The Smith Family - Week 14

Kennedy's first week in New Max is here.

This is our second week in a row spent at the Smiths' house.

This time, we are here for Kennedy Smith, the former tourist who moved to New Maximiliania when he found out he had distant relatives there. Kennedy is a Knowledge Sim who dreams of maxing out all skills. He has a lot to do before that will happen, but he is much younger than he looks and so it is a realistic goal.

His three-bolt woman and current owner of the house is Jill Smith, a former garden club member who also decided to move to New Max when she learned of her relatives here.
She is the second Jill Smith - the first one was, of course, the original Smith family's daughter, pictured here next to the portrait of her mother, Jenny Smith.
Our Jill has reached Permanent Platinum at the end of last week when she found her 20th lover. She is now 58.

With his lifetime want in mind, I make Kennedy do anything that increases his skills, and so no repair service is called when the computer breaks on this Monday morning.

Because we have only just spent a full week here, I decide to send the Smiths on holiday.

They arrive at The Flaming Dragon in Takemizu a few hours later.

Kennedy's wishes are fulfilled if possible, and going on a tour is easy enough. He even returns with a Charisma point after I take the right decision with a chance card!

He now wants to groom a Zen garden, and therefore a community lot visit is in order before the Smiths retreat to their room for the night.

They both awake on Tuesday morning fully refreshed after a good night's sleep in their comfortable suite.

Another community lot is visited today, The Lucky Shrine Park.

It is indeed a lucky place for Kennedy - he meets the Ninja and is granted the knowledge of teleporting after correctly answering the Ninja's riddle! Not many Sims in my game have had that privilege.

It is my habit to check on Sims' names on community lots, just in case I should find another Sim with a playable surname, and so I come across this funny phenomenon: Two identical looking visitors are browsing the clothes racks in the small shop at Lucky Shrine Park, and they are both called Heidi Fuchs!

Back at the hotel, Kennedy orders room service, and after the sumptuous meal and a hot shower, drops into bed exhausted from the day's exploring.

On Wednesday, Kennedy makes use of the tattered old map he has found and visits the Pagoda in the Shadows.

He first grooms the Zen garden for a while...

...and then steps up into the pagoda to greet the Wise Old Man.

They have tea together, and the old man is friendly enough, but nothing else happens. I seem to remember that the old man would tell a story, but I can not remember what triggers this; none of the interactions available to Kennedy show this option. Does anyone know?

Anyway, it was a pleasant visit, but Kennedy heads to the Pagoda & Market next. He buys souvenirs and has a meal before returning to the hotel.

It is their last evening here, and the Smiths spend it cuddling in front of the telly.

The next morning, there is enough time for one last leisurely breakfast brought by room service before the shuttle takes them to the airport.

Their shuttle pulls up in front of the house just as Remington Harris sneaks up to the bin to throw it over. He has never gotten over Jill's many love affairs when he mistakenly thought he was the only one. Since Kennedy moved in, Remington has been dismissed from his job as household help, but that does not stop him from walking by the house nearly every day. I actually do feel sorry for him.

After they have unpacked, Jill prepares hamburgers on her own initiative. Kennedy spends some time skilling; it is, after all, his lifetime want, and the post-vacation benefits help.

Annoyingly (but not surprisingly), the game is back to Tuesday after the Smiths' trip to Takemizu, although it is already their fifth day and should by rights be Friday. No matter!
Kennedy spends nearly all day skilling, starting with charisma and then moving on to cooking, cleaning, creativity and finally gaining another logic point from stargazing.

Jill patiently waits for Kennedy to wake up on Wednesday morning. He has of course been stargazing to build up his logic skills for more than half the night and deserves a lie in.
But Jill is a bit at a loose end now, since once again Kennedy spends the day skilling and more skilling, with only one romantic kiss, one joke and one round of red hands between them.

When once again Kennedy spends most of the night at the telescope and is still at it in the early hours of Thursday morning, Jill wonders whether she should not have stuck with one of her other 19 lovers.

But Kennedy is oblivious to Jill's feelings of being neglected, and when he is not skilling, he looks after the other things that need doing, such as taking out the rubbish and paying the Thursday bills.

It is the last day of spring and warm enough for a dip in the pool, where finally the two of them spend time together again. For Kennedy, this is the idea way to build his body skill, have fun AND socialise with Jill.

Because of the time shift after their trip to Takemizu, the Smiths' week ends here. Out of the 70 skill points he needs for his lifetime want, Kennedy has now a total of 43 - still plenty to do for him next time I play this household.