Family names and related posts

Sunday 25 November 2018

The Summerdreams - Update 25.11.2018

For the previous week at the Senior Residence, click here.


The last time I played here at the Senior Residence was only two months ago in real life, for Gunnar Roque. Now I am back for Björn and Bottom Summerdream, as they are next on my alphabetical list to play.
In this picture, you can see Sarah Love (74), Jimmy Phoenix (75) and Bottom (63). It is early Sunday morning.

Gunnar Roque is now 61.

Bottom's husband Björn (a half-Alien son of Loki Beaker) is 63 like her.

Everyone here is on Permanent Platinum, and so any cleaning, cooking or gardening is always done on their own initiative. I only control these Sims if it is to greet a neighbour passing by, pay the bills or take care of Blacky the wombrat.

Do you remember how Gunnar and Björn did not get along very well at first? Now they are best friends, and any initial animosity between them is forgotten.

Gunnar can't sleep because he is hungry. But instead of going to the fridge (which is, of course, well stocked and easily accessible), he moves from one bed to the other - there are 8 in total.

It takes him until Monday morning before he finally makes his way to a meal - and that only because Bottom was hungry and went to the fridge to take out leftovers in the shape of comfort soup. Hardly surprising, Gunnar falls asleep face down into his bowl of soup, but at least he has eaten enough to be saved from starvation - for now.

Spring has sprung, and the garden looks a mess.

Bottom surprises me by clipping the hedges and pulling weeds until the job is almost completely done.

Sarah happily announces her return from work. She is now 75 - and this was her very last working day: Mr. Reaper comes to meet her before she can do anything else. Bye-bye, Sarah!

When Jimmy returns from work, he has his colleague Guy Wrightly in tow.

Björn has been sleeping all afternoon and then makes a meal of the smelly leftovers from his wife's breakfast. There is something wrong with the fridge, it seems; no Sim can "check food level" or put in the basket of groceries Gunnar has in his inventory. I sell and replace the fridge a few times, but to no avail. Let's see if a change of scene will make a difference.

Tuesday morning sees Bottom and the other three remaining residents with suitcases in their hands on the way to the airport shuttle.

They arrive at the Flaming Dragon, their hotel for the next three days at Takemizu Village.

Bottom, Björn, Jimmy and Gunnar are not alone: Bottom has asked her closest friends along as well. Shaun Singles, Marcus Baldwin, Sharla Ottomas, Justin Kim, and Pauline Broke all check in with them.>

Many years ago, Gunnar dug up a tattered old map in his garden. He now puts it to good use: The group of friends are able to walk to the Pagoda in the Shadows.

There, a wise old man is floating in the air, meditating.

He has tea with Björn and talks to Bottom for a while before our group of friends have to leave - there is no toilet on this lot, and nearly everyone is desperate for a wee after all that tea!

It is Wednesday, and I send the group to the Lucky Shrine Park.

Some of them have autonomously had breakfast at the hotel before heading to the park, but my four playables are all very hungry and order food at the food stall before they do anything else.

Most of them roll the want to go on a tour, and so I have them book a trip to the Bamboo Forest by helicopter. Somehow, Björn (who actually booked the tour for everyone!) and Pauline Aspir reach the *copter too late, and are left behind.

Thursday morning starts with the Summerdreams engaging in some romantic interactions - never mind their friends all being around!

Today, they visit the Pagoda Market.

Just for fun, I have Bottom buy some jewellery (she rolled the want) while everbody else do as they please.

Isn't it funny that the Unsavoury Charlatan walks about in local dress, but still wears his top hat?

Friday is departure day, and after having checked out and paid their impressive bill of over 12,000 Simoleons, the group take their suitcases and board the shuttle to the airport.

Apparently, there was no food served on the fight - everybody arrives home rather hungry! Good job Jimmy offers to make omelettes for everyone.

The round of today's visitors is started by Ginger Newson...

...followed by Castanea Landgraab...

...and ends with Prezioso Landgraab, formerly Picaso, who has recently married Lilo Landgraab.

It is the last day of this week with Bottom and Björn Summerdream. Something strange happens: Even though I have always been making sure that Blacky the wombrat was regularly fed, played with and his cage cleaned, and no message or animation appeared to indicate anything was amiss, I suddenly find the only option available is "stock cage". That means Blacky has either died or escaped - and I never saw it! Ah well, Blacky was possibly the longest-living wombrat ever in my game (originally, he was bought for Freiya Freshe, Tom Freshe's daughter, when she was still a school girl), and now that he is gone, I sell the empty cage.

Bottom is hungry close to the point of starvation and decides the omelettes from yesterday morning are still good enough. You'll get food poisoning this way, Bottom!

Gunnar at first follows her example and eats up another gone-off plateful, but then at least he has the decency to clear up ALL the empty plates around.

Later, I have him call the repair service, as the dishwasher is broken. (I only realised that when Gunnar went to wash the dishes in one of the toilet sinks.)

When Björn returns from work, he throws away exactly ONE of the many old newspapers littering the front garden.

The week ends like almost all days and weeks begin and end at this place: With a round of poker.

Who will be next to join the four residents here? How much longer will they all be around? Is anyone going to starve, given their less than clever eating patterns?

Saturday 17 November 2018

Jared Starchild: Week 6

Week 5 with Jared can be read here

The week at this modest house near to where Perseida Powers lives (and where, until recently, her father Jonathan lived together with Roxie and her brother Edwin Sharpe) begins on a Sunday.
It is the place Jared Starchild bought when he finally decided he'd had enough of paying rent.
Jared is now 60, and is one of the very few Sims in my game this round who have suddenly had a change of mind where their lifetime want is concerned: Instead of wanting to raise 20 puppies or kittens, he now dreams of becoming Chief of Staff!
He was doing so well, having already raised 16 puppies - and he is too old now to reach his new lifetime want. Sorry, Jared - but it wasn't my idea!
Here are the three dogs currently living with Jared, from left to right: Tessa, Maxx and Suzy. Suzy is an elderly dog, Tessa is an adult and Maxx was adopted last round (along with his name - that wasn't my idea, either) so that he could be # 17 on Jared's list of puppies raised.
Jared has never had a job in his life, as he has always been busy looking after his dogs. He has managed getting by on the money he saved from his student grants and by living very modestly. He starts the week with 2,888 Simoleons in the bank; then, inheritances from various deceased friends kick in, bringing his account up to 5,720 - that should be enough for a few more years!
Life at the new house is not much different from before; most of what he does during the day has something or other to do with the dogs.
For Jared, Monday starts with a round of (partly) dog-related cleaning.
The same day, puppy Maxx grows up to a handsome dog.
Sharla Ottomas comes visiting on her own accord - and so does the skunk!
The skunk is back early on Tuesday morning.
Then the bathtub breaks, and with his modest financial means in mind, Jared repairs it himself.
He went to bed last night with the wish to invite Ophelia Nigmos over, a lady he's had a crush on for quite some time (see Ophelia's last week). She arrives at the same time as the postie, who is good friends with Jared's dogs.
You can tell what is on Jared's mind!
And things do not stop at the one kiss that evening!
While Jared and his guest are fast asleep, a dog fight breaks out.
One of the leading wolves from the pack roaming the neighbourhood shows young Maxx his place.
Maxx has his first bath on Wednesday morning. He behaves well from the start.
Just as Jared is mopping up the latest dog-caused puddles on the pavement in front of his house, Desdemona and Beau Broke come along. Beau looks like he is suffering from severe freezing symptoms.
After a delicious home-cooked meal from Jared, he looks a lot better! It is nice for Jared to have human company at the dining table, but he keeps thinking of Ophelia.
On Thursday morning, Maxx meets Balin, a stray cat. They get along well, and even Suzy - who is not the friendliest of dogs - allows Balin to eat from their food bowl.
Jared reads the food column in the paper to find inspiration for what to cook today.

Maybe Suzy was so friendly towards the stray cat because she felt her time in this world was coming to an end. She is about 37 when the Grim Reaper appears to play that last game of fetch with her.

Before Jared has time to move Suzy's tombstone to the pets section of the cemetery at Gamesend Grounds, Cameron Capp walks by.

Jared has rolled the wish to invite Ophelia over, and so there are once again three Sims around Jared's lunch table. Cameron tells his host how sorry he is for the death of a beloved pet, and Ophelia thinks what a polite and considerate young man this is.

Jared changes the topic - I am not sure it is the most appropriate one with Cameron there as well!

Apparently, he realises his faux pas and talks about puppies instead.

This innocent topic is one Ophelia can also relate to very well. Cameron just continues eating :-)

Friday sees Jared on the phone to several of his friends throughout the day. He is still upset about Suzy's death and tells everyone about it.

Winter has begun, and Jared does not only change into the only other (and warmer) outfit he owns; he also moves the dogs' food bowl into the kitchen so that it does not get covered in snow.
(I know the game is programmed so that pets do not mind snow and rain at all, but I don't like to see them having to eat outdoors in this kind of weather!

Saturday is the last day of this week with Jared, and the last chance I can send him to a community lot. As his wardrobe really is very meagre, going to "Cover Me Clothing" for a new outfit seems like a good idea.

Stephen Riley obviously thinks the same, and I have to agree, looking at his summery clothes in this snowy weather!

Back home, Desdemona Broke comes visiting again on her own initiative, this time without Beau. The friends spend a pleasant afternoon and evening together.

Jared ends the week just like he began it - alone, just he and his dogs.
All during Saturday, he has not rolled any wishes about Ophelia. Will that change when winter is over and spring comes round?