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Sheldon Brown's Journal

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July 1, 2005

Film: (DVD) Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events Brad Silberling 2004

This was great fun, as I gather the books are too. Highly recommended.

July 2, 2005

Film: (DVD) The Gingerbread Man Robert Altman, 1998

Kenneth Branagh as a souther lawyer?! Actually, he pulls it off. His Georgia accent works for me but might not fool a southerner. Pretty good film, but not a great one.

July 4, 2005

eBook: A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens 1859

Don't know how I missed out on reading this earlier. I've seen it on film, but never read the book before. I have to say I enjoyed this more than any other Dickens book I've read, even though I knew how it came out.

I'm glad I wasn't made to read this in high school, because I wasn't ready for it then.

July 8, 2005

Harriet's off to New York for a weekend with her mother, and George is heading off to Madison for graduate school, so I'm alone for the weekend after driving them to the airport.

Film: (DVD) The Bridge Gérard Depardieu, Frédéric Auburtin, 1999

I can't resist anything with Gérard Depardieu. The eternal triangle in Normandy. I liked it.

Oops, the next few entries are being filled in after the fact from notes, in September, 2006, so I don't recall as much detail as I would like:

July , 2005

Film: (DVD) The Girl tn the Café David Yates, 2005

Stodgy bureaucrat falls for free-spirited young woman, takes her along to a major summit conference...

July 12, 2005

Film: (DVD) Mansfield Park Patricia Rozema, 1999

I can never get enough of Jane Austen, but can't recall the details of this film 13 months later.

July 13, 2005

Music: Revels Cruise

Harriet and I went on a Revels harbor-cruise-sing, good fun but my voice wasn't at its best.

July 14, 2005

eBook: The War of the Worlds H.G. Wells, 1898

THE classic alien invasion novel, this one came first! A must for all science fiction fans.

Film: (DVD) Saved Brian Dannelly, 2003

A light comedy making fun of the Christian right. Not terribly memorable, I'm afraid.

July 15, 2005

Film: (DVD) Withnail and I Bruce Robinson 1977

This is a fairly highly regarded film, but I didn't much enjoy it.

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July 16, 2005

eBook: Maggie, a Girl of the Streets Stephen Crane, 1893

As grim and depressing as the title suggests.

The Sorcerer, Gilbert & Sullivan

An informal sing-through at M.I.T. I took the role of The Notary.

July 21-24, 2005

Family Reunion, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

July 30-31, 2005

Ithaca New York

Drove out to Ithaca to pick up Tova, finishing the summer research program she was doing at Cornell. A quick hit and run trip, but on Sunday we did take the opportunity to go swimming in a gorge on the Cornell campus. I got my signals crossed and didn't have my bathing suit handy so I went skinny dipping, which is always a pleasure anyway.

Ithaca Gorge

Ithaca Gorge

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August 6, 2005

Eastern Tandem Rally, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

8 1/2 hours in the car got us there in time for the ice cream social, but not for any rides today. We took the route recommended by Google Maps, which took us over the Tappan Zee bridge, too close to New York City. We hit bad traffic from there out toward the Poconos. At least the car wasn't overheating and the air conditioner is working.

Brought the Picchio set up as a fixed gear. I've heard mixed reports about the suitability to the terrain for fixed gear riding, so I also rigged up the Shimano Nexus 8 speed wheel from my Raleigh International with a shifter and long cable that let it work on the Picchio. I did a couple of test rides last week around home to see if it worked OK, and it seems to be up to the task. However, I still plan to try out the fixed gear first. Running on the 52/18 combination. We've got a 17 tooth sprocket on the other side of the rear wheel, but that's probably not going to get us up the hills.

August 7-8, 2005

Eastern Tandem Rally , Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Did a 39 mile ride, using the 52/18 fixed gear. It was delightful! We were the only fixed gear among 120 tandems, but held our own just fine. We couldn't keep up on the descents, but did quite well on the flats, and left everybody in the dust on the climbs...with the exception of one short steep bit right after the lunch stop where we had to get off and push for 20-30 meters. I'm glad I didn't listen to the dire warnings of those who told me I'd need gears.

Spent a fair amount of time riding alongside Mel and Barbara Kornbluh of Tandems East. I knew Mel from the Internet, but our paths had not previously crossed.

This was an absolutely gorgeous ride under a clear blue sky, through beautiful farmland with fine views on every side. The roads were very well paved and with hardly any motor traffic. Only saw one Amish buggy on the road, and was startled by how fast it was clipping along. I was later informed that the Amish frequently buy race horses that are past their racing prime but still good for a good clip.

The lunch stop was in Mifflinburg, and we toured the Mifflinburg Buggy Museum, a preserved factory where buggies were made in the 19th century. Turns out Mifflinburg was a key center of coach-building, with at one time a total of 70 active carriage manufacturers. I was particularly fascinated to see some of the special tools and fixtures they used for manufacturing and repairing the wood-spoked, iron-tired wheels.

August 10, 2005

Added Google Search to this Journal directory

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August 26, 2005

Bentrider Recumbent Festival

Drove the Pontiac out to Bath, NY on Keuka Lake. 6 1/2 hours, beautiful weather, nice drive listening to:

Audio Book The Archer's Tale Bernard Cornwell, 2000

A very exciting tale of an English archer-hero and events leading up to the Battle of Crécy in the Hundred Years War. Originally published under the title Harlequin.

August 27, 2005

Bentrider Recumbent Festival

Main event today was an expo/test ride fair. I rode a bunch of different recumbent trikes, but didn't actually like any of them quite as much as my own Greenspeed.

Riding up from the campground to the demo event, I took a "shortcut" across a hayfield and acquired an amazing harvest in the Greenspeed's rear derailer.

In the evening, I gave a talk to the assembled multitude, which you may listen to by clicking here (9.8 MB download.)

DESCRIPTION

August 28, 2005

Bentrider Recumbent Festival

Today was the big ride around Keuka Lake, about 49 miles, the longest ride I've yet done on the Greenspeed. It was a very nice ride, kinda hot but not really uncomfortable. The roads were very nice, quite scenic and not too busy. No cross traffic, thanks to a clockwise course around the lake.

After lunch I really felt the need for a swim, so I took the low road along the shore, stopped when I saw a guy out on a float a few yards offshore. I asked him if it would be OK if I took a dip, he said "Sure but watch out for the zebra mussels on the bottom." Fortunately, his dock ended in water deep enough to jump into without any need to touch bottom. The water was a delightful temperature (at least by Marblehead standards) and very clean (I guess I can thank the zebra mussels for that.)

After the ride I took a quick tour of the Glenn Curtiss Museum , wishing I had more time for it...they've got a lot of very interesting stuff there, but it was just about closing time, and I had "miles to go before I sleep."

Bent Ride 2005 Panorama

I headed back for home after the ride, but it was late and I was too tired to do the trip all in one go, so I stopped in a cheap motel in Susquehanna, a bit east of Binghamton. Not bad for $43/night, and they had HBO so I was able to watch the debut of the new series "Rome." I enjoyed the show, but it's better on my own TV.

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2008:
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2007:
November-December September-October July-August May-June March-April January-February
2006:
November-December September-October July-August May-June March-April January-February
2005:
November-December September-October July-August May-June March-April January-February
2004:
November-December September-October July-August May-June March-April January-February
2003:
November-December September-October July-August May-June March-April January-February
2002:
November-December September-October July-August May-June March-April January-February
2001:
November-December September-October July-August May-June March-April January-February
2000:
November-December September-October July-August May-June March-April January-February
1999:
November-December September-October July-August May-June March-April January-February
1975-98:
November-December, 1998 April-May, 1975

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The overall Booklist has been moved to a separate page.

Books reviewed on this page:
The Archer's TaleBernard Cornwell8/26/05
Maggie, A Girl of the StreetsStephen Crane7/16/05
A Tale of Two CitiesCharles Dickens7/4/05
The War of the WorldsH. G. Wells7/14/05

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The overall film list has been moved to a separate page.

Films reviewed on this page:
The Gingerbread ManJuly 2, 2005
Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate EventsJuly 1, 2005
Mansfield ParkJuly 12, 2005
SavedJuly 16, 2005
Withnail and IJuly 15, 2005

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The overall music list has been moved to a separate page.

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Plays:
November 29, 2002Lorraine BraccoThe Graduate
November 23, 2001Helen Mirren, Ian McKellnThe Dance of Death-August Strindberg
September 30, 2000Tova/Black Box Theatre, Cornell UniversityThe Maids-Jean Genet
May 30, 2000Kelsey Grammer/Colonial TheatreMacbeth
May 26, 2000The Huntington Theatre Co.King Hedley II
September 3, 1999The Publick TheatreNine
August 21, 1999Orange Tree Theatre, Ithaca, N.Y.Sonata
August 13, 1999Firehouse Theatre, Ithaca, N.Y.Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All For You
May 22-29Newton South/North High SchoolsRichard III
December 18, 1998Newton North High SchoolThe Bone Violin, May Flies
November 12, 1998Newton North High SchoolTo Kill a Mockingbird

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Travels:
November 21-24, 2007Plantation, Florida
September 25-28, 2007Las Vegas, Nevada
August 18-25, 2007Truro, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
November 22-26, 2006Plantation, Florida
September 25-28, 2006Las Vegas (Interbike)
June 10-20, 2006Santa Cruz, California
May 5-7, 2006Aurora, Indiana
November 23, 2005Plantation, Florida
September 26-29, 2005Interbike, Las Vegas, Nevada
August 26-28, 2005'Bentride 2005, Bath, N.Y.
July 21-24, 2005Family Reunion, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
April 29, 2005Cirque de Cyclisme, Greensboro, N.C.
February 16, 2005Indianapolis
November 24, 2004Plantation, Florida
October 8, 2004Santa Cruz, California
October 4, 2004Las Vegas, Nevada
June 8, 2004France, England
December 22, 2003Halifax, Nova Scotia
November 27, 2003Florida
October 31, 2003Potomac, Maryland
October 10, 2003Las Vegas, Nevada
September 21, 2003New York, N.Y.
November 27-30, 2002New York, N.Y.
October 8-13, 2002Evanston, Illinois
October 4-8, 2002Las Vegas, Nevada
July 3-9, 2002Canso, Nova Scotia
May 24-27, 2002Long Island, New York
November 21-24, 2001New York City
October 16-19, 2001Cape Cod, Massachusetts
September 29-October 3, 2001Las Vegas, Nevada (Interbike Show)
June 16-23, 2001Nags Head, North Carolina
October 5-14, 2000Evanston, Illinois
September 30-October 2, 2000Ithaca, New York
June 22-25, 2000Urbanna, Virginia
October 7-13, 1999Chicago/Evanston, Illinois
August 19-28, 1999Ithaca, New York
August 12-13, 1999Ithaca, New York
July 23-25, 1999Bridgeton, Maine
November 25-28, 1998Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1988-89France, England
1980Yucatan, Mexico
1975England, Belgium, Yugoslavia, Turkey

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