Patricia Wan: Week 3

For the previous week at this household, click here.

We're taking a break from Strangetown and spend some time in Riverblossoms Hills, starting at the house on Welsh Lane were Patricia Wan, next on the alphabetical list, lives with her best friend Cleo Shikibu and Cleo's partner Matthew Smith. 

What's the taxi for, you may ask - is anyone going to a community lot on this Monday morning? 

No - the taxi is there to take Patricia to her partner Gabe O'Mackey. Matthew says good-bye to her, and Cleo would have done, too - only she's in the shower at that very moment. 

Anyway, the ladies will remain best friends; it's just that Patricia really feels she should leave Cleo and Matthew to live as a couple without her as a "fifth wheel", and of course she loves Gabe and wants to be with him, too.

Here she is a short while later, having breakfast for the first time as a family. Both Gabe and Patricia very much hope that Gabe's daughter Jules will come to terms with her Dad and the (relatively) new woman in his life living together; so far, she has only become friends with Cleo but has zero relationship points with Patricia.

This is Patricia's new address, No. 211 Huckleberry Lane. I have added windows to the dormers and (stupidly only after I took this picture) a window to Jule's bedroom on the ground floor, which has so far been windowless. 

With Patricia moving in, the household account swells to a very healthy 26.000 Simoleons, and with both her and Gabe working full time, there are no financial worries. 

Gabe, who sees himself as Riverblossom's next Education Minister, has been promoted today from High School Teacher to University Lecturer and brought his colleague Rose Greenman along to help celebrate. Patricia has been promoted from Horoscope Writer to Sports Columnist and went straight back to work, returning with yet another promotion and colleague Stella Roth in tow. She is now an Investigative Journalist, and the career rewards object is hers. 

It was an eventful and very happy day for Gabe and Patricia, and they make it even happier as soon as the camera is turned off ;-)

Before school on Tuesday morning, Jules can be seen taking care of the tomato plants in the greenhouse.

Patricia has the day off and uses it wisely to acquire the skills she needs for her next promotion. 

Gabe also has the day off and makes sure the leaves are raked and the flowerbeds watered.

Over a late-ish breakfast, he suggests they all go to buy new outfits after Jules has returned from school and done her homework.

Amelia's Closet is the best (actually the only) clothes shop in Riverblossom Hills so far, and so that's where they are headed. 

With enough money on their joint account and promotion boni dropping in left, right and centre, Patricia doesn't need to choose carefully - she just buys what she likes, and so do Jules and Gabe.

Wednesday is a busy day for everyone. Gabe works out in front of the telly before leaving for work. 

Patricia does the crossword first... 

...and then proceeds to spray the apple tree, which earns her a Bronze Gardening badge.

Jules is first to return home. Look at her smile - either school was really good today, or she is really glad to be home!

Gabe is next, once again bringing his colleague Rose Greenman home from work, as well as a promotion to High School Principal.

Last but not least, Patricia has been made Magazine Editor today.

The evening at the Wan-O'Mackey house is spent cosily in the front room lit and warmed by a fire.

On Thursday morning, with his new regime to get rid of his paunch, Gabe doesn't join the ladies for breakfast. Suprisingly, Jules brings up some "girl to girl" topics. So far, she and Patricia have barely talked, but maybe this is the chance they needed, to have a meal without Gabe.

Patricia has the day off and once she has gained the skills she needs for work, she does a spot of fishing from the pond in their front garden. "Not what I had in mind..." she frowns when she pulls up an old boot at first. But next is an impressive salmon, and after I have her stock the fridge with it, she goes and prepares a delicious meal with her catch all on her own accord. 

Both Patricia and Jules wake up on Friday morning wishing to talk about a hobby, and their ensuing conversation about games goes very well. 

As usual, Jules is home from school at 1:00 pm, and when Morty Roth walks by, she rushes to greet him, knowing he's a friend of her Dad's. "Hello Mr. Roth! My Dad will be home soon, please do come in - he would hate hearing that he missed you!"

Mr Roth follows Jules' invitation, and therefore Gabe can tell his friend immediately of his latest promotion when he and Patricia return from work together: He is now a College Senior Professor. I expected Patricia to be promoted as well, but realised that she needs two more friends for that. 

It is Saturday morning, and Gabe is looking forward to a weekend not spent teaching, much as he likes his job.

Jules is talking to her best friend since childhood, Jacob Martin. "Yes, I'll be there later today! Can't wait!!" Be where later today? You'll soon find out. 

Patricia has made it: She is now Media Magnate and has reached her lifetime want, seven days before reaching Elderhood. Well done, Pat!

She is home just in time to see Jules making the all-important phone call... 

...and then board the taxi that takes her to college, where Jacob Martin has already started his further education. Gabe watches her leave, thinking, "There she goes... my little girl is almost grown up... *sigh*..." 

The couple spend the evening playing chess. Gabe is glad that Patricia lives here now; Jules leaving for college would be so much harder had he been on his own then. 

On Sunday, Patricia asks Jules to visit her "old Dad", and of course she can bring Jacob, too. 

Patricia has been wishing for a while to give someone a gift, and when she realised that Jules forgot to take the painting of her mother when she moved to college, she carefully wrapped it and presented it to her sort-of step daughter together with a heartfelt letter. The two ladies are good friends now, and Jules is really touched by this kind gesture.

"It's great to see you, Jacob! You've always been a decent kid and good friend to Jules, and you've grown to be a decent man." 

We will of course see Jules and Jacob at college, but it'll be a while - and if I remember correctly, Jacob has been in a relationship with Sandra Roth last time I played him. But that doesn't mean he and Jules can't be best friends for life. 

It was good to have Patricia move in with Gabe. The two of them are a nice couple, and while she has reached her lifetime want this round, he is not far off. I wonder if either of them will roll the wish to get married when spring sets in.

It's all peace, love and harmony at this household now; Alexandra O'Mackey has neither visited nor called. Strangely, although the three household members have been taking turns in looking after their fruit tree and vegetable beds, they don't seem to be successful at gardening; what produce they were able to harvest was "bland". Maybe that is because this neighbourhood doesn't have summer? (Maxis has set the seaons to winter - spring - autumn - winter.)

Klara Vonderstein: Week 1

For Klara's Senior year, see this post.

We have accompanied Klara Vonderstein "from afar", without really focusing on her, all through her college life. Now she is a Senior and has just graduated Summa Cum Laude in Political Science at Strangetown's La Fiesta Tech. 

According to Maxis, "Though Klara was at first excited about studying abroad, she finds Fiesta a bit provincial and her fellow students strange. She's not interested in spending time with anyone, really, and is working to overcome an espresso addiction." Nothing of it proved not to be true - she has made friends with most of her dorm mates, and even autonomously fell in love with Almeric Davis. 

Her aspiration is Knowledge, but unfortunately her heart is set on using any knowledge she can gain towards becoming a Criminal Mastermind. 

She certainly has no qualms talking about her career plans to the professor who has come to her graduation party! 

Eventually, the taxi is here to take her to Strangetown, where her former dorm mate and friend Stella Terrano has rented a flat in this building and told her that there are still two more available. 

The Landlord seems kind enough, she can afford the rent, and once Klara has signed on the dotted line, she can move in.

The second floor is all hers. Zaitrarrio Lee has recently moved into the ground floor, while upstairs from Klara lives Stella, and the upmost flat is rented by a townie.

The outfit Klara has found to be her everyday one upon growing up is very different from what she was used to wearing at college! Maybe this calls for a change in the rest of her appearance, too.

The new Klara seems to favour purple, although she does look a bit uncertain about the hair, I must admit. The lighter glasses and different lipstick suit her much better than what she had, I think. 

Of course, her college sweetheart Almeric is invited over instantly. Strangely enough, however, he can not be asked to move in, although he has graduated as well - but he has not had a party yet, and has not left campus for good just yet. 

Never mind the burnt toaster pastries - Klara happily spends the day with Almeric. In her four years at college, she only gained the one compulsory cooking point, can you believe it! 

William Williamson, another former dorm mate of Klara and Almeric, calls and asks them to meet a him and a bunch of friends at Games of Glory. 

The Grunt brothers, Blossom Moonbeam and Stella Terrano are all part of the group along with William, Almeric and Klara. 

The friends enjoy hotdogs after everyone has had a go at various games; then it is time for Klara to say goodnight. 

On Tuesday morning, Klara wakes up wondering whether today she will find a job in the criminal career.

Since she doesn't, she decides to learn how to cook - now that there is no dorm cook to rely on, it's the only way she'll be able to have proper meals on a regular basis. 

Kristen Singles walks by just as Klara has been to the mail box to pay the bills, and of course she is invited to come up to the roof terrace.

There, Klara applies her newly learned cooking skill and makes a batch of burgers for herself, her guest and her fellow tenants. Unfortunately, she insists on taking her own plate downstairs to her flat instead of sitting at the table with the others.

Wednesday sees Klara similarly engaged in household matters and skilling, but she greets passers-by Chloe Singles. This time, the hotdogs she's made on the rooftop grill are actually eaten up there under the starry sky over Strangetown. The ladies do not only have the same haircut, they also find that the one topic of conversation they agree on is fashion :-D 

There are no pictures for Thursday and Friday, because both days were almost identical to the days before: Klara still didn't find an opening in the criminal career, and as a Knowledge Sim, all she really wanted was to skill - and skill she did! I made sure she talked to at least one friend every day and had her meals and cleaned up, but that's about it. 

On Saturday, the Landlord hosted the customary tenants party and ordered pizza for everyone. At first, Karla was the only one to sit down and grab a slice.

But then she was joined by Stella (who is one of her best friends since they went to uni together) and Mr Lee from the ground floor. He made the mistake to admire Klara, which she found inappropriate. 

But soon afterwards, all three cheerfully joined in the Smustle :-)

Every morning, the first thing Klara has been doing was checking the Simternet for a job in her dream career, without success. On Sunday, she is finally lucky - but she will start as a Con Artist only on Monday. 

That gives her time to spend this first day of winter just as she likes best, which is of course skilling - but with a small Christmas tree on the coffee table :-) 

Before the week is over, I have her talk to Almeric on the phone; they only saw each other on Monday, but Klara never rolled a wish about him as seems to be the case quite often with my playable students and their college sweethearts once they have graduated and moved to a place of their own.