ready, set, go!

Here we are, it's season 12 of The Amazing Race, I couldn't wait to watch and I am as always, smitten. First, we meet the teams:

Shana & Jennifer: Two blondies from LA, and they think they're hot, but they're not. They think they're going to flirt their way to the finish line, but have they not watched the first 11 seasons of this show? It's so not how the race is won. They are doomed and I already dislike them.

Kynt & Vyxsin: Those are not typos in the names! It's a goth dating couple from KENTUCKY and I'm fascinated to see how long they manage to keep up their goth makeup on a daily basis on this race - their makeup must take up a crapload of space in their backpacks!

TK & Rachel: Hipster couple from Cali who think they are madly in love but have only known each other for a year. I know, who am I to be judgmental?

Jennifer & Nathan: Jock couple from Cali who are already fighting and screaming at each other a lot, and it's only the first leg of the race. They're in trouble and no Jennifer, now is NOT the time to wonder if you want to spend the rest of your life with this boy. Especially not when you have a donkey that won't budge.

Jason & Lorena: ANOTHER couple from Cali. Lorena is super whiny and a total crybaby and and Jason doesn't seem to really give a crap about anything, including the race. Combined, they are incredibly annoying.

Nicolas & Ronaldo: A boy and his grandfather. You can sense the anxiety in Nicolas as he tries to hurry along his 68-year-old grandfather along at every pass. This is not going to go well because you can tell the grandfather is going to get stuck doing physical tasks that he can't actually do and we're all going to cringe.

Azaria & Hendekea: Brother and sister token black team. Don't have much of an opinion about them just yet, but they seem pretty harmless and fun. Oh, and they're not annoying, which is a plus.

Ronald & Christina: Token Asian team comprised of father and daughter. Of course I am rooting for them! Ronaldo serenades his daughter as they bike ride, and it is adorable. Almost as adorable when he yells "Who's your daddy?" at the pit stop.

Ari & Staella: Best friends from Cali. I already don't like them because they shamelessly stole one of the other teams' taxis. I know it's a game and all, but STILL. At least have a little guilt about it!

Marianna & Julia: Sisters from Florida. They are pretty irritating, but this early in the race, I can't actually put my finger on why. Stay tuned.

Kate & Pat: Married Ministers from California who think they are holier than thou, and I suppose as ministers they can think that. But it doesn't give them a right to be obnoxious!

First stop: Ireland! The race starts in LA, but no sooner than we meet the teams are we off to LAX to hop on a flight to Ireland. Aside from being rainy when they get there, it's beautiful! There's bright green grass everywhere, cute little farm houses and locals with adorable Irish accents. In Ireland, they ride bikes and lead donkeys to a farm (I love the tasks involving animals the best!). The donkey task is great because some of the donkeys refuse to even move in typical stubborn donkey format while others run so fast that the teams leading them can't keep up. heehee. At the pit stop, Hendekea & Azaria come in first place and win a trip to... Canada? The other teams trickle in as fast as their donkeys will allow them, and in the end, Ari & Staella are the last to arrive at the pitstop due to a very uncooperative donkey. And remember how they stole another team's taxi earlier in the leg? That's what we call karma, bitches.