The Kim Family: Week 3

(For Justin, this is his 3rd week back in New Max since graduation. For the couple, it is their 2nd week.)

The Kims' house is our stop for the week. Who lives here at the moment?

Justin Kim and his wife Cherry, nee Capp. She is one of Tybalt Capp's plantchildren but turned fully human some time ago. You can tell Tybalt is her Dad - they have very similar facial features.

Justin is on Permanent Platinum, as he became Hall of Famer last round, 9 days from Elderhood. Cherry's lifetime want is to become Professional Party Guest; right now, she Projectionist.

The career rewards object on the back porch is hers, and she looks after her plants daily.

On this Monday night, she comes home with a promotion to Home Video Editor. Strictly speaking, it is already Tuesday.

A few hours later, Justin - not controlled by me - gets up and decides to clean the bath.

When he is away at work, Cherry calls over her siblings and their spouses or partners. She does not need to learn any new skills for her next promotion and has the day off, so it is a good occasion to get together.

On Wednesday morning, the Kims have omelettes for breakfast, lovingly prepared by Cherry. Justin knows his wife is hardly ever as grumpy as she looks - it is just the way her face is.

He does more cleaning on his own initiative on Thursday morning. Most of the time, Justin appears to be one of those Sims who are quite capable of looking after themselves and their homes without much intervening from my side.

He is a Family Sim, after all, and I often catch him thinking about adopting. But I'm afraid it is not on the cards- neither of the two needs children for their LTW, and Justin has fulfilled his anyway.

It looks as if today is "Visitor Day" - first, Shane Cho walks by...

...then Ginger Newson (she is Cherry's sister-in-law)...

...followed by Christian Love.

On Friday morning, Cherry wakes up to the pattering of rain against the bedroom window.

Water seems to be the day's theme, as the sink breaks... and she rolls the want to go swimming.

That day, Cherry comes from work with a promotion to Freelance Photographer and a townie colleague who is quickly sent on his way. There are still two more hours left to the work day, and Cherry makes sure to take advantage of that, walking straight back to work.

Her diligence is rewarded with yet another promotion: She is now a Freelance Web Designer. Again, a townie colleague accompanies her home but is politely asked to leave.

It must have been all those promotions that inspire Justin to make stuffed turkey on Saturday morning - not what I'd personally prefer for breakfast!

Both husband and wife have the day off, and so I send them to a community lot together.

Cherry still wants to go swimming, and so I decide on "Dreamy Fields", a Hobby Lot I have rarely visited in my game. To my disappointment, although there are all sorts of sporty areas, there is no swimming pool here. And so, after a quick hot dog (Cherry is really hungry), the couple leave again.

Just as they get into their car, I notice a fight breaking out between two unkown townies.

Their next stop is the BV Inn, a hotel that has a swimming pool. Justin and Cherry do not check into the hotel, but Cherry finally has that swim of hers.

Back home, the two of them invite over several of their friends, and everybody has a great time. Some, like Garret Newson, play darts, while others eat (it's Angela Pleasant, Björn and Bottom Summerdream at the table).

Others, like Marcus Baldwin, dance to the music from the stereo.

Later, part of the group retreats to the small living room.

And like at all good parties, some gather in the kitchen for a chat until it is time to say good-bye.

On Sunday, Justin wakes up with the wish to invite Marcus Baldwin over again. He knows what it is like to feel lonely - after all, Justin himself has lost his parents while he was at college, then just when he was happy to have found a long-lost uncle (Alec Kim, ex-townie) who moved in with him, that uncle died, too. Only with his wife Cherry he seems to have found permanent happiness.
And she is also the reason why he changed his hair colour this week, by the way: So far, the Kims had only 1 chemistry bolt between them. Cherry's turn-on is blond hair, and so I had Justin change from his natural black. Still "only" two bolts, but they love each other very much.

And this is how we leave the Kims on Sunday evening. It has snowed outside, and they enjoy the warmth of their cosy house.

How much longer until Cherry will have reached her LTW? Are there ever going to appear more of Justin's relatives?

The Jacquet Family - Week 7

For week 6, click here. 

We're in for another week at the by now almost too familiar Senior Residence. Why are we here already again?

Because of Daisy Jacquet. (Indie was the previous name on my alphabetical list, and Jacquet comes next.)
Daisy is the original plantbaby Rose Greenman had when the game (i.e. the expansion pack "Seasons") began. She is now 76 - and very obviously not immune to Ripp Grunt's charms.

Ripp is 58, the youngest of the Seniors here. As you can see, he has not yet lost his focus on all things Romance!

Lavender Greenman, younger sister of Daisy, is also here; she is 71.

Gary Greenman is 73 and the only one of the Seniors here who has not reached his lifetime want, and therefore the only one I control most of the time.

Lisa Gieke is still here, too; nearing the end of her teenage years.

And to make the list of residents complete, there is Gordon Greenman, at 59 only slightly older than Ripp, and the youngest of the Greenman siblings currently living here.

On this Monday, Gordon and Daisy are picked up by the car pool for work at the same time, even though they work at different jobs. (Isn't it strange that no Sim in my entire game has EVER had the wish to retire?)

Coming back, the scene we have seen so often at the original Greenmans' house is repeated: Townie-turned-Vampire Tammy gets off the car with Gordon, only to instantly run away to escape from the deadly sunlight.

When Daisy comes home a little later, she has colleague Deirdre Dreamer with her.]

Just as Monday night slips into Tuesday morning, a jealousy drama plays out in the common room - as was to be expected, with Ripp having been involved with both Greenman sisters at some stage in his life. Thankfully, Daisy only takes it out on Ripp and not on her sister Lavender.

Ah, there is Tammy again - she and Gordon are now not only colleagues, but also best friends; all only due to their daily rides home.

At 6:00 pm, Lavender dies. She was 72/73. A long and happy life it was.

That night, I send Lisa out to do some badly needed gardening. She is not yet tired, unlike Gary, who usually does most of the work.

It was Lisa's last contribution to gardening at this place, as she leaves for college on Wednesday morning.

Gary builds a snow man in the orchard.

It is Thursday morning when Ripp and Gary have breakfast together - although at different tables. Looks like sometimes the men feel the need for some private time.

Jacqueline and Gallagher Newson come visiting that day. (Jacqueline is Daisy's step-daughter, if you remember: Daisy was married to Gilbert Jacquet, who had Jacqueline after a visit aboard an Alien space ship.)

Gordon comes from work... with Tammy, as usual.

On Friday morning, I catch Gordon looking at a painting in one of the apartment units. I can not remember who used to live there; it must have been years ago.

Gary's daughter Glenda Greenman is visiting from college, with Dora Dreamer and Giselle Goth accompanying her.

Gary is happy to have his daughter and her friends around for a few hours.

On Saturday morning, Daisy cleans up last night's dishes.

I have not sent this group of Sims to a community lot yet this week, and since one of them wants to win a cooking contest, I send them to Sue's Secret Kitchen.

Gary enters the contest with pork chops (or was it spare ribs?). Do you recognise the other contestants?

Everyone looks worried as the food judge makes his round.

And Gary wins! Looks like he can hardly believe it. After all, he is up against a wonderful Baked Alaska and delicious salmon - never mind Lucy Hanby's pancakes.

It was Gary's last day in this world. Just as he is about to trim the hedge, Mr. Reaper appears - certainly not to lend him his scythe for gardening. Gary was 79/80.

His brother Gordon and friend Ripp are devastated.

No wonder I find Ripp so deep in thoughts on Sunday morning. He is still only 64 and has quite a few years ahead, by the looks of his lifetime bar.

Daisy appears to have been neglecting herself (she IS really smelly), but she goes to play with Blacky, the ancient wombrat, on her own initiative - a rare occurrence in my game.

Hardly surprising (for me, at least), she dies that day at the age of 82. Now that generation of Greenmans is completely gone.

How is Lisa Gieke doing at college? Who will join the two remaining residents here?