6:12 AM. Happy tootling music swiped from Lion King outtakes brings us to Meredith and Gretchen, who have now officially lasted longer than they should have under any logical version of events, and are thus an unavoidably happy story, because it's all Gravy Time now, baby! Besides, I know that speaking for myself, I'm never more cheerful than right after a head injury. Gretchen talks about what a "miracle" it is that they're still around, and how "anything can happen in this game, that's for sure." Oh, and "it's good to be alive." I'm telling you, having no excuse for not having already been eliminated really takes a lot of the pressure off. They watch for markers, and are happy to finally see one.

6:22 AM. Giving proper love to the Game Show Network, Brian rips open their clue with a hearty "Big bucks, big bucks, no whammies." Hee. I'm not sure when I reached the point of being able to entirely forgive him for the fact that he has a stupid bandanna tied around his head at all times, but I'm kind of over it. It's shocking, given that it's sort of one of my signature gripes. Maybe some part of me knows that if I could see his hair, it would all be so much worse. Greg says that they really think all the teams are strong at this point, but they've got Meredith and Gretchen not far ahead of them, so they'd love to successfully knock off the old people today. As they drive, Brian comments on the "fresh tracks" in front of them. "I see the dirt hasn't been settled very long," he says seriously. "The old wise bushman from the other day taught me to read tracks." Snerk. They admire the sunrise and comment on all the sunrises they've seen together. "Yeah," Greg says. "We should be dating." Well, yes. Yes, you should. Oh, you meant each other? Huh. I was thinking of...something else.

Ron and Kelly reach the sign that says that Maun is to the left and Nata is to the right. Kelly tells him to go left, toward Maun. He forgets why that is, and she tightly says, "I read it to you earlier." ("Kelly is patient." -- 1 Kellyrinthians 13:4.) He hesitates about following the route markers, and then before you know it, they're driving along, and she's asking him whether she's "gotten on [his] nerves a lot." Oh, that's really smart, not. "Naw, not at all," he says unconvincingly. And then he looks around with this awesome little smile like, "I can't see her back there -- is she buying?" ["I would comment on this, but I'm too busy making a homemade 'Free Ron' t-shirt with a Sharpie." -- Sars]