Bike ride: Monday, June 30th 2008

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 roundtrip. Easy day today, just spun at an easy pace. Song in head: 'Dancing In The Moonlight' by Thin Lizzy.

Didn't ride much on the weekend, too busy. Only got in 5 miles taking movies back to the rental store.

Bike ride: Wednesday and Thursday, June 25 and 26, 2008

Wednesday, June 25th: Rode at Flatwoods at lunch, 13 mile roundtrip. Did short intervals, 30 secs on, 30 secs off, 3 repeats of these; then a 4 minute recovery. Did 5 sets of these. Felt awful at first, legs were dead from lack of sleep. Then I perked up and felt better. Good ride.

Thursday, June 26th: Rode at Flatwoods at lunch, 13 mile roundtrip. Did easy cadence ride. Song in head: I Think I Love You by the Partridge Family (ugh).

Quick word about the songs in my head during the ride. I don't pick them, they pick me. It's odd I know, but that's the best way I can describe it.

Blues: Lizz Fields - 'Pleasureville'

Lizz Fields is not precisely a blues singer, but she puts her heart and soul into everything she sings, so that's blues for me.

Her latest release 'Pleasureville' is first rate stuff. Her style is more jazz-inflected pop, although this release by her is more urban sounding. Her first release, 'By Day By Night', was definitely in an old school soul style.

All the tracks on 'Pleasureville' a worth a listen, but the standout tracks are the title track, 'Brooklyn Flowers', 'I'm Waiting', and 'Sugah'. 'Sugah' is pop radio fare and while I didn't like it too much at first, it's infectious and I'm loving it now. On 'I'm Waiting' she successfully conveys a foot-tapping mood, all with the nuance of her voice.

Check her out, she's great. Her myspace page has samples, give 'em a listen: myspace.com/misslizzfields .

Bike ride: Tuesday, June 24th 2008

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch, 13 mile roundtrip, big gear workout. Got heart rate into 85% level, but with no leg pain. Tried to spin a 60 rpm cadence. Felt really strong, I'm thinking it's time to start ramping up my workouts.

Song in head: 'Shake' by Otis Redding.

Maybe I'll change Monday into big gear day; Tuesday into a 'stomps' day; then Wednesday will be interval day; Thursday will be easy ride day. Weekends will be one day 3 hours long steady distance and one will be 1 1/2 to 2 hours race speed.

Bike ride: Monday, June 23rd 2008

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch, 13 mile roundtrip, easy ride as per usual on Monday. Saw a few people today, also a couple of turtles. Song in head: 'Mr. Blue' by some 50s singer. Good ride.

Netflix: 'Ocean's Twelve'

I didn't think I would like this movie that much. I figured it would suffer from 'sequel-itis', meaning it would have too many elements of the original movie. It did to some degree, with all the main actors reprising their roles and the creation of an expected but plausible premise.

But halfway through the movie, there is a twist which just really works. So I ended up enjoying this movie pretty well. Still, the filmmakers only made this flick to make money, not to tell a good story. Julia Roberts is especially likeable, she truly has a presence on screen, and I think she steals this movie. Bruce Willis plays himself for laughs, and quite frankly, Catherine Zeta-Jones is gorgeous. This is a star movie, and it works, mostly.

3 out of 5 stars, but if you like the actors in the flick, you'll like it.

Bike Rides: Saturday and Sunday, 6/21/08 and 6/22/08

The Saturday ride I had to cut short due to thunderstorms. I was going to do 65 miles or so, but I raced home due to the threatening weather, and good thing I did. I ended up doing 45 miles or so at a steady pace, and I felt really good through the whole ride. I did the Longboat Key ride, but I had a start through the Barn Loop.

Sunday I rode the Riverview and Barn Loop courses. Ended up doing 35 miles at a medium pace. Again, felt really good during the ride, my guess is that lately I'm being steady about the miles and the rides, so it's starting to pay off. I don't think my fitness is any better, I just think my legs are better.

Saturday was my youngest daughter's birthday. Happy 10th sweetie!

Bike rides: Monday through Thursday, June 16th through 19th, 2008

Wow, missed a few of these, so I'll cover a few at once.

Monday: Rode at Flatwoods at lunch, 13 mile roundtrip, easy ride.
Tuesday: Worked at home today, so rode during lunch break down to beach and back. 21 mile roundtrip in a big gear.
Wednesday: Rode at Flatwoods at lunch, 13 mile roundtrip, did short intervals, 30 secs on, 30 secs off, a group of 3, then a 4 1/2 minute recovery. Did 5 sets of these.
Thursday: Rode at Flatwoods at lunch, 13 mile roundtrip, cadence ride. Felt good today.

Blues - Shemekia Copeland

Shemekia Copeland is a great blues singer, a belter like few are. She is simply fantastic live, as I've never seen her where she didn't absolutely give her all. Try to catch her perform, even if you don't know her music, you'll be entertained. She's the daughter of Texas blues legend Johnny Copeland, but she definitely has her own style and chops.

But her music is top notch contemporary blues. I first discovered her by happening upon a free track from her, 'Whole Lotta Water' off of her initial release, 'Turn The Heat Up'. I loved the power in her voice, and even better loved her 'old school' sound. After hearing a few more samples, I bought the CD and loved it. I also bought her next release, 'Wicked', and loved that. Now I buy everything by her and even got the last 2 releases autographed.

My least favorite release of hers is 'Talking To Strangers'. It was produced by New Orleans bluesman Dr. John (aka Mac Rebbenack). It feels restrained to me, he doesn't appear to let Shemekia loose. Indeed, in interviews regarding the release Shemekia mentions that Rebbenack requested her to reign in her vocals. This is a big mistake in my opinion, although the release features several good songs, such as 'Talking To Strangers', 'Sholanda's', and 'Don't Whisper I Love You'.

Her first release 'Turn The Heat Up' features the title cut, 'Married To The Blues', and her father's 'Ghetto Child'. She also sings the living crap out of 'Ghetto Child' live. I mean that sincerely, I got chills when she sings of the part where the girl has no shoes. Everything on the 'Turn The Heat Up' release is very good, so get it.

Her next release 'Wicked' rocks out a bit more. Standout cuts here are 'Wild Wild Woman' (she also does this terrific live), '3 AM', and 'Miss Hy Ciditty', but all are quite good and worth a listen.

My favorite release of hers is 'The Soul Truth', produced by Steve Cropper. This sounds a lot like an old Stax / Volt release and it's simply excellent. Stand out cuts here are 'Who Stole My Radio?', 'Honey Do That Voo Doo', but everything here is first rate.

If you love old school soul and blues, you'll love her. Here's her website: http://www.shemekiacopeland.com .

Bike ride: Tuesday, June 10 2008

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time. Big gear workout, and again, barely saw anyone. Good ride, felt strong, heart rate was in the 85% range. 13 mile+ round trip.

Kept recounting the awesome weekend in Philadelphia at the bike race. Who knew my buddy has a former neighbor who bought the house known as O'Brien's Water Hole? Well, I do now.

Netflix: 'Mullholland Drive'

'Mullholland Drive' -- 4 out of 5 stars.

This is one of those movies that usually generates a response of "this is a confusing mess" or "if you don't get it, you're obviously not intelligent enough" reviews.

This movie can be recommended to anyone who is willing to watch a "sit and think" movie. As the director's fans are saying, Lynch is non-linear storyteller and his movies aren't meant to be taken as an exercise in "I'll sit down and you tell me a story". However, they are meant to be discussed endlessly, and figuring out his flicks are half the fun.

I would disagree with those who say watch it twice and you'll figure it out. This is kind of movie you are supposed to discuss with others and get their reactions. It's a movie designed to poke your inner emotions, and some people react differently to different scenes.

Two scenes that are worth the price of admission: the odd theatre performance towards the end (from now on, I will be unable to hear the song "Crying" without thinking of it), and highly erotic sex scene about halfway through. Hoo baby.

Bike ride: Friday, June 5th 2008

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch. No one else out there, I guess it's too hot. Rode easy today, good idea since yesterday was a hard ride. Another 13 mile lunch ride. Total mileage this week so far: 52 miles. Feeling tired due to lack of sleep, but other than that, good.

Probably a short or no ride at all this weekend, as I'm visiting my mom in PA.

My best friend's birthday

Today is my best friend's birthday. He's also my oldest friend, as we've been friends since we were kids. The best way to illustrate why he's my best friend is with an example.

I live in Florida. Scott (my best friend) lives in New Hampshire. But he and I grew up in Pennsylvania, and our parents still lived there. My father died in November 2002 from stomach cancer. Scott had been calling me almost daily, wanting updates and generally being there for me. As bad timing would have it, he called me just after I found that my father was going to die that day. I was getting ready to get on a plane, and just filled him in on what my brother had told me, that Dad wasn't going to last the day. He told me to call him when I knew more.

By the time I landed in PA, I met my brother's wife, who let me know Dad has passed away while I was in the air. My wife, kids, and myself went to my parent's house to be with my mom. While there I found out when Dad's service was, and as it turned out, Scott's parents called on my cell. Scott's mom and dad had been for me like another set of parents, so I was quite close to them. I told them when the service was, they said they would be there, for which I thanked them. Then I told them to tell Scott that is was ok for him to not come, as it was in the middle of the week, he would have to take off work, and I wouldn't really have much time to see him. They said they would tell him.

Scott calls me a bit later, not sounding mad but a little miffed at me. He said, and I remember this clearly, "No, I will not stay home. This is pretty important for you, and I loved your dad too. I will be there, and I'm a little surprised you think I wouldn't be".

The day of the service was a hard day, but I did see a lot of people I hadn't seen in ages, so I kept my composure. I should say I kept it until I met up with Scott and his parents. I told him, "thanks for coming", then burst into tears. I held him for a bit, then he tried to pull away, and I said, "not yet". He said, "all right, but now I'm going to start". That made me laugh a bit, so I stepped back, told him I loved him, told his parents I loved them, and moved on to another person. I lost track of them after that, as I had a lot of other things to do, but I still remember how good it felt to have him there when I needed him.

I have thought about that moment, and have determined it was probably only a minute or so. But that minute is easily the best way to describe why if friends came one to a customer, Scott would be mine.

Happy birthday, Scott.

Bike ride: Wednesday, June 4th 2008

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time. Did short intervals, 30 seconds on (all out), 30 seconds off, 3 times, then a 4 minute recovery. Did 5 sets of these. Good workout, and felt strong again, although I was sucking wind by the last set.

My fitness is pretty good right now. I find that doing all that short sprint, stop and start stuff on the tennis court is no problem, and I don't feel sore at all the next day. Last night I played tennis for almost 2 hours in the doubles league with no ill effects. I'm pretty happy about that at my age.

Baseball: Rays

Even though they got beat convincingly last night in Boston, the Rays are still in first place and playing well. Obviously, they will go as far as their pitching takes them.

Kaz is looking like a Cy Young candidate since coming off the DL. His slider has real bite now, and it is definitely his 'out' pitch. The key to his success is his breaking stuff. His fastball is a good one in the low to mid 90s, but it lacks a lot of movement. With him, if batters are doing that 'check swing' strikeout thing, then he's going well.

James Shields continues to give quality innings. With him, his best pitch is his changeup, and it is phenomenal. For him, getting ahead in the count is key.

Garza is a young guy still learning, but his stuff is quite good, so he doesn't have to always be sharp to win.

Sonnastine is a question mark in my opinion. His stuff is mediocre and relies more on command and control. He's been hit pretty hard the last few times out and hopefully he can turn it around. Like Shields, he needs to get ahead in the count.

Edwin Jackson could be the best pitcher the Rays have, or he could be a total bust. With him, it's command. His stuff is over the top: mid to upper 90s fastball with good movement and his power curve / slider drops off the table. If he can ever learn to keep it in the proper zip code, he'll be incredible.

If only these guys can start hitting on a consistent basis.

Blues - Chris Thomas King

Chris Thomas King

With Keb' Mo' and Shemekia Copeland, CTK is one of my favorite blues artists performing today. He just released an EP of live selections, 'Live On Beale Street', where he mixes rock, blues, and rap. He's done this before on studio releases, but it really works in the live environment. He also has a standout version of the blues classic, 'I'll Play The Blues For You'.

His previous studio release, 'Rise', is just about the best blues album I've heard in years. 'What Would Jesus Do' is a song written about the Katrina tragedy, and it's first rate. It includes a couplet, "standing outside the Walgreens, with a stone in my hand, standing outside with a stone in my hand, I ask myself 'would Jesus understand?'", which perfectly describes the moral dilemma decent, law-abiding citizens had to face every day during that time. 'Faith' is another terrific song, and 'Baptized In Dirty Water' has outstanding guitar work by CTK. There are a few covers there too, 'Big Yellow Taxi', 'St James Infirmary Blues', and 'What A Wonderful World', all done well. There is a lot of despair depicted, but overall there is a hopeful tone to the album.

Another outstanding release is 'Red Mud', which is much more traditional. The title cut is outstanding, and the rest follows suit.

His earlier stuff is good, but a bit inconsistent, especially where he tries to be a bit too 'pop'.

Netflix: 'The Blair Witch Project'

'The Blair Witch Project' -- 3 stars out of 5

For me, it was a mixed bag.

I thought the film worked as a "real life" thing, I honestly felt what happened in the movie was happening to the actors. However, the flick just didn't grab me. On one hand, the characters were pretty much too annoying to care about. Another is where it feels as if you're always waiting for something else to happen. In good and great films, interesting things happen, you don't need to wait. Too many dead (no pun intended) spots for me.

The film definitely worked as far as building suspense, and it had a feel of creepiness that's hard to describe to others. A love it or hate it movie? Can't say, but it's not a movie I would recommend to friends.

I would recommend seeing it for it's impact on popular culture. Think about how many spoofs have been done of this flick.

Bike ride: Tuesday, June 3rd 2008

Rode at Flatwoods at lunch. Saw 3 turtles today and not many people, I assume due to the heat (90 degrees +). Did the big gear ride, got my heart rate up to the 85% level without my legs hurting. Good ride, and I'm feeling really strong lately.

I was thinking about women in business suits, but I had to stop, but it was fun thinking about it.

Song in head: 'Love Will Keep Us Alive' by The Eagles. I'm learning it on guitar, although I'm having trouble with the high pitched vocal.

Netflix: Nancy Sinatra - Movin' With Nancy

Nancy Sinatra - 'Movin' With Nancy' -- 3 stars out of 5

I definitely enjoyed this movie, but not that much.

Nancy's singing is, well, somewhat flat, but she manages a few pleasant numbers. Her outfits are totally 60s, which is fun. She comes off kind of appealing, which is fun too.

One thing you simply should not miss, her version of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" is interesting in a "spectator at a traffic accident" kind of way (with Sammy Davis, Jr. as the hippie photographer). It's a howl, but I don't think that was the intent.

The highlights of this are Frank Sinatra doing "Younger Than Springtime", and Dean Martin singing "Just Bummin' Around". Rent this to watch with friends who enjoy 60s pop and who might enjoy poking fun at the times.

Bike ride: Monday, 6/2/08

Rode at lunch time today at Flatwoods. 13 mile round trip, easy day at an easy pace. Thought about a work problem and the time passed quickly. Also had the song I'm writing, "Exotic Lady", going on in my head.