We're still with the Newson siblings, and it is Garrett's turn. He and Paola Picaso autonomously fell in love at college, and he moved in with her after they both graduated. This is their second "week" after college. You can read their first week here.
This is Paola's and Garrett's house. It doesn't look like it, but it is actually in Downtown Maximiliania, not somewhere out in the country, and not far from where some of Garrett's siblings live.
Garrett reached his lifetime want of becoming Game Designer last round, when he was still 23 days from Elderhood. That means I don't control him most of the time. He starts Monday morning by cleaning the bath on his own accord.
Paola, on the other hand, is still working towards her big dream of being Education Minister. She returns from work on Monday with a promotion to University Guest Lecturer.
Later, I have Garrett greet Hal Riley.
On Tuesday, Garrett and Paola reminisce their holiday at Three Lakes from last round.
Paola does not have to work today, and so she invites her family over to tell them her great news. "I bet my Mom thinks Garrett and I will be announcing our engagement..." she thinks as Jessica greets her oldest daughter. The couple frequently roll wants about each other, but so far, nothing about getting married.
Paola, her mother and her brothers enjoy a home-cooked lunch while Gary Greenman (Jessica's second husband) looks on.
Later, when everybody goes out to the pond for some fishing, Giselle Goth walks by and is invited in by Paola. You remember Giselle, don't you? She is the only surviving member of the Goth dynasty, after her father and twin brother perished in a fire.
Garrett gets his Silver Fishing Badge on Wednesday while Paola is at work.
She comes back with a promotion to High School Principal.
Then she takes care of what is most likely to be the last harvest of the year. Already it is cold enough for her to don her winter clothes when she leaves the house.
Thursday begins as always - in Paola's and Garrett's bedroom.
It's yet another promotion for Paola: She is now College Senior Professor and needs a bunch of skill points to advance further in her career.
But first, she greets Tom Freshe.
On Friday, Helena Stacks, a close friend since their college days, comes over for a match of chess. Most of the day is spent skilling, talking to friends on the phone and taking care of household matters.
The wish to re-visit Three Lakes kept coming up all week, and by Saturday, I am willing to send the couple there for a 3-day-break. This time, they are not going on their own, but take as many friends and family members with them as possible: Money is not an issue, and the most expensive and luxurious of the hotels there is nearly entirely occupied by their group.
Paola does the checking-in for the whole party.
Apart from Paola and Garrett, I can't control anyone, and so I lean back and watch the group doing their own thing. For Helena Stacks, it means a round in the hotel's indoor swimming pool.
One of Paola's brothers has discovered the pinball machine.
Jessica watches her youngest daughter, Glenda Greenman, getting to know Helena Stacks and Melody Tinker.
The hot springs prove to be quite popular, too.
Melody and Helena catch up on each other's love lives. Jessica listens to the young women and remembers her own turbulent past: Her first husband, Matthew Picaso, left her for his three-bold-love Alexandra O'Mackey. She raised their children alone; it was much later that she met and fell in love with Gary Greenman, who became her second husband and father of two more sons and a daughter, Glenda.
Paola and Garrett enjoy room service with Glenda keeping them company.
The slap dance is learned...
...local specialties are tried...
...and more meals are enjoyed. "We should come back here when they have enough snow for skiing," Paola suggests.
The three days are over quickly. Not everything worked as planned - the maid, for instance, never cleaned any bathrooms or toilets and didn't take the dirty dishes away. Most of the time, she just stood there; occasionally, she made a bed or two.
No tour guide showed up in front of the hotel, but the group was able to go on a tour from one of the community lots they visited. Seems like my "Three Lakes" is bugged; maybe I'll have to replace it with a fresh copy.
Back home, the family are all gathering at Paola's and Garrett's place again. This time, Garrett asks his siblings and their families over, too.
You'd be surprised how many people can play kicky bag together even in a small living room like this!
The berry cake is a big hit with both Newsons and Picaso-Greenmans.
This was a fun week to play, except for the glitches at Three Lakes. And of course, it was interrupted by the problems with my old graphics card.
How long until Paola will have reached her LTW? Are the two of them ever going to marry?
...that I am having a computer problem at the moment (started last night completely out of the blue) and therefore can't say when I'll be able to play next. There are only two Simdays left to play in the current household, but I don't dare starting the game while I have not yet sussed out what to do.
Maybe I only need a new graphics card, maybe it is even simply a new driver (not for the graphics card but for another device), but maybe I'll go all the way and get a new computer (definitely NOT with WIN10, though!).
I've made another backup this morning of New Maximiliania so it should be safe even if I decide on the third option.
Right now, I am able to do basic stuff on the computer (such as work, which is done from home at least one day every week); I can read and write emails and look at your blogs, but playing is not feasible right now.
Another one of the Newson siblings, Gallagher has also moved back to New Maximiliania after he has graduated Cum Laude in Psychology. To read about his Senior Year at uni, you can click the link in my previous post - it was the same as Gabriella's.
Unlike Gabriella and Georgia, who moved to the oldest part of New Max, he has chosen this house downtown, just opposite the road from where his siblings Ginger and Gavin live with Ginger's family.
After he buys the house and gets it furnished and decorated, he has 2.109 Simoleons left.
Here he is. Gallagher is a Pleasure Sim who one day wants to be Game Designer.
Do you remember how in my last post he was telling his sisters about a date, and I was wondering aloud who his date may have been? Well, earlier this round, I played the Jacquet household, where Jacqueline was working hard at her LTW of having 50 dream dates - most of which were with Gallagher, who is now firmly established as her 3-bolt-love. On this Monday, he invites her over to have a look at his new place, and the two of them have her Dream Date # 24 together.
Gallagher does not forget his own LTW, though. He is not successful on the job front today, but will keep looking of course.
The welcome committee consists of Ramon Ramirez, Melody Tinker and Sharla Ottomas. Believe it or not, it is actually summer, but a freak snow storm has befallen the neighbourhood. No wonder Gallagher catches a cold, dressed like that!
On Tuesday morning, he cleans the bathroom on his own accord. He is a rather neat type.
He has just managed to find a job as Trash Talker (in his coveted career) when he notices Justin Cleveland walking by. The snow has gone, as you can see!
Chester Gieke is next, and Gallagher begins to wonder whether there are only elderly gentleman around today.
Looks like he's right - Christian Love is Elderly Gentleman No. 3 today.
Never mind the old men! Gallagher invites Jacqueline over again, and they reach half of her LTW today with Dream Date # 25.
A refreshed and happy Gallagher is ready to tackle his first day at work on Wednesday.
He is promptly promoted to Gold Farmer. Maybe it is worth mentioning that work started in the afternoon, and he spent the morning on Dream Date # 26 with Jacqueline.
Serva Pleasant is greeted as she walks by. The day ends with another visit from Jacqueline, and Dream Date # 27.
It is Thursday when Gallagher decides he can now risk spending some money on new clothes, what with autumn fast approaching and his job secured plus a promotion bonus in his pocket.
There is another bonus waiting for him when he is promoted to Flag Capturer later that day.
Callum Capp is his guest for the rest of the afternoon, and then it is skilling time for Gallagher.
While it is still dark on Friday morning, Jacqueline leaves a stereo in front of Gallagher's door as a gift for the lovely dates they have shared so far.
Gallagher is not really interested in gardening, but he makes sure the fruit tree behind his house is well cared for.
He invites Jacqueline over for another Dream Date - not possible this time, because everything took a lot longer due to constant interruptions by nearly endless coughing on her part.
His next promotion means he is now a Platform Jumper.
Another Dream Date is wished for, and this time, the two of them meet at the Crypt-o-Night Club. They really heading to the photo booth only for a photo, not what you were thinking!!
Gallagher's older sister Ginger is here, too, and so is Ripp Grunt. Have these two taken up their affair of long ago? No, don't worry. Ginger is happily married to Clover and had no idea Ripp was going to be at the night club, too.
Later, Jacqueline and Gallagher head over to the photo booth again - and this time it really is for what you were thinking ;-)
Gallagher greets his sister and tells her that he and Jacqueline have just had Dream Date # 28.
They immediately start on another date and sit down to dine.
All of a sudden, Gallagher pulls out a small velvet-covered box from his pocket and puts it in front of Jacqueline.
Dream Date # 29 ends with a surprise engagement - not really surprising, though, as Gallagher has been wishing to marry Jacqueline for a long time. They are three-bolters, after all! She is a Romance Sim, though, and so the engagement means a loss of aspiration points for her.
On Saturday morning before sunrise, Jacqueline places a piano in front of her fiancés door.
Gallagher has a quiet breakfast. Note the pictures on the wall, taken last night at the Crypt-o-Night club: one with his fiancée, one with his sister.
There is a love letter in his mailbox today. How sweet - bouquets and expensive gifts are not enough for Jacqueline to express her love!
Later, she comes visiting - so strong is her want to be near Gallagher all the time! Stephen Riley has been walking by and is greeted, too.
There is not enough time for a dream date before Gallagher has to go to work, though, and so Jacqueline leaves shortly before the carpool arrives for him. When he comes back, he is New Maximiliania's latest Power Leveler.
Sunday morning begins with yet another of Jacqueline's generous presents on the door step: a big TV set. Unlike the other presents which were instantly sold, he keeps the TV set, as he has enough room for it and there aren't any "fun" objects in his house so far except for the computer. (Not that he really needs it - when he wants to have fun, all he has to do is ask Jacqueline over for yet another dream date!)
I did mean to use the community lot St. Simius for Gallagher and Jacqueline's wedding, but I couldn't work out how to do it - how embarrassing is that!! Instead, I had him invite as many of his siblings as would be able to attend, and set up the wedding arch in the garden.
Not what I would have chosen for wedding outfits, but there you go - Mrs. and Mr. Newson have their own mind when it comes to clothes :-)
Georgia did not even bother to dress up for her brother's wedding, but at least Chaz Whippler and Jane Stacks-Hart made an effort. The newlyweds are already planning their next dream date, it seems.
Ginger and Georgia are getting to know their new sister-in-law better, watching some TV together after the party has ended and the other guests have gone home. "It was an... unusual wedding party, but I really liked it," Georgia remarks.
Are husband and wife going to stay in this small house, or join forces with one or more of Gallagher's siblings? What is going to become of Jacqueline's stepmother Daisy Greenman-Jacquet, who is now all alone in the big house? Is Jacqueline going to have all her remaining 21 dream dates with her hubby, or will she keep spinning wishes for dates with other men? (She's been rolling wants around Ramon Ramirez and one of the Picaso men all week!)
Am I going to work out how to have a proper wedding at St. Simius?
