Mitch Indie: Week 2

- - - Update 5.1.2013 - - - Monday morning of his 2nd week in New Maximiliania will see Mitch back at work for the first time since Isabella's birth. Because he wants to be "there" in spite of his absence, he puts up his photograph above her crib (he had that in his inventory; I can't remember where and when it was taken). Of course he has called the service agency and asked for them to send a Nanny over before he would leave for the day.

There is something else he has to do: Say good-bye to Melody Tinker. During the previous week, he had thought she was "the One" for him - but somehow, they are now back to two bolts instead of three. Also, in the meantime I found out that Melody's college sweetheart was Romeo Monty. Good job I did not have those two move in with each other! They will probably always have a soft spot for each other, but it is agreed that they will downgrade their relationship from lovers to "just friends". He has, by the way, now 3 bolts for Jill Smith - although they are not even friends yet!

The nanny is here by the time Mitch leaves for work.

He returns with a promotion to High School Teacher. A good start into the new week, it seems!

Grateful for her services, he tips the nanny generously.

She leaves, and he sits down for a bowl of comfort soup; poor Mitch seems to be forever struggling with either a flu or a cold, or both.

Tuesday starts with a very early nappy change.

Because he still has plenty of time before going to work, Mitch tries to boost his fun meter by playing on the computer. He can't stop thinking about what he really longs for: getting engaged and married, so that he can be a proper family with little Isabella.

The nanny takes care of more than just the baby; she also cleans up the apartment while Mitch is at work.

When he comes home, he proudly announces his promotion to University Guest Lecturer.

The nanny finishes cleaning the bathroom before she leaves for today.

Meanwhile, Mitch has invited some friends for a party: Jill Smith (who is not yet his friend, but fortunately agreed to come to the party nonetheless), Max Flexor, his former housemate from uni, Edwin Sharpe...

...Ellen Frost, Heather Huffington and Patricia Cooke. What is the party for? To celebrate his promotions?

No - it is little Isabella's birthday!

Everybody gathers round, cheering the baby on, when Mitch blows out the candles with her.

Isabella is now a toddler, and I wonder how Mitch is going to cope with her needs now!

Wednesday morning, Isabella wakes up very early, and her very bleary-eyed Dad...

...takes her to her potty. He does not even attempt to clear up the mess from yesterday's party, hoping that the nanny will do that for him while he is at work.

Before his carpool arrives, the landlord rings his doorbell and complains about the dirty apartment. Apparently, the other tenants in the building have been reporting the smell coming from his place.

Oh no, Mitch thinks desperately, how am I going to survive today at work? I am tired, hungry, need a shower, my flat is in a mess, my little daughter needs me, and now my landlord is mad at me!

The nanny clears away the stale birthday cake and looks after Isabella, but apart from that, she does not do much today.

Therefore, once Mitch is home, whatever he tries to do (take Isabella to her potty, for instance, have a shower, eat something...), he is constantly interrupted by the other tenants from the building ringing his doorbell to complain about the stench. He tries to influence them to help with the cleaning, but they disappear into their apartments every time before he can talk to them.

This keeps happening all through the night.
(I have not had this happen before in my game, and it was very annoying! Of course, I could have simply deleted the dirty dishes, but that would have been cheating, and I much prefer playing without cheats - it is more of a challenge.)

Poor Mitch does not get any sleep, and his daughter is never taken to her potty that night.

Finally, Mitch has an idea - if the nanny is no longer capable of dealing with the housework, someone else will be: he hires a butler for the next day. Money is not a problem, only time is!

On Thursday, things go on pretty much as bad as the day before. Mitch is awaken early by Isabella crying in her crib.

The doorbell rings with yet another tenant complaining about the smell. Mitch is so tired he can't even think straight.

Hardly surprising then that he falls asleep in the bathroom!

Finally, the butler arrives. The first thing he does is prepare breakfast for his new employer. Meanwhile, Mitch desperately tries to teach Isabella how to use her potty - if only he wasn't in such a bad state himself! (You can tell by looking at his bright red plumbbob, can't you!)

There is no way Mitch can go to work today. He drags himself back to bed, confident that the butler will know his job - and that of the nanny, too, who he has dismissed.

Almost all of his needs are in bright red, and after a short nap, Mitch falls asleep again over his dinner of yet another bowl of comfort soup - he is still struggling with a cold.

On Friday, Mitch has finally had enough rest to go back to work. The butler feeds Isabella and then puts her back into her crib so that she won't play with the toilet all the time while he does the housework. For a couple of hours, she quietly plays there.

But then she gets bored and loudly cries for attention. By that time, her Dad is just getting home from work.

He still needs to catch up with his own needs and tries to raise his fun-meter by observing the ants while the butler serves him a meal.

Finally, it is Saturday - Mitch does not have to go to work today. He has slept like a log, and feels well enough to invite his newfound 3-bolt-lady Jill Smith over. They have had a long phone conversation the night before, and she greets him with a hug.

When he kisses her hand, Jill seems to be melting away :-) Even the mail carrier is happy for Mitch - she knew he was in a bad state almost all week, and it is time for the events to take a turn for the better.

Mitch and Jill toast their young friendship (and more...) with a glass of champagne.

Jill is serious when she tells Mitch that she always dreamt of meeting a man like him.

This time, Mitch knows better than to throw another birthday party, and so Isabella grows up from toddler to child quietly in the bedroom. Mitch really did what he could and taught her to use her potty and to walk, but never got round to teaching her to talk. I think Isabella is the only child in all of New Max who never learnt all her toddler skills before growing up.

Sunday morning, Mitch still thinks of the kiss he shared with Jill when they said good-bye last night. Isabella discovers how much fun it is to observe ants.

Jill is invited over again, and Mitch hopes that she and Isabella will get along well. His daughter starts talking about magic - but Jill is clearly not interested. Uh-oh, that does not look very promising for their future together!

However, as soon as Isabella starts telling Jill a story about computers, things go greatly between the woman and the girl.

And finally, while the two ladies he loves most have a friendly waterballoon fight outside, Mitch has time to do some skilling - for the first time this week! He has not forgotten his LTW of becoming Education Minister. Not even the noisy neighbours deter him from his studies.

Isabella remembers well how her Daddy taught her how to walk!

By Sunday evening, Jill and Mitch are firmly in love with each other.

After another difficult week (I really expected either the Social Worker to come and take Isabella away, or Mitch to die from exhaustion and starvation, or both!), finally things are looking up for Mitch! Is he going to move in with Jill Smith? How is Isabella going to get on at school? When is Mich going to be promoted next?