Camryn Lee: Week 1

Camryn is an ex-townie turned playable because she has the same surname as Emily Lee, a playable Maxis-made student. You can read about how, where and when she moved in here.

We have spent a week at this house in Strangetown not all that long ago - it is where the Grunts live, General Buzz and his three sons. Well, two sons, since the oldest (Tank) is currently at La Fiesta Tech, Strangetown's college. The car is a new addition as per a wish ranking high on the General's list. 

This week, we're actually here not so much for him but for Camryn Lee, the townie lady who captured his heart and moved in at the end of last week. 

Camryn is a Popularity Sim with the lifetime want of having 20 best friends. So far, Buzz is her only one, but she has several townie friends alredy, and since she does not need to work (the Grunts have enough money thanks to the General's faithful service to his country), she can dedicate all her spare time to working on her friendships.

On this Sunday, Buzz, Camryn and the two boys get into the brand new car and drive to Red's Famous 50's Diner.

They have hardly gotten off the car when Buzz grabs Camryn and plants a BIG kiss on her lips, much to Buck's embarrassment - he has never seen his Dad act like that! Ripp pretends to be completely cool and unfazed about it all.

The diner is busy but mostly with townies who enjoy the food and conversation.

Remember Stephen Cho, the waiter Ripp met last week during a visit to the Oresha Family Dining? 

It seems poor Stephen works at more than one restaurant; here he is. Because of the phone hack sent to me by Twoyysforme (thank you!), my Sims are now able to ring service Sims they want to befriend, just as it was with my game before I re-installed it.

After they have eaten, I lean back and watch what they get up to. Camryn and Buzz wait for a townie girl to prepare the pool table and then join her for a game. 

Buck looks closely at each and every painting or poster in the building - he does not talk to anyone or join them for some game or other.

Ripp is the only one to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening outside, having a playful waterballoon fight with an unknown townie.

Back home, he thinks that this new addition to their family is not so bad after all - she's keeping his Dad off his back, that's for sure! 

It is funny to watch Buzz being all over Camryn; he is forever following her around, hugging and kissing her whenever she is not engaged in any other activity. 

If she's not "busy" with Buzz, Camryn hogs the phone most of the time. Well, she wants those 20 best friends, doesn't she. 

I wasn't really paying attention and so it came as a bit of a surprise when Ripp grew up into an adult early on Monday morning. 

No college for him - but he did not wish for it anyway, and now he can get started in earnest on finding a suitable mother for those two children I want him to have so that his Dad can fulfill his lifetime want of having six grandchildren. 

Oh come on, Ripp - you didn't actually WANT to go to college, did you?

Anyway, he soon forgets his grief and goes online to see who's available for a chat and finds that his big brother, Tank, is! 

In the afternoon, just as his Dad is dropped off after work, Ripp calls the Matchmaker and asks her to find him a three-bolt date. 

Much to his (and my) disappointment, though, all she comes up with are two townie ladies (one after the other, of course) who are only two-bolters. Ripp does not want to spend more money, seeing that he is not earning any, and sends the ladies - Matchmaker included - away.

The General couldn't be happier when Camryn comes out to greet him with a warm hug and tender kiss. 

The two of them end the evening cuddling under the stars.

Unfortunately, my game then crashes and I have to play the Monday all over again. 

This time, before Ripp has time to call the Matchmaker, Lola Singles happens to walk by, and you can see what's on Ripp's mind immediately! They are "only" two-bolters, but get along well enough to become friends over a game of kicky bag.

Lola joins Ripp for a bowl of Mac&Cheese and seems not to be averse to becoming an item, and indeed there are pink hearts by the time she leaves.

A light dusting of snow covers the ground on Tuesday morning. 

As usual, Buzz and Camryn are never far from each other until it is time for the General to board the helicopter. 

Before he knew Camryn, he would not have dreamt of walking around in his PJs and get into his uniform only at the last minute! The two of them are now engaged, as per Camryn's wish. 

Neither Camryn nor Ripp are good cooks, but while Buck is at school (he's really good by now, having rolled wishes for skills, skills and more skills), they want to make a meal. It doesn't go too well, but thankfully, only the food is burnt and neither of them!

Nearly every day, Ripp has been trying to talk to his Dad when he was around and I didn't give him anything else to do. 

On the other hand, the only time the General has sought out his middle son on his own initiative, it was to insult him - Ripp ended up crying.

Now I force Buzz to sit at the same table while Ripp eats some of the burnt food, and at first their conversation does not seem to go well, what with Ripp not having a job and all.

But after a while, the General concedes that growing up without their mother can't have been easy for the boys, and with him being away on military missions most of the time... This is really the first time these two have a conversation with "plusses" and not "minusses"! 

Thursday sees the official beginning of spring - but also more snow than what there's been all winter, and the paper girl leaves deep foot prints in the thick white blanket on her paper round. 

Indoors, Ripp and the General (in his PJs, again!) have breakfast together. They don't agree about politics, but when Buzz changes the topic and talks about his recent engagement to Camryn, the conversation turns much friendlier. 

Ripp likes Camryn and thinks she's really good for his grumpy old Dad. 

If only she'd understand about privacy - Ripp and Lola have just shared their first kiss and are now truly and properly in love!

There is no room for a double bed in any of the designated bedrooms upstairs, and so things are changed a bit: What used to be Ripp's bedroom in the top right corner, complete with teenage angst posters, is now the gym room. And the largest room that used to hold the exercise machine and the punching bag becomes Ripp's and Lola's bedroom - she has just agreed to move in!

Ripp wastes no time; while he does not really see himself as a great Dad - or a family man for that matter -, he knows his father really, REALLY wants grandchildren, and Ripp quite likes the idea of giving him grandkids with Alien heritage, knowing full well that the General has always been at odds with Polly Smith and his Alien offspring in Strangetown. 

(Lola's human father is the same as the Curious' brothers' and Jennifer Smith, which makes her half-siblings to them, and also to Johnny and Jill Smith - an odd family tree if I've ever seen one!)

Ripp and Lola were successful at their first attempt, and Ripp proceeds to spend the rest of the night at the telescope. Interestingly, he meets his Dad there, and once more they manage to talk without arguing - I am really glad their relationship is improving, even if still far from being friends. 

Lola doesn't need to wonder whether she might be pregnant when she gets up on Saturday morning - I can confirm that she is!

Love is in the air all through the house, it seems.

For dinner, Buck makes pork chops to celebrate Lola's move-in. Stephen Cho, by now Ripp's best friend, joins them, and the General thinks that it really feels like a family now, looking along the length of their new dining table to Camryn. 

The next morning, Saturday, Buzz surprises everyone by making omelettes for breakfast. Ripp and Lola can't help wondering what got into the man - never before has the General been so generous, and even Camryn seems to be slightly alarmed :-D 

Stephen is invited over again, and when Ripp asks him "Why not move to Strangetown for good?", he accepts, and goes about finding his own place. 

Before he moves out, though, the joins the others on the short drive to Lost In Love Hedge Maze. 

A wedding arch and chairs have been set up in one corner of the maze: Camryn and Buzz are getting married! Ripp and Buck are the first to take seats; their older brother Tank couldn't make it over from college. 

The newlyweds are applauded... 

 ...and a festive meal is consumed before the wedding party is dissolved and the Lee-Grunt-Singles household are on their way home, mainly for Lola, who at this stage of her pregnancy really needs a rest. 

Camryn and Buzz decided to take hers as their family name. That way, for the General it feels even more like he has left behind is old life and fully embarks on this new chapter with his second wife. 

Just before Stephen moves out, he spots another relative of his walking by: Blake Cho. 

This is where the week with Camryn ends. 

A lot happened, and I was tempted to play another day just to see Lola's baby - or babies; she could easily be about to have twins, seeing how very tired and extremely hungry she's been during her pregnancy. 

Buck was sent to college a little early; he REALLY wanted to go, and with five days to spare before turning into an adult, it feels like something he would do. 

I should have focused more on Camryn, who did not really achieve much in terms of her lifetime want - she still has only a handful of best friends, but there was always something going on that kept her from working on her friendships.

For the wedding, I simply forgot to invite Tank, but I am sure he will be happy for his Dad all the same.

Next time I'll play this household, it will be for Lola when the letter S as in Singles comes up on my list.