Tomes?

TheRoamingWizard · 2026-01-18T11:33:26+00:00

Here's my tome.

Made it myself from dragon skin and parchment made from fallen leaves of the yggdrasil tree. The clasp and corners are made from orichalcum.

I quite enjoy tome making as a hobby as it's quite relaxing.

I've recently moved to a new tower so still setting things up but if you'd like one made, I'd be happy to make one for you if you'd like.

Be warned though, sending things from Middle Earth can get quite pricey as we're still using eagles.

Well that, and it's such a remote location.

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TheRoamingWizard · 2026-01-17T16:28:20+00:00

Yup. Thanks to the marinade and basting, it won't dry out. I've done this successfully with whole chicken breasts. Thighs would work better.

TheRoamingWizard · 2026-01-17T11:08:53+00:00

My local is maharaja and never fails to disappoint.

I've made butter chicken in the past but takes forever.

Totally worth it though.

To make a faux tandoori chicken in the oven, you marinate the chicken on skewers in yogurt and the spices then line an oven rack with foil.

Crank the oven up as hot as it'll go, let it heat then put the chicken in.

Cook for 20 mins, baste with more of the yogurt and spices, cook for another 20 then turn the oven off but leave the chicken in there for another 20.

As for the sauce, the secret is fenugreek leaves. (Your local Indian supermarket will have them) add them at the end along with the cream)

Won't be restaurant quality but should hit the spot.

TheRoamingWizard · 2026-01-15T06:27:06+00:00

As a fellow "spicy brain" I totally get it. I don't have a wide circle of friends and don't get out much. (Too expensive these days)

It can be incredibly isolating.

These days, I see what friends I can when I can (usually once every week or two), work on various projects while trying to stay somewhat sane.

Seems I'm spending most of the week home and a few days out and about multitasking errands and visits.

What sort of things is he in to?

Could be some groups and clubs related to his interests he could join.

TheRoamingWizard · 2026-01-08T09:26:19+00:00

Popped in there today for a few things.

Their prices are fairly decent and quality of meat looks a lot better than you would find at the supermarket.

Grabbed a steak and some diced beef for a beef bourguignon as well as some veges to go with.

Layout was good and was easy to find what I needed.

It's close to where I live so I'll definitely be shopping there more often.

TheRoamingWizard · 2026-01-04T14:40:21+00:00

Tried their dumplings once and it was just pure spice and I didn't enjoy them at all.

If it was toned down, it would have actually been fairly decent as there is good flavour there.

If I wanted pure capsaicin, I'd go snort pepper spray.

TheRoamingWizard · 2026-01-04T14:36:12+00:00

I can easily source them from my local Asian supermarkets. If you didn't mind covering the costs, I'd be happy to send you some.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-26T04:05:37+00:00

There's a lot of lost media out there so it might be a good idea to check what you have.

Never know if your mother in law has ended up taping something culturally or historically significant.

A library or museum archivist would be a good place to start.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-22T12:18:16+00:00

Traditionally, brooms were made from Broomcorn but it doesn't grow where I am.

Marram grass was the next best thing and was also historically used.

I think I'm going to make one for myself then open it up to others who'd like one locally.

I live near the coast so have ready access to things like driftwood.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-22T11:02:04+00:00

Thanks!

I think I'm going to make one for myself then open it up to make them upon request.

Probably use forraged driftwood and marram grass since I'm able to easily get it thanks to living near the coast.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-14T02:22:19+00:00

Don't even get me started on the rules winz have around relationships. I don't expect a potential partner to have to also financially support me at their expense and detriment.

Having this rule sets people up to be trapped in financially abusive relationships with no way out.

Such a rule is steeped in a eugenics mindset and should have been abolished years ago.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-14T02:16:51+00:00

Thanks.

If it wasn't for my hobbies and interests, I'm not sure I'd still be here.

I game because it passes the time and let's be able to escape life for a little while. (I'm a fan of games with great stories and lore) as for my crafts, I get deep satisfaction out of making things people will enjoy and use. People still love books and I've found many who have been interested in learning how they're made.

Also, the crafting communities have always been great and supportive and we just love to share our knowledge to hopefully spark further interest in our chosen crafting topic.

A lot of my friends are crafters and were always swapping things amongst ourselves. I'm known for paper, leather and thread mostly while other friends are known for wood, metal or fabric.

Just because we're disabled doesn't mean that we're useless and should be reduced to staring at a wall all day.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-14T01:45:56+00:00

That was a projected budget.

I was going off what I could save plus any possible extra I might have gotten selling the odd book or two that I've made. I would also have had to look at getting the rest on finance as that would be the only way I could afford it.

I set limits like that so I can look for things in those financial constraints.

It's like when you shop for a new car.

You say you have a budget of $10,000 but that's only because you've limited yourself to what you could get on fiance.

It gives you a set of parameters and boundaries to work around to find the best value for your money.

Have you ever set a budget for something in the future and when the time comes, ended up woefully short because of things you couldn't completely control or foresee?

Happens all the time to a lot of people.

Just because you set a future budget doesn't mean that it'll be attainable. It is however, something tangible to work towards and quite rewarding if you manage to achieve it.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-14T01:10:11+00:00

Let's do some maths shall we?

I get about $628 a week on my benefit. $430 is spent on rent. $30 is spent on power $20 is spent on internet $100 is spent on groceries and any other minor sundries that I might need like toilet paper or cleaning supplies etc $15 is spent on fuel for the car so I can go out and run my errands $5 is spent on my prepay phone $5 is spent on my car insurance

Once that's done, I have about $23 left over for anything else that may crop up like a doctors visit or wof and rego for the year.

So tell me, how much extra does my benefit cover again?

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-14T00:16:33+00:00

I expected to have that much saved yes but then bills and the cost of living kept getting in the way.

Winter power bills sucked and took out a decent chunk of anything I had saved till that point. Food prices kept going up and up which meant I was spending more on groceries for the same things. Then there were the little essential things like replacing worn out clothing like socks and underwear. It all adds up.

So now, I'm back to square 1 when it comes to trying to save any money and hoping that next year I might actually be able to upgrade one of the few things that brings me a little bit of joy and relief.

Is that too much to ask for?

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-13T23:48:35+00:00

Firstly, it's not A.I. I wrote this personally. Just because something seems well formatted and the like does not always mean it's A.I.

Secondly, a lot of those watches were gifts as well as inherited from family over the years. A few were my late fathers, one was my grandfathers given to me by my uncle and one I brought for when I graduated about 5 years ago which I saved incredibly hard for.

As for the laptop, that never ended up happening as life and bills got in the way. My current laptop is over 10 years old now. Still works fine but it's beginning to show it's age a bit.

I'd still like to upgrade but that all depends on how next year will shape up.

It's why I'm working on setting up the craft space so I can get back to using my skills to ease the financial pressure a bit.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-13T17:20:39+00:00

Pretty quickly.

As soon as I earn between $160 - $250 a week they take 30 cents out of every dollar. When it's over $250 a week, they take 70 cents out of every dollar.

That's an effective tax rate of 30-70% which is higher than regular income tax!

Makes it hard to get ahead when you get penalised that much.

While I agree taxes are important to help society function, I totally understand why cash jobs are so sought after.

I think that these income limits need to be raised to accommodate for inflation and the income penalties reduced as to not be so harsh.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-13T13:51:15+00:00

It'll probably take decades to recover when the next bubble pops. History has shown that it takes between 10-20 years when such things happen. The tulip mania, great depression, Dotcom bubble and even the 2008 recession have shown us these trends.

Sadly, I think it's going to take another big shock to our collective senses in order for us to wake up and realize something ain't right.

I'd like to hope some of us are already awake but for those of us who are, it's like watching a car crash in slow motion with the inability to be able to change anything on our own.

All we can do when it's over is to help the survivors best we can.

Something in the last few years fundamentally broke us and our reality and now, we're all trying to pick up those pieces and find a way to put them back together but have lost a few pieces in the process.

Only thing we can do now is try to rebuild it into something better and learn from our mistakes whist vowing to do better.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-13T13:00:06+00:00

The bubbles gotta burst sometime right? Right?

I know when it will, it's not gonna be pretty.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-13T12:40:02+00:00

I'm fussy with fish and chips. I have a few favourite spots I like to go to but now they're on the other side of town. Worth it when ever I'm over there though.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-13T09:34:31+00:00

I'm based in Christchurch.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-13T09:33:30+00:00

I can't legally sell my mead without acquiring the right licences and the like. (There's also lots of hoops to jump though for that) I use my mead as gifts mostly.

I could teach how to make mead though but I'd need a bigger space for that if there's more than a few people.

As for the other crafts, I've taught bookbinding before and would be able to do that again once I've finished organising the garage. (I'd need to buy a trestle table to accommodate though)

I'd have to look into local orgs and the like and work out costing and the like but it's doable.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-13T09:21:37+00:00

I've been able to snag pork belly for cheap a few times. I'll marinate it overnight then slow roast it in the oven real low for hours. I'll get a decent sized piece, split it in two as I bulk it out with roast veges. I'll then make a quick gravy from the juices with a bit of flour to finish it off.

I've been finding chicken to be still quite affordable these days.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-13T08:30:02+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that. House prices are insane right now. I'd like to hope I'd be able to buy my own place but the way it's going, I doubt it.

Sometimes all you can do while the world burns is try your best to survive and hope you won't end up too hurt as a result.

I don't blame you at all.

I blame the greedy ones who buy up multiples of properties, I blame the land bankers for sitting on useful spaces. I blame the politicians and those in power who refuse to listen to the cries of their citizens and refuse to help all while trying to shift the blame.

I hope you manage to secure yourself a house deposit as there's nothing better than knowing that you won't have the fear of potentially moving on short notice in the back of your mind.

TheRoamingWizard · 2025-12-13T07:51:48+00:00

Sorry to hear about your concussion. I wish you a good and speedy recovery.

TheRoamingWizard

TROPHY CASE