Most Entertaining

Yesterday I wrote an email to our IT Support team at work. I wrote an email that I will not replicate for security reasons (laziness). I had to two cellphones to give to IT Dept. So I wrote them an email and started it by saying something along the lines of: "Read this to the tune of Two Tickets to Paradise.

Today I got an email back from the Director of IT (the Director!) and he said "Michele you are the most entertaining staff."

Yes! Just another reason I should be chosen for the Amazing Race!

Deadline was Extended

I went onto the The AMAZING RACE application homepage to see if there were any open calls. Then I saw this message.

Me at my computer.

DEADLINE EXTENDED!!
We are now accepting applications for 2014. This new season will film in the Spring / Summer of 2014 (sometime between May and July).
 The application deadline is THURSDAY NOV. 21th (5pm PST), 2013.
Please refer to the open call section periodically for updates to the open call schedule, and to the FAQ section for additional information.


I don't know if they usually do this, or if they did not get the number of applications that they wanted for this season. At least that is only a few days away.

Sunday's Amazing Race

Did you see The Amazing Race (TAR) on Sunday? It involved a Camel Beauty Contest, cutting up food for a wedding, grabbing flags while white water rafting, and driving yourself to those places. Something I was struck by was TAR gave the contestants coins on one leg, and had them use them this leg. One racer had figured out the clue before they even got to the leg. I thought that was pretty smart.

That was a cool obstacle. I think one of the teams just got lucky. They laid out the coins and punched in numbers on the car key pad and it worked. I am so excited for TAR. I have slacked a little on working out and eating habits, but I am getting back on track.

Lauren and I showed our video to more friends, and they like it. I don't think any of them would say that they don't like it. It is an okay video. The thing that is great is our energy. I hope that we get to the second round. I have a good feeling about it. I think someone on the casting crew will see us and say, "That is our underdog team. They will be great!"

Our applications were due on November 7, 2013 and we got them in the end of October. They should be calling us any day now.
I am ready for the adventure.

Train Your Brain

About six months ago I stopped using Lumosity (website to increase your cognitive functioning). It focuses on things like Speed, Memory, Attention, Flexibility, Problem Solving. I saw a huge change in my mental sharpness when I was doing this daily. This is something definitely needed for The Amazing Race.

There is a way you can do a limited amount of games on Lumosity for free or you can pay to do it. I am opting for my favorite four letter word FREE. The games are simple and fun for the most part. My favorite game is the one where I work at a restaurant and I have to remember people's names and orders. Love it!

So I sent Lauren an email asking her to join, so that she can sharpen her mind too!

Interviewing Lauren and Myself about The Amazing Race

Lauren's answers in this color. Michele's in this color.

 

 

1. Why do you want to go on the Amazing Race (TAR)?

I want to travel all over the world, test myself, and try new things.

I think it would be exciting, love the competition and would love to win the money.

 

2. What are you looking forward to most?

 Seeing new parts of the world.

Doing exciting things. (jumping out of plane, riding an elephant)

 

3. Why did you choose Michele as a partner?

 Because she was my only choice (JK).  My real answer is that we make a good team.  I respect and admire her and she is a nice calming influence on me. She knows a ton of things that I don't know so I always learn things when I am around her.

She is a great person. We  have fun together and we always seem to be on the same page. She is also very intelligent.

 

4. What do you think you will struggle with most?

 Things that require strength.  As we both know, I am super weak and as I am watching this season I am getting nervous about all the tasks that require strength.

Puzzles and very physically demanding tasks.

 

5. Where do you think you will excel?

I think we will be good at strategizing and smooth talking people into helping us.  As I am watching this season I keep thinking that teams should be doing more of that...so many missed opportunities.

Intellectual tasks and team work and communication task.

 

 6. Why are we a team to be reckoned with?

 I don't know how well we will do (don't hate me for saying that ), but we will excel because we will be kind to others, we will be persistent, and we will remain calm and work together.

I think we will be great, because people will not expect us to be good, and we are not quitters right?!

 

7. What country do you hope to go to?

 Any country in Africa

New Zealand

8. Where do you NOT want to go to?

 Antarctica

India

9. When you are on the race, what motto or philosophy or mantra will you have?

 Just do it.

No Worries.

10. What is ONE thing that you could not live without on the race? (besides necessities like passport)

 Coffee

Paper and pen.

11. What is one thing you will not do on the race? (for example, there was that one team that would not do a shot of liquor)

 Get naked, but apparently you will so that's good.  I also won't get a tattoo or piercing or something permanent like that.  I wouldn't eat poop.

Can't think of a thing.

12. What will you do with your half of the money?

 I will pay off student loans.

Go on a nice family vacation, college loans, save it.

13. What do you think your partner will do while you are on the race?

 I think he will eat red meat, watch sports, be lonely, hang out with our cats, hang out with Steph,  and ruin his dinner by eating too many sweets before it at least once a week.

Spend time with the cats, hopefully walk the dog, re-do our bathroom.

 

14. What is something or things you are doing to prepare yourself for the race?

I am practicing talking to people (strangers) I would not usually talk to.  I am exercising, I am taking notes from this season, and I need to start doing more brain teasers.

Getting in better physical shape and researching things about the Amazing Race. I need to do more brain teasers too.

Boundaries

I have been reading a lot of articles by The Amazing Race fanatics. One of the statements that keeps running through my head is "leave your hang-ups at home." One season there was a couple who had a very strong religious belief that prevented them from taking a shot of alcohol. They had to leave and risk losing due to that. I can understand being so dedicated to your faith, but it made me think of activities or fears that might prevent Lauren and I from winning.

I do not know Lauren that well, so I will have to get to know her more. The biggest thing that stands out in my mind is being nude in public. There was one reality show years ago where contestants had to walk in front of an audience naked. Lauren said she would not do this. I figure when it hits television, they will use censors to block out the important spots. I said I would do it, but under one condition. My condition was that Lauren does not watch. Lauren was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. She agreed (probably to her relief) that she would not look. I also told her that if she laughs that hard then, I will make her do it.

Instead of a naked picture of me, I put me naked inside a tent.

We did compromise. I told Lauren if there is something involving a bikini, she is doing it. She agreed. One bare-butt obstacle down. We will have to see what else we will not do. There isn't much that I won't do.

Casting Decisions

Anyone who is a fan of the Amazing Race knows that there are certain demographics the casting crew tries to get in each season. Some trends that I have seen has been the following:

• Married couple.
• Parent/Child
• All female team
• All male team
• Famous person/team
• "Not Going to Get Along" team
• Minority team
• Differently Abled team
• Multi-racial couples
• Gays & Lesbians
• City or Country Folk
• Athletic
• Intellectual
• Young & Old

Also, regardless of your token-demographic, they look for people who have a personality, some character.

Lauren and I come from West & East Coast.
We are both Caucasian.
I am lesbian.
Both married.
We are both intellectual and athletic (despite me molding myself back in shape).

We both alone and together have great personalities, and we can be pretty strategic. We somehow see things from the same perspective.

I am banking on.. you know what I am banking on to get us on the show??
That I used to be her boss and now we are peers. (and she is taking control now)
In our written application I wrote "who is the boss now?"

Deadline has passed... waiting for a call!

Over a week ago we sent in our Amazing Race application (complete with video and pictures) and now my thought go to the next step. Our next step is to get a call from the casting directors to go to a casting call. What do we do then?

We need to have them fall in love with us and the idea of our team. You don't know Lauren and I, but we are pretty funny together. I feel badly for the people we interview because it is less of an interview and more like the Lauren and Michele Show. We joke around and have witty banter. I think when we are together we are pretty contagious. Our boss calls us the Dynamic Duo.

At the casting call, I am trying to form what we will say to make us memorable. I wake up at night thinking, "In the waiting room we should mess with the other contestants." I can go around with a clipboard telling people the contestants have been chosen. We can lead everyone in singing "We all Live in the Yellow Submarine."  We can do a trivia show about the Amazing Race or Geography.
We can intimidate them with our wit, strength, and how funny we are.

The application is out there, and Lauren and I have to have faith that will move us on. Our video is nothing cinematically great, but what is important is that our fun side and genuineness comes out.

Juggling A Lot

Oh, I know it is Tuesday morning and the last time I wrote was Saturday. No, we were not in L.A. for the casting calls, yet. I am just busy. Yes, I am still dieting (cheating here and there), and yes I am still exercising. Actually, I added a new challenge. So doing three challenges at once.

This one I added is an ab challenge. Crunches, leg lifts, and planks. We shall see.

I also have been spending time working on my book. Oh-yes I am a writer too! Check out my Wilderness Girl Blog to the right of this post. I wrote a book and I busy finding Beta readers for it. (Beta Readers: someone to read your book and tell you what they think.) So I found three of them finally, and we are swapping. So I am reading their stuff and them mine. So- Busy.

Well, more later!

Searching

Going hiking and possibly Geocaching with the kids and another mom and her kids. Geocaching is a good preparer for the Amazing Race (TAR). You have to go to sometimes unknown places and search for things. Sometimes there are multiple clues involved.

A good place to hide a cache. Look out for snakes!

We have found over 300 caches. Some of them easy and some hard. After a while you learn tricks of  the trade, and good places to look.

It is great exercise too. Some the caches require you to hike miles to find them. Others are park and grab caches. I bought a GPS about seven years ago. It was when I was in Graduate School and working 2nd shift. I would get up early in the morning and the caches would motivate me to hike.

I have been part of a Geocaching Tournament three times. There were hundreds of people trying to find about 50 caches over a 36 hour period. It was fun being in the middle of some remote woods at 2am and seeing dozens of other flashlights looking for the cache.

Happy November

In six more days all the The Amazing Race (TAR) applications are due. So in about a week or two we should be getting a call to go out to wherever for the casting calls. I am working diligently on my diet and on my exercise. Lauren has been training for a marathon, and she just needs to work on her upper body strength.

It is time now to prepare otherwise. We need to obtain knowledge and skills to sharpen are ability to win.

Two big things that come to mind are the following:

1. Getting better at Geography & World Knowledge.

2. Get better and focusing, memory, and puzzles.


Geography & World Knowledge
I was thinking that Lauren and I should divide and conquer the world. She should learns some countries and me some countries. We should both be familiar with Geography. I need to find books or computer programs to do this.

Memory, focusing & Puzzles
We need to play games, do puzzles, do puzzle books. Playing cards, playing games, that rely on this would be important. Video games could be helpful. Reading books on how to sharpen different skills.
We have a long way to go.