Sunday, 4/30/2023

2023 Mileage: 2079.4

This afternoon during my ride, I watched the second half of the movie Spotlight, which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2016. It is a very solid and moving film. 

This gave me 14.3 virtual miles 56 minutes

Trailer for Spotlight

Saturday, 4/29/2023

2023 Mileage: 2065.1

This afternoon during my ride, I watched the first half of the movie Spotlight, which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2016.

This gave me 16.6 virtual miles in 1:07.

Trailer for Spotlight

Friday, 4/28/2023

2023 Mileage: 2048.5

During my ride today I had hoped to watch the movie Parasite, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020. But it is a Korean movie (the only non-English winner of the Best Picture award), and I found the English subtitles not leigible (due mostly to the coloration of the titles against the background colors), so I switched, and instead watched my favorite movie, On Golden Pond.

This gave me 24.5 virtual miles in 2:05.

Trailer for On Golden Pond

Thursday, 4/27/2023

2023 Mileage: 2024.0

Recently I read an article about the 50th anniversary of the release of a key, groundbreaking science fiction movie—Soylent Green, which was released on May 9, 1973. As I am a big-time science fiction fan, but had never seen it, I watched Soylent Green during my ride today.

I'm glad I saw it, although it was certainly not a 'feel-good' movie. Set in the then unimaginably distant year of 2022, it takes place in a dystopian world beset by severe overpopulation, pollution, and shortages of food, water, and housing. And at the end of the movie, a horrifying secret is revealed about the titular substance, Soylent Green—that it is made from the corpses of people.

This gave me 22.5 virtual miles in 1:35.

Trailer for Soylent Green

Wednesday, 4;26;2023

2023 Mileage: 2001.5

As I said yesterday. a pair of factors is keeping me from riding outside regularly yet.

First, for the last several weeks I have been experiencing considerable pain and weakness in my lower spine. With it being difficult even to walk, I am concerned about trying to ride outside, and maybe facing mechanical difficulties that prove beyond my ability to solve. At least if I ride inside, on our stationary cycle, I can hobble over there, lower myself onto it carefully, and pedal away in relative safety.

The second factor is the crazy weather we are experiencing. Most of the time now, it feels more like November than late April. Right now, at 1:50, it's warmed up to 50°, so I could certainly have managed an outside ride. But I was eager to finish up the movie The Blues Brothers, of which I watched the first half yesterday.

During my ride today I watched the second half of this classic comedy—Blues Brothers, from 1980.

This gave me 14.5 virtual miles in 1:00.

Trailer for Blues Brothers

Tuesday, 04/2023

2023 Mileage: 1987.0

I had hoped to be riding outside regularly by now. However, two factors are conspiring against me.

First, for the last several weeks I have been experiencing considerable pain and weakness in my lower spine. With it being difficult even to walk, I am concerned about trying to ride outside, and maybe facing mechanical difficulties that prove beyond my ability to solve. At least if I ride inside, on our stationary cycle, I can hobble over there, lower myself onto it carefully, and pedal away in relative safety.

The second factor is the crazy weather we are experiencing. it currently feels more like November than late April. Right now, at 3:30, it's 39° and we are under a freeze warning, as well as the light rain we've been experiencing most of the day.

During my ride today I watched the first half of a classic comedy—Blues Brothers, from 1980.

This gave me 18.3 virtual miles in 1:15.

Trailer for Blues Brothers

Monday, 4/24/2023

2023 Mileage: 1968.7

During my ride today, I watched the first 45 minutes of The Trouble with Angels, a 1966 comedy that my daughter recommended to me. I've become so accustomed to her being a reliable guide to authors, music, and movies I would like that this surprised me, but the movie left me thoroughly unimpressed. I gave it as long as I did only because I was hoping it would do something to redeem itself, but, alas, this was not to be.

This gave me 10.6 virtual miles in 0:45.

Trailer for The Trouble with Angels

Friday, 4/21/2023

2023 Mileage: 1958.1

During my ride today, I watched Nomadland, the 2021  winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture.

This gave me 23.8 virtual miles in 1:44.

Trailer for Nomadland

Thursday, 4/20/2023

2023 Mileage: 1934.3

During today's ride, I had wanted to watch CODA, the 2022 Best Picture winner, whose tittle is an acronym for Children of Deaf Adults. But I was unable to find it, and so watched instead a splendid 2020 movie with the same title, starring Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation) as a brilliant concert pianist who has, however, developed debilitating stage fright in his old age.

This gave me 22.0 virtual miles in 1:34.

Trailer for Coda

Wednesday, 4/19/2023

2023 Mileage: 1912.3

With a current temperature of 51° at 1:15, I could certainly have done an outside ride this afternoon. But my Detroit Tigers are playing Cleveland right now, and as they are riding a five-game winning streak, I was loathe to miss any of the game, so I rode on our stationary cycle this morning, while watching the second half of the 1968 movie Oliver, which I had begun yesterday.

This gave me 18.3 virtual miles in 1:15.

Trailer for Oliver 

Tuesday, 4/18/2023

2023 Mileage: 1894.0

During my ride today, I watched the first half of the 1968 musical Oliver.  This interested me because, years ago when Michelle's school produced the show, she directed the music. I remembered, of course, quite a bit of the music (such as the songs Food, Glorious Food, Where Is Love, Consider Yourself, and I'd Do Anything), but very little of the story or plot.

Anyway, this ride gave me 17.4 virtual miles in 1:14.

Trailer for Oliver

Monday, 4/17/2023

2023 Mileage: 1876.6

Recent days have been very light on riding. Friday was my brother's birthday, and Michelle and I went to a big concert in Detroit with him and his wife that night. To prepare for it, I took a nap that afternoon. On Saturday, I again napped, as my friend Tom Brown and I went to an evening minor league baseball game of the Lansing Lugnuts. And yesterday my cousin Richard and I played in church in the morning; the remainder of the day I took it easy.

Today it was good to get back to it, but the temporary return of wintry weather (cold, with a daylong mix of precipitation) made me choose to ride inside. (It got over 80° last week, and today couldn't even reach 40°.)   During the ride, I watched the 1978 musical Grease, which was hugely popular and a big part of pop culture. I had seen it once before, many years ago, with Michelle, but I could remember almost none of it, except some of the music, and a few names of characters.

Trailer for Grease

5th outdoor ride of 2023m - Thursday, 4/13/2023b

2023 Mileage: 1850.7

I took yesterday off, being absolutely exhausted, and spent the time composing instead. I had hoped, at one point, to do a longer ride (the 20-mile round trip to the far west side of Saline.) Last night I was grumbling shout my subpar performance, and Michelle reminded me that I am just emerging from a winter of relative lethargy, and I need to rebuild my stamina. In light of that she encouraged me to cut myself a little slack.

Today, our spectacular weather persists! When I began, a bit past 9:00 it was under an unbroken blue sky, and a 60° temperature that climbed to 76° during the ride. Consequently, I rode the Packard/Platt Square (13.5 miles) in 1:48. 

Relive video of today's ride

4th outdoor ride of 2023 - Tuesday, 4/11/2023

2023 Mileage: 1837.2

This morning, my cycling mentor and friend, Doug Tidd, came over to help me with a mechanical issue. My right brake handle had rotate so that it was not easily reachable, and he repositioned it for me so that I can once more ride safely.

Our stretch of unbelievably great weather continues -- today I rode in a Hawaiian shirt, beginning at noon when it was 70°, and finishing at 73°.

I rode the Platt/Packard Square (13.7 miles) in 1:55.     

Relive video of today's ride

3rd outdoor ride of 2023 - Monday, 4/10/2023

2023 Mileage: 1823.5

After taking Saturday off for no very good reason (I was just tired), and then yesterday because it was Easter, and we traveled to visit family, today I got back on it, riding the Platt/Ellsworth Rectangle in gorgeous 76° sunshine. Dare I hope that winter is over? (Probably not yet for good, I know.) My phone battery died in the last few minutes, so the final portion of the route on my ride video is inaccurate, but I know the distance from riding it in the past.

This was only my third outdoor ride of the year so far.

I rode the Platt/Ellsworth Rectangle (11.9 miles) in 1:35.

Relive video of today's ride

Friday, 4/7/2023 (Good Friday) - 2nd outdoor ride of 2023

2023 Mileage: 1811.6

Although I remain concerned about riding outdoors with my continuing low back issues, the novel spring sunshine and warmth today (43° when I began at 12:35, up to 48° at the end) proved irresistible. And, thankfully, riding on this Good Friday, I experienced no issues.

This was only my second outdoor ride of the year so far, the other occurring on February 14.

I rode the Packard/Platt Square (13.5 miles) in 1:49.

Relive video of today's ride.

Thursday, 5/6/2023

2023 Mileage: 1798.1

The Detriut Tigers' home opener (against the Boston Red Sox) is this afternoon. My friend Tom Brown is picking me up for it at 10:40 this morning.  Here is a picture of us at last year's (chilly) home opener, on April 8, when Detroit beat the Chicago White Sox. 

Because of this, I knew I'd need to ride early today, so I began a little past 6:30 and rode while watching a Hallmark movie, The Valley of Light. Michelle and I enjoy watching Hallmark movies in the evening, so I knew I'd enjoy this.

This gave me a ride of 22.2 virtual miles in 1:36.

Trailer for The Valley of Light

  

Wednesday, 4/5/2023

2023 Mileage: 1775.9

During this afternoon's ride, I watched the 2018 movie Second Act, starring Jennifer Lopez.

At 2:15 it is currently 67°, which would suggest a ride outdoors. However, it is windy and rain is imminent. More concerning though, is the fact that my lower back pain continues, rendering me quite unsure of my ability to get down and change a tire if I had to.

This gave me a ride of 23.2 virtual miles in 1:37.

Trailer for Second Act

  

Tuesday, 4/4/2023

2023 Mileage: 1752.7

During this afternoon's ride, I watched the 1989 movie Dad, starring Jack Lemmon and Ted Danson, and found it to be extremely moving and well done.

This gave me a ride of 27.7 virtual miles in 1:55.

Trailer for Dad

  

Monday, 4/3/2023

2023 Mileage: 1725.0

After taking the whole weekend off, it felt good to get back to riding today. The temperature was mild enough that I felt as if I should have ridden outside, but the continuing lower back pain I am experiencing concerns me ... if I had to get down and change a tire during an outdoor ride, I'm afraid I'd be unable to do so. But when I finished the ride, clouds had moved in and a light rain was falling, so then I felt less guilty about staying inside.

I had never seen the classic 1973 movie The Way We Were, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, so I watched that during my ride this afternoon.

This gave me a ride of 26.9 virtual miles in 1:58.

Trailer for The Way We Were