Crafting, digging, and R3ing

Tinnin was a bust. What I learned? If it draws in someone it can do a free special move without gaining TP! This was on prominent display when he started using wrecking us one by one. Only in the aftermath of the massacre did I realize that I was the only White Mage in the alliance. Call me biast, but I think for a fight of that magnitude you'd need at least one per party. I really wanted Crazze to get that Tinnin fang too. It seems like it'll be a while before we get to fight a boss from that tier again. *sad face*

As for my other goals... cooking is up to 10 today. I need it at about 17 or so to start making the vegetable paste. I'm hoping to harvest a bunch of fire crystals in the next day or so. When that happens I'll continue to make tortillas like a madman until level 12 or so. After that, I dunno. I have to do some more research.

Woodworking is at 12 now, and I think that is as far as I'm going to take it. The recipe for the bug cages suggests level 14 but I think I'll risk it. Being a lumberjack in Jugner forest was fun for a while but I've gotten sick of it - mainly because the Logging points are so largely spaced apart. An observation I've had is that hatchets seem to be much sturdier than pickaxes. I've done a lot of mining and pickaxe breakage is pretty common. However I was able to cut a lot of lumber with just one stack of hatchets (and I still have 5 left.)

I'm all ready to make the bug cages but rattan lumber is a regional item from the Elshimo Uplands which is currently under beastmen control. I might actually use the last of my hatchet to log in the Uplands if only to get rid of the hatchets. Dogwood lumber? I think I'll just bite the bullet and buy them. The price has dropped slightly (but still overpriced in my opinion) and even if I managed to log Mamook to get dogwood, I wouldn't be able to turn them into lumber.

Chocobo digging has gone progressively well even though it's something to pass the time until I can start a new chocobo "for realz". Over the weekend I got a new chocograph that allows me to dig in "the dunes." I haven't dug there yet though as I'm trying to get the chocograph for Buribimu first. Today I dug up a dragon heart of all things. After looking it up at the auction house I find that it sells for 180k gil! Score! I guess that's a pretty rare Chocobo Hot and Cold item otherwise everyone would be digging the hell out of Pashhow Marshlands. Chocobo Hot and Cold has been mainly a small mini-game side activity that me and about 3 others on the server enjoy. The possibility of "phat lewtz" simply makes me more eager to get my daily dose of Hot & Cold.