The Amazing Race: Cambodia

How many teams are left, seven? I'm starting to lose count. The remaining teams fly from Auckland to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Ty and Aja, last to check-in last week, are the last to depart. Through no misstep of their own, they fly alone on the late flight. This turns out to be an insurmountable deficit.

Ty and Aja come tantalizingly close due to the bumbling of the Frat Boy team. The boys reek of desperation; the ASU guy stomps around and waves his arms and says "this would make my life" more than once. One of the frat boys thinks you have to have gone to private school to know where Cambodia is.

Once in Cambodia, teams choose from a row of blue trucks and must fill the truck's tank by hand-cranking 25 liters of diesel fuel. Only the frat boys have trouble cranking the gas. One says, "dude, you can't pump like a baby." They are mystified as each of the other teams easily crank the gas. I am mystified too because there seems to be no trick to it. Now I really hope Ty and Aja catch up.

Once the trucks are filled, teams ride in the open back to Siem Reap Harbor. As they race to the harbor, the teams stand in the back of the trucks and let out a lot of joyous ruckus and screaming. Starr hops off the truck unnecessarily to ask directions. Toni and Dallas pass them. But Nick and Starr return the favor by passing Toni and Dallas once they are in the motorboats in the harbor.

Siem Reap Harbor

Terence and Sarah's boat starts sputtering and smoking and dies. A few teams pass them as they row to their destination.

Then, the teams face a Detour: Village Life or Village Work, both tasks designed to show the difficulties of living in a village built over water. In both options, teams continue in their boats making three stops: at the dentist to pick up chattering teeth, at the tailor to pick up a doll, and at a floating basketball court where each team member has to shoot a basket.

The divorcees go to the basketball court, but realize they need to pick up their clue first, not just follow other teams. They deserve another reason to show some humility because they were unnecessarily cruel in calling Dallas and his mother, Teen Wolf and Wolf Mom.

Next, the teams ride little Tuk Tuk motorcycles to Angkor Wot, the largest religious structure in the world. Here the racers face a Roadblock. One team member must climb the steps of the castle and search for a specific area where they must thump their chest three times and hear the echo.

Tina is one of the first in the castle, but wanders around, unable to find the room. Ken sits on the grass outside and looks angry as other teams pass them up. Ken and Tina are getting too used to winning.

Even as they head to the pit stop, Bayon Temple, I still hope that Ty and Aja can catch up, But they are eliminated.

Multiple Sclerosis Challenge Walk: Success!

My good friend Fran walked the MS Challenge Walk--50 miles in three days in beautiful Door County, Wisconsin. Here is Fran's recap in her own words:

"I did it! Thank you for supporting my fundraising goal to participate in the MS Challenge Walk. It was an incredible experience - even magical. (During) Friday's 20 mile walk, I didn't even know I was toward the front because I didn't see anyone in front or behind me for 15 miles! Took photos, got lost in thought, and savored every minute. Turns out I finished 5th. There were about 100 walkers for this inaugural Challenge Walk.
Saturday's 20-mile walk had me a little concerned - I walk and trained, but never two 20 mile walks back to back! Well... I finished FIRST! The Director had me lead out all those with MS after dinner for a candlelight ceremony. It wasn't a race - but it was neat to set a secondary goal and make it!
Sunday was a staggered start - so we all met up after lunch and walked the final 1/2 mile together as one big team. They had me and a young woman whose mother died of MS in May and she also was diagnosed when she was only 20 - carry the Walkers with MS banner to lead the whole group to the final finish line. It was quite emotional
I have attached the photo flyer I made up of some of the sights I saw along the 50 mile route in Door County."

Going Down: Manhattan Apartment Prices

Scanning the listings on Corcoran.com, you'd think that Manhattan apartment prices haven't budged, despite the crumbling of the rest of the nation's real estate markets. I'm not looking for Manhattan prices to crumble; I only want them out of the ozone.

Whenever I see a 750+ square foot apartment listed for under $500K, I assume there is something terribly wrong with it, like a $1500 maintenance fee. Or it sits under a highway, or over a bar. Something. And I am never disappointed.

But the news beginning to be good for us fence sitters. Barely noticeable to the naked eye, some prices are moving downward.

For example:

• The Washington Heights apartment on Wadsworth sat at $439K since May and now it lists at $409K.
• The apartment on West 12th took its second price slashing from $725K to $699K to $649K.
  
• Most surprising of all is the penthouse studio at 96 Schermerhorn that seemed like a deal at $275K. The price went up to $300K, but now it sits at $250K.
  

All three of these apartments sounded relatively sellable at their original prices. Sellable to someone other than me.

The Amazing Race: New Zealand

All eight teams get on the same flight to Auckland, New Zealand. So the race starts off as a close one.

But Ty and Aja get a flat tire driving to the first stop, Gulf Harbour. Ty mentions he has never dealt with a flat tire before. Wouldn't that be The Amazing Race basic training: drive stick shift, change flat tires, read maps and get in the best shape possible?

The fourth installment of The Amazing Race provides many quotable lines. One of the blondes says, "I wonder if they like blondes in New Zealand?" The smarter of the two replies, "I think they have blondes in New Zealand." But smarter is relative, as I notice the blondes stumble over the words in the clues as they read them aloud.

I'm still leary of the brother-and-sister team, Nick and Starr. Starr speaks of how they have formed an "adult relationship." Ewwww.

Ken and Tina untie their Gordian knot faster than they unraveled their marriage and opt for the Fast Forward. They must climb the Auckland Sky Tower, the highest point in the southern hemisphere. This feat earns them a helicopter ride to the Pit Stop and an easy win.

Maori Warriors

The rest of the teams face New Zealand Maori Warriors at the summit of Mt. Eden, a latent volcano. They must match the tattoo on a printed card to the warrior with the same tattoo. Not easy, with the Maoris stomping around and grunting. Dallas says the only thing he was thinking while Toni faced the warriors was, "please don't eat my mom." That would have made some good television as well as good eats.

Then the teams race to a downtown rooftop and look for Gnomes with binoculars. One racer is overheard saying "here, gnomie, gnomie." Good advertising for Travelocity. The more blatant the product placement, the less it bothers me.

Next, the teams choose jumping in a bin and stomping kiwis (the fruit, not the people) with their feet and squeezing 12 quarts of juice out, or assembling blowcarts and taking the carts for three laps around a track. Everyone goes for the kiwi option, but that task turns out to be surprisingly hard on the feet.

One of two teams to actually complete the juicing task, the divorcees comment on the exfoliating power of the hairy fruit. Another racer comments, "This looked so much more fun when Lucy and Ethel did it."

Viewers will have to wait 'til next week to see if Starr really broke her arm when crashing her blowcart or if she is just a whiner.

A sheep farm called Summerhill is the next Pit Stop and Phil's Dad is on the mat to greet the finishing racers. He gives special hugs to console the blondes who come in last and are finally eliminated.

200 E 27 Street

Though the copy in the listing doesn't tip its hand, 200 E 27th Street is a great building to live in, well located at the corner of 27th and 3rd. The building boasts a fantastic roof top, the best place to see the July 4th fireworks with the twinkling New York skyline as backdrop.

The layout makes the most of the 725 square feet. When you need efficiency, the boxier the better. And closets. New Yorkers need closets and this apartment has plenty of them.

Friends of ours live on the first floor of this building. They have a huge patio with a privacy fence, outdoor lighting, a manly gas grill and a top-notch chef. Of course, that patio has nothing to do with this apartment, but at least you would know there is a couple in the building worth making friends with.

A couple of months ago, this apartment could easily have sold at its $545K asking price. But today with credit markets tighter than grandma's girdle, the sellers need to come down to $485K to make me come knocking at the door.

Alpacas: Cuter Than Snuggles

Who wouldn't want an alpaca? Who wouldn't want several alpacas?

Don't stash your money under the mattress, where its value will erode just as sure as your bedsprings will rust. Join the folks looking for alternative places to put their money. They are investing in hard assets like gold and . . . alpacas.

"Two decades after arriving from South America, alpacas have suddenly become the investment animal of choice by a subculture of doctors, lawyers and other unlikely farmers lured in large part by new tax breaks," according to a Marketwatch article from last year.

Besides being so darn cute, the great thing about raising alpacas is that Americans don't eat them.

The Amazing Race: Bolivia

The teams are breathless in La Paz, Bolivia, (elev. 13,000 feet) as they trudge up hilly streets. They all could use a little of the Marching Powder, if you know what I mean. Mark requires oxygen toward the end of the leg.

Though the racers are physically slowing down, the rivalries are heating up. One of the divorcees accuse Starr of throwing her sports bra over a ledge during the previous Pit Stop. Throwing her sports bra? Nick and Starr are incredulous.

Perhaps it's the accusation motivating Nick and Starr to try to persuade Ty and Aja to U-Turn the divorcees. Why do the dirty work yourselves? Aja quietly rats them out, adding flame to the feud. The feud will continue at least one more episode as the divorcees are spared elimination, thanks to Mark & Bill's half-hour penalty.

The geek team took a taxi to the Detour instead of going on foot as the clue mandated. Did the producers want everyone huffing and puffing as much as possible in the high altitude? As my early favorites, I'll miss Mark & Bill.

Saved by an Easy March

Marisa and Brooke turn in a decent performance, after coming in second-to-last in each of the first two legs. The "southern belles" start off badly, unable to find the clue printed in the morning newspaper classified. At the Detour, they wisely pick the Musical March option, in which they must find a team of band members in the park and lead them to the bandleader.

I am surprised that all but two teams pass on this easier option and pick the Bumpy Ride instead. In the Bumpy Ride, the teams wear feathered helmets and feathered gloves, riding rickety wooden "bikes," with squarish wheels over bumpy, trafficked roads. Several racers fall; no one is injured badly.

The Roadblock is the best one in a while. Called "Fighting Cholitas," one team member has to learn six wrestling moves and use them against a Bolivian woman in a full-length wide skirt. After a quick practice, the racer wrestles the woman in a boxing ring before a crowd of cheering men. The contestants wear strange superhero costumes. Ken, aka "Mr. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup" performs all the moves with ease. He and his prickly wife win the leg again.

Alpacas: The Andy Warhol of Animals

Which one is wearing the wig?

The Amazing Race: Brazil

Ten teams travel from Salvador, Brazil to Fortaleza, Brazil.

Tina and Terence are easily the least likable of the twenty players. They are also both insane. I feel sorry for their respective partners, Ken and Sarah.

Terence begins the leg by getting hit in the head with the car trunk door. He insists to Sarah that he's bleeding. He makes her blow on his forehead and put a band-aid on his boo-boo. He is cranky for most of the leg.

Terence experiences a minor transformation when the mother-son team point them to the taxi stand that he and Sarah missed. Sarah is vindicated: it is okay to talk to other teams.

Tina credits herself when the airline to switches the flight to a bigger plane, allowing room for all ten teams. Tina lets everyone know that they owe her. The other teams are incredulous and pissed off. But all teams get on the same flight.

After arriving in Fortaleza, the teams ride yellow dune buggies on the beach to the Detour: Beach it or Dock it. Everyone hoots and hollers and all have fun for once.

I am rooting for the geeks, Mark and Bill. They are good-natured; they get along, and seem to carry no emotional baggage. They are the only team who choose to Dock it. They end up in the lead, thanks to their attention to detail.

Read the Clue, Sherlock

The divorcees freak out, thinking they need to find some "container" after the Beach It task. But they were mixing in instructions from the Dock It option. They waste a lot of time, digging in the wet sand. When they figure out their mistake, they are still in the middle of the pack. Despite reciting their lesson: "read the clue," they don't read the next clue and don't have their taxi wait while they perform the detour.

Mark and Bill end up in a footrace with Ken and Tina for first place. Mark and Bill don't stand a chance and end up arriving second. But all four are happy and gracious, even Tina.

Though the divorcees make the most egregious mistakes, they come in 7th. It is Anthony and the marriage-hungry Stephanie who come in last and get eliminated. In post-elimination reflection, Anthony rattles off all the things he is thankful for. He lists his looks third, and finally, Stephanie, fourth. I don't hear wedding bells for them.

For Students Failing Math & Economics

I don't need a calculator to figure out this tiny box is not 950 square feet. Is the 2nd floor missing from the floor plan?

The apartment on West 111th Street claims 950 square feet and two bedrooms in the listing. The floor plan shows 565 square feet and one bedroom. (I did use a calculator, estimating the jug-handle hall to be 8.5 x 3.)

Possibly the wrong floor plan was put in by mistake. Or maybe the 950 is a misprint. Or maybe the sellers think the students in the area are fools.

With a hefty $649k asking price, the realtors are banking that the prospective buyers don't have a calculator or a newspaper.

I do love the built-in bookcases and the North and South windows. You'll need all those windows to toss out your stuff that doesn't fit into the non-existent closets.