Reading
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green. Green is famous for writing several, very good young adult novels, including The Fault in Our Stars. Lately, he has shifted to adult nonfiction. This nonfiction work explains pretty much everything you’d want to know about TB, and then some. TB is very rare in the developed world but continues to kill over 1.2 million people per year worldwide, despite the existence of effective medicines. The causes of this situation are poverty, social stigma, poor medical and non-medical infrastructure, the spread of HIV, and pharmaceutical companies more focused on finances than medical outcomes.
Watching
Daredevil Born Again. Just as Andor is Star Wars for adults, Daredevil Born Again is Marvel for adults. A complex plot that evolves over nine episodes (with nine more to come). It tells how blind lawyer Matt Murdock is sucked back into vigilantism by the murderous corruption of New York City Mayor Wilson Fisk and his sinister wife Vanessa. Shockingly explicit violence and vulgar language make this series utterly inappropriate for kids. Charlie Cox as Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio as Fisk are exceptional as is the supporting cast.
Andor Season 2: Diego Luna returns as Cassian Andor in this prequel to Rogue One, which tells how Princess Leia obtained the plans for the Empire’s death star in the first Star Wars movie. Over the course of the two seasons, we learn how Andor becomes radicalized in the fight against the Empire. Luna is fantastic as is Stellan Skarsgard (Is he in everything?) and the rest of the cast. Andor and Rogue One are the very best of the Star Wars canon.
Riding
The highlight of the month was my week long van-supported ride up the 444 mile Natchez Trace Parkway with a group of 12 others. The tour itself worked out quite well but was nearly spoiled by some shambolic pre-event administrative by the Adventure Cycling Association.
My back did not handle the tour well, so when I came back home I shifted from The Mule to Big Nellie, my long wheel base recumbent. My back is still messed up but the discomfort that seemed to last all day during the tour is now more intermittent, a welcome development.
On the last day of April, I test rode an HP Velotechik Streetmachine, a short-wheel-base recumbent with under seat steering. It’s quite tricky to ride. I did about ten laps of the parking lot at the bike shop before venturing out on the W&OD bike trail. On the way back to the shop I diverted to a neighborhood street to try my hand at climbing and at riding at speed over speed humps. Climbing was tough (it’s a heavy bike and the pedals were a bit too close for optimal mechanics) but the speed humps were fun thanks to the bike’s suspension system. The seat is higher than my Tour Easy so stopping can be awkward. This seat height also means that getting on and off the bike is challenging and, frankly, a bit scary. I consulted Melissa, a Natchez Trace rider who owns a Streetmachine, for tips. She was very helpful. I am also watching whatever I can on YouTube.
Since I have been a regular customer of my local recumbent bike shop for nearly 25 years, the shop owner, Tim, is letting me test ride the bike for a couple of weeks to make sure I can handle the bike’s unusual characteristics. (I can just see Tim having a heart attack yelling “REFUND? REFUND?!” if I bring the bike back.)
I broke 1,000 miles for the month (1,019 to be exact). The Mule, mostly the bike tour, accounted for 631 miles. Big Nellie chipped in 360 miles. For the year I have racked up 3,458 miles. To be honest I am fast approaching burn out and hope the Streetmachine can put some life back into my riding.
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 
Nice reference to “Breaking Away”.
I’ve been eyeing this book and debating reading it. This is my sign to add it to my TBR.