Survivor Gabon- October 30/08

Its Day 19. Kelly has gone home to clean underwear and a pedicure. The Fangalites are scraping crusty rice off the sides of their cooking pot and Matty tells us that he is feeling hopeless. And just when you think things can't get any worse, Crystal spills some of their precious rice in the dirt. Matty and Ace can't hide their looks of disdain and Crystal poutily refuses to eat. At Kamp Kota, Charlie, Marcus and Corrine are still tight but their friendship is making Dan feel insecure. Corrine tells us that Dan is socially inept while Marcus believes Dan is paranoid. I don't know. Is it paranoia when everyone really is out to get you?

Dimples, in a palest-of-blue shirt announces the reward challenge. This is a game of keepaway* where three members of one tribe must keep a breakable ball away from one member of the opposing tribe. If the ball falls and breaks it is a point for the opposing tribe. Kota wins the challenge in three straight points. After selecting Sugar to head off to Exile Island for the fifth consecutive time, the Kotarians climb aboard a helicopter. They fly over some spectacular African scenary and land beside a huge crater where they have a picnic of bread, meat, cheese and veggies. The icing on the cake comes when the helicopter pilot walks over with a package. Inside the package are letters from home. Bob is beside himself with his letters and there are a lot of smiles and tears among other tribe members as well.

At Fang Matty is angry, frustrated and humilated at their latest loss. He puts the blame squarely on Sugar's shapely shoulders (try saying that quickly five times). Matty tries to convince Ace to take out Sugar but Ace wants to keep Sugar and her immunity idol. Instead, Ace thinks Crystal should be the one to go. But Crystal and Ken are doing some plotting of their own off in another corner of the forest. On Exile Island, Sugar, the only well-fed Fang member is eating fruit and pondering her future.

When the tribes come together for the immunity challenge, Dimples (in Robin's egg blue) tells them that both tribes will be going to Tribal Council to vote someone off. The challenge is for individual immunity, with a twist to be announced at the end of the competition. The challenge is a log rolling competition of which Marcus is the ultimate winner. As the winner he learns that he can assign immunity to someone from the other tribe. Once again Sugar is the lucky one.

So the plotting heats up in both camps. Ken wants Sugar to join him and Crystal in voting off Ace. He tells Sugar that Ace is a snake, something that Sugar already knows. As if to prove the point, Ace comes to Sugar and asks for the idol "just in case". Sugar is smart enough not to give it to him though, and when the votes are counted Ace is the one doing the Walk of Shame. On the walk with Ace is Jack from our pool.

Now its Kota's turn at Tribal Council. Randy has replaced Bob in the alliance of Corinne, Marcus and Charlie. The group waffles about who should go - Susie (because she sways with the wind) or Dan (because he is paranoid and annoying). The group is leaning toward Susie, especially when she tells Corinne that she had been planning on voting for her and phew wasn't it a good thing that she didn't. An angry Corinne wants Susie gone, but there is a slim chance that Dan has the immunity idol since he was the first to visit Exile Island. A vote for Dan will either flush out the idol or get rid of Dan. And so the votes are cast and Dan is the next to leave, along with Rick from our pool.

Also sad this evening are Mitzie who voted for Ace to win and Roberta who voted for Dan to win.

There are now 10 wannabe millionaires left. Who will be the next to go? Judging by the previews of next weeks show it just might be me and my boy Randy. Until then,

Outwit, Outplay, Outlast
Pat (aka Randy Aint I Smooth Bailey)

*In Wadena where I grew up this game was called Pig in the Middle. In more sophisticated civilizations like Foam Lake and Kelvingon it was called Monkey in the Middle.