It's amazing, I tell ya!

Oh, it is a happy day! I had two full hours of The Amazing Race last night, and it's back to it's top form, and I get to talk about all the teams today - woohoo! Let's just jump on in, shall we? I'll say up front that there are several teams I don't have strong opinions about yet, but we'll see how that progresses with more shows. I'll give my initial impressions, though, because I've got some!

First off, I'm disappointed that John and Scott were first off. I admired John for saying he wanted to use the race as an opportunity to tackle some fears, like flying, and then really doing it. He just jumped right into the cockpit of that helicopter like a champ! He was playing assertively, though Scott was kind of holding them back by being passive about the cab. And what's up with none of the locals helping them find the bridge? Did you see that vegetable stand guy just wave off John when he asked if the guy knew where it was? Nice hospitality, Brasilia. Anyway, I think they would've done better in subsequent legs once they got rolling. But hey, they got a free trip to Brazil with some awesome experiences, so that's pretty cool.

Lisa and Joni. Oh, how I wish they'd been the first team off. The screaming...someone..stop..the screaming.

Danielle and Dani. No opinion, really, except that the hot pink outfits were a bit boob-job-cheerleaderish. Too bad they didn't have to endure the catcalling that Yolanda had to stomach at the motorcycle place. They asked it for it way more with those outfits than Yolanda did with hers. And Yolanda even had her boyfriend with her! Men in Brazil are clearly pigs.

BJ and Tyler. Thought I would hate them, and I so didn't! They're really fun. They seem nice - like their entire goal is not to destroy the other teams - and they seem like they're really enjoying the journey, which is supah! Too many of the contestants are so into the competition aspect that they don't enjoy what they're doing and where they are. BJ and Tyler seem to be, which means that even if they don't win, they'll have gotten so much out of the game. Good for them!

Lake and Michelle. Someone please give this woman an almanac so she'll know what year it is and what country she's in. Good lord, woman - the "My Man is My Leader" routine went out about 45 years ago. You pride yourself on being the picture of a Southern woman. Well, I think I like being a Texas woman better than a Southern one, then, because I'd be explaining to my husband that he married a partner, not an assistant. He needs to come down a few notches. He blew the FIRST thing y'all had to do, then he tells you later that same day, "Do NOT second-guess me!" You need some second-guessing, pal. And the phone mistake? Not partially your fault. ALL your fault. BOY, do I hope they go down soon, and it's his mistake that causes it.

Ray and Yolanda. Not too much opinion so far. It'll be interesting to see if all the time together, after being long-distance, brings them together or pushes them apart.

David and Lori. My favorites so far! They're so good to each other and seem to be enjoying themselves, which as I stated above, I love to watch. They're a real team and seem to have a genuine respect for each other, as well as being really compatible. I'm rootin' for em!

Eric and Jeremy. Thought I wouldn't like them from their intro, but they're not too bad so far. Hitting on the Boob Twins was a little cheesy, but otherwise, I didn't mind them.

Fran and Barry. They're nice, but I don't think they'll last too long.

Joseph and Monica. Not too much opinion yet. I thought I'd hate him from the intro, but he hasn't been uber-competitive man yet, so I didn't have a problem with them.

Wanda and Desiree. No opinion yet.

My gameplan: For this first leg, the flight I went for would've depended on how fast I got to the airport. I knew as soon as I heard the Detour that I would've picked the Rotorhead (I'm not mechanical and would've dug the helicopter ride). And the rest kind of depended on the cabs - whether your cabbie knew where he was going and was aggressive. Cabs are a crap shoot - you never know if you'll get a good driver or not, so you're at the mercy of luck with that.

I'm so excited to be enjoying a new season!