The O'Mackey Family: Week 1

After we have spent a week with Alexandra O'Mackey, it is now time to visit her ex-husband Gabe and daughter Jules at their house, not far from Alexandra's place in Riverblossom Hills. For the O'Mackey family, Maxis have provided a few pictures to illustrate their background story; some of them I have used for the chapter about Alexandra's first week. Here we can see Alexandra and Gabe when they were still a family, with their little daughter Jules, at he house where Gabe and Jules still live. ]]>

When Jules was a bit older, her mother divorced her father, leaving him to raise her alone. 

She grew into a teenager, and here we see her at what is obviously meant to be school, developing a crush on Jacob Martin. Her Dad can be seen through the window in what we assume is a class room. 

This ties in with her memories and Maxis-written biography, according to which she "loves her dad but wishes he didn't have to teach at HER high school. She dreams of being a Journalist someday and is thinking of writing a story following the life of Daisy Greenman." Maxis may have intended for Jules to get into Journalism, but rather typically for a Popularity Sim, she imagines herself as Riverblossom Hill's future Mayoress instead. 

Gabe's brother is Jason Greenman, husband of PlantSim Rose Greenman, and stepfather to Rose's plantbaby Daisy (who we have seen grow up into a beautiful woman, and not a PlantSim anymore). Jules is seen playing here with her step-cousin Daisy when the Greenmans came visiting the O'Mackeys.

Gabe has found love again in the shape of Patricia Wan, according to Maxis. Jules is apparently not happy about this, as his bio shows: "Gabe is a lovable nerd who is in love with Patricia Wan. He's a teacher at the local high school and is oblivious to the conflict between his daughter and Patricia." 

Their family bio says: "After his wife left to become a Dread Pirate, it took Gabe a long time to trust again. Is his relationship with Patricia meant to last? Will Patricia and Jules be able to work out their problems and realize how similar they really are?" 

We'll see how things develop, and have now arrived at No. 211 Huckleberry Lane, the O'Mackey home. It is a cold Monday in winter with plenty of snow. 

The front door opens straight into a generous lounge which in turn leads to the kitchen/dining area in the top left corner and a staircase. A door at the back of the dining area leads to a greenhouse. Another door leads back to the lounge, from where a small bathroom with toilet and shower is accessible, with a door to Jules' very modestly furnished room. 

The upstairs landing is Gabe's study and where I have placed his career rewards object, the bookshelf that allows a Sim to study ALL skills from books, even body. Gabe's bedroom and a relatively large bathroom make up the rest of the top floor. 

Here are Jules and Gabe after he has returned from his teaching job at Jules' High School. Gabe's aspiratin is Knowledge, and he is already in the right career for his lifetime want of becoming Education Minister.

They have hamburgers for tea, and Jules turns the conversation to how grown up she really is. Right now, her biggest wish is going to college, but we'll see whether the wish remains. 

With his daughter in bed downstairs, Gabe retreats upstairs to acquire the skills he needs for his next promotion.

Tuesday starts with Jules wishing to call Jacob to chat. They may not be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore, but they are best friends for life. (Jacob is in college now anyway, isn't he?) 

After school, Jules has a couple of hours to herself until her Dad arrives. Gabe notices she has not yet done her homework, and helps her. How fair is it when your Dad happens to be a teacher and helps with your homework, I wonder!

Morty Roth walks by and is invited to have a burger with Gabe. They know each other through school, I suppose, since Morty's daughter Sandra is a teenager and must be attending Riverblossom High just like Jules, where Gabe teaches.

On Wednesday, Gabe takes the wrong decision with a chance card and is demoted to Elementary School Teacher. He takes it all in his stride, though, and smiles as he walks back to school straight away for the rest of the working day. 

At 1:00 pm, a happy Jules skips off the school bus, brandishing her first A+ report card.

Two hours later, her Dad returns with good news, too: He has just been reinstated at his former position as High School teacher.

Gabe is busy before work on Thursday morning, unclogging the downstairs toilet. He could well afford the repair service, but he is a Knowledge Sim and wants to know how to do things himself.

He is busy again after work, looking after the recently planted tomato seedlings in the greenhouse. 

Father and daughter conclude the evening by a game of chess. 

The weekend is off to a good start for Gabe when he returns from school on Friday afternoon with his colleague, friend and sister-in-law Rose Greenman. 

While Jules plays chess with Auntie Rose, Gabe relaxes with some gardening. Now that the snow has gone for good and spring is already starting to feel a bit like summer, there is always something to be done outside. 

Jules helps with household chores on Saturday morning. All week, she has been pretty good at doing the dishes and making her bed, even without anyone telling her to. 

Once the house is spic and span, the O'Mackeys make their way to The Hills Community Centre. Just as they arrive, who should happen to walk by but Alexandra! 

Gabe bumps into Morty Roth, and the two men have a friendly chat. 

Meanwhile, Jules gladly engages her Mum in a "girls talk" - she's all about boys these days, wishing to flirt and go steady, but with no potential candidate in sight. 

Later, she spots her parents having a brief game of Myshuno together. It soon gets dark after that, and everyone heads home. 

We find Gabe in the greenhouse on Sunday morning. His tomato plants are coming along nicely. 

Jules wishes to throw a party and invites just about everyone she knows, friends or not, and to my surprise, they all follow her invitation. There are Auntie Rose and "cousin" Daisy Greenman, class mate Sandra Roth and her Dad, and of course the person she most wanted to see, Jacob Martin who's come all the way from college just for the day. 

Her Mum is invited, too, as is Cleo Shikibu - not Cleo's housemate though, Patricia Wan. 

Alexandra and Sandra can't wait for Gabe to finish making Blackened Catfish and tuck into bags of crisps and cookies. 

Jules is REALLY happy to see Jacob, and the feeling is mutual. However, with him at college and her still a teenager, they are unable to rekindle the old flame. 

Some TV is watched and conversation made. 

One conversation in particular looks interesting: From Sandra's and Jacob's expressions and gestures, I assume she asks him "What about me?!" while he says that he "Can't help it - I'm a young adult and you're a teen, we're not meant to be!" 

This is where the week with the O'Mackeys ends. Gabe is not much closer to reaching his lifetime want, but at least he has not dropped out of the education career after that chance card. Jules has stopped wishing for college - for now. She still wants to flirt and go steady, but the only teenage boy she knows right now is the paper boy, and she doesn't like him one bit. 

Is Alexandra going to come over more often now? What about Patricia - she and Gabe have not seen each other all week, in spite of being in love, and Gabe has not rolled one single wish about her.

The next family on the list to play are the Ottomas' - but it'll be at least three weeks before I will have an update, since I am leaving for my annual Yorkshire Holiday on Monday :-)

Alexandra O'Mackey: Week 1

Once upon a time in Riverblossom Hills, Gabe O'Mackey - Jason Greenman's brother - married Alexandra Teatherton. They had a daughter, Jules, and everything seemed fine. 

However, things weren't truly fine. Alexandra never loved Gabe the way he loved her (check her memories - she really has no memory of falling in love with him), although they were best friends and he is the man she had her first kiss with. 

At some stage during Jules' childhood, according to Maxis Alexandra "succumbed to the call of the sea and left her family to pursue her dream. Will living the Dread Pirate life be enough to keep her afloat?" 

She now lives at a small house at 115 Riverbend Road. So far, neither she nor Gabe have remarried, and Jules is a teenager, living with her father, not all that far from Alex. (Their household will be next.)

The house is modestly furnished. The front door leads into an almost empty hallway. A kitchen with cheap appliances and a table with just one chair are on the left. In the top left corner is a bedroom with a single bed and nothing else. A toilet and shower follow, and then a small room which is completely empty. 

With a fulltime job and almost 8,000 Simoleons in her account, Alex can certainly afford to spruce up the house.

Alexandra is a Popularity Sim. Her Maxis-written bio reads: "After liberating the Ginormous Gem of Summerville, Alexandra knew she would become a Dread Pirate. Will she get the recognition she deserves or end up swabbing the decks?" When the game starts, she really does work as a Dread Pirate - but having achieved that dream, she now wants to beome Captain Hero.

In her inventory are a collection of items that look as if they come from her job as a pirate. The blue vase is worth 4,000 Simoleons, the other items a lot less, and the career rewards object has no monetary worth but can be useful otherwise. For now, I only sell the large urn and sculpture, along with the complete contents of the house. 

That brings her cash up to over 12,000 Simoleons - enough to give her a good double bed, a better bathroom and kitchen as well as a nice (if small) dining table and three chairs. She still has over 2,000 Simoleons left after that, but so far there are no desk, no book shelf, no settee or armchairs, and no TV or other "fun" things.

After Mr Humble has left his parcel with the computer on Alexandra's door step, she quickly sets up a desk and chair in the empty room and searches the Simternet for a job in Law Enforcement; without success. 

Around lunch time, Morty Roth and Cleo Shikibu appar; the third person in the Welcome Committee is Nery Turner, but he is a Townie (or did I make him playable in this 'hood? I don't think so) and therefore is not greeted. Alexandra's first meal in the new house consists of grilled cheese sandwiches, shared with Morty and Cleo, who tells her how nice it is to meet her. 

They spend the afternoon fishing at the pond behind Alexandra's house, while she regals them with stories of how she came into possession of the sculptures in her study. 

Tuesday is another day off for Alexandra. Again, she does not find a job in Law Enforcement, but decides to take advantage of having so much time on her hands. In the snow, she walks to The Hills Community Center, hoping to meet a few neighbours and make new friends. 

Apart from Daisy Greenman (who is not a Plantsim anymore, as you may remember), however, everyone else here is a Townie and not all that interesting to meet.

Alex does a bit of skating and wonders about the Townie who is wearing only shorts and a vest on such a cold winter's day. 

Just before she heads home, she spots Stella Roth and greets her. "Your husband came to welcome me yesterday, that was nice," she says. 

Back home, Alex has a nap and then rings her daughter. Over the phone, the two of them have established a friendly relationship, but they aren't really close. 

Now that Jules is a teenager, she finds her Dad sometimes sooo hard to talk to - some things are easier to discuss with her mother. 

Not much happens on Wednesday. Alex gets up and peeps through her lace curtains to see how much snow has been falling during the night.

Before going to work, she does some Yoga to put herself in the right frame of mind. 

Then she dresses in her pirate outfit and heads for work. Back home in the evening, she makes a few phonecalls, resulting in Morty Roth being a friend now along with Cleo Shikibu and Andrew Martin, who became a best friend for life when I played his household.

After work on Thursday (still no job in Law Enforcement), Alex invites her daughter over again and asks Jules to bring along Gabe... if he'll agree. He does! Up until now, Alex has been enemies with her ex-husband. 

Gabe watches as his ex-wife serves Mac & Cheese. 

Then they sit down to eat... and manage to hold a conversation without yelling at each other. Alex admits she has not been a great wife or mother, but their marriage still meant something, didn't it? After all, Jules resulted from it, and they should both put her wellbeing first and not keep hold of the old grudge. 

By the end of the evening, they are not exactly friends, but at least they are not enemies any longer.

On her return from work on Friday (which is the first day of spring), Alex finds that someone has kicked her bin over. It comes with the job that not everybody has friendly feelings for her, I suppose! Maybe that is one reason why she now wants to become Captain Hero. 

Getting off the car pool with her was Morty Roth - I didn't know he works as a Dread Pirate, too! His household will be played a little bit further down the line.

All snow has gone by Saturday. When Alex spots the branches of the lemon tree growing heavily on the roof, she quickly gets her pruning shears out and cuts them. 

After work, she invites her daughter over, as well as her best friend Martin with his recently found 3-bolt-love Robin Hogan.

For the last time this week, on Sunday morning Alexandra searches the Simternet for a position in Law Enforcement, but her seach remains fruitless.

After work, she invites Cleo Shikibu over; the two ladies are now best friends. A balmy spring evening is spent fishing at the pond behind the house. 

That's the extent of Alexandra O'Mackey's week. Her daughter and ex-husband will be next. It'll be some time before we get back to Alex, unless she'll move in with someone during the rest of the round; I hope she has better luck on the job front next time. So far, there has been no romantic interest in her life, but her Popularity aspiration made her wish for friends a lot.