Friday, August 27, 2010

The Tribe Has Spoken!

So get this...yesterday I saw an email advertising an event at The Club (each base has an enlisted and an officer's club, or a combined "collocated" club). It was a meet and great with some of the Survivor All-Stars!

Em and I are moderate to big Survivor fans; in fact I had just been looking into the application process to get on the show but gave up.  The event was for tonight from 5-7 and they were going to choose random people to compete in a "Survivor Challenge".  I wanted to attend and told Em to get a babysitter.

Then at lunch Em ran into some of the "Stars" signing autographs at the BX (Base Exchange or the equivilant of Mervyns meets Walmart) and called me very excited saying she put her arm around James and got to chat with Russell and  Sandra.  (Winner of last season.)

But then she couldn't find a babysitter. That combined with me being very tired, (all four boys woke up and came into our room at various times last night) led me to not feel up to going by myself (no kids allowed at event). BUT, my fabulous and selfless wife encouraged me to go without her saying it was a "once in a lifetime experience."  This is true.  Thank you, Hon!

So I popped over to have some light hors d'oeuvres hoping to meet some of them.  I did just that and got to talk to Ami Cusack ( Survivor: Vanuatu and Survivor: Micronesia).      
She was quite nice, personable, fun to talk with, pretty and I got to get some behind the scenes questions about Survivor answered.

As I ate my snacks, they did the drawing for the competition and I got chosen.

This is how it worked:  They picked two teams: an enlisted team and an officer team. Each team competed in a challenge with the last person to finish being eliminated and not moving on to the next round until one person from each team is left to compete in the final challenge.

First Challenge: Drinking giant pixie sticks the fastest.

Second: Using the pixie stick as a straw to pick up ping pong balls and carry them across the ballroom floor and drop them into a bag.  Repeat.

Next challenge: Race around a bunch of tires with some weird plastic cups under your feet with strings connected that you hold to help move your feet.

Next: While paired up with a Survivor All-Star race around the same tires while stepping into them with your foot at the same time as your partner.  My partner was Russell Swan (a very nice guy, Em says!) (Survivor: Samoa)




Next: A nasty one!!! A couple of scoops of squid guts had to be eaten. (My strategy quickly changed from trying to eat it all at once, (cue immediate gag reflex) to eating smaller bites on the count of three, (this worked once) to holding it in my mouth until the other guy gave up and threw up: making me one of two finalists!!! (I can still taste it and smell it.)


For the final challenge I had to peddle a large tricycle with Ami on the back. I was blind-folded and Ami was my guide. She led me around the tires where our handle bars got bent-losing precious time- but we corrected them and sped on.

Ami then directed me through a maze where I kept going left and then left until I spilled out of the maze passing the other guy.

Back onto the trike, Ami expertly led me around the ballroom to the final obstacles. I tore through the combat crawl sustaining multiple rug burns and losing my flip flops but ultimately emerged the winner!!!

And guess what?

 I am going (with Em) to 
CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA!!!!!

And to think that I almost laid down at home and went to sleep.  Em had no idea that any of this was happening and when I walked in with giant check/coupon for the trip she was completely dumb founded and still doesn't believe I really did win.


What an awesome night!


THANK YOU FOR COMING SURVIVORS!
THANK YOU AMI!  
THANK YOU AIR FORCE!

And most of all...
THANKS FOR THE TRIP!!!!!!!!!!

13 comments:

Pinspot said...

SWEET! That is so incredibly awesome, and I am so incredibly jealous! Is it just you, or can you take Em?

Melissa Abby said...

Are you kidding me? I am so jealous, I love survivor and I can't believe you get to go to Australia! That looked like fun whether you won or not though. Maybe they will cast you since you won, that would be awesome!!

Linz said...

That is SO AWESOME!!! Congratulations!

Carrie said...

I read your wife's blog and just clicked over from your post. I've never been anywhere cool, but I have been to Cairns! Just wanted to tell you that we loved going to the night zoo, the wildlife refuge, the rainforest, and we went scuba diving in the great barrier reef (AWESOME, but if you can go in their summer months- nov, dec, jan visibility might be better). Have fun and I hope you can take Emily!

mama bear said...

Oh my goodness, this is so not fair! We are waaay bigger fans than you guys! That is so awesome! My only experience with a Survivor was Eric the ice cream scooper in Hell, Michigan. He was pretty cool though. But to be able to meet the grave-digger... words cannot express!

Anonymous said...

Way to go Doug. I'm sure if you got on the next Survivor, you'd win, unless everyone reconized early on how good you were and voted you off as their biggest treat. How great that you get to go Auziland free, when you were planning to go at your own expense.
DSC

Anonymous said...

Way to go, Snoop!!! I'm over being jealous today -- if anybody deserves a trip to Australia it is you and Em (mostly Em). BTW, I offered Emily my protection if you start getting hostile about the pumpkin plant. 'Neen

Anonymous said...

SO COOL!!!!! I still can't beleive you ate squid guts..I almost lost my dinner after reading that.......so you earned it for sure! This better not mean you are bailing on OKinawa! Em deserves two tropical getaways!

The Jonas Family said...

Wow! Amazing!
So, when are you going to Australia?

Bob's Blog said...

That's what I call a G'day Mate!!

Retep Graybeard said...

Personally, not surprised. You are still the man!

LaLa said...

Congrats Doug!! Won't be as exciting as your trip to California but still cool I guess.

marissa said...

AMAZING!! I knew you could do it!