Jorbs: Learning by Cooking...and Sewing, and Enchanting, and Making Bandages

I thought I was just playing, but James asked me how my cooking and first aid were coming along. A few days later, he offered me some wool to make wool bandages and rejoiced as to how he could do that now. Somewhere in there he told me to think of it as my job.

=bing, bing, bing= That was the sound of the alarm going off. Or maybe it should have sounded more like =doh! doh! doh!=

Yes, cooking, enchanting, tailoring, and first aid, are all my chosen professions. They are, indeed, my jobs. What does that mean? They are my responsibilities. When I am in a raiding party and people need me to heal them, I will need to have cooked food that replaces health and mana; I will need to have at the ready, bandages to heal health, preferrably the highest possible quality of bandages.

James explained a few things he's figured out. First of all, loot everything. I was beginning to value bag space over dropped items I couldn't use right away. So rather than pick up a hunk of boar meat, with which I might later cook, I would leave it so I'd have room to pick up the two-handed broad sword I could sell. Actually the broad sword should not always just be sold when it can be disenchanted, creating various reagents for use in enchanting. That's my jorb too.

Second, store food wares in the bank. When you're in IF you can get them out and have yourself a little cook fest. This also keeps these items out of your loot bags, accomplishing my goal of leaving space for other fine lootables.

Third, remember to see your profession trainer regularly. Actually, one of my guild party members reminded me of this lately. He asked how my enchanting was coming along and I said I seemed to be stuck at 75/75. He said, oh, you need to stop seeing the beginning trainer and start seeing the expert trainer. Another, DOH! moment. (And, btw, moving up in the community of enchanting practice.)

At first I was put off by having to be conscious of these professions and take care of business. It was starting to feel like homework and school. I had to learn this stuff. But actually, the feeling went away pretty quickly. I *did* want to be able to help my raiding party, and even myself (I have self-bandaged more than once on every quest). And besides, the way you learned was by doing it. Let me repeat that for Mr. Dewey's ghost to enjoy: the way you learned was by doing it. To learn more tailoring, use the tailoring opportunities available to you, and when you see your trainer, s/he will grant you new skills based on your experience. Same with cooking, with enchanting, and with first aid.

For a while I was a bit amused by the food and bandages I was producing. What should I do with all this crap? I kept relying on spells and rest to heal myself after battle, and then I saw some folks doing raids and realized they relied more on bandages and food to heal than on spells. Spells were precious cause they get used up and have to recharge sometimes. Spells were for in the heat of battle.

It took me longer to realize the value of tailoring. I mean, the clothes I was able to make were always offering armor or other protection and power that was well below what i was outfitted with already. I figured I could give this stuff to my lower ranked buddies, or at least the ones who wore cloth. =sigh= But suddenly I realized I had a home industry. I could sell this stuff and tradesmen would give me money. Now we're talking.

As for enchanting, I figured that one out myself. When I disenchant things I get some of the needed ingredients for enchanting objects. And, I need to use those enchanting opportunities in order to raise my ranks. Sometimes this means enchanting the same bracers over and over, as I had learned to do, and as one of my guild members joked.

You'll notice, I hope, that everything I've learned I've learned through two processes:

doing it ... with help from others.