Sunday, 3/31/2024 - EASTER SUNDAY

2024 MILEAGE - 1492.2

My viewing for this afternoon's ride was an exceptionally good example of inappropriate timing. On Easter Sunday afternoon, as I rode I watched The Passion of the Christ. And, further compounding the difficulty, I managed somehow to get hold of a cut of the movie that followed what I read was director Mel Gibson's original intent—a movie fully in the original languages, and without subtitles. As my Latin and Hebrew are very weak (nearly nonexistent) and my Aramaic is wholly nonexistent, I was left largely lost, unable to follow the film's subtleties, despite my strong familiarity with the Gospel accounts. So I finally gave up halfway through the two-hour movie.

This gave me a ride of 13.4 virtual miles in 1:00.

Trailer for The Passion of the Christ

Saturday, 3/30/24

2024 MILEAGE - 1478.8 

This afternoon, I rode on our stationary cycle, due to the return of cold rain here to Ann Arbor, and while riding I watched the first 90 minutes of the excellent science fiction movie Interstellar.

This gave me a ride of 18.3 virtual miles in 1:30.

Trailer for Interstellar

Friday, 3/29/2024 - 6th outdoor ride of 2024 (GOOD FRIDAY)

2024 MILEAGE - 1460.5

After a very weak last few days because of travel and unsuitable weather, I was very glad to be able to get back into the routine, with a ride of the Platt/Packard Square (my most frequent ride in recent years), which I had not ridden since November 16.

This gave me a ride of 13.6 miles in 1:51.

Relive video of today's ride

Tuesday, 3/26/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1446.9

Cold and extremely windy weather here in Alabama has prevented me riding outside since Sunday, our first day here, when I rented a recumbent trike and did an outdoor ride. So I was glad to be able to ride on a stationary cycle in the workout room here this morning, even though it wasn't a very long workout.

 

This gave me a ride of 13.0 virtual miles in 1:48.

Sunday, 3/24/2024 - 5th outdoor ride of 2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1433.9

Michelle and I have come to the Gulf Coast area of Alabama (Gulf Springs) for a few days during her spring break, along with my daughter Christy and grandson Danny, as we did during spring break 2022. At that time I was thrilled to find an establishment, Beach Bike Rentals, where I could rent a recumbent TerraTrike similar to mine at home, and enjoy several days of nice outdoor riding on the fine Hugh S. Brandon Backcountry Trail system here.

After we drove down yesterday, I went for an inaugural ride this morning, which had (of course) its quota of adventure. First, I had planned to walk to the rental place ... but I'm extremely glad that Michelle prevailed upon me to let her drive me, as it was farther than I had expected, and in the  opposite direction! Once we got there and got the trike, she took this picture of me all ready just before I started my ride.

Michelle had asked me to please avoid riding fast, and I consented to this. However, I could have ridden fast anyway .... the trike was somewhat unwieldy, and me to need to stop and consult the map frequently, my pace was quite plodding, I rode around Lake Shelby, in the western part of the trail system, and took a selfie at one point, as well as seeing an exciting ng sign!a

 

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This gave me a ride of 10.1 miles in 1:48.

Relive video of today's ride

Friday, 3/22/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1423.8

We're going to be gone for the next few days. We're leaving this evening on a road trip with Christy and Danny (driving in her van) to stay for a few days in an Air BnB in Orange Beach, Alabama (right on the Gulf Coast). We went to this same area in 2022 (again, over spring break), and I'm hopeful that once more this time I'll be able to enjoy a few days of outdoor riding on a nice backcountry trail system there. But I'm not totally positive yet, as I haven't been able to contact Beach Bike Rentals about the availability of their recumbent trike.

I wanted to get in a good ride this morning  before we left. At one point yesterday I had considered trying to ride outside today, but this morning's weather was not encouraging—we're been getting light snow showers for most of the morning, and right now (at 11:00) it's 28°—so I turned to our indoor stationary cycle and watched The Sound of Music during the ride. I wimped out a bit, and chose only to watch it up to Intermission, but told myself this was still a good and substantial ride.race

This gave me a ride of 21.8 virtual miles in 1:57.

Trailer for The Sound of Music

Thursday, 3/21/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1402.1

During today's ride, I watched an opening round matchup of the NCAA basketball tournament (also known as the "Big Dance," or "March Madness"). It was a contest between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Michigan State Spartans, leading one jokester in the broadcasting crew to say, early on, "I'm pretty sure MSU is going to win today!"

Michigan State was up comfortably by the half, and continued to pull away, eventually winning 69-51. Thus, even though my favored Michigan Wolverines had a horrendous year and didn't even make the tournament, the fact that my doctoral school alma mater did still enables me to have a horse in the race

This gave me a ride of 17.6 virtual miles in 1:28.

Wednesday, 3/20/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1384.6

This morning I rode while watching Tiger Town, the very first (1983) original movie of The Disney Channel. One particularly poignant moment occurs early in the film when the boy, Alex, asks his dad, "What did the park (Tiger Stadium) look like when you were a boy?" After answering, the dad says, "Oh, this place'll be here forever!"

But, of course, that was not so. Despite it being the site of my greatest childhood memories, and the memories of countless other people, the last game was played there on October 2, 1999, and then the stadium was finally demolished in 2008-09.

This gave me a ride of 18.5 virtual miles in 1:35.

Trailer for Tiger Town

Tuesday, 3/19/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1366.1

To say that today's ride was disappointing would be a vast understatement. Somewhere, a few weeks ago, I had read a recommendation of the 2023 movie Leave the World Behind, and added it to my list of movies to watch. However, when I searched for that title on Amazon Prime, what I ended up getting was a 2014 documentary about a Swedish popular band called Swedish House Mafia, and their eventual dissolution.

Amazingly, I didn't realize what the problem was, and kept waiting for it to redeem itself and begin to make some sort of sense .... but eventually, a little over a half hour into it, I gave up.

This gave me a ride of 6.6 virtual miles in 33 minutes.

Trailer for Leave the World Behind

Monday, 3/17/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1359.5

I've been inexcusable usably weak in recent day. Yesterday was my 67th birthday, and I also played a piano solo at church in the morning. I spent extra time practicing leading up to it, so I took each of the last three days off from riding, Then today, I watchedd the final episode from Season 3 of The Chosen again (which I had watched last thursday)—titled "Sustenance," it presents two major miracles: Jesus's miraculous feeding of the 5000 gy mul5iplyint q small dontrigu5ion or loaves and fish, and then also His walking on water.

This gave me a ride of 15.6 virtual miles in 1:16.

The Making of Season 3, The Chosen

Thursday, 3/14/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1343.9

After taking yesterday off because an an extremely heavy cold and cough, I was glad to be able to get back to it today. However, the exceptionally nice weather we were enjoying has now left us—it's cool and rainy today—so I rode on our stationary cycle, while watching the final two episodes of Season 3 from The Chosen (Episode 7, "Ears to Hear" and Episode 8, "Sustenance"). Season 4 is supposed to be available for streaming literally any day, but I just checked and it is not available quite yet.

This gave me a ride of 29.5 virtual miles in 2:20

The Making of Season 3, The Chosen

Wednesday, 3/13/2024

 2024 MILEAGE - 1314.4

I hate, hate, HATE to waste today as a riding day. The weather is glorious ... now at 11:40. it's brightly sunny and 63°, However, I am both exhausted and ill, with a puzzling, heavy, croupy cough ... so I am going to force myself to take it easy and go crawl in for a nap instead.

Tuesday, 3/12/24

 2024 MILEAGE - 1314.4

Today  again I rode while watching two episodes of The Chosen—Episodes 5 and 6 from Season 3 ("Clean, Part II"

 and "Intensity in Tent City").

I also reached a milestone of sorts, exceeding 1300 total hmiles for the year.

This gave me a ride of 22.7 virtual miles in 1:52.

Trailer for The Chosen, Season 3

Monday, 3/11/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1291.7

Today I rode while watching two episodes of The Chosen—Episodes 3 and 4 from Season 3 ("Physician, Heal Yourself

 and "Clean, Part I").

I also reached a milestone of sorts, exceeding 100 total hours of elapsed riding time for the year.

This gave me a ride of 22.8 virtual miles in 1:49.

Trailer for The Chosen, Season 3

Sunday, 3/10/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1268.9

This afternoon I did a brief ride, while watching a single episode of The Chosen—Season 3, Episode 2 ("Two By Two").

This gave me a ride of 15.2 virtual miles in 1:49.

Trailer for The Chosen, Season 3

Saturday. 3/9/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1253.7

After taking the day off yesterday for no particular reason, I was glad to get back to it today, riding while watching two episodes of The Chosen (Episode 8 of Season 2, "Beyond Mountains," and Episode 1 of Season 3, "Homecoming").

This gave me a ride of 21.8 virtual miles in 1:42.

Trailer for The Chosen, Season 3

Thursday, 3/8/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1231.9

With a tight schedule today, I once again chose to keep my ride inside, and rode late this morning while watching Episodes 6 and 7 from Season 2 of The Chosen ("Unlawful" and "Reckoning").

This gave me a ride of 19.6 virtual miles in 1:29.

Trailer for The Chosen, Season 2

Wednesday, 3/6/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1212.3

Today, though I once more could probably have worked in a ride outdoors, I chose to ride inside, so I could watch The Chosen. (Episodes 4 and 5 of Season 2—"The Perfect Opportunity" and "Spirit.")

This gave me a ride of 21.3 virtual miles in 1:42.

Trailer for The Chosen, Season 2

Tuesday, 3/5/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1191.0

Today, it was easily warm enough to have ridden outside, as it reached a high of 51°, But it was supposed to be raining, so I did an inside ride, and then when I finished, it was cloudy but with no evidence of rain. Oh well! This enabled me to return to watching The Chosen, watching episodes 2 and 3 from Season 2 today. These were "I Saw You" and "Matthew 4:24," which reads, "And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them."

This gave me a ride of 17.6 virtual miles in 1:21.

Trailer for The Chosen, Season 2

Monday, 3/4/2024 - 4th outdoor ride of 2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1173.4

Todsy I did only my 4th outdoor ride this year—the first since February 20, and the longest since November 16. I was hoping to ride my old familiar route, a 13.6-mile square that is my most frequent ride. However, the connection between my battery and my phone was acting up, being problematic, and rather than risk having my phone die, stranding me without the ability to contact anyone if I had a problem, I shortened my planned ride, turning to ride along Ellsworth when I got just past Lillie Park, rather than going north all the way to Packard as I more usually do.

The ability to ride outside at all, however, was only made possible by our freakishly warm weather—I just heard on the news that this has been the 4th warmest winter in recorded history for Michigan. When I left at 3:00, though I had to contend with a significant wind, it was 70° and mostly sunny.

Today gave me a ride of 11.8 miles in 1:35.

Relive video of today's ride

Sunday, 3/3/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1161.6

During this morning's ride, I watched the first episode of The Chosen, Season 2: "Thunder."

This gave me a ride of 13.6 virtual miles in 1:02.

Trailer for The Chosen

Saturday, 3/2/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1148.0

During this morning's ride, I watched the 8th and final episode of The Chosen, Season 1: "I Am He."

This gave me a ride of 13.2 virtual miles in 59 minutes.

Trailer for The Chosen

Friday, /1/2024

2024 MILEAGE - 1134.5

This morning I rode while watching Episode 6 from Season 1 of The Chosen—"Indescribable Compassion." (t culminates in Jesus's healing of the paralytic who was lowered through a roof in order to see him—an event described in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 2. The more of this show that I watch, the more I am drawn to it ... it is really quite remarkable.

This gave me a ride of 12.0 virtual miles in 49 minutes.

Trailer for The Chosen

LATER

This afternoon I did an additional ride, while watching the brief Episode 7 ("Invitations").

This gave me an afternoon ride of 8.5 virtual miles in 37 minutes.