For week 9 at this household, click here.
A house I have liked playing at from the start of the game was the Smith's family home. It has seen some changes inside, although the basic layout is still the same.
Who lives here these days?
Jill Smith, a little girl with blonde pigtails when the game starts, is now an elderly lady of 68. Oh, and her surname is not Smith anymore; many years ago, she married Mitch Indie (an original student at uni), who sadly died in his prime, leaving her widowed and caring for his half-Alien daughter Isabella Indie, who also lives here.
Jill needs four more loves to add to her list, then she will be on Permanent Platinum.
Matthew Smith is a long-lost relative who one day was discovered working for the Garden Club, befriended and made to move here for good. He is the same age as Jill, 68, and strives to max out all his skills.
Jill's brother Johnny has inherited their father's green complexion. He is 62 - he should be older than Jill, but for a while, he was a Vampire (and did not age). He died and was resurrected, which is the reason for the change in age.
Johnny is currently Mayor of New Maximiliania and on Permanent Platinum. He still occupies the same room he already had as a teenager.
Another Jill Smith joined the household when she was discovered as a Townie (or Garden Club member?). Her LTW is the same as that of the older Jill Smith-Indie's, to have 20 loves. As she only moved in recently, she still has a lot to do - there are only two names on her list so far. In order to avoid conflicts with the elder Jill, she will focus on townies and service-NPCs.
On this Monday morning, while the house is still dark and quiet with everybody asleep in their beds, Charlie Cho walks by and kicks the trash can over. I suspect an act of jealousy and revenge - not surprising when not one, but two Sims with the LTW of 20 loves live in a house!
I send Jill to pick up the trash and straighten the bin.
Isabella returns from work. She is a Professional Party Guest and out most nights.
The Smiths are one of the few households in my hood to employ a gardener. As the gardener's truck pulls up in front of the house, the helicopter arrives to take Mayor Johnny Smith to work.
It is a beautiful autumn day, and when Isabella wakes up around lunch time, she joins her stepmother in the garden.
The younger Jill greets Pauline Broke (nee Aspir).
Then she invites over one of her male townie friends and manages to make Alon Rusewicz her third love.
Tuesday morning starts chilly enough for Jill to light the fire in the cosy den.
When Matthew gets up, all he wants for breakfast is a can of juice. But he is not the only Sim here to be hungry, and as he wants to max out his skills - which includes the cooking skill - I send him back to the kitchen to make omelettes for everyone.
It is really rare to see all the household at the table! Johnny can not stay until they all finish their omelettes, he has to go to work.
A bit later, I send Matthew out to rake the leaves (cleaning skill points!). Something that has not happened in New Maximiliania for a while occurs: the leaves are not the only thing to go up in flames.
Poor Matthew finds his fiery death, witnessed by Tina Cho (nee Traveller, walking by) and Hyun Nanale (a townie invited over by the younger Jill for a date).
Sorry, Matthew - I would have liked for you to stay around longer. He was 69 years old.
What better way for Jill to get over her grief for her elderly "relative" than dating Hyun?
When Johnny returns from work, Sarah McCarthy - townie and, I believe, also a Garden Club member, gets off the helicopter with him. When I ask him to say good-bye to her, this is what he does.
He looks a bit dumbstruck after that kiss, as if he were asking himself "Did I just do that?!" Yes, you did, Johnny!
Upstairs, I find the plants on the rack all ruined. Nobody has been looking after them.
Jill invites Prezioso Landgraab (formerly Picaso) over, and he becomes the 17th name on her list of loves. Three more to go!
The repair service has to be called on Wednesday morning because of a bust bath tap. Jill uses the opportunity to meet another potential candidate for her list of loves and gives Lee Lewis a very generous tip.
The other Jill gets the mail. Love letters are not a rare find in this mail box!
Later, she does some gardening on her own initiative. I let her get on with it, because I am busy conducting a successful date with the younger Jill.
She makes townie Hyun Nanale her fourth love. Only 16 more!
Isabella and Johnny meet in the kitchen on Thursday morning.
It has snowed over night.
While Johnny goes to work, his sister Jill invites Justin Kim (who has recently turned blond) over; he is her current "work in progress". The younger Jill meets and greets townie Pierce Buckingham. Hailey Hart was passing by, too, and has joined the group for lunch.
A pensive Johnny sits alone on the cold balcony early on Friday morning, wondering whether he did the right thing way back when he turned back from vampire to normal Sim, sacrificing his love for the Contessa who had bitten him. "It would never have worked... but she was a great kisser..." he sighs.
Isabella builds a snowman. She is often up all night - it goes with her job, I suppose.
The older Jill rings one of her male friends. "You know, time is running out for me," she says. She would really like to complete her list of 20 loves before it is too late.
The younger Jill makes townie Ethan Barrett her No. 5.
"What a lucky guy I am, having been chosen to help this wonderful woman with her lifetime want!"
On Saturday morning, Isabella's snowman has visibly shrunk. She builds another one on her own accord.
Later, she plays an animated round of SSX with her uncle Johnny.
Jill makes Justin Kim her love # 18. Will she manage to win the hearts of another two men?
I'm afraid not. At 6:00 pm, just as she turns 74, the Grim Reaper meets her in the upstairs skilling room. Her last thoughts go to Justin, but now she and her late husband Mitch Indie will finally be reunited on that big community lot in the sky.
Poor Johnny! Now he is the last one left of his immediate family.
Isabella relaxes on her bed on Sunday morning, thinking about the many Sims she knows. Or maybe they are all guests on the party she is to attend tonight in her role as professional party guest :-)
As I have not yet sent the household to a community lot this week, today is my last chance. Isabella is the only one who rolls a want that can only be fulfilled on a community lot: She wants to go ice skating, and so the taxi takes the three to The Hills Community Center.
There are several New Maximilianians and townies on the lot. Jared Starchild looks a tad out of place in his summery outfit. Jill greets Luc Ng, a potential candidate for her list of 20 loves.
Ophelia Nigmos (left) and Ginger Newson (right) join Jared and Jill for a hot dog, autonomously prepared by a townie.
Back home, Cameron Capp walks by and is greeted by Johnny.
Jill wants to end the week on a positive note and serves the Baked Alaska I found in her inventory.
Luc Ng, the man she met at The Hills Community Center, has been invited over, and so it is once more a lively group around the table.
I was really hoping for the elder Jill to live long enough to fulfill her LTW. The younger Jill won't run out of candidates anytime soon! And if you remember, there is still another Smith (a tourist from Three Lakes, I think) waiting in the wings - none of the current Smiths know him, though, so he'll have to wait before he can meet his relatives.
The younger Jill and Johnny have 3 bolts for each other - but I have decided against letting them follow up on it, as a) I see them as relatives, b) Johnny is not going to be around much longer (although Jill seems to have a "thing" for elderly gentlemen) and c) she is not yet ready to settle for one man in her life.
