MasterChef 2012 Roars Ahead. Can Becky Pull It Off? Guest Michelle Update on Dog and Loving Husband

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Dog Helps Pull Owner's Car Out of Ditch



In between Hell's Kitchen and Gordon Ramsay's new hotel renovation show, MasterChef fires back up and we now have Joshua back, a very odd thing. I don't get a competitive reality show that brings back contenders already ejected. There was no reason for bringing back Joshua although he's a perfectly nice young man and I have no issues with him as a contender. But he was eliminated by the judges and next thing you know, he's back.

Odd.

David was sent home for his inability to properly prepare a steak.

As of this writing there are four contenders on MasterChef: Christine, who is blind, Frank, Becky and Joshua. Cute Monti got eliminated for failing to prepare a dish served to President Obama.

Now it's no secret that I don't much like Obama but he and Michelle do man age to get their mug on so many pop shows, don't they?

Monti was hanging on by a thread at any rate. She was a cutie with her 50's hairstyle and goodness she's a single mother and we hear about this over and over.

I don't understand why being a single mother is some kind of big honor. Especially, and here's the rub, is the woman is DIVORCED. That's not a single mother and yet so many divorced women with custody of the kids call themselves single mothers for, sadly, the glory of it.

Let's take a look at MasterChef's Final Four and make some predictions, why don't we?

Frank Mirando, stockbroker from NY
Josh Marks-Mississippi-army contract specialist
Christine Ha-Texas, student, blind
Becky Reams, photographer, Kansas

Throughout this contest Frank has kept a low profile although I don't think that's intentional.

Monti (with a supposed last name of...guess? CARLO!) took up a lot of the attention air with her single motherhood schtick. Christine is blind and right there you gotta scratch head. Becky has been a fairly consistent winner.

Frank has not been a contender of great note during this 2012 MasterChef run. Contender David predicted that Frank would win right before his elimination. Besides a top three for a good risotto and a stint as a losing team captain, Frank hasn't performed all that exceptionally well. He hasn't prepared any very bad dishes and that's more his claim to glory as much as anything.

Becky won several challenges, both the short ones and the elimination challenges. Recently the judges have been griping that Becky seems to have lost her magical culinary touch and, indeed, Becky's fallen in the bottom tier of late.

Josh, well never mind. He was kicked off, then brought back for no discernible reason. He doesn't strike me as MasterChef material but he's personable enough. Just not the best cook I assert.

Christine, I dunno, she's blind for God's sake! So okay, I admire a blind person who can cook and make no mistake, Christine's talented. She has been allowed the use of an assistant during this series. This assistant can serve as Christine's eyes during the challenges but is not allowed to do any cooking duties.

Sure I'd be delighted if Christine won MasterChef but I do not know just how believable such a thing could be. A blind person cutting and chopping food? Don't see a future as a TV Chef. Could she be a restaurant chef? Anybody that would hire her would maybe have to hire her an assistant just to see for her.

No. I see Christine as more of a gimmick than anything. But she can cook and is to be admired for her heightened smell and taste that help her prepare good food.

I think Becky's going to win this because she's so perfect for the part.

MasterChef's seem to be youngish females with pleasant personalities and not hard on the eyes.

Christine might pull in second place, that'd be a good ending.

At any rate, we're watching this show so visit this Blog for updates, opinions, maybe some snark, if you're good.

Below all posts on this Blog on this subject.

Gordon Ramsay's MasterChef Begins on Fox for 2012 Just In Time to Compete With the Next Food Network Star

MasterChef 2012-Bull Testicles? Really?

MasterChief 2012-She's Baaaaaaaack! Paula Deen, She's Always There! Another Contender Returns...Then Leaves...Updates and Predictions

MasterChef airs on Fox on Monday nights at 9pm

Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.

Drivel: Little Things

Guia update: She is doing well in her new females-only house. I talked to Lisa about a week after the adoption and found out Guia settled in well. They'd only heard her bark a few times and her personality was starting to show. Lisa sounded quite happy with her. It's been about a week since that call and I've heard nothing. I take that as a good sign.

 Hunter update: I'm not sure our dumb-as-a-doorpost dog even knows Guia is gone. Or that she was ever here. He's still pretty quiet, and wants to be next to Harry or I all the time. He did that even when Guia was here, though. He has more room to roam when I'm at work, as I lock him behind the hallway half-door instead of in the computer room. The cats can now come visit him if they want. I can't tell whether he even cares. At least he didn't show any signs of depression, or panic at being left alone.

On to the Drivel!

I realized awhile ago that not only does my husband say "I love you," he also does a lot of little things that show it.

Standing in line just about anywhere, he will snake his arm around me and give me a squeeze. No problem with public affection!

He includes me in what's going on with his work and we talk about those things he's passionate about, like motorcycles. He calls me when he's on his way home, so I know whether we're eating dinner together (and when to worry if he doesn't show up).

There's a lot to love about this guy, but I think one of the major things I enjoy is his lightning-fast wit. Often his humor is, um, risque but sometimes he comes up with "clean" ones. For instance, we went out to breakfast. I ordered corned beef hash and eggs, over medium. When the plate arrived, my eggs had runny whites, which I cannot stand. Slimy! Harry doesn't care, so we switched eggs.

The wit part came with the plates. The waitress put down our plates and turned to go. Harry looked the plates over, leaned toward me and whispered, "Over medium or over mediocre?" as he reached for mine to switch eggs.

 I don't know where he gets the comments but they arrive in less than a heartbeat.

There's a quirky little smile he gets when he's thought of one. Watch for that the next time you're hanging around him and ask him to share. Sometimes they're amazing and sometimes they're magical but they're almost always funny.

When we're lucky enough to both be home on a weekend morning with nothing pressing to do, he cooks breakfast for me. No over mediocre eggs then!

He watches the type of movie I don't like when I'm not around to be bored or he doesn't mind if I play a video game or stitch while he watches. Quality time in the same room, doing different things. It sounds bizarre but it works.

When he's out, he calls me every evening, even if he has to stand out in a pasture to get cell phone reception. Once I heard a pair of owls attacking him - apparently the only good signal was near their nest. Whether we're together or apart, I always know he loves me.

You know what? Those little things aren't so "little" after all.

Michelle

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