Achieve the stars.

While in Vancouver, I asked Kristen, “Who’s the hottest character in Lord of the Rings?”

“Hmm… good question!”

Is it, though? I can’t even take credit: Zoée initiated it. I answered young Bilbo, but I’d forgotten about Aragorn. I hope that doesn’t mean Jordi will insist on me sitting through his annual LOTR marathon. I like the movies. They’re excellent movies. They’re fucking long, though, and I won’t be ready to commit to 12 hours of watching a stressed-out Frodo chase a ring anytime soon.

Jordi and I are also watching The X-Files. It’s not a show I watched when it was airing. I was a bit too young and alien-phobic when the series started. So far, the episodes are a hit or a miss. The makeup artistry is aggressively bad, except for the 2nd episode of the 2nd season. The show’s budget went towards their top-notch stunt drivers. Were Mulder’s collection of neckties intentionally ugly? I don’t know, but the truth is out there.

My latest accomplishment in Breath of the Wild is slaying my first Lynel. I was rewarded with a sweet bow that fires three arrows at once and hooves. So that I can make glue? No, to trade with one of the moaning fairies who’ll upgrade an item of clothing.

This is my latest real-life accomplishment…

It’s a (chaotic) quilted cover for an Ikea POÄNG chair. Rather than finish the quilt with straight stitches, I took it to someone with a long-arm quilting machine. I was initially disappointed to discover that the lady did not have a computerized machine. I didn’t want to be rude and go, “Oh, never mind.” The folks at the local fabric shop highly recommended her, so I let her freeform these topo-like squiggles on my quilt. I’m pleased with the end result!

I’m still mulling over my next project. Now that cycling season is here, I’ll have less time and energy for sewing projects. This morning, I did my first big group ride. Last Monday, I rode with a record of 6 people. Today, there must’ve been at least 20 people. I learned about “speed dating” in group riding half an hour before meeting with the group. There’s no wooing involved: we ride two abreast and rotate the pace line clockwise. I did not participate in this. Once we reached Tulista Park, we split up into two groups. My group did a single file pace line, which I am much more comfortable with.

Also, I had a follow-up appointment at the clinic on Thursday. For the first time in weeks, my blood pressure was checked. I avoided looking at the screen until the doctor urged me to look: it was almost normal.

ALMOST NORMAL!