Broke-Aspir - Week 8

Here we are back again at the Aspir house. Why? Well, Benvenuto Broke moved in only towards the end of the week and so did not get the chance to be played a full week.

Of course, nothing has changed during the brief time we spent at other households. Benvenuto and Pauline only just got married, and are happily settling into life as Mr and Mrs Broke.

On this Monday morning, Benvenuto invites his older brother (and only remaining living family member) Beau over - to stay. Beau, who has been rather unhappy living on his own at the farm the brothers inherited from their stepfather, accepts the generous offer with tears in his eyes and hugs his little brother tightly.

Of course, the two dogs Goldy (front) and Abby (back) join the family as well.
(I can't remember whether I have played a move-in with pets before, but I was amazed at how it took several "hours" in the game until the dogs appeared - you can tell it was already dark, while it was still broad daylight when Beau moved in.)

Pauline welcomes her brother-in-law with a gift of new curtains she has made for him.

It is Tuesday morning and time to show you how the converted garage, once home to Pauline's grandfather Luis Aspir, was renovated to better suit Beau's taste and needs. This is his kitchen-dining area.

The bedroom, where Pauline's handmade curtains look really good above the bed. Next to the bedroom is a bathroom, and the "garage" can be accessed via two doors, one leading across the porch off the main house, and the other one straight onto the drive.

Beau wants to prove it was a good decision to invite him to move in and prepares delicious omelettes for breakfast for himself and the newlyweds.

Later that day, Abby dies at the age of 32/33. Now only one of Leod McGreggor's pets is still around.

Beau has just welcomed Gavin Newson when his sweetheart, Desdemona Capp, shows up.

Gavin is influenced into doing some gardening while Beau and Desdemona catch up with each other.

What shall I say - after their... erm... catching up, Beau rolled the wish to marry Desdemona! He did not roll one single want about her while he was alone at the farm, but now he seems to have turned around his life for the better.

Pauline is promoted to Medical Researcher. Not long now, I guess, until she will have reached her lifetime want.

She enjoys a dinner of pork chops with her husband to celebrate the promotion. Ben tells her Abby's urn has already been taken to the pet cemetery.

On Wednesday morning, Pauline is up early practising surgery methods for her final promotion.

Gavin Newson is back - for more gardening? No, he and Beau are friends, and he is always welcome here.

While it is still dark on Thursday morning, Ben is out on the back porch playing with the RC car.

Beau has asked Desdemona over again.

Pauline is promoted to Chief of Staff. Congratulations! She has reached her LTW four days before turning into an Elder.

It is Friday, and Beau comes across his little brother on the back porch on his way to making breakfast. "Do you reckon it is going to rain later?" Ben asks. The brothers grew up on a farm and have maintained a keen eye for the weather ever since.

Nellie Newson, niece of Gavin Newson, walks by and is greeted just as Desdemona has arrived at the house.

While her uncle Gavin may be an expert gardener, she proves just as useful a guest by deciding on her own to clean Goldy's pet bed while Pauline plays with the dog.

On Saturday morning, Goldy is seen playing with the water wiggler in the back yard.

Mid-morning, Pauline's car pulls up in front of St. Simius. (This community lot is one of only two that were not originally Maxis-made - Twoyys4me made this, and kindly shared it with me.)

Yes, it's another wedding! The first EVER in my game to take place on a community lot, I think - thank you once again for this, Twoyys4me!

Desdemona and Beau make a nice-looking couple, I think.

Their guests - some townies among them, couldn't help that - applaud heartily after the brief ceremony.

Then it is time to taste the delicacies from the generous buffet. Doesn't Desdemona have a sweet look on her face, glancing at her brand new husband?

Roxie Sharpe seems to find some guests' antics on the dancefloor very funny.

Maybe you remember that Desdemona has several children. Her LTW used to be marrying off six of them. I say "used to be", because it has autonomously changed to "Reach Golden Anniversary" - which shouldn't be a problem now.
Anyway, she has three children: Catherine, her firstborn, toddler Charles and baby Carmelo. Only Carmelo is Beau's child, the first two have one of the Picaso brothers as their father. Sadly, their father died young, and so Desdemona is very happy not only to have found a husband in Beau, but also a good father to her children.
Here she is sharing a meal of hamburgers with her sister-in-law Pauline and her daughter Catherine, explaining to her that now they have an even bigger family than before.

Unnoticed by all - what with the wedding and all - Benvenuto turns into an Elder that evening.

On Sunday morning, Beau plays with Goldy, while Ben is watching fondly.

Pauline has chosen the room that used to be her nursery first and then her teenager's bedroom for some quiet time to herself.

And Desdemona? Well, that was a surprise, I can tell you! The baby was definitely NOT conceived during this week, it must have happened when I last played Desdemona's household. I don't even know whether Beau or someone else is the father.

Goldy dies peacefully, playing her last game of fetch with Mr. Reaper. She was past 30, too. Now all that remained of the Broke boys' life on the farm is gone.

For the last two days of the week (since the wedding), Desdemona moved in with Beau alone, leaving her children in the care of their grandmother, Goneril. But of course the family will eventually live together. I have just not yet decided where that is going to be.

This week brought a great turn of events for Beau, whom I was beginning to feel really sorry for. I am already looking forward to playing the family with the kids!

Broke - Week 7

Click here for week 6 at this household. There, you'll also find a brief summary of the history of the McGreggor farm, where we are now going to spend a week.

Leod McGreggor was the original farmer here - his portrait is still in the master bedroom upstairs, as well as that of Brandi (formerly Broke), his wife.

The sole human at this household is someone we've already met briefly this round: He was a guest at his younger brother's wedding to Pauline Aspir.
The graphics bug responsible for Beau Broke sitting in mid-air is just one of several problems on this lot; I'm afraid I will have to give up the farm for good.
Beau is Brandi's second son. His older brother, Dustin Broke, ran a successful architectural business with his wife, Emily Lee, and had a half-Alien son, Lee. Sadly, the entire family perished in the flames of a house fire years ago.
Beau's younger brothers are the twins Brent and Benvenuto. Ben married Pauline and lives at the Aspir house now. Brent married Sandra Roth and went to live at the Roth house, once again with a bunch of dogs. Sandra and Brent have vanished without a trace; they still show in some Sims' relationship panels but can not be reached by phone and do not appear to be living anywhere in all of New Maximiliania. I have tried to "find" them via SimPE but so far have not been successful.
Anyway - back to Beau: He reached his lifetime want 15 days from Elderhood when he became a World Class Ballet Dancer.

His stepfather Leod's three dogs are still around and share life on the farm with him: Toto...

...Abby...

...and Goldy. They all contributed toward Leod McGreggor's LTW of having six pets reach the top of their carreer. Now they are allowed to stay home and just enjoy life on the farm.

Beau has never really been a farmer - his heart was always set on dancing. It shows in the condition of his vegetable patch and orchard.

On this Saturday (the week at this household has always started on Saturday), Mr. Reaper pays a visit at the barn, where the dogs are housed. Toto was well over 30 years old, and it is time for him to play his very last game of fetch.

Beau would like to have clean and tidy surroundings, but the farm is a bit too much for him, I think. As he is on Permanent Platinum, I tend to let him do what he wants, and sometimes he does a spot of gardening (not on the vegetable patch or the orchard, though). I still make sure the dogs are fed and bathed, of course.

Sunday morning, Beau takes a long hot comfortable soak in the bath tub.

Does this remind you of something...? Yes, another cleanbot running amok! I've had enough of this already at the Baldwins' house and therefore decide to have Beau turn the bot off and repair it. However, he can not turn it back on afterwards - the bot seems to be stuck half-way in the decking. I try to place it somewhere else, but to no avail. Just one more example of the small issues with this lot. I end up "selling" the cleanbot and wait for Beau to start cleaning up the mess.

Paola Picaso jogs past on a run through the neighbourhood and is greeted by Beau.

He may not be the kind of dog person his stepfather was, or his lost brother Brent, but he spends time with the two remaining dogs, and they have long come to accept him as their master.

By Monday morning, the piles of trash on the decking have begun to smell. Beau hates it, but seems to be unable to do anything about it.

I think he really misses his brothers, because he decides to sleep in one of their beds in their old nursery. All his life, Beau was part of a big family. Living on his own, with the added responsibility of the farm, does not make him happy at all.

On Tuesday, he enlists the services of a gardener, cleaner and pest controller. Money is not an issue - at somewhere around 250.000 Simoleons, this World Class Ballet Dancer can easily afford the help.

Old friend Romeo Monty happens to walk by and receives a warm welcome. I am not sure, but it could be that they went to uni together.

Later at night, Beau seems to be pondering his lonely life, missing his dead family members - or maybe even wishing he was dead?

The world looks a little brighter on Wednesday morning. The water wiggler is really useful, because it means the dogs mostly take care of their hygienic needs themselves.

All Sims this round will have to visit at least one community lot during each week I play them this round, and Beau is no exception. He has rolled the wish to dance with someone, and so I send him to Club Dante.

However, he is the only Sim in the bar and restaurant, apart from the bartender, who points out that "you're my first customer today, Sir!"

Beau has a drink, waiting for other people to appear, but the club remains empty. Nobody comes to play at the pinball machines...

...or to dance.

Therefore, after a while I send him to the My Muse - Music and Dance studio where he'll hopefully find someone to dance with. (Do you remember that he is actually involved with Desdemona Capp? She has a child with him, a son, but all week, Beau never thinks of her, and she never rings or comes by.)

Edith Lawson, who runs the studio, is happy to dance with a World Class Ballet Dancer while the DJ is enjoying some time on the dancefloor herself, since Officer Centowski has taken over the turntable for an hour or two.

Back home, his fellow New Maximilianians seem to want to make up for never turning up at Club Dante. First, Deirdre Dreamer comes visiting...

...followed by her younger sister, Dora Dreamer...

...and Gordon Greenman. Beau positively thrives in the company of others. That's what he's been missing!

When he wakes up on Thursday morning, he finds winter has returned - although it is already the middle of spring, it has been snowing during the night.

By the time he is up and about, ready to greet Serva Pleasant, the snow has already melted.

Mickey Dosser, husband of Jessica (formerly Pilferson) and another old friend of Beau's (from uni, possibly), pays him a visit later.

Lighting the fire seemed to be a good idea on that chilly spring evening, but the Persian rug catches fire. What could have turned into a catastrophic end for this week only results in some Sims badly needing a bath, as a fire alarm has been installed long ago, and we all know how reliable and expert at their job the firefighters of New Maximiliania are.

It is the last day of the week at this household, Friday. Beau can't wait for the cleaner to arrive and has started sweeping up the ashes from last night's fire while still in his pyjamas.

He has to perform that night at the theatre, and when he gets off the limousine, he feels a little creaky. Has he been overdoing it on stage?

No - he's turned into an Elder today!

Will Beau remain on his own with the two dogs, or move somewhere else - the Senior Residence, for instance? Is he ever going to see the mother of his son and the boy again?
We'll see!