Survivor & Amazing Race

I have been spending a lot of time at home this winter cleaning and organizing.  It is a great way to pass the day, but there are times that the drudgery of the tasks get the better of me, especially on days that are too cold or snowy to take a walk outside.  To help pass the time I have been watching Amazing Race and Survivor.  It has definitely made the days more interesting and has kept my thoughts occupied.  I'm not big on the social part of the game, but the challenges have been a lot of fun to watch.  In Amazing Race the focus has been more on activities and scavenger hunts.  Survivor has been more about athleticism and puzzle solving.  I always pick a person or team to cheer for, but never have much luck predicting the winner.  More times than not it's the person or team that I really can't stand that wins, but I enjoy it just the same.

What amazes me most about the two shows is that they have been on television for over twenty years.  There have been changes during the different seasons of Survivor.  I have liked some of them and found frustration with others.  The ones for season 41 this year have been really ingenious.  Amazing Race has stuck to the same format for all of its 33 seasons.  Thus, I like it a little bit better.  I remember years ago listening to Survivor's host, Jeff Probst, talk about his interview to be the host for the show.  He said that it came down to two people, him and Phil Keoghan (Amazing Race's host.)  Obviously, the producers knew what they were doing as both have had extreme success with their respective shows.  

The best part for me watching this winter has been the memories the shows has brought back.  All of the Heinisch children, at one time or another, watched the two series with me.  It was fun sharing my enthusiasm for the shows with them.  There's a 53 year old mother on Survivor right now that just like me has been watching the show since it started and introduced it to her children as well.  It's been impressive to see her compete.  I realize that I wouldn't be able to do that.  As Meg has told me several times, I probably won't make it past day one as I would have an allergic reaction to something right away and have to go home.  I know that she is right.  Being on Survivor or Amazing Race would be challenging for anyone.  I'll just keep enjoying it from my living room as long as they continue to have seasons.