Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Routine Havar 2003

Havar, fall, 2003
Julio is 36, Rebecca is 33, Abel and Amanda are 7



It's funny how life has a way of sneaking up on you. You remember your glory years of seeing the world.

Now you simply exist in a day to day manner. You try to change the routine.

"Maybe I'll use mustard instead of mayo for the kids sandwiches today."

You even expand your family and adopt the convential dog, to add to your convential 2 kids and picket fence, but decide to break tradition and give it the untoken name of Decade.


No matter what, life still pulls you into that daily routine. Where discussing the bills and finances is the topic of conversation most simdays.

You love your spouse, of course. No thoughts of straying or entertaining forbidden fantasies. You are committed to them and thier love, unlike many of the couples around you.
To not love your spouse would mean that life isn't routine...which it unbearably is.
You love them with the unchanging devotion of the sun rising each day, with the expected consistency of the double moons in the night time sky.
It's expected. You love them with a passion, not the same youthful passion with its roaring flames, but the cozy comfortable passion, like a favorite blanket on a cold day.

Even the children are routine. Playing on the playground every day after school, before thier snack and homework. The teasing is routine, nothing out of the ordinary. The same "nah nah nah! You're a cabbage brain!!!"

You read books in which the sims are perfectly exciting! Everything is exciting, but who can get excitement out of visiting the grocers and picking up fresh produce. After a while it gets like the bread in the back of the cabinet, stale.

You consider a change, a tattoo or hairstyle change. You only have the guts for the tattoo that your daughter helped you pick out from the grocer's vending machine. It will be gone by the morning.

Even the dog is bored. Decade spends his days napping. The routine has become like a prison. You barely heard the words of your child bubbling over with excitement about the A+ they made on thier first book report.

"Congratulations." you say later, but by then they have moved on.

Someday you hope that life won't be routine anymore, simply passing you by. Someday you hope to see it through the eyes of your children, where seeing thier first baseball game is the highlight of thier life.



For now, you settle into the routine and wait for life to throw a curveball.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Summer Break Remar 2003

Remar, Summer, 2003
Jesse is 37, Fiona is 34, Bill is 19, Veronika is 5 (Suzanna Carr is 38, Bradford McMillian is 39)

Summer had arrived once again and to celebrate Veronika's birthday, Aunt Suzanna flew in from Eden.

"You've grown so much since I last saw you!" Suzanna said sweeping down to give her niece a hug.

Veronika nodded. "Yep, I was a baby then, but now I'm a big girl. I'm going to go to school soon, but first daddy and mommy are taking me to the beach."

---

And to the beach they went. Jesse surprised Fiona with a brand new beachhouse that featured plenty of room for Veronika to run around and the adults to enjoy the hottub.

"You should be careful, Bill." Fiona warned. "When women are slighted, they become like witches."

"Faith wanted the breakup as well."

"That may be true, but don't flaunt your new relationships in front of her."

Bill wondered how his step-mother knew about his relationships, then he corrected himself. She was the county president, she had eyes everywhere.

Meanwhile, Veronika convinced Aunt Suzanna to build sandcastles with her at the beach.

"I like it when you're here, auntie. "

"I like being here, Veronika."

"Do you miss Grandma Layla?"

Suzanna nodded, keeping the tears behind her eyes. "I do, she was a wonderful woman."

"I never met Grandma Ayanna, she died before I was born."

"Enough talk about death." Suzanna said brushing the sand off her skirt. "It's almost lunchtime, I'll race you to the house."

Veronika won the race and was greeted by her father.

"Swing me, daddy!" She cried and her father obeyed.

"Jesse, you're going to make her sick. Come inside you two, it's time for lunch." Fiona called.

While Bill and Veronika napped after lunch, the other adults enjoyed the popular hottub.

"It's about time you got a raise from your company, Suzanna." Jesse commented.
"I agree. If you were working here in Apple Valley, not only would you have a higher position but a higher salary as well."
"I'm doing well financially."
That much was true. Suzanna had always excelled in her career and education, but now...her priorities were shifting. Maybe it was her mother's death, or the fact that her biological clock was ticking, but she was considering adopting a child. Not only adopting a child, but selling the family home house and moving to something smaller to raise that child in.
It had been on her mind since Jesse adopted Bill ten simyears ago. Now she was at an age where she had to be honest with herself. If she wanted a family and children, she would have to make it happen...alone. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in dating, but Eden was a small community and there wasn't a lot of options. She rather do it alone, then to settle.
There was Bradford McMillian. Fiona had urged her co-worker to chat with Suzanna on the SUN Boards and she had to admit, he sounded interesting. He was a lawyer at Stern & Clerks with Fiona and lived in Apple Valley Metro with his brother, James, and his daughter, Laci. Bradford's wife had died shortly after Laci's birth five simyears ago. She enjoyed thier daily chats.
"Auntie! Watch me!" Veronika yelled, shaking Suzanna from her thoughts.
"Weeee!!!!"
----
The next day, Fiona grabbed the family for a little sightseeing.

"I would suggest you visit the ruins of Captain Fisher's boat." A local woman recommended. "You have a few moments before the next tour starts."

To pass the time until the tour, the family decided to have a dance party of sorts. Jesse and Fiona swayed to the music, while Veronika happily bounced around. Bill had wisely escaped to the restroom and Suzanna kept glancing around to see if any other sims saw her dancing alone.

The family was able to squezze in a tour before the sky opened up and buckets of rain fell to the ground. Jesse enjoyed it and even developed a few lesson plans around the history of the boat while he surveyed the land from the top of the ship.
After a quick dinner of Luau Ribs, the family opted for some night swimming.
"I think friendship is important. You have to be best friends. You need some kind of foundation to build a relationship on."
"This coming from the guy who fell in love at first sight."
"Yea...but we're best friends...how's that guy you're chatting with?"
"He's fine. He invited us to visit a jazz club after we return from the beach.We'll see how it goes when we meet in person. Just chatting online isn't quite the same thing as actually seeing someone face to face, you know."
"I know, just try not to drool all over the place when you meet him."
---


"Are you excited about tonight's date?" Fiona asked as Suzanna inhaled her breakfast. She was starving and Dr.Wilsonoff was due to pick her up in a few minutes so that she could volunteer at the medical clinic.
"Yes," she mumbled hastily chewing and running upstairs to throw on clothes.
"Has your sister mentioned anything about tonight?" Fiona asked Jesse when he walked downstairs.
"No, why?"
"Do you think she's excited? She didn't seem like she wanted to talk about it when I asked her earlier."
"She's probably nervous. It's been a while since she's been on a date with a decent guy."
"Still, I wonder-"
"Hush." He said and swept her in his arms for a kiss. "You told me to stay out of thier relationship, you should do the same."

Suzanna coughed as she entered the living room, breaking the couple's embrace.

"I know you two want another baby, but perhaps try to keep that in the bedroom." She teased.

Jesse stuck his tongue out at her.

"We leave at six, right?" She asked, fumbling with the door.

"Six o'clock, on the dot!" They yelled after her.

---

That evening, Fiona, Jesse, Suzanna and Bradford walked into the metro's newest jazz club. The seating was limited and the couples were seperated to two close, but seperate tables.

Fiona and Jessed tried not to laugh so loud from thier table. Whenever Bradford wasn't looking Suzanna would swoon over him and when Suzanna wasn't looking Bradford would swoon over her.

"At least those two are attracted to each other." Fiona whispered as they watch them dance.

"That much is obvious." Jesse agreed.

Fiona glanced around the club. "Do you think they'll notice if we sneak out for a few moments?"

"I doubt it. Suzanna has that silly look on her face and is grinning like a cat with a toothbrush stuck sideways in it's mouth."

"Good, let's go."

---

The ferry ride back to the island seemed like minutes. After changing, Suzanna went straight to the piano to pluck out a few tunes. She had a lot to think about. Suzanna doesn't think she has ever met anyone that she's gotten along so well with so quickly. Her plans of adoption and moving to something smaller in her hometown of Eden was starting to waver after her chats with Bradford and now this amazing date.

While Suzanna considered her options, Fiona clearly knew what was in store for thier family. There was no question about it, they were expecting a baby.
---
Yea, they're pregnant! Fiona's due to deliver twins in Hapar 2004. Suzanna and Bradford are an example of using the SUN Boards (in this case the Sims Dating & Friends Board) to interact with sims in other sim-to-sim hoods. Suzanna is staying until the birth, so we'll see what happens bewteen her and Bradford.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Survival Mode Patar 2003

Patar, summer, 2003
Tobi and Li are 31; Ping, Aaron and Simora are 4; Matt is 1 SimLonic month


Summer was understandably busy in the Sweeny household. They recently welcomed thier fourth child, Matt and with three toddlers and an infant Tobi and Li were surviving on the barest amount of sleep. The lack of sleep meant that Li often wrapped her growing hair into a tiny bun at the back of her head and allowed a few tendrils to casually hang loose. After a few simdays of the new look, she decided that she liked the casually hairstyle.



Li took advantage of her maternity leave by catching up on reading and doing a few architectual sketches. Her job with the SUN News was going well, her readership was increasing and her boss said that she showed potentional. Unfortunately, there were no empty slots which meant no promotions...at least for a while. She was doing much better with designing a few buildings for the hood council. She missed her first love. Designing buildings and homes gave her such energy. Something that she didn't have a lot of recently with four children. Would she have chosen this life? She's not sure. She perfers the life of a career woman. The kind of life that requires a cute downtown apartment with views of the city, designer furniture and martinis, a great job where she was on the fast track to the top and a cute guy to share it with. Kids were optional, but life gave her four. It's no secret that she bore her children to please Tobi. Don't take it any other way, she loves them now that they're here, but four is a bit much.

Thankfully the hood council called her back for a special project. Her position as Archives/Technology Director was recently demoted to a contract commissioned position and she was paid based on the jobs she did. Thankfully the special project of compling all the blogs into one easy-to-read format would keep her busy for a few simyears and the additional pay was very welcomed, especially with four young mouths to feed. There wasn't money left over for designer furniture and fancy dinners in the city. Most times she ate the standard overdone porkchop with gummy mashed potatoes.



Most of her maternity leave simdays were spent caring for Matt and playing with the triplets. The small family fell into a routine fairly quickly. After waking up and letting the triplets out of thier cribs for some playtime and cereal bits served on the floor, Li and Tobi managed to stuff a few frozen pasteries in thier mouth before Tobi had to leave for work. By that time, Matt was screaming and needed a bottle and bath. After lunch, the sacred hour of naptime approached.



Li would put the triplets down first and sit Matt in his bouncer next to her computer. By the time the machine booted up, Matt was asleep and Li was able to either work on her special project with the hood council, submit an article or two to STAR magazine or work on her novel. It was about a sim, much like Li, that lived downtown in a loft apartment with views of the city and a great job at an architectual firm designing award winning buildings. The herorine strived to make it to the top and hosted lots of dinners and entertained many sims from international ports of call in her quest. If only Li's life was as such.



She is hoping for a publishing contract from Pennelson Publishing, so she invites Jolie Dawson, published author, and Sandra Jones, a freelance author, over for cake. The two women explain that the publishing business is finicky, like the weather. One day the editors love you, your agent raves about you and the public is buying your books like crazy. The next day, your editor refuses to take your calls and the line for the restroom is longer than your line at the bookstore signing.

Sandra leaves fairly quickly in order to catch the ferry, but Jolie stays and chats with Li some more.

"You look strange? Are you ok?"

"I've been a bit nausated lately and so tired."

Li raised her brows. "How do you feel about the pregnancy?"

Jolie laughed. "Honestly? At first I thought, how could I be pregnant? We tried for simyears before deciding to adopt the girls. Then the test came back positive and we're having twins! Can you believe such luck!"

Li gave her a look. "Believe me I can. If it wasn't for that night at the train station, little Matt wouldn't be here."

"It's funny how life can upset your well laid plans." Jolie thought. "Sometimes, I wish there was something to just make it all make sense."

"Well, it doesn't so what you need right now is a big fluffly pillow to the face!" Li screamed before slamming the sofa pillow on her friend. The women played a short game of pillow fight before collasping on the sofa in a fit of giggles.

"I haven't done that since I was a teen."

"Me either."

At that moment, Tobi arrives home from work, ending the short lived pillow fight. Jolie leaves quickly afterwards.

"How was work?" Li asks, embracing her husband in a kiss.

"Absolutely wonderful, guess what happened."

"You solved the case of the missing billboard?"

"No."

"Umm, you caught the sim stealing our newspaper?"

"No! I got a raise!"

"A raise! That's wonderful!"

Tobi was glad that Li was excited about the raise. The extra money would help them, especially since the townhome was getting very crowded. Four children, two adults and two official bedrooms (one large attic/gameroom) wasn't the greatest place to live. He was beginning to look for other housing. Ginger was right, the Plains had more space for the money, but he had found a fairly large townhome in the Metro...the rent was steep, but with four official bedrooms, three full baths and plenty of yard space, it was perfect. The icing on the cake was that it was close to the parks and within walking distance of many great amenities.

It was time for the triplet's bath, so Li tossed Matt into the air.

"You're going to play with daddy for a little while, yes you are," she cooed to her youngest.

Tobi watched as Matt was placed in his bouncer next too him. He was in the process of paying bills and doing more real estate research when his chat window popped up.
Gingersnap: Hi
TSween: Hi, how are you?
Gingersnap: Great! I miss chatting with you. How is the little one?
TSween: He's doing fine. I miss chatting with you too.
Gingersnap: I'm coming to Apple Valley to register some papers at the courthouse, do you think I can spend the night until the morning ferry?

TSween: Sure! See you soon!


Li came down after bathtime to collect Matt.
"Ginger is coming to spend the night until the morning ferry. I'm going to stay up until she arrives."
"Ok," she said. The woman had stayed the night before and vice versa. "I'm going to put Matt to bed and then get some sleep." She replied before grabbing the infant and a nearby book.
"I love you," Tobi said kissing her goodnight.
"I love you, too."

Twenty minutes later, Ginger stood in the living room. "Thank you again for letting me stay the night.
She collasped on the sofa and words poured from her mouth. "I'm so tired, this pregnancy has drained me. Not to mention having Breckin around. He's a very active toddler, always rushing off to the toilet! The twins keep bringing thier little friends over and I just can't handle four kids running around the house. I think I've sent them off to play in the field so many times! I expected cravings but gosh, these pregnancy hormones just make me want to woohoo all the time and Grex won't even cuddle with me anymore! This baby must be huge! I'm getting fat all over, not just baby belly."
"No you're not."
"Yes, I am." She stood up. "I'm getting fat all over! Look!"
"Ginger, you're absolutely beautiful." Tobi gushed.

"Really?" Ginger whispered. "You're not saying that as my friend?"


"I'm saying that as a man." Tobi said pulling her to him. "You are radiantly beautiful. I don't know why Grex hasn't told you that lately, but you are beautiful."
The two friends stared at each other, the feelings that had remained dormant since high school stirred to life within them. They don't recall who made the first move, but somehow thier lips found each other. That old attraction roared to life, burning brightly.



What happened next was very much wanted, since they were sixteen simyears old. Before the fateful flood pulled them in opposite directions, before marriage and children forced them to bury thier love. They couldn't deny the changes that life had given them, but for tonight, they were the same giddy teenagers that held thier breath whenever the other was in the room. Tonight, they were more than friends, they were lovers.

---

So they finally rolled romantic wants for each other. Tobi started by gushing over her during thier simple chat, then wants for flirting moved to wants for kissing which lead to wants for other actions. Thanks to ACR these actions were quickly accepted since the duo were best friends anyway-make that BFFs.

For those keeping track: Grex (Ginger's husband) cheated on her with Jolie and now Ginger is cheating on Grex. I don't know what will come of Ginger and Tobi's affair since it wasn't an ACR induced affair, but they both rolled wants for the affair.

Related Posts with Thumbnails