of the Amazing Race. I actually like a 5 teams remaining (I am a week behind). It’s been interesting to see teams falling so far behind that Phil has to go meet them to let them know they are last. Haven’t seen this is a while. I also like to see the team’s reaction when they think they are last, only get told by Phil they are still racing. I actually got a little jealous when brothers Greg and John won a trip to New Zealand for coming in 1st Place. So they got to run on The Amazing Race, and go to New Zealand (2 items near the top of my Bucket List).

I really thought the NY Football Giants would pack it in against the Washing Commanders and continue on a path to be one of the worst teams ever. Of course they went on to win the game and then win again the following week against the New England Patriots to get to 4 – 8 on the season. What’s crazy is that even at 4 – 8 they still have a decent chance to make the playoffs as a wild card, as other than the Eagles, 49rs and Cowboys, nobody has separated themselves from the pack. Looking at the NFL schedule for the next 2 weeks, if things break correctly, the Giants / Green Bay Packers game on Monday Night Football after the Giants bye week this weekend could be a huge game.

Lehigh Football fell to Lafayette by a score of 49-21. The team never found their groove this season under 1st year head coach Kevin Cahill. Hopefully this was a learning year and they can be more competitive next season

Lehigh Basketball is also off to a slow start this season. Hopefully Coach Brett Reed can get the team ready for Patriot League Conference Play which starts in January.

Went and saw the The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and thought it was really good. I had read the book when it came out and really enjoyed it as well. Watching the move felt a bit like when I watched the Harry Potter movies after reading the books. There are parts in the movies where things happen quickly or are not really explained but are like 3 – 4 chapters in the books, going into deeper details. Still, the movie was good, and maybe Suzanne Collins will write another Hunger Games book in the future.

Books I plan to read

Holly by Stephen King

The Exchange: After The Firm by John Grisham

The Corsican Shadow by Dirk Cussler

Today is December 1st — For me its a couple of weeks of down time before the Christmas Season kicks into full gear. (The day after Thanksgiving is a bit to early; Crazy that Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer has already been on CBS)

More to come before the new year

PEACE

Average Andy