Click here for week 5. If you want to (re-)read about Tessa and Ramon's uni years, simply click on the "Ramirez" label above this post.
The original Ramirez house is still inhabited by the original Ramirez family - although not in their original setup anymore: Checo Ramirez left his wife Lisa and daughter Tessa when he found his 3-bolt-love in Kristen Singles. They had a daughter together, Silvia Singles; she tragically died way too young, in a lightning-induced fire at uni, I think. Checo and Lisa stayed in touch and even had another child together, Ramon.
Many years ago, Checo died of old age.
For now, only Tessa and Lisa remain at the house. Tessa graduated Summa Cum Laude in History and reached her lifetime want when she became Game Designer some time ago.
Lisa originally wanted to have 20 best friends and was doing well, having already 12 best friends, when her LTW inexplicably changed: she now wants to be Criminal Mastermind. This is unreachable for her due to her age. I am trying to fulfill as many of her daily wishes as possible. Often, those wishes have something to do with her hobby, sewing, and so both Tessa and Lisa are always dressed in Lisa's creations.
Ramon, Tessa's brother, has recently graduated Summa Cum Laude in Economics. He dreams of having 6 pets reaching the top of their careers. As he started working towards his LTW early on, his pets are still here, waiting for him to return from uni.
This is Alabama. She already has reached the top of the Showbiz career and is currently working her way up the Service career path.
Roux, the cat, has already reached the tops of both the Service and is currently working in Showbiz.
I am trying to find out whether the LTW of 6 pets at the top of their careers means it has to be 6 pets, or whether 2 pets reaching 3 times the top of a career works, too.
As Tessa is on Permanent Platinum, I rarely control her. She often cleans on her own accord, as is the case early this Monday morning.
As soon as the sun is up, Ramon arrives home from uni. Lisa is happy to welcome her son back.
Roux is promoted to Star - that's the top of the Showbiz career. As he has done before, Ramon rings Roux's work place and immediately signs her off. Now Roux can enjoy a well-deserved day of rest before Ramon will sign her up for her next job.
"Well done, sweetie!"
Meanwhile, Tessa is demoted due to the wrong decision with a chance card. It doesn't really matter since she is on PP anyway.
To celebrate his return to his childhood home, Ramon invites his best friend, Sirius Swain. Tessa has made chili con carne on her own initiative, and for the first time in years, the Ramirez family are enjoying a meal together again. Ramon thinks how his mother has visibly aged while he was away, and Sirius has noticed it, too.
Tessa begins Tuesday morning by browsing her favourite gaming sites on the computer in her bedroom.
Lisa cleans the cat toilet.
Too late I remember that the family have employed a gardener, but it certainly does Ramon no harm to take care of some gardening - he does not work, after all, but spends most of his time looking after his beloved dog and cat.
In the afternoon, newly-weds Jacqueline (nee Jacquet) and Gallagher Newson come visiting.
Maybe you remember that Tessa has only had one true love in her life so far: Sally Riley. To Sally, the affair with Tessa meant a step further towards reaching her LTW; to Tessa, it meant a lot more. While she has never started anything serious with another man or woman after Sally, she still seems to have a preference for her own sex. But Jacqueline is off limits, and Tessa does not really act on her 2-bolt-attraction.
Ramon teaches Roux to Stay. She does not actually need it for promotion right now, but it was Ramon's wish to teach her anyway.
Speaking of wishes, Lisa - a Knowledge Sim - has been wanting to see a ghost for a while now. Where better to go for that than New Maximiliania's cemetery, Gamesend Grounds?
As you can see, there are rows and rows of tombs, all of them of former Maxis-made playables (and a few NPCs who fell victim to various cow plants dotted around the neighbourhood). Checo Ramirez' tomb is also here.
But in spite of Lisa waiting around for a few hours, not one single ghost appears. She does meet some other residents of New Max, but all of them are very much alive. She drives home eventually without having fulfilled her wish.
Does anyone know whether there are certain conditions at a cemetery in order for ghosts to appear?
Alabama is promoted to Rescue Pet - that's the fourth top of a career for Ramon's pets.
On Thursday morning, Lisa puts on a different dress prepares a platter of chips. What for?
Her friends are invited over - she has been wanting to throw a party, and since there is nothing else for her to do today, I go along with it. Jason Greenman is here, as are Desdemona Capp, Kevin Beare, Ophelia Nigmos, Daisy Jacquet (nee Greenman) and Jacqueline Newson (nee Jacquet).
Lisa enjoys spending time with all of her guests, and the party is a great success.
Friday, however, is a different story. Lisa wakes up unwell, and the bad coughing fits do not leave her for the whole day.
Alabama has been promoted to Guard Pet - I made the mistake of signing her up in the Service career once more. Hopefully, her reaching eventually the top of that career again will still count towards Ramon's LTW.
Lisa can't even have a meal without being interrupted by a coughing fit.
In the end, her short illness proves to be fatal. Just as she is working at another Charisma skill point, a ghostly figure - although not the kind she wished to see earlier in the week - appears next to her. Lisa dies at the age of 75.
Now she is a ghost herself. Her urn is moved to the cemetery. I have not yet decided whether to place her tomb next to that of her husband (they never were divorced) or not.
Ramon grieves the loss of his mother. He is glad, though, that they had at least some time together after his graduation, and that she did not die while he was still at uni.
Tessa and her mother were very close, too.
The telescope was one of the last wishes fulfilled for Lisa. Ramon uses it for the first time on Saturday morning before sunrise.
Roux is promoted to Therapy Pet.
Not much else happens on Saturday. On Sunday morning, Ramon is once again at the telescope, while Roux tries to catch fireflies.
Summer is over, and Ramon changes into one of the suits his late mother made for him.
The gardener is here today, and Ramon works quietly along although it is actually not necessary.
Even less necessary is the generous tip Tessa gives him. But money is not an issue for the Ramirez siblings.
To end the week on a happier note, Ramon asks his friends over again: Sirius Swain and young Newsons.
Will Tessa and Ramon stay single forever, or find love late in their lives? How is my plan for Ramon's LTW going to work out?
Only a few Sims still live in apartment buildings in my game; I got fed up with the bugs that inevitably seem to crop up after a while of playing such lots, and moved most of them out.
Here, though, we still have two playable Sims renting, and we're going to spend one week with one of them:
Jasmine Rai.
You probably remember her from her uni days; she used to be "in a band" with Zoe Zimmerman and Gunnar Roque. After graduation, she worked on her lifetime want of becoming Rock Goddess, and reached that goal a while ago.
Ever since she's been on Permanent Platinum, I am only controlling her actions occasionally, such as when it comes to paying the rent and the bills, or greeting other New Maximilians as they walk by.
On this Monday morning, Jasmine wakes up still (or again) feeling ill.
She spends the morning in her bathrobe, first writing her diary...
...and then watching the fish in the aquarium in the entrance hall of the building.
Friend and colleague Hermia Capp comes home from work with her.
At 6.00 pm, Jasmine turns into an elder. You can guess what'll happen next, don't you?
She moves to the Senior Residence, where she joins three other residents: The O'Feefes (Delilah and Kevin, formerly Beare) and Beatrice Monty.
It does not take long for Jasmine to discover the poker table! There, she plays for hours with Delilah O'Feefe and guest Stacy Stacks. Hermia Capp has somehow come along, too.
By the way, it is Wednesday here when I enter the lot. So we have skipped Tuesday, but I am still going to make sure I'll play Jasmine for 7 days.
Kevin and Bea are very good friends (but nothing more) and often talk, share a joke or engage in their old school cheer.
Bea is the eldest here right now at 65, Delilah and Kevin are 60.
A funny scene: Autonomously and independently of each other, Bea and Kevin went into different rooms at the residence, each relaxing on a bed, each doing exactly the same at the same moment :-) The wall between the two rooms means they did not see each other, and usually, I take pictures with the walls up, but I left it down for this picture to show you.
Delilah still misses their old friend Juliette Davis (nee Capp), who died some time ago here at the Senior Residence peacefully of old age. Her portrait shows her as she was in her prime, married to Aldric Davis.
On this Wednesday, Gary Greenman walks by and is greeted by Delilah.
Later, all four current residents gather round the poker table.
On Thursday morning, Jasmine does a spot of housework, cleaning up one of several old newspapers...
A surprise visit from Gunnar Roque, former band member with Jasmine in "The Shifting Paradymes", reminds the elderly people of their uni days.
Desdemona Capp follows a little later.
It seems Jasmine is still most happy when she can go to work and feels that she has a purpose, like here on Friday morning. Well, she could take on the gardening as a purpose, but she does not seem to be interested in what is becoming a monumental task.
On Saturday, Kevin is nearly starving when he gets up. No need to tell you that there is plenty of food in the fridge.
Eventually, he manages to get something for himself and anyone else who cares to leave the poker table long enough. It's funny how he and Beatrice eat at different tables. Maybe they do not want to make Delilah, Kevin's wife, jealous of their closeness as friends?
I have no idea why Georgia Newson should be angry with any of the residents here, but she kicks over the trash can as she walks by.
Bea greets Gerlinde Gavigan, who has recently graduated from uni and moved back to New Max.
Jasmine comes home from work just in time to greet Pleasant Servo Capp.
Later, she looks at the portraits of the Burbs. Jennifer moved here after her husband died, and lived here until her own death some years ago.
On Sunday, Kevin greets Beau Broke.
Jasmine cleans up the dirty dishes on her own accord.
She even cleans the stove...
...and one of the toilets off the community room.
Beau has been out in the garden during a thunderstorm and was struck by lightning. Hardly surprising, he left a moment after this picture was taken.
On Monday, General Buzz Grunt comes visiting.
In the afternoon, Beatrice greets Deirdre Dreamer, another recent graduate who has moved back to New Maximiliania.
The garden is a total mess by now. Nobody seems to have any inclination to do something about it.
Much to my surprise, Deirdre starts to pull weeds on her own accord.
Jasmine has just come back from work. Deirdre's example must have spurned her on, because she starts to tackle the overgrown hedge.
She does not stop until late into the night, when urgent physical needs make her put the shears aside and go to her rooms.
Will anyone else join her in her efforts of getting the weeds under control? Who will be next to move in with the current four residents? Are Bea and Kevin going to take their close friendship to the next level, or will Kevin stay loyal to Delilah?
