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First off, thanks to David and Kim for pinch hitting for me last week as I let higher education get in the way of the fun of the Amazing Race. Also, thanks to them for possibly picking up on my aversion to spelling to Lickin…Litchen…Lichtun…um…Mini Switzerland. I guess I, too, should avoid that fine country, which fortunately means that I only have to steer clear of an area that would take less time to drive across than my daily commute.

Not that you asked for it but here’s a bonus for you: My Lichtenstein (sp?)-sized recap of last week’s episode. The elimination of Jet & Cord was a bitter, fondue-coated pill for me to swallow as I had high hopes for them. This may have been the first time that an alliance on the Amazing Race was responsible for an elimination. Of course, I am speaking of the leg-saving assist in the form of sharing answers that Justin gave Flight Time and by extension Gary. This could be the cowboys’ eventual misfortune to offset their fortune during their first season when boneheads Brent & Caite U-Turned their lesbian nemesis Brandy & Carol instead of the stronger competition in the cowboys.

At first, the cowboys’ elimination last week didn’t bother me too much but then it festered the more I thought about it. It gets my goat primarily because Jet & Cord regularly blew past the competition without the help of others. I think that teams left did what Brent & Caite failed to do and that is recognize that giving the cowboys any edge can and will come back to haunt you.

Moving on to this week’s power rankings, you may find my logic fallible and illogical but I’m used to hearing those adjectives describe my way of thinking:

1. Father/daughter Gary & Mallory (Season 17) and best friends Zev & Justin (Season 15) – There is no hierarchy here as I am thinking both of these teams are very much equals in their odds of making it to the finish line. Both teams continue to complement each other in just the right way and Zev hasn’t experienced a distractingly bad Roadblock performance in a few legs. While the friends have quietly assumed frontrunner status with multiple first place finishes, I think that an equally underrated team is Gary & Mallory. While they have had the taste of first place, I think they are still viewed as the underdog.

2. Goth couple Kent & Vyxsin (Season 12) – This is the one you have to stay with me on as I am trying a little reverse psychology here. Do I think that our Goths are a strong team? Definitely “No” after watching last week’s televised emasculation of Kent when Vyxsin suggested he get on the cart and she would pull him, since his little baby feet were tired. So why, then, are they so high? Because they are the Amazing Race: Unfinished Business’ cockroach team. They shouldn’t still be around but there they are. Also, maybe if I rank them high, the universe will eliminate them to prove me wrong. Dang, I shouldn’t have said that out loud because now it won’t happen.

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