Welcome to Sarah Love's first week in New Maximiliania! Of course, we have met her before, but back then, she was still at university and part of the Tri Fruhm Sorority. Now, after having graduated Summa Cum Laude in Biology, she has moved to an apartment in this building. Three other ex students already live here: Jasmine Rai, Brittany Upsnott and Ginger Newson.
This is Sarah, as I am sure you will remember. She is a Family Sim with the lifetime want of becoming Captain Hero. At college, she was in love with Matthew Hart, but their relationship did not last - he has since married Jane Stacks, and they have children together. So, at the moment, Sarah is single and looking for that blonde guy who is an excellent cook but should never wear a hat in her presence.
This is her apartment, it is on the first floor to the right, next to Jasmine Rai's.
She does not redecorate but uses the colour schemes that are already set by the wall papers and floor coverings. Her bedroom is all done in light blue.
She does not change the bathroom or kitchen, but adds a dining table, chairs and a rug. She likes the combination of sleek, modern, stylish furniture and the antique Persian rug.
The smaller part of her open plan dining / living / kitchen area contains a desk, comfortable armchair, book case, settee and TV (you can't see it behind the corner where the shelf is) as well as Blacky, the womrat she already kept during her college years.
Ginger Newson and Brittany Upsnott are curious to find out who the new tenant is.
But Sarah does not ask them in; she makes sure Blacky settles into his new home well. She feeds him...
...and then plays with him.
It is still Monday, and because Sarah's outfit that she received with her age transition is so ugly, she decides to go shopping. Also, she has plenty of time, since there is no job in the security career available today. The Finer Fare Market is her first stop.
She actually thought they were also selling clothes here, but that was a mistake. So she orders a gyros at the upstairs diner. While she is waiting for her food, she thinks of getting married one day.
And while eating her gyros, she is musing about adopting a child. (She will do no such thing, I assure you!)
She then buys herself some jewellery before heading off to...
... H&M, where she knows for sure she will find the kind of clothes she likes.
It is still summer, so when she comes home, Sarah immediately changes into one of her new outfits. Isn't that much prettier?
And she finds herself much prettier, too, once she puts on her new earrings, necklace and bracelet and uses some make-up.
Then she has her first (lonely) meal in her new apartment.
One of her friends rings and invites her for an outing to "Lulu Lounge".
Martin Ruben, Kevin Beare, Castor Nova, Joshua Ruben, Ripp Grunt and Heather Huffington (still in the taxi) are all part of the crowd.
When Sarah scopes the area for interesting men, John Burb turns out to be the "hottest" candidate. He is alot older than her, though, plus married, so she does not follow up on her attraction (only 1 bolt anyway - there are several 2-bolters, so why is he the "hottest" one? Sometimes I really do not understand how that attraction thing works for our Sims...).
Tuesday morning arrives with the first chilly autumn winds, and Sarah changes into something more suitable for the temperature.
She explores the apartment building and finds the gym downstairs. Although she has not found a job in her desired career yet, she knows it won't harm to already start building up the necessary skills.
On Wednesday, she is annoyed by the noise coming from Jasmine Rai's apartment. Some banging on the wall...
...is all it takes, though, and Sarah can enjoy the silence of her lonely apartment again.
She makes use of all the free time on her hands by working further on her body skill.
It is Thursday, and still no job in the Law Enforcement career available.
So she spends the day mostly catching up with all her friends on the phone.
By Friday, she has done so much rope-skipping and working out that not only is she able to get a protein shake from the fridge, but is also invited to Platinum Gym.
Saturday sees the very first snow flakes falling, although it is still autumn.
The janitor is hosting a weekend gathering and has ordered pizza for everyone. Sarah decides to join in.
She quite likes the janitor...
...and sits with him to eat the pizza. They talk about the other tenants and how nice it is to meet each other. But, once again, Sarah is not going to follow up on this; the Janitor is an NPC and "only" a two-bolt-man for her.
Before she goes back upstairs to her apartment, she works out some more at the in-house gym.
Sunday morning, Sarah gets up, wondering whether today she will finally land a job to get her started on the way to fulfilling her lifetime want. (The plate on the wall was a gift from Matthew Hart, by the way)
But first, it is time to change into long trousers and a woolly jumper, because winter has now truly set in.
Still no job for Sarah! So she decides to visit "Games of Glory", the membership to which she has been holding for years already.
Guy Wrightly and Tommy Ottomas are playing pool with the head of Games of Glory.
Sarah is more interested in starting a gaming competition, and wins a "Sims3" competition against the head of the club. This is how her first, rather lonely, week ends.
When is she going to find a job? Will there be a 3-bolt-man for her eventually?
- - - Update 27.1.2013 - - - Welcome back to Don Lothario's still relatively new place and his fourth week in New Maximiliania. There is something on the balcony that was not there the previous week:
A telescope. Don probably won't suffer an Alien abduction; and even if he does, he is now 7 days from Elderhood and therefore him getting pregnant is quite unlikely, unless the abduction should happen over the next two nights. No, but he boosts his bank account by twice getting awarded 500 Simoleons for the discovery of a new star.
You already know that one of my self-set rules is to intervene as little as possible with my Sims, once they are on Permanent Platinum, and our Don has reached his LTW of woohooing 20 different Sims already last week. So, what does he do when there are no ladies to conquer? He plays with his toy bricks!
But he does think of love, I must give that to him. Do you remember he used to have some 3-bolt-ladies in his relationship panel? Strangely enough, Heather Huffington is only on two bolts with him now, while he has 3 bolts for Jessie Dosser (nee Pilferson), Nina Caliente, Chloe Singles and Jodie Larson. Well, Jessie is happily married, Nina has not yet reached her own LTW of having 20 lovers, and Chloe and Jodie are both quite a bit older than Don.
What to do? Don seems to be as clueless as I!
While he chats online to Wanda Tinker, a message appears, asking me whether I want to invite Wanda over. I click "yes", and Wanda appears at Don's front door a few minutes later. The two of them do not limit their evening activities to talking about food, rest assured...!
On Tuesday morning, Don has a healthy breakfast of crisps. His fridge is not empty, but maybe he wants fresh groceries.
So I send him to the "Fresh Rush Groceries" and discover that I can not remember ever having played on this Maxis-made community lot before.
It is a nice community lot, where Sims can shop for groceries, magazines, video games and even perfume. I must remember that next time I want one of my Sims to buy perfume.
As usual on a community lot, I have a look at who else is there. Jennifer Burb, Emily Broke (nee Lee), Tiffany Sampson and Ty Bubbler all seem to be enjoying a chat.
Don has spun up the wish to have his photo taken, and so he gets that granted.
Back home, out of sheer boredom I let Don salvage the bin. He finds a dart that sells for 6 Simoleons...
...and one of them rattling thingies our Sims use when cheering someone on for their birthday or when they have a New Year's Bash; it sells for 8 Simoleons.
Every New Maximilianian passing by is greeted by Don; here is Lavender Greenman. I check his relationship panel after the greeting and find out these two are 3-bolters! But Lavender has married Geoff Rutherford in order to help her Mom, Rose Greenman, with her lifetime want.
On Wednesday, Don discovers a bug infestation in his yard. Instead of simply picking up the trash can, thus avoiding more bugs, he hardly stops stomping on the bugs for the rest of the week. The skunk now practically lives on his land.
Geoff Greenman, Lavender's husband, appears and is greeted by Don. Good job he did not start anything with Lavender - he has a clean conscience towards the elderly gentleman.
Beau Broke is next to be welcomed by Don.
With two guests, Don decides to forego the bags of crisps or cookies he has been living on and prepares chili con carne instead.
Beau seems to have more brains than his host and starts spraying the bugs.
He does not stay long enough to finish the job, though, and when Don wakes up on Thursday morning, he is back to an entire day of almost uninterrupted bug-stomping.
By Friday, the bugs are still there, still keeping Don occupied, while the house is a mess. Look at that bath tub!
The TV is broken.
And so is the computer.
In spite of having a fridge full of food, if Don can tear himself away from stomping the bugs long enough, all he does is stuff his face or have a can of juice.
By Saturday, he has not had any more guests or spoken to anyone on the phone, and it is hardly surprising that the Social Bunny appears. This is a rare occurrance in my game!
Don and the Bunny spend some time together, playing games and talking, and Don even gives the Bunny a backrub.
Then the phone rings and a townie Don met while buying groceries earlier in the week invites him for an outing downtown. I think, why not, and have Don accept the invitation.
The taxi pulls up in front of "Bernard's Botanical Dining".
The two men have dinner together...
...and later enjoy a game of darts, joined by Hal and Desdemona Capp.
Sunday morning starts exactly like every day since the beginning of the bug infestation.
After Don has caught a few more minutes of sleep (he is constantly hungry, in need of a shower and lacking social life and therefore never sleeps longer than a few moments), he returns to his beloved toy bricks for a bit.
But after a little while, he is back out in the yard, stomping on the ever-present bugs. Not even the snow has put an end to that! At 6.00 pm, he turns into an Elder. And guess what wishes he spins up? To call an Exterminator, and to get married!
Well, Don, try to get some sleep, and for the next round, we'll see what can be done for you!
Frankly, that was rather boring to play. Don is frustratingly stubborn when it comes to those bugs, and it simply does not enter his mind that he could put the trash can upright again and put an end to the infestation. What do you think - should I have him call the Exterminator next time I visit this house? And who would make a good wife for our Don?
