Chris-Tien Jinn

..... and hubby and I retested. Both of us are very clearly positive for COVID. 🤣 I'm glad that I stocked up on groceries last week!!!

Yesterday, I did get my walk in, but I was so tired at the end, I felt like I'd run a half-marathon. I'm letting myself eat what sounds good at the moment, with one eye on the MIND diet recommendations. The Shadow and I were pretty closely matched this week. I dozed through a lot of old episodes of the Great British Bake-Off, started a new book in which the DnD game sucks the players in (like Jumanji), and tried getting back into World of Warcraft. I'm coughing less; so I'm hoping that I've turned the corner. Hubby is feeling worse .... so I'm really glad he's not flying out for work. I haven't heard an update on LTL and family ..... Tomlin's garden was surprisingly large, with flower beds and green herbs dominating the central space. Around the edge, a trellis filled with vines served as the fence. Bees filled the air with their lazy buzz. It was lush and tidy, and Chris could tell that the herbalist was a master of his craft. In the far corner of the garden, one of the beams supporting the trellis had fallen over, and Chris decided to start with that anomaly. As she walked back to the disturbed corner, Tomlin mentioned that he had tried to move the beam but was not able to get it up at the time. Upon closer examination, it seemed to have been partially dug up, and it was lying on top of something. Together, Chris and Tomlin shifted the beam to reveal a human figure made of gnarled wood with long, sharp claws. It is broken in several places, which suggestedthat the beam fell upon and killed it. "Scraplings!" Tomlin spat. At Chris' look of confusion, he explained, "Animated plants that thirst for human blood. They've never come into my garden before, but people further out have seen them." His face was full of anger and fear as he continued. "They are very dangerous and almost never alone ...." Chris-Tien drew her sword as the two of them began to explore the garden, walking past flourishing beds of flowers and vines. One section is strangely out of place, with two parched and dead shrubs hugging the wall. Before Chris realized what they were, the two humanoid figures attacked.

I am, thankfully, still not feeling terrible .... more of the really bad cold status. Hubby has started developing symptoms too .... so we're just taking it easy and doing what is essential. I did get a walk yesterday!! And have been logging food intake. After Tomlin had settled down and was sipping the last of his tea, Chris asked as gently as she could, "I have to ask .... where were you the night Maybelline died?" Anger flashed in his eyes .... only to be replaced by shame. "I was with friends .... not what you think!" added defensively. "Our courtship went so quickly that I didn't really have a stag party. So, we kinda had a last night guys-only night at the tavern." He looked morosely into his tea. "It got out of hand and ..... lasted a long time." Chris nodded her understanding and asked who he was with that night. Tomlin rattled off a list of names who were with him until dawn, and while they would certainly confirm his story, the paladin intended to ask a few of them what they knew about the events of that night. As Chris-Tien thanked Tomlin for his time and stood up, he cleared his throat and began quietly, "Before you go .... something has been tearing up my garden at night, leaving large, clawed prints in the soil ..." When Chris asked what he thought she could do about what was probably a badger, Tomlin continued, "Well, obviously, I'm a lover and not a fighter. Please? Can you just go look?" With a sigh, Chris agreed and headed for the back door of the cottage, her hand on her sword hilt.

Tomlin scoffed at Chris' question. "No one would want to harm her. Everyone loved her, and she loved everyone. Simple as that." "No one avoids rubbing someone the wrong way at some point," Chris-Tien began, trying to coax a more reasoned response out of the herbalist. He resisted at first, but fairly quickly sighed. Looking at Chris, he started, "You have to understand that these were not serious. Just, as you say, rubbing someone the wrong way ...." At the paladin's nod, he continued. "Maybelline and the mayor argued at little while back. I didn't hear what it was about. And .... " "Go on" "Solaine and I were lovers before she went on pilgrimage. When she got back and realized that I hadn't waited for her .... " he gave a shrug. "It was obviously a blow to her. She shut herself in the tower and barely comes out except for her priestly duties." Chris wanted to wipe the self-serving smile off the man's face, but she decided to redirect questioning. "Have you noticed anything strange around the town lately?" "No .... only that the wolves have been howling more lately. And seem closer to town." "Are they a threat?" the paladin asked, remembering her encounter with the pack just the day before. "Only to livestock ... although someone mentioned some strangers camping out by Emmet and Tilly's farm. Unless you're a druid like Roi, I'm not sure that would be a good idea." Tomlin's eyes flashed in anger. "Farmers have been complaining about thefts .... you don't think these strangers could have done this?" Chris raised a calming hand and assured the herbalist that she would check it out in due course.

Yea .... he's definitely up to something, the cad. LTL was definitely feeling better yesterday. No or low-grade fever, and his cough was much better. Still sleeping a lot and not drinking enough, but recoverying. Hubby tested negative. I had one of those results that is so frustrating with what looked like a very faint line. Since I was feeling pretty crappy, I called it positive. My SiL was able to take sick leave for the rest of the week and next. Daughter's college has had a bunch of students testing positive ... so everyone is understanding of doing recorded lectures and working remotely. Hubby did postpone his trip for next week, just in case. We did get LTL into the stroller for a walk yesterday. I didn't try to log intake in WW, but I did mark things in the appropriate categories for the MIND diet. I'm in the red/orange category of effort right now. Mostly feeling like I have a bad cold.

The herbalist's cottage was a riot of colors and scents, some familiar and some new to Chris-Tien. The hearth held a fire, banked low with a gently simmering cauldron over it. On a workbench sat a small filtering system, dripping an orange concoction into a vial. It looked neat and well-organized, with attractive touches that might have been the influence of Maybelline. A pot of water boiling over a burner began to whistle, and Tomlin grabbed a packet of herbs to toss into a teapot, followed by a pour of the hot water. He barely let it have a moment to steep before pouring the yellowish, bitter-smelling brew into two cups, handing one to Chris. He watched his guest with a bit too much interest, and so the paladin took her time sniffing the tea and sorting through her knowledge of herbs before deciding that the tinctiture was not only safe but probably very good for her. She took a careful sip of the still-hot liquid and nodded her appreciation. Tomlin smiled broadly. "Thanks. It's an old family recipe to increase stamina ...." he began and suddenly stopped, looking embarrassed. Chris raised an eyebrow and set her teacup aside. "So, what can you tell me about Maybelline? Did she have any one who would want to harm her??" So, we're working through getting everyone tested and resetting expectations of the next few days. Daughter and SiL are both positive. We've dodged it for more than three years, but we'll see what the test results are for us. Hubby was supposed to fly out for a business trip next week .... Hum ....

Thanks!! Turns out LTL has COVID. Since none of us have gotten the new booster, we'll be testing too. I'm not feeling well (neither is my daughter) .... so we'll do our best. Yesterday, I did get out for a walk after my daughter picked up LTL to take him to the doctor (his fever got worse ... hence the COVID test ... ruled out flu and strep, but COVID came up positive). Today, he stayed with us because he can't go to daycare right now. He actually did pretty well except for a low grade fever and a deep cough ... poor kid. We couldn't find the sun screen for him (in a different pocket of his bag than usual); so we didn't try to get a walk today. So, end of the day, I'll try to log what I ate with guestimates. We had takeout sandwiches for lunch and are getting takeout Indian for dinner.

I got back to the gym!!!! I increased the weight on the seated cable row to 65 pounds. I had to bring a dumbbell over because they don't seem to have any 5 pound increments on many of the machines. Also, bumped up the overhead press to 30 pounds for 2 of the 3 sets. LTL is running a fever .... so we'll see what today brings. I'm really hoping we can get outside for at least one walk .....

Chris looked over Tomlin's house in frank envy. As a fellow herbalist, the neat cottage's filled window boxes, trellises, and flowerbeds coaxed her to explore and identify the various plants that she could see in front .... and that peeked at her from the sides. She had the impression that the back of the cottage would include a substantial garden, where even more useful species would thrive. With a sigh, the paladin decided that good manners required that she try the front door before exploring the grounds. But she could hope that no one answered so that she would be required to walk around to the back, looking for the herbalist. At her brisk knock, muffled voices and the sound of heavy furniture being moved emerged from the house .... but then a brief silence settled. Chris was almost ready to knock again when the door flew open , revealing Tomlin and a young woman. Both were red-faced and had tousled hair. "I saw you at the funeral last night, didn't I?" Tomlin spoke first. "What can I do for you?" Jinn quickly explained her mission from the mayor, at which point the young woman quickly excused herself and started off. "Don't forget your medicine ...." Tomlin called out, grabbing a bundle of dried herbs from the nearby table. " ..... for your aunt." The young woman blushed and hurried off before Chris schooled her face to neutrality and asked who the woman was. She was investigating a murder, after all ..... "Oh, just routine, really .... " the herbalist started. "Just a young woman getting medicine for her poor, ill brother .... " "Aunt," Chris corrected him, eyebrow raised. "Ah, yes. Aunt ... won't you come in?"

Rome was awesome. We only had a day there and stayed in the old part of the city. Mostly, we saw the Vatican, the Pantheon, and the old Roman Forum .... with the sights in between. There's art EVERYWHERE, which just blew my mind. Great food. Pizza and gelato in Rome. Yum!!!

Always have loved my Keen shoes. I did 8 miles one day in Rome with those shoes .... in the old parts of the city with cobblestones.

Yea, although I am so sorry that you have a cold.

I am already looking forward to this day (again).

The next morning found Chris-Tien Jinn in the mayor's office, where the half-orc was no more congenial and not much more informative than at the Pickled Hen. The victim's body had been found in the city limits, torn apart as if by a bear or a wolf. When Chris pointed out that the most obvious answer was often the correct one, Mayor Anathram curtly dismissed the idea. "Roi keeps the woods around the town free of dangerous beasts ... or supernatural threats. No, this is something .... different, and our town militia is only really able to handle straightforward incidents, such as bandits or rustlers. We need someone from outside the town ... someone objective .... to ask questions and get to the bottom of this." Reluctantly, Chris agreed to take on the task. The mayor's offer of 320 gold didn't hurt, and the paladin had to assume that Jorge and Khrum had already left for Strixhaven without her. If she could find the culprit quickly, the gold might be enough to hire a competent cleric or wizard to get her to her destination without too much more loss of time. The mayor had recommended that she start her investigation with Tomlin. The local herbalist and fiance of the victim, Maybelline, was as good a place to start as any. By the light of day, Chris' first impression of Langston was reinforced by the quiet bustle of the locals, grieving but getting back to the routines of working life. As she passed by the inn, with a wagon filled with limp flowers left over from the funeral, the drunk from last night called out to her. "Hey, adventurer!! We're still watching you, don't ya know." As he turned away into his shop, several people on the street shook their heads in embarrassment before they turned back to their tasks. Something still seemed off about the whole town, and murmuring a short prayer, the paladin reached out to detect good and evil influences .... Suddenly a strobe of light and a rising hum filled Chris' head with piercing agony. There was good and evil here, warring with each other .... necromancy fighting against abjuration. Clearly there was much to learn about the goings on in Langston. The moment passed quickly, and with a final shake of her head to clear away the lingering pain, Chris headed toward the edge of town where the mayor said the herbalist's cottage would be. Today, after church, we went for a hike in a local state park. Only 2.5 miles, but there were some serious hills involved. It was totally worth the trip, however, because the leaves are turning .... it's a beautiful fall. Took some hits to the HP with lunch at the Chinese Buffet. We haven't been there for a while, and I was craving it.

🤣 You got your wish. A nice, older couple walking through one of the parks noticed the "passenger" was the sandbell and a dumbbell. They didn't think I was any less crazy after I explained that I was practicing so that I could run with my grandson. 5K with the loaded stroller (baby's weight plus water for him and me, the tire pump, and my running jacket .... which fits now!!! #NSV) was hard work. The stroller pulls slightly to the right when the front wheel is locked for running, and I was really glad to have taken the time to play around with weight distribution, wheel locked/unlocked, and running with one or both hands on the stroller. It also has a tether ... so that takes some getting used to as well.