Stage 2 takes us from Louisville to Owensboro. One thing about riding around a state is that unlike the grand tours in France, Italy, and Spain where they can go into the Alps, we don't have that luxury in KY. So it will be a race made up of a lot of little climbs instead of any major big climbs. You get a feel for that on this stage which features 4 category 5 climbs.
Friday, May 20, 2022
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Stage 1 of the Tour of USA, KY Edition
Every year when I get to following the grand tours I always think how much fun it would be if there was a grand tour here in the US. The way I think it should work is to have the tour change up each year and go from state to state, or you can group states if you like.
Generally speaking the opening stage is held in a city and it is a short Time Trial. This allows everything to kick off with a nice big crowd and a celebratory environment for the opening of the race.
I've got the one I'm planning out for this year starting in Louisville and holding a 10k stage for the opener. Here is the route I thought up for Stage 1.
On day two we will be heading to Owensboro.
Sunday, May 8, 2022
Pennant Fever
Man City was eliminated from the Champions' League in heartbreaking fashion this week, giving up two goals in injury time -- and a third goal in extra time -- to crash out to Real Madrid after they had controlled that tie for 180 minutes. But today, City moved much closer to defending its Premier League title. Liverpool was held to a 1-all draw at home by Tottenham Hotspur, and then City went out and crushed Newcastle Utd 5-0 to scoop up all three points. So with only three games left, City is now in a very strong position:
1. Man City: 27-3-5 (86 points)
2. Liverpool: 25-2-8 (83)
Of course, Liverpool can still win the F.A. Cup and the Champions' League. But the Premier League appears to be slipping from the Reds' grip.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, Celtic only needs one point from its last two games to capture the Scottish Premier League:
1. Celtic: 28-3-5 (89 points)
2. Rangers: 25-3-8 (83)
Friday, May 6, 2022
The Danny Dunn Cookbook
My favorite book series when I was a kid was the Danny Dunn series. A great series of books about a boy who is interested in science. Now when I read the books I always enjoy the food they are eating. I was reading Daddy Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint and when Danny comes home from school his mom is making a pineapple upside down cake for after dinner. Here is a recipe I found online at Lost American Recipes, that may be similar to what she made back in 1956 when this book was published.
Ingredients:
4 Pineapple slices
1/4 C brown sugar
2 T butter melted
1 1/4 C all purpose flour
3/4 C sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 C oil
1 egg
1/2 C milk
1 t vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350
Prepare 8x8x2 pan by greasing well with butter
Spread brown sugar and butter across the bottom of the pan.
Arrange pineapple slices in bottom of pan
Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add oil, egg, milk, and vanilla
Beat for 3 minutes, 150 strokes per minute, until well blended.
Pour batter over pineapple
Bake for 35-40 minutes
Turn upside down on serving plate and serve with whipped cream.
The Music of 1987
1987 was a fun year for music. I pretty much spent all my extra money on music that year so a lot of fun stuff.
Albums I Listen to Today
1. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by The Cure. This was an immediate favorite for me.
2. Wildflowers by Watermelon Men. This album is better than Past, Present and Future from 1985.
3. Poetic Champions Compose by Van Morrison. This was a go to album for my wife and I in 1998-99.
4. Reunion Wilderness by The Railway Children. I still enjoy these albums today and I'll never understand why they didn't get say as big of following as a Big Country or Sundays.
5. In My Tribe by 10,000 Maniacs. Just a great album.
6. Louder Than Bombs by The Smiths. This is the first Smiths album I bought new when it came out.
7. Tunnel of Love by Bruce Springsteen. It's the last Springsteen album I ever bought and when I bought it I wasn't sure what I thought of it. Now it's really the only one I ever put on to listen to from start to finish.
8. The Lion and the Cobra by Sinead O'Connor. O'Connor I think made some very good albums after this debut, but I think it's the best thing she ever did. Every so often I'll get in the mood for her and put this album on.
9. Nathalie Archangel by Nathalie Archangel. One of those rare great finds at Cut Corner Records in 1987. This is a great album that has held up really well.
10. Strangeways, Here We Come by The Smiths. This was a big play for me in 1988.
Albums I No Longer Listen to Today
11. Document by R.E.M. This is the last R.E.M album I ever bought.
12. The Joshua Tree by U2. Easily my album of the year from 1987 and the last U2 album I ever bought. See a trend here?
13. Back to Basics by Billy Bragg. I still go to this album all the time, but never to listen to from start to finish. If you are going to own any Billy Bragg this is the album to own.
14. Engine by American Music Club. I was so into this album from 1987 to 1988 drove my roommate nuts.
15. Through the Looking Glass by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Tinderbox was the peak for Siouxsie.
16. She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter by The Blow Monkeys. My roommate really liked this album.
17. Sign 'O' the Times by Prince. I bought this album and copied it onto cassette and then listened to it for the first time driving home after my first year of college.
18. Sister by Sonic Youth. I came upon this album about 3 years later.
19. Substance by New Order. If you are going to own a New Order album this is the one since it is a collection of their singles, and for me New Order was always about their singles.
20. Music For the Masses by Depeche Mode. The last Depeche Mode album I ever bought.
21. Solitude Standing by Suzanne Vega. For me nothing she did was ever as good as her first album.
22. The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death by The Housemartins. A fun album at the time.
23. Dead Letter Office by R.E.M. I really enjoyed this album back in 1987.
24. Midnight to Midnight by The Psychedelic Furs. This was all about one song, "Heartbreak Beat."
25. Into the Woods by The Call. I'm pretty sure playing playing "I Don't Wanna" really loud one night got the cops called to our apartment.
26. Jody Watley by Jody Watley. I really liked "Looking For a New Love."
27. Chris Isaak by Chris Isaak. I bought this album around 1998 or so after buying Forever Blue and really liking it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)