So, on the Oscars…hey Adam Shankman, you did a good job, yes you did. I found them eminently more watchable than usual. Not a big Alec Baldwin fan, but I didn’t loathe him, which was a pleasant surprise, and Steve was deadpan funny as always. Loved that you got LXD on there, even if it was a little long and a lot abstract. And yet, my finger, it only got a little twitchy on the fast forward button. So, a success in my book!

Not a surprise, that Jeff Bridges won Best Actor.. A surprise, how lovely his wife is and that they’ve been married 33 years. That’s 133 in Hollywood Years. Not a surprise, that Mo’Nique won. A surprise, Colin Farrell is in Crazy Heart? How did I not know this. Not a surprise, that Pete Docter won an Oscar (for Up), a surprise, that it took 8 tries. Not a surprise, that Hurt Locker won every award that it did. Surprise, that one of them was Best Director. Yay, Kathryn Bigelow for being the first female director to ever win an Oscar. Not a surprise that it also won for Best Movie. A surprise, and quite a lovely one, in the field of very deserving women, Sandra Bullock took home Best Actress. One night after she accepted, in person, her Razzie, for Worst Actress. I love it when the universe evens things out like this. You go, Sandy!

Then…over on that other race, you know, the Amazing one? Well, the Cute Cowboys found out that trains aren’t always better than taxis and dropped a critical number of spaces, then surprised (me anyway, they apparently knew they’d nail it despite having never done it) by having madd soccer skillz. I think they helped Team Detectives move ahead, then those wacky cops just didn’t do anything to screw that up, and went from last to first. They were so thrilled, you couldn’t help but be happy for them.

It was a tough leg, with scary bungee jumping with teammates other than your own, then having to slam down sauerkraut or hit five soccer targets, and then there was that beer chugging thing, which to be honest, I found unnecessary. I know the racers sign on for whatever, but I never think it should include things that otherwise alter your being. A shot of this or a chug of that is one thing, but that was a lot of beer and it just felt…inappropriate. For any one of a variety of reasons, up to and not limited to…there was no other option in that particular challenge. What if they were the team of recovering addicts from a few seasons ago? I guess they just lose and go home? Or, worse, feel compelled to fall off the wagon after years of hard won sobriety, because there is a million dollars at stake? It’s just the kind of stakes that don’t need to be there, or at least need to be an option challenge. But that’s me.

In other news, I am liking the Team Father/Daughter more. They came in second. Maybe they’ll get more screen time now. Team “Just Jordan”.…now, you tell me, when you look at the two brothers, and that ridiculous backwards hat…which one looks gay to you on first glance? Just askin. But he did do so well with consoling Brandy on their bungee jump when she was clearly purely terrified. Nice job and you’re forgiven for the fashion faux pas. But while I’m glad Cord could bungee and not lose his cowboy hat (hilarious!) I did kinda wish that baseball hat had taken flight.

I found myself feeling bad for Team Miss USA. After a hospital stint, she totally nailed the bungee, neither one of the blondes even screamed, then cramped up on the soccer. While I didn’t need to see her partner getting sick. Several times. I did find myself hoping they weren’t last. They are racing better than expected. Jeff and Jordan, Team Big Brother, however, not so much. They are vastly amusing, though. But did anyone else think that when they came in last, and then Our Phil finally told them they weren’t going home after all, that it was a non-elim leg…that they didn’t exactly look thrilled to still be in it? That was even funnier to me. I don’t know that I root for them, nor did I feel bad that they were last, but losing on a bum taxi ride, which was the only reason they were that far off, never feels right to me, though I know it’s part of the race. And…well, they do bring the funny. So, I don’t want them to win, but I don’t mind another leg.

Now on to the exciting part of any Monday…yes, it’s this week’s Free Stuff Friday announcement. As it happens, someone around here is having a milestone birthday next week. (I know I’m 36, but somehow my driver’s license says I’m almost 14 years older than that. I don’t know how that can be really.) So I want to do something special this week and next to celebrate this inexplicable warp in time. What would you say to winning, oh….an advance review copy of my June 2010 book, the launch book of my new Scots heroes trilogy, SOME LIKE IT SCOT? Well, you can! Just send an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “I like it Scot!” in the subject line. Winner chosen on Friday from all eligible entries! Good luck!

So, Blog Babes...what did you think of the Oscars? Did your favorite win? Who lost that made you sad? And what the hell was wrong with George Clooney I want to know? Bad shrimp? Who is your emerging favorite on Amazing Race? Team Cute Cowboys for me! You know what to do! DISH!!

Tags: Writing //