The Giekes: Update 27.06.2015

The Giekes' house looks exactly like we've left it last round - more than a year ago.

The Giekes themselves, too, look just like we last saw them. But.. something has changed: Tara's lifetime want! Do you remember how at the end of their previous week I realized I had not used the chance to throw an anniversary party and thus fulfill Tara's LTW?
Well... I was determined to do it this week, but found out that she now wants to earn 100.000 Simoleons! It is so unlikely to achieve that at her age (59) that I won't even try. Chester, on the other hand, is still set on becoming Education Minister and needs just one more promotion for that. However, he'll need 4 friends, something Tara will take care of.

Of Tara's original three cats, two are still alive: Sam is now 35...

...and Faline, who was only a kitten when the game began, is 31.

It is Thursday (for some unknown reason, this has always been the starting day at this house), and we indeed find Tara on the phone, working on those friendships in order for her beloved 3-bolt-husband to reach his big goal.

        Glenda Greenman walks by...

        ...and later Paola Picaso.

        After Chester returns from work, the couple relax on the bed, relating the day's events.

       Friday morning sees Mr. and Mrs. Gieke in the kitchen/dining area downstairs.       

When Chester has left for work, Tara starts on the cat-related housework.      

There is always something to do.

       The Giekes could well afford the repair service, but they have enough time and energy to fix broken household and sanitary appliances themselves.

        On Saturday morning before sunrise, Chester is out fishing at the pond.

        Something very unusual happens later that day: Both cats die peacefully of old age at nearly the same time.

       To distract herself from her sadness (and also to maintain existing friendships), Tara invites as many of her friends over as possible. Here are Trisha Traveller, Jason Greenman and Shaun Singles...

        ...while one of the Capp PlantSims, Gary Greenman, Carla Reamon, Jodie Larson and Benedick Monty approach the house from the other side.

        Chester grills freshly caught catfish for everyone. There is also a platter of appetizers waiting for the guests.

        Everybody enjoys sitting under the umbrellas near the pond, having fresh fish and catching up with each other.

        The party lasts well into the night.

        [On their own initiative, Erin Singles and Chester start singing a Sea Shanty. Carla, who remembers the song well from her native Twikii Island, and Trisha, who travelled the world before moving to New Maximiliania, happily join in..

        Sunday morning sees the beginning of autumn. Last night's party was a farewell to summer, it seems. Tara dresses in something more suitable for the cooler temperatures.

       Her husband does the same.

        Daisy Jacquet and her adoptive daughter Jacqueline are invited over today. Tara is determined to make Daisy the last friend her husband needs for his final promotion.

        Although it is now autumn, the afternoon is still sufficiently warm and sunny for the three ladies to have some delicious berry cake al fresco.

        Daisy becomes Tara's friend, and Chester returns home as New Maximiliania's new Education Minister. At 66, he has now reached his LTW, and I will not control him anymore.

        Very early on Monday morning, Tara wants to catch fireflies. I really don't like my Sims catching butterflies or fireflies, but because Tara won't ever reach her LTW, I try and make as many of her short-term wishes come true as possible. As soon as this picture was taken, I had her release the fireflies.

       I get so bored with her (sorry, Tara!) during the day, now that she has no cats to take care of and no friendships to establish, that I send her for a spin in the family car.

       In the afternoon, Edwin Sharpe is greeted by Chester.

       On Tuesday, Tara wants to go hiking. Upon her return, she is chased by an angry swarm of bees.

        A little experiment reveals something the programmers obviously did not think about: You know how your Sims can not burn piles of leaves while it is raining, and a tree that has caught fire after being struck by lightning is extinguished by rain, right? But Sims can light a log fire without a problem, and the flames are not put out by the rain.

        The last day of our week with the Giekes, Wednesday, has arrived. Once again, Tara wants to go on a hike, and once again, she is met with the angry bees upon her return.
In spite of her LTW having changed to wanting to earn 100.000 Simoleons, she does not roll a single money-related wish all week. Instead, most of her wants either involve her husband, or nature.

        The week ends with Chester being 70 and Tara 66 years old.
It looks as if they'll stick around for another round - who knows, Tara may even have changed her LTW yet again next time we visit here!

The Gavigan Twins' Freshman Year

New Maximiliania's population has shrunk so much during the last and this round that there are only a handful students here. This dorm at Sim State Uni has 8 rooms, but some of them have been taken over by NPC students, since there aren't enough playable students to fill them all. How different was the situation before!

Our newcomers for this round are Gesine and Gerlinde Gavigan, whose family we have just spent a Sim-week with. Who are the students already living here?

Deirdre Dreamer, a Sophomore...

...Nigel Newson, in his Senior year...

...Ramon Ramirez, another Senior...

...and Sirius Swain (pictured here with two of the resident NPC students), the only Junior this round.
For the first time since the beginning of New Maximiliania, all my playable students were born in-game. Most of the original young adult students are elders now, some have even died of old age.

The first thing Gesine does after having claimed a room on the top floor next to her sister is getting on the workout machine.

Gerlinde is more sociably minded and starts getting to know her fellow residents in the common room.

Sometimes, the girls seem a bit at a loss with what to do; they have led such busy lives back home, with school, household duties and helping their parents at the gallery. So far, they have not made friends with any of the other students.

This young man certainly would like to be friendly with either girl, but the look of shock on Gerlinde's and the expression of total disinterest on Gesine's face speak volumes!

On their second day at uni, Gerlinde rolls Physics as her preferred major.

Gesine wants to focus on Biology.

Just as Deirdre and Gerlinde have a chat about arts and crafts, Nigel returns from his final exam. He has just graduated, but strangely, the game does only say "graduated" and gives his average (3.6) without adding "cum laude" or "summa cum laude" or similar.

Nigel's guests at his graduation party include, of course, Ginger Newson and her children, Nelson and Nellie.

As it happens often with parties, the guests soon split up in groups. One group chooses Gesine's room as their hang-out.

Nigel leaves campus for good. We will meet him again later on during this round.

You already know my policy of playing student households: As soon as a student has acquired the necessary skills and written their term paper, I do not control them anymore. The one exception is that I have each of them make at least one phone call each day to a friend or family member back in the main hood, in order to maintain their existing relationships.Now that Gesine is left pretty much to her own devices, she proves her good upbringing and can often be seen cleaning.

One day, she has overdone it with the working out and is so tired that she doesn't make it to her room. Instead, she passes out on the floor in front of Deirdre's room. But don't worry, I woke her up after a while and sent her to bed.

The coach makes her appearance and orders Deirdre (who is indeed very unfit) to work out.

Gerlinde and Gesine finish their first semester and return from their exams at the same time as Deirdre.

Ramon Ramirez is a neat freak and is always busy cleaning, when he has nothing better to do.

I don't think I've shown you yet which rooms the Gavigan girls chose. This is Gesine's room...

...and this is Gerlinde's, just next door.

One morning, the dorm cook sets fire not to the stove but to himself. Good job there are sprinklers at the ceiling!

The dorm has many possibilities for having fun - a huge TV, chess board, computers, stereo (to name but a few), but Sirius sometimes prefers playing in the bath tub above all else.

Ramon has been carrying around some excess weight for most of the year and finally decides (on his own accord!) to do something about it. His reward is obvious :-)

Gerlinde and Gesine rarely manage to have their meals together, but if they do, they are always happy to talk about life at university.

Ramon has graduated and invites friends and family over. Here are Perseida Powers and Martina Martin...

...as well as his mother, Lisa Ramirez, and older sister Tessa. Sorry - I should know who the Alien girl is, but can't remember her name right now!

The party is a good occasion for Tessa to return to campus for a few hours. She really enjoyed her college years.

Ramon leaves for New Maximiliania, where the next chapter of his life is waiting for him.

The Gavigan twins have successfully completed their Freshman Year.
Who is going to move to the dorm next? Is there ever going to be a time again when I'll have eight playables fill the dorm?