Week 35 - House of the Rising Sun

 

Day 239 – Sunday

 

“You know honey, if you’d be willing to wait half an hour, I’m making fresh waffles.”

“I’d love to dear, but I’ve got to get to the library and work on this book.”

 

“Time for a jam session at the library.”

Err, that’s not the normal venue for that sort of thing. In fact, I think it’s generally frowned upon.

“Hey! We own it, we can do as we please!”

 

Yup, back to the drawing board. Of course, this is actually better for Jarod than renovations since it also works towards his LTW. Too bad we’re only allowed one table. Unlike paintings, there’s no pop-up informing you that the sketch is done, so he just wanders off to do something completely useless if I don’t watch him like a hawk.

 

I love Cat’s little halo. It’s weird though, sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not. Of course, she only has 7hrs of it left anyway, but it’s cute.

 

THE PRIVATE EYE RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED!!!

There may be all sorts of personal mayhem going on, but individuals sims are STRONGLY discouraged from going anywhere but to the police with their complaints. Of course, the police, being over worked with the excess of crime in the region, really have no time for all that petty stuff like missing shoes and sorting out love interests for the townsfolk ..

• The computer bandwidth and phone lines have been fixed, sims may use the computer and telephone whenever and however they please.
• Sims may rummage in garbage cans.
  • Oops, was Catherine not allowed to, or was she allowed to since it was part of her job?
• Sims may look through the telescope during the day.
• Sims may write mystery novels and watch the mystery channel on TV.
• Sims may lock their doors or fences.
• Kleptomaniac sims may choose to steal anything from other sims or properties they can return what they have stolen autonomously.
• Sims may learn photography.
• Sims may purchase Long Distance Friend lifetime Reward.

Once a super-sleuth arises, they discover the shady dealings the Head Coach has had with the Mayor and a certain prominent business man. The Coach has been selling prime game tickets to the mayor and his business crony in exchange for all the bandwidth to televise sporting events and advertise for product endorsements for the team. This talented gum shoe figures out who has been doing what, where, with whom and why, and they take their information right to the head of the SBI (Sims Bureau of Investigation), who orders a SWAT team stake out and arrest of the three criminals. Once the red tape has been cleared, a new Mayor elected and all business dealings cleared away, the town’s internet bandwidth and telephone services are restored.

 

I knew all the ladies would be crying for Oliver.

 

Day 240 – Monday

 

Yes! Yes! Yes! Goodbye tiny cramped house and ridiculously cheap crap items!

THE ARCHITECTURE RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED!!!

The nuclear meltdown and resulting steam explosion contaminated the local area, including the buildings. Their structural integrity lost, many buildings simply collapsed while others were condemned due to heavy radiation. As the survivors cling to life, they resort to building basic shelters to protect themselves from the elements. Without proper knowledge of building safety requirements, these shelters were kept as simple as possible to avoid risk of collapse.
Making do with scraps of wood, carpet, metal, mortar, and bricks, survivors no longer dream of building beautiful abodes. As they rebuild, rumors of hidden meeting places pass from one to another and that the famous architect Howard Brady may have survived the explosion.

• Objects may be recolored however you please.
• Sims may purchase anything with any environment score
• Sims may purchase anything with any comfort score
• Sims may purchase buy mode objects over $500 in price
• Sims may purchase appliances regardless of price.
• Sims may have fire places
• Sims may use any curtains, rugs or picture frames.
• Decorative build items (flooring, wall covering, fences, etc) may be any price option
• Sims may paint paving stones on the lot
• Sims may use any style of window
• All Decorative tab items are available
• Community lots may now have fully enclosed rooms
• You may build up to the maximum level of basements- 4 levels.
• There are no height restrictions for buildings
• Houses no longer need to be on stilts or foundations
• You may use building cheats.
• All sims may use the Drafting Table.
• You may use an unlimited amount of building supplies

Once a great architect rises in the family, blueprints are drawn up to create safer homes for the survivors. With the construction company the architect started up, sights are set on rebuilding the community areas damaged by the catastrophe. While the region is being rebuilt, Howard Brady reveals himself to the public; bringing with him his engineering prowess. Together with the newly arrived City Planner, the region begins to make use of the quality building supplies stashed at formerly secret locations. The Architecture Restrictions are lifted.

 

Before I pause the game and spend the next several hours building their new home, I thought you’d like to see this. This is as much as I’ve got built since Scott lifted Politics. Sad, isn’t it?

(I am not responsible for any placement of gnomes. I stick ‘em in the basement, but they pop wherever they want to. Cat has brought home a lot of gnomes in her PI career.)

 

4 hours later and the shell and basic wall placement is done. I’ve moved in their current furniture, but I have a feeling I’ll be decorating and furnishing for at least an entire generation, possibly more. If I spend much more time on it now, I’ll lose interest in playing them. Besides, it’s more fun when my sims tell me what they’d like to buy.

 

Level 6! Now that’s she’s in the Director branch of Film, Latricia is expressing much more interest in her writing skills. Good thing too. As much as I’ve had her work on her writing, she’s just got all the writing points to get the Outstanding smiley.

 

Latricia heading to the library reminded me that I needed to finish upgrading it. It’s got tons of empty space but it’s now 3 stars. Who knows, when I finish buying up the rest of town I may work on it just for fun.

 

You may be wondering why I haven’t given Cat the boot yet. Since the house isn’t overly crowded at the moment I decided that she can stay a bit longer. Possibly until her sister is leave, but maybe sooner than that. For now she’s my go-to girl. Anything I want done that the others don’t have time for, that’s her job.

 

First time I’ve seen this want. Latricia wants to obtain a self-portrait. Cool! Works for me and Jarod since he’s still trying to master painting.

 

Catherine’s got her own little Private Eye office. It’s actually a section of the library, but I think it rocks! I was hoping that her Detective’s Case Board would be something like the adventure board in foreign locations, but no such luck, it’s just decorative.

 

Brigitte stayed late today, and it definitely paid off.

 

Day 241 – Tuesday

 

Jarod will get back to renovating the other houses in town eventually, but at the moment I want him to concentrate on finishing his LTW. Cooking and Painting are at 9, and Handiness is at 7. Before he starts renovating again I want him to finish at least cooking and painting.

 

As you can see, we continue to have ghost issues. Eventually they piss me off (it’s the constant dropping of actions by the sims who see them that annoys me) and I reset them.

 

Brigitte’s been working on this for awhile now. It’s not something she needs for her career, but it’s something she really wanted.

 

Now that’s out of the way she can concentrate on the guitar, and inspire Jarod at the same time.

 

Three more promotions and she can start her family!

 

Cat meanwhile is on another case and snooping for clues at the graveyard. I think I liked her red outfit better. Not surprising since red’s actually my favourite colour. I know, you’d figure from my website and the decor choices I usually make in the sims that it was green. Green’s my second favourite, and a lot easier on the eyeballs.

 

You know, I think this is the first time I’ve put island seating in my kitchen, and I’m loving it!

 

Good job Brigitte!

 

Day 242 – Wednesday

 

Brigitte’s jamming at the park today. Have fun, see you at suppertime.

 

One down, two to go!

 

Only two more to go, but after supper you better work on your writing a bit.

 

Day 243 – Thursday

 

Thursday has been pretty relaxed. Brigitte is having a blast jamming on her guitar while she waits for the carpool and Cat is enjoying a nice visit with her Aunt Terri. I think I’m going to let Cat go soon, I’m really not doing anything with her, so I should free her so that she can find a husband and start a family.

 

Jarod continues to work on his cooking skills. He would probably learn faster from a book at the library, but this way he has a chance of learning new recipes.

 

“See ya Jarod, I’m off to start my own life now!”

 

I don’t know why Latricia choses this room to write in, it’s one of the ones I haven’t bothered finishing yet since we don’t need it at the moment. I mean yes, I painted the walls and floors, and I stuck their obsolete dining furniture in there, but it’s a barren empty room. She’s got a lovely library upstairs, but she writes down here. Doofus!

 

I can’t wait for my sims to be able to see the sun again!

 

Day 244 – Friday

 

I was just rereading the rules on Wikia to decide if I wanted to attempt The Amazing Naturalist with generation six or if I wanted to wait until generation 7. It appears that I’ve yet again been unintentionally cheating. Brigitte is not allowed to play her guitar in public for other sims. I’m assuming it’s fine if family members listen on the home lot since I wouldn’t consider that public. I shall cease and desist immediately.

Also, yes my sims have been interacting with the ghosts that won’t vanish, but it’s all been in a passive way, ie chatting while they eat in the same room or while they’re watching the television. I’m not considering this as being what Mikitta had in mind when she forbid interaction. There’s not much you can do about it.

Looking to have more celebrity friends without breaking the rules? One, befriend sims before they’re famous. Two, if you’ve lifted military then your sims can Salute anybody they please. If the sim has fairly high charisma this can actually make the other sim an instant friend, if not, at least you know the sim and there’s a chance that the other sim will decide to chat with your sim for no apparent reason.

Okay, back to the “story” now.

 

Are you two and your son ever planning on vaporizing and returning to your graves. All three now seem to be permanent residents regardless of time of day.

 

Since Brigitte can’t perform in public anymore she’s practicing by playing known compositions. According to Carl’s, this actually raises skill faster. It’s a bit more hands on than Play Alone, but at the moment that’s fine. I line 8 up, check on Jarod and Latricia, come back and line up 8 more, and so on and so forth.

 

Jarod’s gone to the library to finish off the last little bit of cooking he needs to learn. I expect we’ll soon have a pic of him mastering it. Latricia’s gone off to direct a recruitment commercial for the army.

 

“I solemnly swear to use my knowledge of food only for the betterment of simkind.”

 

I don’t much feel like renovating today, so Jarod’s been assigned a multitude of upgrades around the house. This way he can do something nice for the family and work on his final skill at the same time.

 

Technically building cheats and stuff they shouldn’t have yet because they can’t go on adventures, but I wanted to hide the old basement while still keeping it, and learn to build basic tombs, just ‘cause I can. This is the only time the sims will be using it (for testing purposes). Basically it’s my plan to shove stuff in there that I don’t want them touching (dartboard anyone?). Anyway, my testing was successful (yay me, the tutorials aren’t really that clear) and Latricia can now head off to the library to work on Mildred Funke’s biography.

 

“Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it’s all right…”

 

Day 245 – Saturday

 

“What a great way to start the day!”

Yup, now move along to logic, the chess board awaits.

 

“Woo!”

“Jarod! Jarod!”

“You’re our hero!”

 

Coolness!

 

Latricia finally finished that biography and has started writing her first screenplay. It seems to be going quite quickly as well.

 

Jarod has returned home and is working on upgrading the master bedroom’s ensuite bathroom.

 

Brigitte’s promotion to Orchestra Member (L7) seems like an excellent place to end the week. See you next time!

 

Okay, so ‘House of the Rising Sun’ is not technically a song about architecture or private investigators, but it does have the word House in it, and it’s one of my all time favourites. Yes I know, it’s one of everybody’s favourites, but there’s a reason for that.