The Grunt Family: Week 7

Click here for Week 6 with the Grunts. 

Welcome back - after more than two years - to the house the Grunts moved to a long time ago. I have always really liked this house, and enjoyed furnising and decorating it for General Grunt and his sons.

These days, though, there are only two Grunts left here: Buzz, the "General" (he never really was a general in my game) and his son Ripp.

Buzz is 81 and has been on Permanent Platinum ever since he became Captain Hero at the age of 55. Ripp will turn into an Elder in just one day. His lifetime want of having woohoo with 20 different Sims should have come true last round, according to my list. But something happened to bring the count down to 19: Sandra Roth (the entire Roth household, really) disappeared from my game without a trace! To this day, I have no idea how and when it happened, or how I could bring them back.
Anyway, I will have to find one more lady who Ripp has not yet had woohoo with.
By the way, he has two children with Ginger Newson, Nigel and Nellie. Tank, his older brother, married Hermia Capp. Together, they have five children: Callum, Christopher, Carl, Carolina and Cameron. Buck Grunt, the youngest of the "General's" sons, sadly died some time ago.

On this Monday, Buzz "buzzes" off to work just as the Repair Woman arrives.

Ripp is consulting his list of ladies, wondering who could be his # 20.

He decides to pay a visit at Doc Alan's Hang Out, a community lot I do not play often. Maybe someone there will capture his interest.

There is Zoe Zimmerman, and she is promptly given a rose by our Ripp.

Several other New Maximilianians are here, too; some play billard, others watch or just chat.

Ripp can't resist the open mic and sings a romantic song, deliberately looking at Zoe who is watching and listening.

His charms do NOT work on Mrs. Crumpleblottom, though!

Back home, Catherine Capp walks by. She is too young for Ripp's list, but the usual policy in New Max is to greet their neighbours whenever they happen to walk by.

Just as Buzz returns from work with Sarah Love in tow, Zoe Zimmerman turns up with a bunch of roses for Ripp.

Ripp chose this very moment to turn into an elder.

Zoe and Ripp retreat upstairs to Ripp's bedroom. Zoe tells her new love interest how much it matters to her to be best friends with a man before they can be lovers. Ripp has heard it all before, of course... 20 times!
And shortly after this picture was taken, Zoe and Ripp disappear under the duvet, and Ripp emerges on Permanent Platinum.

Later that night, the cleanbot breaks (again), and I make sure to send Buzz to repair it; I am really not in the mood for another endless bug infestation.

It is Tuesday morning by the time Ripp leaves his bedroom; Zoe has just gone home. Sarah Love is still there and shares a very late dinner (or very early breakfast) with her colleague and his son.

Now that the two men are both elders and the house is really much too big for them, they decide to move to the Senior Residence.

They are not the only newcomers; only a few moments before, Gordon Greenmann arrived.

He is here to join his brother Gary. Their mother, Rose Greenman, died very recently, and Gordon has a hard time coming to terms with it.

Lisa is still here, too. Buzz is noz is now 82, Gary 69, Lavender (Gary and Gordon's sister) is 67, Gordon 65 and Ripp 54.

A long time ago, Lavender and Ripp had a brief fling - she was helping him towards his LTW. Now she is a widow, and Ripp is quick to renew their old... erm... friendship.

It is Thursday here at the Senior Residence. As every resident's friends count as family friends, Gordon's five friends necessary for his final promotion were easily achieved. He comes home from work as "The Law" and is now on PP.

The Grunts invite their relatives over, Ripp's older brother Tank and three of his children are here. Lisa is always happy to have visitors closer to her own age.

Tank and Gordon have become well acquainted in no time. Here they are, chatting like old friends, on Friday morning.

Ripp has the choice between four showers and four bath tubs at the various apartments of the Senior Residence, but he opts for a sponge bath in one of the common toilets!

Lisa helps take care of the garden after she has done her homework.

Lavender, Ripp and Gary meet in the common dining room.

Meanwhile, Buzz is meeting someone else in the sitting room: Mr. Reaper. Lisa has seen him too many times to react much. Buzz Grunt was 84.

Ripp did not always get along with his Dad when he was young, but they were good friends in recent years, and he is very sad.

Good job Lavender is around to cheer him up. (Without me doing anything about it, these two have started to sleep in the same bed every night. They are a three-bolt-couple, which explains a lot!)

On Saturday morning, Lisa pays the Repair Woman. She is an even more frequent visitor than Mr. Reaper!

In the afternoon, she invites over twins Odell and Orlando Ottomas, her best friend Stacy Stacks and siblings Carl and Carolina Capp.

On Sunday morning, Ripp feeds Blacky. I always make sure to have the Sims play with Blacky, clean his cage and feed him; he must be the longest living wombrat of all times!

Lisa harvests oranges, apples and lemons and gains her Bronze Gardening badge. She has also recently received membership of Peerless Park.

Then I have the group take a taxi to Peerless Park; only Gordon is missing because he is at work.

Lavender does some bird watching  on her own accord while Ripp, ever the Romance Sim, does some bird watching of a different kind ;-)

Lisa has prepared hot dogs and shares them with Gary Greenman and an unknown townie.
When it starts to rain, they call a taxi and head back home.

No rain here, but plain sunshine as Gordon comes home from work with vampire colleague Tammy - who flees immediately, as she did before when Gordon still lived at home with his parents.

The week ends with Ripp having a glass of orange juice.

Will Lisa go to college next time we play here? Who will join the current residents?