Re: With a Twist-McCloud Kids Gotta Skill, Dec. 16

[MarianT]

Yes, Dax's exploits are quite amusing. Funny how much the cow hat helps to put a Sim in the mood. And was that last lady he was romancing Olivia S-K-L? She has beautiful children.

[Whirligig]

@oshizu and @FrancescaFiori :  thank you, you two.  My faithful readers!  I would be lost and lonely without your posts.

I agree! Aren't those two just awesome!

I also just wanted to say I've (finally) caught up on reading this. The McCleouds seem so much fun, and with regards to the 'no buy' rule, you're doing far better than I would be doing under the same circumstances.

To comment on more recent events: Daxon looks like he's going to be an excellent pollinator, as well as a great help with the garden. Great find!

[Joria]

Thank you so much faithful readers!  I didn't mean to ignore you all but I really was struggling with the dia de los muertos challenge.  FINALLY got that last skull.  You would think with so many Sims working on it I would have gotten it sooner but there just weren't that many celebrants around.  So, now I'm back with so much to share!

@Caterina :  I really agonized over whether the sisters should have children right around the same time.  Each member of the household has a job, except Dax and we all know what his job is, so everyone being so busy I worried about taking care of the babies.  Plus, there is the thought of such a full house and possible ramifications further down the road.  I hope your move went well and that you are getting settled in.  Moving is always such a nightmare!

@MarianT :  Yeah, that cow hat is a riot.  I always thought it had an effect on the ladies but really it is just on the guy.  "Beguile" helps a lot and he always gets his girl.  Yes, it was Olivia SKL and they have a darling daughter together.  I wanted more children with her but she aged up too quickly.  The ratio of boys to girls is pretty scary though and so little ways to influence the gender if they don't live in the house.  (Or visit often!)

@Whirligig:  Thank you!  I do have fun with my McClouds, when I'm not stressing over them.  The no buy addition is pretty lax this time around because I allowed myself all children's items, (and wound up getting the space ship playground equipment via transforming through sheer luck), and I allowed shelves and fish bowls because I really hate clutter and fear a Sim will drink the potion of youth or such.  I wound up transforming up one of those chest things so now I have a place to keep everything for ambrosia or herbal potions. 

In general I think people worry about not getting things they need if they go the no buy route, when in reality, it is pretty easy right from the start.  You get two Sims to do the Soul Mate thing, get Connections and voila, you have a really good start.  Those two Sims choose every single career path one at a time, leaving the one they really want for last.  In my case one Sim will always be a chef because I want that fridge and stove.  This gives them a last cash base plus two beds, two toilets, two desks, two chairs and two computers, plus much more.  A short trip to Granite Falls right after and they get a table to eat at, chairs, a love seat if they wish, a tent, a gaming table, veggies for their garden, lamps, a fire pit and a cooler chest.  So now they can take care of all needs except a shower and that is a short trip to the gym.  You carry the tent with you wherever you go so you can always sleep somewhere where other facilities are available while you just focus on what needs to be done. 

Plus, buying via Magnolia Promenade shops is allowed, (which I haven't done so far), buying via the computer is allowed, and buying from the kiosk in Granite Falls is allowed as is everything in build mode.  There are also the items you fish up like violins, radios and showers.  The hard part is when you prefer building to playing, like myself, and you are NOT allowed all those adorable things you want to use unless you can get them via transforming and that means right off the bat one of your Sims MUST be a scientist.

Ok, coming right up, Dina Comes to Visit.

[oshizu]

@Joria
I haven't experienced this myself yet, but @reggikko and others report that it's no longer possible to acquire the various career reward objects and cash bonuses by buying the Connections trait then switching between all the careers.
This "patch" will make starting a future No-Buy challenge much harder, I imagine.

[Joria]

The irrepressible Dax was sitting alone at the dining table, thinking about how very fortunate he was.  He was in the prime of life, an adult, with all the perks that comes with that age.  He'd always been alone before, no home, no family, no one in particular to give a darn about him.  He'd feared for a lonely life forever with no one around to mourn his passing or even know he'd been on the face of the Sim world at all.  Now, he had a beautiful home to life in with his own, private room, a lovely garden full of good things to grow and wonderful people who all seemed to care a lot for him.  Sure, his life was still going to be relatively short in the grand scheme of things, but at least now it was going to be a comfortable life filled with love, companionship and very interesting activities.  He was content.  Right at that moment, where he was contemplating his very good fortune, he felt a chill at this back and definitely heard the sound of the refrigerator opening.  How could that be?  He was all alone in the kitchen, wasn't he?  The fish taco in front of him no longer seemed quite as delicious, but definitely a much safer place to be gazing at.



Not able to stand it anymore, he looked up, and gliding across the room was an apparition in green.  Oh well, at least it was happy!  He finally realized this must be the ghost of the long lamented Dina Caliente McCloud, mother to the twins and wife to Kieran.  How sad it must be for her to be not quite there.  Wait!  Ghosts can eat tacos?  Clearing his throat and screwing his courage up several notches, he introduced himself.

"Oh, hello there!  You must be Mrs. McCloud.  I'm the new member of the household.  Name is Dax Francis.  Nice to see you,.....errrr...."

"Nice to meet you Dax.  Yes, I'm Dina McCloud.  You all settled in then?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah.  All settled in.  I was a bit surprised to see you."

"Oh, I come and go.  Can't quite seem to leave the old homestead you know.  My soul mate lives here so I guess I still do to.  Or at least......well....I hang around."



Dax wasn't quite sure how to react to all this.  He'd never sat down and had a conversation with a specter before.  She seemed like such a sweet lady and it made him sad that he hadn't gotten a chance to know her when she was alive.  She was doing her best to make him feel comfortable and at ease but.......well....she WAS a ghost after all.  It was one of the strangest things he had ever done.



The chill finally left the kitchen as Dina wandered out the door, or should we say, through the door, to the garden outside.  She had always been a very athletic person and just felt the need for some exercise.  A few sit ups would do the trick, but it wasn't something she was comfortable with doing in front of the new member.



Having finished her calisthenics, Dina wandered off to one of the bedrooms.  She was starting to get a bit bored with the afterlife and figured a quick game of BlickBlock would do the trick.



Dax came in soon after.  He'd gotten over his initial surprise and, yes, shock, and wanted to greet Dina properly.  After chatting a bit more, they shared a friendly hug.  Who knew you could actually HUG a ghost and not just go right through them?  Strange things happen in the Simiverse it seems.  He wondered what else they could do together, but no......respecting the boundaries, Dax just kept it to a hug.



Elsewhere in Willow Creek, two young lovers were sharing a moment.  Gazing deeply into each others eyes, they both knew they had to make the most of this time together.  They wouldn't be young adults forever, and soon the responsibilities of being Watched Sims would catch up with them and they would have to pay serious attention to the needs of the dynasty.  At least they had this day in this beautiful place where they first found their love.







Later that afternoon, another kiss was being shared by two lovers. Dax was really getting pretty good at this.  In his heart he believed it was a tough job but someone had to do it and it was certainly something he could do any time, anywhere.  As long as there was an appropriate place handy, and that tent behind them certainly seemed like an appropriate place.



After whispering a few love words and asking the question, Dax led Elsa to the tent.  At first she seemed a bit reluctant.



In what seemed like no time at all, they both left the tent smiling, and feeling very confident.  Ahhh, if this could only last.



Unfortunately for Dax, he had an appointment that night with a birthday cake.  His life bar had been bubbling away for quite some time and two notices for a birthday party had been posted.  He stood before the cake quite reluctantly, but it was inevitable.  His days as an adult would soon be over.  Ah well, at least he knew his old age would be a comfortable, joy filled one.



Taking a deep breath, and with a last, young smile, Dax blew his candles out.  Let the celebration begin!



This was worth celebrating?  Oh, his aching back!  Now he understood why Kieran so often hunched over in pain.  Getting old sucked! 



Would our hero still be able to fulfill his duties?  Only time would tell.

[Joria]

@oshizu :  Well, it's been awhile since I went that route so I don't know.  I wonder if it's a "fix" or just one more unintended glitch.  I'm going to test it out and see how feasible it is to go the no buy route without the Connections ploy.  Should be fun!

[FrancescaFiori]

Oh, happy birthday, Dax! You're doing so well! Keep those charismatic mitts off Dina, though!

This was a sweet chapter. I'm so glad Dina came back to visit, and Aislyn and Waylon's moment was precious, too. Love this family!

[oshizu]

Kieran, don't read this chapter! Your dearly departed wife returned but only chilled with Dax! lol

I didn't recognize Dax at first because he was always wearing the cow hat in the previous update.
What a diamond in the rough Dax turned out to be! His elder birthday took me by surprise.

Dye your hair, Dax! You still got it, man! But you should probably tone down your pollinating to only twice a day...

By the way, how old are the girls and their hubbies now? Will you stagger the births?
I really struggle with too many sims working. In my Gen3, I had all the working sims get the Pro Slacker trait because I had a hard time getting every one to work on time, hehe.

I'm looking forward to watching over Aislyn and Waylon as they rise to the challenge of sustaining the dynasty.

[Whirligig]

Great update! People keep telling me to remove the tombstones/urns to get rid of the ghosts, which I may do eventually, but I just love seeing the old sims popping in on a regular basis to say hello! I fear I would miss that far too much. It's so good to see Dina back and hanging around (even if she did spend most of her time with Dax).

Aww, Rex is an elder already? That makes me sad - I was looking forward to seeing him around for a good long while, so that birthday did come as a surprise. He's shaping up to be an excellent pollinator, I must say. What a great find!

And yeah, I think the career rewards have been either broken or fixed - not sure which this is. I just had a sim move in who was already at the top of their career, but all of the career rewards for that career were locked and remained locked even after they went to work for a day or two. It's kind of disappointing, and makes the connections reward not nearly as powerful in my mind (especially for sims born in game who get As - they start at level 3 anyways, one more level doesn't make that much of a difference).

[Joria]

So once again you haven't heard from me for awhile.  As I said in an earlier post I wanted to see if it was feasible to do a No Buy IDC without Connections and it definitely is.  BUT.......since according to the rules you can add things to Maxis lots you can build them, any or all, up in such a way that ALL your needs can be filled and ALL your skills can be maxed.  Connections still helps you get to a higher level in your career much faster but I'm not really sure it's worth it since you would miss some rewards you get early on.  For instance, in the Chef career you would miss the counter tops and coffee pot for levels 2 and 3, Solar System lights and other focus objects in the Astronaut career, a bed, shelves and a toilet in the Detective career and many more objects.  Some of it feels kind of "cheaty", like gussying up the lots, but it is doable and not that much harder.

@FrancescaFiori :  Thank you so much for your encouragement!  There are times when it feels like a slog but some interesting events, like Dina's visit and Dax and his romantics can keep it going again.

@oshizu : lol....it only seemed like that was all she visited because of picture selection.  They have a very long and loving interaction where they become boy friend/girl friend again.  It was cute but wound up edited out.

The strange thing with Dax is he was quite good looking either as a young man or an elder but once he became an elder he started to look more and more like Walking the Dog.  Better chin, but still.  Maybe it's the hair.

I really have to become more focused and disciplined because the whole family is doing so well.  I have at least six folders of photos to write about but just haven't been able to get my head around to doing it.

@Whirligig :  I have a love/hate relationship with ghosts.  On the one hand I love that they show up and you can interact with them on the other hand they can be a distraction and a nuisance.  I walled Dina's tombstone up and locked the gate and so far she appears regularly but never leaves her "room".  Kieran comes and visits though.

[oshizu]

Oh! You have six folders of photos to share with us? Can't wait!!!
Dare I ask? Are any of the photos related--closely or distantly--to our favorite topic? Nooboos?

[Joria]

@oshizu :  Hehehe.  Nooboos you say?  Why, they just barely got married, right?  Ok, give me a few minutes and I'll write up the next chapter.  I admit it, I've been lazy.

**************************************************************************************************

Aislyn:  So Dad,  have you got all the cakes baked for the birthdays today?  I mean, I know you still have all these things left to deal with but we don't want to miss their special day.

Kieran:  Yeah, I know.  I've got a few more chores to deal with and then I'll get to it.  There's plenty of time left.

Aislyn:  Well, as far as I can see Watcher is slacking off.  We still shouldn't have all this stuff hanging around and when is she going to get some pictures of the house?

Kieran:  She'll do it once she remodels.  We only just got the kitchen and bar stuff and a few other things so give her a break.  Meanwhile, Dax and I have some gardening to do.



Dax:  Race ya!  I may have aged up but I've still got my wind.  First one to the cow plant is a rotten egg!

Kieran:  Y're on!



Kieran:  And how are you today my beauties?  You're looking so fine.  Mind if I take a few?  You know I appreciate you blooming like this for me.



Kieran:  I'll just carefully take a few from down here, ok?  And it looks like it's about time to evolve!  Everyone is aging up so fast, even you guys.  Easy does it now.  There we go.  I've got to get inside now.  Cake's to bake.



Rez:  Oh, Dad, you remembered!  Thanks so much for the cake and for no party.  I didn't want to take away from Waylon's day.

Kieran:  Not a problem son-in-law!  I just hope you llike it.  Happy birthday, Rez!



Rez:  Really, Dax?  You really have to blow that thing?  Trying to make a wish here!
Ok, thanks for the celebrating I guess.  Party of one is better than party of none, even if it was my choice.



Dax:  Blow, baby blow!  I'll keep you company on this here horn.  Go ahead, big breath now!



Rez:  And the handsome adult stands before you in all his glory.  No grey hairs for moi! 

Dax:  Yeah, whatever!  Ok, time for me to feed Cowabunga again.  Happy birthday, dude.



Dax:  Cowabunga baby!  Did you make that just for me?  Really?  It's really safe to eat?

"Come a little bit closer, you're my kinda guy, so big and so strong"  (snickers)



Dax:  HEY!  That wasn't nice at all!  Ewwww.

Next time feed me on time.  Want some milk with that cake? (snickers)  I call it, "Essence of Stupid", or maybe, "Essence of Lazy".



Dax:  I don't know why they bother with this stuff.  Can't possibly taste that great but since you're providing it I guess I'll milk you out.  Don't want those huge udders to hurt.

Watch who you're calling "huge".  I've got more cake you know.



Dax:  Yeah?  Well if it tastes as foul as this cow slobber smells it won't be me drinking it.  Gross.  Time for a shower before the party.  I has ladies to meet!

Fickle.  And here I thought I was your only girl.  That's the sad life of a neglected cow plant I guess.



So far my industrious Sims have worked their little pixels off and have provided the house with the means to have a rollicking at home party.  Not the first party that was had for sure, but the first one in their own house.  Airynn had maxed out her mixology aspiration and career, bringing home a fabulous bar so there could be drinks for all at last.  Kieran had long ago brought home the best stove and refrigerator, not to mention counters and more.  Between being able to use unbroken Connections, (pouts because it's still broken), and transforming, the house is coming right along.  No party goer will have to be without a seat, a meal or a drink.  The following are the obligatory birthday shots:



Everyone celebrates Waylon blowing out the candles.



As handsome as ever, Waylon becomes an adult.



For the sake of our story, dear readers, we move ahead a day or so to the end of a special day at the park.  We find our little band of friends and family taking the time to make their first trip to a restaurant.  I'm not sure which one this was but there were so many to choose from, from the elegant Chez Llama to a simple little burger joint, that we just picked what we hoped would be middle ground.  At the least it had a table large enough to accommodate the entire party.  There had been some concern about massive weight gain from multiple birthday cakes being left over in the fridge, so this was going to be the twins birthdays away from home.  Another gold medal birthday party was not needed after all, so why not try the local cuisine?  The only one without a "date" was Kieran.  Dax had picked up some random, attractive lady earlier that day so she was invited along.  Ever hopeful there, Dax old boy.

Dax:  Well, this looks like a pretty nice place.  I love dining al fresco.

Kieran:  I've got my cell handy so I can take some photos of the meal.  Hope to learn some new recipes here.

Waylon:  Well, I'm starving so hope the waiter shows up fast.  I could eat an entire cow right now.

Aislyn:  I think I'll try one of the new coctails, how about you Sis?

Airynn:  Me too!  Hey would I learn some new drinks that way?  We mixologists are always on the lookout for something new.



Waiter: (another Lothario kid)  Enjoy your drinks, folks.  I'll be back in a flash to take your order.  Let me know if there is anything else I can get you in the meantime.

Kieran:  This is fine for now.  We've pretty much decided on what we want but we can enjoy this for awhile.

Waiter:  Ok, then.  Be right back.



Several hours later with no waiter in sight and no food to be had, the McCloud's decided they could wait no longer.  After all, nothing wrong with having desert first, right?  So they asked me to click on the table and bring up a birthday cake.  Magic!  First up was our heir, Aislyn.  With Waylon encouraging her from beside her, Aislyn took a big, deep breath.



And blew!.....Why is it everyone always gets up, wanders away, and turns away from the person blowing out the candles?  Are they afraid they'll be covered in frosting or spit?



The celebrants and assorted restaurant patrons all joined in to sing and make a cheerful birthday noise.  Happy birthday Aislyn!  You are now a full blown adult.  Time to think about babies?  We do have a dynasty to fill after all.



Next up was Airynn.  The twins had shared so much in their lives, why not a cake?  A lot less muss and fuss and just one slice all around after all.  Aislyn encouraged her sister to stand up and go for it.



This time the guests managed to remain seated.  Most of them anyway.  Rez was right there beside his love to give her moral support.  With another big breath, she blew the candles out.



The family celebrated her adulthood with confetti and song.  I have to wonder if she was thinking about having a child herself.  After all, Aislyn didn't seem to be making any headway in that department.  Could HER child be the next heir?  Sorry, Airynn.  Rules are rules.



The cake was absolutely delicious.  For once everyone got a slice at the same time and were able to sit and enjoy the treat and each other's company.  The only thing less enjoyable was not getting a decent meal and still having to pay for it!  We must do something about that!  Ah well.  No worries.  With a five star chef at home, who cares?



So with the birthdays all wrapped up for now, we leave our little group till the next time.  Maybe this Watcher will be more on the ball and will consolidate more folders!  Who knows what the future will bring to the McCloud Clan?

[Caterina]

Happy Birthday, Twins!  I loved the look on Rez's face when he was trying to think of a wish and Dax was already blowing the horn.

[oshizu]

Awww, I feel kind of bad that Airynn and Rez are always taking the back seat to Aislyn and Waylon. :-(

I hate when my sims go to a restaurant and they order food that never arrives.
Once I thought I'd be clever and order the next course while the sims were still eating.
Little did I know that it prevented them EVER seeing the next course because when the food was ready, the table hadn't been cleared. Sigh, so many little details to remember.

Which restaurant was that, by the way. L'Attente?

Happiest of happy birthdays to the girls, Waylon, and Rez!

[FrancescaFiori]

Kieran is such a sweetie. Defending the Watcher, chatting with the death flowers. Dax on the other hand is just a riot with his party horn blowing and falling for the sweet siren song of the cow plant. He and Cowabunga have a very entertaining patter going on.

So many birthdays! I'm excited, though, because if they're all adults that means nooboos can't be far away. Woohoo! Waylon and Aislyn are so attractive they're bound to have a great-looking kid.

The redhead Dax brought to dinner was quite lovely, too. I'll keep my fingers crossed that things work out between them.