The Tangled Webby

Cora in L.A. - Part Six

2011-02-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

If you'll remember, when we left Cora last she'd had a rather "close encounter" with a good-looking, suit-wearing, charm-the-pants-off-you massaging butler, and poor Gary was having a hard time making it into the house without ending up in a pool of darkness (i.e., the game crashing to the desktop). So while Cora fretted over the state of her life and emotions in the bathtub, The Controller went around behind the scenes and fixed up that little cosmic mistake she'd made (although when asked in public, she won't admit to ever making mistakes! Of any kind! EVER!).

I do suppose it's high time we find out where these two (um... three?) are headed.

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A New Project - Radford Island

2011-02-02T20:08:00.000-08:00

I know, I know - where the fram is Cora and Gary??? They're coming, I promise. I got pics and everything! I swear! But you know how it is when you're brain is dead from too much WordPress/HTML/CSS code and you can't come up with more story? Well, that's how I am right now.

So today, you get pictures of my latest builds and a peek at my latest project in The Sims.
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Cora in L.A. - Part Five

2011-01-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

As we left Cora, she'd had a mild mental breakdown and had decided she could give a random client at the Wiltshire Beauty Salon, home of the famous fashionista Hilary Bumgarner, a makeover. I suppose we had better see what happened next.

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Cora in L.A. - Part Four

2011-01-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

And now for the fourth chapter in this saga, wherein Cora becomes a complete re-do and then has a small moment of insanity...

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Cora in L.A. - Part Three

2011-01-21T10:42:00.000-08:00

In previous installments, Cora has been seen authoring books in the dining room in her intimates, the butler didn't do laundry, a maid was fired and then re-hired, and Gary was feeling pretty framming comfortable with his snazzy new home and life with Cora. I think it's time we dug a little bit deeper into the lives of these three L.A. residents, don't you?

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Cora in L.A. - Part Two

2011-01-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

Shall we continue with Cora's escapades?? (You know what this story-telling will do, don't you? It will make me want to play Cora again and keep writing. *giggle*)

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Cora in L.A.

2011-01-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

This is a bit of a random story about my Simself who is, in many ways, my alter-ego. ;) Her name is Cora Dixon and I moved her into a home I first built in Sunset Valley. However, the home seemed like it would fit well into Los Aniegos, and sure enough, I found the perfect lot for it! Cora happily agreed to The Controller's idea of moving to sunny L.A., so plop her down I did.

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Little Cottage Challenge

2010-12-29T00:07:00.000-08:00

This is the "full" album of my completed Little Cottage Challenge from the Living Sims Forum.For this challenge, you downloaded a small, worn home and had to make it over without removing existing doors and windows (although you could add them).

I wanted to try a style I don't usually do for this challenge, so I chose Mediterranean. That was a challenge in itself, since the house looks more like an old English country cottage! I build in Los Aniegos, because I'm so freaking in love with the place. And to go with my Mediterranean feel, I wanted to create a Spaniard man to inhabit the home. First, I chose a name from my ever-handy baby name book - Leandro. Then I went online to look up Spanish surnames, and chose "Mura". I thought that had a nice ring to it. "Leandro" means "lion". That will be important in a minute.

Then I hopped into CAS and started mucking with a face. However, I found I needed some research. Just what makes a Spaniard a Spaniard???

Lo and behold, when Googling for help, I came across pics of the Spanish actor, Antonio Banderas. LOL And so my Leandro is loosely based on Antonio (because hey, I'm no whiz with the CAS controls). I think he's a passable Spaniard Sim. ;)

Leandro's personality traits are Star Quality, Perfectionist, Good, Friendly, and a Great Kisser. Meh, I've no idea if Antonio Banderas is any of those things - except he certainly has Star Quality. LOL

Since I was basing the guy on AB, I made sure his star sign was also Leo (not that I put much stock in signs, but hey, I had to pick something, so there you have it...). And here's the funny bit - Leo is, of course, the sign for lion, and I didn't know any of this before I named my Sim "Leandro"! Ha! Things like that just tickle my funny bone. You'll have to excuse me.

And now - on with our stooooorrry....
-------------------------------------------------------

Leandro Mura stood at the front of his new house. "New" was really not the right word; this house was literally eons old. It was merely new to him. His grandfather - a mean, bitter old man - had left the family home in Sevilla, Spain, many many years ago and had settled in Los Lobos, Calibania. A penny-pincher and a grouch, he lived alone until his death, letting the small house he'd built fall into disrepair around him.

Leandro was the "lucky" inheritor.

Why his grandfather chose him, he'd never know. But since Leandro was his mama's "good boy", he packed his bags and flew to Calibania to at least oversee the sale of the place.

Leandro harrumphed. "No one will want this place in this condition!" he grumbled. Now he'd be stuck here until he could either fix it up or demolish it. "And my siblings thought I was so blessed. Pfft."

It wasn't even in a nice neighbourhood, really. Sure, the view was great. But there were no houses close by, no neighbours to chat to. Probably just as his grandfather had liked it. Leandro's heart sank. Most folks wanted some kind of "community" around them. How in the world was he going to sell this place to normal people??

But as these inheritance things go, there are times when everything is not a disaster at all. And this was one of those times. On the second day in Los Lobos, Leandro found out from his grandfather's lawyers that along with the decrepit old house came a very, very tidy sum of money - "The result of all that penny-pinching, no doubt," Leandro supposed. In any case, things were looking up for the young man from Spain. He had enough money to renovate and landscape as well as to live on while he was there.

Leandro lost no time. He hired the best contractors he could find to start on the yard work right away. As the days passed and the work progressed, however, Leandro grew homesick for Spain. The Los Lobos terrain made him think often of his homeland, and yet the house was a pitiful reminder that he was anywhere but home.

And I do suppose that's where his inspiration came from for what he did next.

Yes, he turned that little cottage into a peaceful Mediterranean retreat! The old stucco had been removed, new stucco applied, windows exchanged for ones that had a more Spanish look, and a porch with a pergola roof as an entry. Not to mention the gardens and pool... but we're getting too far ahead here...

(How did he get fully-grown cypress trees and ivy vines on the lot, you ask?? Well, that's just the perks when you know The Controller well enough... ;) )

The tiny house was now a more like a "home". Leandro brought as many of the Spanish colours and patterns he loved so much from his family home into this new one. The blue wall in the dining area was reflected in the soft cushions of the comfortable loveseat - and it served to remind him of his mother's and father's bedroom back home. The flooring was sanded, stained, and polished until it gleamed warmly at anyone who entered. The fireplace was properly bricked in and completely refinished to its former glory.

The old windows were taken out and replaced with some lovely arched versions that had wrought iron grating. He purchased an elegant wrought iron table and chair set for the dining room and hung light sheers at all the windows in the living area to catch the breezes that now happily flowed through this house on the hill.

The kitchen took a good chunk of the main floor - but that was OK with Leandro. He liked cooking his mother's best dishes from the recipes she'd written out for him. It made him feel at home. The cerulean blue was brought into this area as well, and the warm woods gave some traditional charm. He ripped out the two old windows in this area's alcove - one of them had almost completely rotted away anyway! - and put in a shuttered bay window in a style similar to a small café he'd frequented in Sevilla and a smaller window on the north wall to help bring in more natural lighting.

While he wanted to keep as much old world charm in the home as he could, he made sure the appliances were top-of-the-line. "After all, women like those things," he told himself. "And everyone knows you sell a house to the woman based on how great the kitchen is."

Smart boy. ;)

The bathroom on the main floor had such interesting tile that Leandro decided to keep it and use it to work with for the room's colour scheme. By some miracle, he found a truckload of matching tile at an old consignment shop - some distributor had been tired of trying to sell it -so he used it to finish the area around the tub. However, the old wallpaper had to go! So he stuccoed those bits with a wonderful, warm golden colour. He refinished the old bathtub that had come with the house - no sense getting rid of that wonder!

He even found artwork for the bathroom. "After all," he told himself, "everyone knows a woman loves art on the walls - even in the bathroom."

Ain't he amazing??

And that was it for the main floor. No, it certainly wasn't big, but Leandro was very pleased with how it had turned out. He'd been in Los Lobos for a month now, and he'd begun making friends, many of whom were very interested in his little project and often paid him visits to "oooh" and "aaahhh" over his progress.

For one thing, the "peace garden" on the north side of the house had been finished. Leandro found that the warm evenings of Los Lobos invited him to sit here with his lions and the quietly-lapping pool. The cypress trees reminded him of the park in Sevilla where he'd spent many a night with a certain young lady. Alas, that young lady chose another - but there was another possibility of Lady Love shining on him currently looming on the horizon here in Los Lobos. Perhaps. Leandro was torn. He was supposed to be selling the house and going back to Sevilla. That had been his plan. And yet... and yet... this garden and the wonderful front porch... even the warm evening breezes seemed to be lulling him, calling him...

(Ahem. I'm sorry. The Controller is known to wax poetic at times. Cheesy, I know, but what can I do? I can't seem to stop her! After all, she is The Controller, you know! Would you argue with her???)

Finally, it was time to tackle the master bedroom. His grandfather had not needed much space, and the upstairs bedroom was rather tiny, by Leandro's standards. So he moved the far wall back about four feet which opened up the room perfectly.

No, that is not his grandfather in that picture hanging on his wall. That was his mother's grandfather - a man whom Leandro had heard about all his life, and one he truly respected for the hard decisions he'd had to make. He'd asked his mother for the picture when he'd left Sevilla, and she gave it to him with tears in her eyes. "He will watch over you," she said. All Leandro could do was hug her and swallow hard.

For this room, Leandro wanted the rich gold colours of the Spanish hills - and those of Los Lobos - to be the inspiration. Touches of green here and there, just like in a desert, but mostly warm and deeply luxurious. "After all," he told himself, "everyone knows a woman swoons over luxury - especially in a bedroom!"

I'd like to thank his mama for raising such a lovely boy.

The upstairs bathroom leaned more toward the green colours of the cedars and cypress trees. Since the main floor bathroom had a wonderful tub, Leandro installed a new, modern shower for this smaller room.

He actually really liked the "no-nonsense" feel to this bathroom. Perhaps a bit more manly than the one downstairs. Laundry basket tucked under the open counter, modern stainless steel sink, flashy shower - yes, this would be the bathroom he'd most likely make the most use of while he lived here.

The landing at the top of the stairs was the final part of the home to be completed. Leandro bought one of those crazy "I'm a guy" workout machines and figured the only place it would fit would be in the top hall. Of course, on a complete whim, he also purchased an "I'm a guy" statue for his work-out area - "Because," he told himself, "every woman knows that a man needs a bit of space to call his own."

Isn't that right, ladies?? ;)

To be fair, however, he also put a large wicker trunk there to hold his hand weights and stretchy-thingies for his arms and the Thigh Master he found at the consignment shop. Very nice of him to not have them cluttering up the landing.

This picture reminded him of his mother's garden. And red felt empowering when one was working out. So he hung it right where he could see it while he groaned and sweated and pumped iron.

The last little bit to be finshed was the pool on the south side of the house. He wanted it to also be an entertaining area, where he could BBQ, eat with friends, lounge and swim - maybe even dance. After all, the number of people he knew in Los Lobos now was growing each day. He'd even done a photo shoot for a swanky new men's cologne, and he had an agent who was gunning for a sweet part for him in an exciting movie! Acting certainly hadn't been on his mind when he'd first arrived in Calibania, but then again, neither had falling in love...

Whoops. He said it. The "L" word. Hmmm....

And so Leandro Mura had much to think about as he finally got to lounge by his new pool. Los Lobos was truly beginning to feel like home. He had enough money left over to carrying him for quite awhile - maybe one of the only nice things his poor, estranged grandfather had ever done; a promising career in the film industry, and a budding romance.

Yes. Maybe this "little cottage" could actually become a real "home".

-------------------------

Extras:

Leandro having a dip in the new pool:

Main floor layout:

Top floor layout:

Closer shot of the exterior:

xo Webby

WebbyMom's room in Greater Los Aniegos

2010-12-27T09:45:00.000-08:00

I lost my simself when I updated to Los Aniegos from Greater Lost Aniegos (superb world by Coasterboi), but I kinda liked her little apartment, so I figured I'd post pics here before I deleted them so as to remember her by. LOL

This is the overview of the apartment. The only thing I'd done to it was the bedroom at this point. Cora is a writer, thus the desk. ;)

She has a great view of her little area of Los Aniegos while she writes.

And here is her bedroom.

Now, dig this - I found this Ansel Adams print on a site (I'm sorry, I forgot where - if you're the creator, feel free to leave a comment with a link!) and I have this very same pic in my own home! HA!!! I had to have it for Cora's bedroom!

So here is what I did with the living area once I decorated. I love plain and simple in the Sims - in RL, my house is cluttered, so I love the calm and peace of no-clutter Sims rooms. LOL

So there you have it. :) I've since moved on to another couple in Los Aniegos and I have Cora in another town, so I'm not too bummed about losing her here. But the apartment was pretty cute - nicely laid out by Coasterboi!

Compaction and High Traction

2010-12-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

Since hanging out a bit more at Living Sims, I've become a CC junkie yet again. I really must stop at this point. It's getting ridiculous.

I spent part of my morning making four .package files out of tons of others, trying to organize them in a way that made sense, but not sure I've achieved that. Anyway, I knew I needed to do it since my game was lagging pretty badly.

I have also spent time in the last couple of days installing Twallan's Overwatch mod - ran the game once since installing and it cleared out a bunch of cars for me, so that's cool. And I saw someone mentioning something called "TuneUp" on some forum somewhere as being a helpful program for optimizing your computer and helping with laggy game play, so I went to check it out. I've installed the 15-day trial version and have just spent the better part of an hour going through the settings and optimizing my entire computer.

I know that sounds onerous, but here's the thing: TuneUp runs in the background and you can set it to "Turbo Mode", which shuts off all your non-essential services so that you have more resources devoted to whatever you're working on. ("Working" on... right. Or playing, as the case may be...) It never turns anything essential off, just stuff you wouldn't need for short periods of time.

So with this program, I've cleared out a bunch of crap from my registry, I found out I could tweak my browser and internet settings to match the actual speed of my connection (I had no idea!) and yes, I'm getting faster surfing happening! It only took me so long because I'm both picky and paranoid when using these kinds of programs. However, so far, so good, and I'm pretty pleased with it. I may end up shelling out the bucks for it if the next 15 days show marked performance improvement. :)

I'd launch The Sims and give it a good test run now that I've compacted all those files and can use Turbo Mode - but my daughter would kill me. I'm supposed to be doing Christmas prep. LOL Good thing she's around to keep me on track!

I'll be sure to report back on how this has all worked out for game play!

Before and After - 120 Wright Way, Part 3

2010-12-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

Today I've finished decorating the bedroom and bathroom as well as done a bit of landscaping - in the courtyard and front, mostly.And so that means more pictures!

Street view now - with more suitable plantage. ;)

I fancied up the gateway, added some flowers and other foliage to the street side.

Now, the inner courtyard got a good work-over. There has to be a bench, of course, for those days you just want to sit and listen to the fountain bubbling. I added tons of flowers in a colour scheme that would complement the sort of "tropical" feel to this home. And a few fun things to look at - three suns on the back wall, a birdbath, an oddly-shaped carving, and even an old ship's steering wheel.


View from the gateway to the front door

View from the garage wall

View from the bench

And the back corner - door leads into garage and laundry

Now an overview of the bedroom wing so you can see the context of the rooms in the layout.

I'm liking the warm tones in this home, but I'm also enjoying punching up each room with shots of colour. Cora's bedroom brings in some Mediterranean-like blues and turquoises, and includes a treadmill (which would never get used it this were really me... LOL)


Just a quick exit to the raised sundeck, too!

And finally, the home's one bathroom. I plunked down the fixtures and didn't even CAS them - I decided instead that the coolness in the colours would serve as my palette for the room!

I think I've lost inspiration for the last two rooms, which are supposed to be bedrooms. However, Cora has literally just moved in and hasn't met any potential mates yet, let alone had time to think about kids!

I'm beginning to think that this should be the Cora I "plop down and play", since I'm liking the house so much. ;) Perhaps she'll manage to meet someone and get close enough to him to have a real date for New Year's, eh?

So if that's the case, I may leave those two "spare" rooms until I see if Cora wants kids or not. I'll finish up the sundeck (had to re-download my Sun, Surf and Sand set, I was missing it since my last install!) and then call it a day for home decorating. Get her working on her LTW - becoming an author - and take her through the Christmas season in the lovely and warm Summer Hills. Hmmm... a Christmas without snow. That would be a first for me. Um, I mean, Cora. *giggle*

Before and After - 120 Wright Way, Part 2

2010-12-11T20:10:00.000-08:00

I've been enjoying decorating tonight. I'm feeling poorly, so no use trying to do Christmas baking or shopping today. Instead, I've been decorating this new house, and I also took time out to watch The Sorcerer's Apprentice with the family - very good show! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Anyway, I should probably give you an overview of the layout so you have a context for each room:

And here is my progress on the house.

Kitchen/Dining:


Dining area


Desk off of dining room


From Kitchen to dining area


Kitchen - door leads to garage and laundry


Other side of kitchen

And the garage with laundry area:

I've also done the living room/entry, and I even decided to do it up for Christmas a little bit. ;)


Entry - a dramatic black indoor fountain separates it from the living room

Stark and modern, but a touch of Christmas to warm it up

Hopefully someone can play some carols on that keyboard

The other side of the room, with a great big stereo for playing Christmas music!

That's all for now, folks! Stay tuned!

Before and After - 120 Wright Way

2010-12-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

Does anyone remember this horrid monstrosity from Sunset Valley? (click to see the full-sized horror in all its gory)

Well, I decided to do away with the house and went slap-happy with the hammer tool. ;) Then I decided to keep the deck but add this house to the lot instead. And I moved in someone very special to finish the work:

WebbyMom's Simself, Cora Dixon

My Sim Self! *giggle*

This is the view she has from her deck:

Looking towards The Wolff's and the Lightouse

And this is the outside of the house so far - lots of work yet to be done (and I do believe those purple hydrangeas have to go *gag* - not the best decision there...)

Back view - I had to extend the cliff a bit more to fit in the house, so I'll smooth it all over later when I do landscaping. I made a nice little reading area for Cora on the deck so she's out of the way while I finish the house. LOL

Here's the courtyard. I love the new fountain tools, really cool stuff! Much to finish here, as well.

Being as I am not really in the story-telling mood right now, I thought I'd just post updates to this makeover instead. I'm definitely going for more of a modern look than the plan picture shows. And I'm so in love with the Bauhaus windows, they're perfect for this build. I've bricked their outside trim, I think it's looking really neat that way!

Well - look for an update to this series, maybe even later today. ;)

Marcus LeBoeuf and his Home

2010-11-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

I made this home for a Small Spaces Challenge at Living Sims. Then their poor forum when KA-POW and the challenge was left behind. But that's OK - I had a blast doing it regardless!

Here's the file at 4shared, and here are some pictures:

It's situated by one of the fishing ponds in Sunset Valley:

Marcus LeBeouf lives here. He's just moved into this house after a year of clearing out the larger home he and his wife shared for 50 years. She passed away just over a year ago now and he knew it was time to down-size since he's getting older. He was a chef in his glory days - and you can tell he enjoyed his cooking!

His favourite colour is green, so this house really hit him when he saw it. It has a rather small living room but it feels bigger since it's open to the entire top-floor living area - and the vaulted ceiling and high windows give the room lots more breathing space.

Now, Marcus isn't that great of a decorator. All he knows is he likes green. It doesn't really bother him that there are several different tones of green in the house. He sort of sees things compartmentally. In other words, the green rug at the front door is separate in his eyes to the green rug in the living room, which is separate again to the green rug in the kitchen. See?

He still has his morning and evening tea with the tea set that was his wife's favourite - they got it from their best man at their wedding oh-so-long ago.

In any case, the kitchen isn't nearly as big as he used to cook in at work, nor is it as big as their old home's, but it does a bachelor just fine. Of course, he's also kept his top-notch knife set and Blend-o-Matic - you just can't be a good cook without good tools!

The basement houses his bedroom, main bathroom, and an all-purpose work room. Marcus always liked to tinker with wood bits and iron scraps, so he moved his old workbench in here to keep up his hobby. Of course, the laundry machines are right there, too, handy to the bedroom.

His bedroom, while pretty plain, is serviceable enough for "an old guy", as he calls himself.

The main bathroom is right off his bedroom (although there's another 3-piece bath upstairs, something Marcus marvelled at when he bought the house - 2 baths and only one bedroom!?!). It had a neat kind of tile in it, so Marcus got his creative juices flowing and found some throw rugs and towels to match the red in the tile. Thankfully, this time he found a sort of "bathroom starter set" at Simmart that had everything he needed, so they actually do match!

Overhead shots

Main Floor:

Basement:

Enjoy Marcus!

A Wee Gifty

2010-11-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

Since the holiday season is upon us, and since I love desktop wallpapers, and since I wanted to learn some stuff with Photoshop tonight, I made you this.

Click on it to see a bigger preview size. However, do note that the size of the actual background is for a 1920x1200 desktop - and believe me, it will look nicer in a larger size. LOL I'm not sure how it might work on a smaller desktop size. Try this one and let me know if you want a change. I could be persuaded with cookies, I'm pretty sure.. ;) And if those don't work, and nice bottle of unoaked Merlot would most likely seal the deal. ;)

Download the file here from 4shared (395kb)

An update

2010-11-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

My game seems to be fixed. It's lagging badly though, and all I was doing last night was building. Hmm. I ran across something the other day that talked about lagging and glitching and the trouble being a stuck vehicle in the town. There was a little program thing-a-ma-do-bob to fix it... I'm going to have to see if I can find that again. I'm wondering if that's my trouble being as before last night, it wasn't nearly as laggy as that.

I also got rid of more freakin' trojans by downloading Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and doing another Spybot S&D sweep. And, despite the dread of doing it because it's my main browser and highly set up, I think I may have to uninstall and reinstall Firefox. :( It will often not start at all, although it's running in the background when you check in the task manager. Dag nab it. Silly computers. :)

Thou dost not defeat me! (Yet...)

2010-11-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Join us now for the continuing stoooorrrry of WebbyMom and her computer and her [dad-blasted] Sims 3 game...

Attempting to install Ambitions was proving fruitless to the hapless WebbyMom. At the same time, while Late Night ran, the launcher always said "An error occurred and the launcher is now quitting" as soon as she hit the play button, despite the fact that thereafter, the game launched just fine.

In an intelligent guess-timate (and a desperation that fuels all serious gaming addictions), Webby then attempted to install World Adventures next.

Wonder of wonders, it worked! The Webby squiggled with joy in her seat as it installed, and again when it ran in her Late Night town with seemingly no problems.

Giddy with happiness and hoping this would solve all troubles with Ambitions, she tried again to install it from the EADM.

Nothing. Notta. Zilch. Still "erroring out", if you pardon my coining a phrase.

Despite spending a minimum of 1 hour on the official tech forum and/or EA support set-ups and not finding any love for her troubles, Webby decides that, since others have hinted to an EADM update crisis and seemingly connected launcher glitches, she would uninstall EADM and reinstall it from the most recent link to it online.

The only trouble with that is, of course, that now the EADM has forgotten that Amibtions was previously downloaded - and The Webby is stuck waiting for it to download once again before further testing can be done. During which time she has coloured her hair, had a shower, loaded and started the dishwasher and played a level of Ranch Rush.

Oh - and penned this tome.

And still, we are at a mere 70% of being done, so now our heroine must find something else to occupy her time (other than downloading yet more CC crap) whilst it completes it's task.

Oh, Horatio - if I hadst only known the heartaches that did befall me ere I bought this franchise, I wouldst have run far, far into the forest, never to return.

Bullies!!

2010-11-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't know about you... but if this teen boy were my teen boy, I'd be grounding him but good for this behaviour:

The poor little boy's sis was rooting for him, but looks like Punkhead won. My question is, why is she smiling at Punkhead??? Shameful, really, just shameful.

In other news - I finally got Late Night installed and running (long story, don't ask, I might cry all over again), and do you know what we get?? Do you? No, not vampires, not nightclubs, not celebrities, not pianos... we get...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

PIGEONS!!!!

Yup, pigeons. Jes' a walkin' 'n' bobbin' thar little hay-ahds all over that thar place! Ain't that purdy??

Interesting Chair Choice

2010-11-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

So here I am, playing along the other day, when suddenly oddness hits, as it is wont to do in this game.

I had a sim whom I was not cheating with, money-wise. She only has a part-time job while she struggles to earn a living writing. She was at the park one day when someone generously left out some food, so she grabbed a plate and ..... walked over to the biffy to sit on the loo and eat it. LOL

It was too odd NOT to snap a pic. *giggle* I've never seen a sim do this before, at a park or at home. Didn't even know it was possible. And no, I don't have any mods installed, this is base-game only at this point. LOL

At least she picked the relatively clean bathroom to eat in. *rolls eyes, shudders*

Knowles Legacy, Chapter Nine

2010-08-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

. . . in which house additions are made, Sonia is called to France, Tate shows his true colours, and Death visits - briefly.

This is where I left the Knowles boys since way before World Adventures came out - two brothers, Generation 3, watching TV. Geoff Knowles, founder of this legacy, now sits on the coffee table in an urn. Ayesha, his widow, is still alive, and 96 days old at this point. Kimball is the current active heir and head of the family, married to Sonia, who used to be an Ursine, so she has flaming red hair and a struggle with weight.

Back to the boys:

Tate, the one in the blue PJ's, is the heir. He's good, excitable, and a coward. May not fair well in those tombs I'll be sending him to when he grows up.

Liam, his younger brother, is artistic, but he's also a heavy sleeper and neurotic. He walks around sobbing about faucets that haven't been checked or other un-named fears.

Good grief. What a pair.

They hadn't added to the house in awhile, judging by the almost §30,000 they had in cash. So I gave them a nice garage for their two cars...

And added a lovely tree and some more flowers for a more settled look in the front yard.
Brilliant. I know. I'm so creative.

Well, as sim life goes, a day or two later little Tate was all ready to grow up into teenager-hood. He happened to be alone outside when the big event took place. Meh, he's Gen 3. What's the big deal now, huh?

And, as sim life goes, he needed a makeover. Badly. *shudder*

Makeover be frammed, you'll have to see him later. Right now, lemme show you my first basement!

Yes, this family still had too much money. I mean, the goal is to keep building and spending as much as you can. But once you really start raking it in in this challenge, it gets harder and harder to keep spending!

But World Adventures has come to the rescue. Number One, they can travel and spend money. ;) Number Two, I could add onto this relatively small lot with a basement! Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

I found a great tutorial which said it was harder to add a basement to an already-built house, but actually, with just a bit of thought (which was all I had that day, anyway), I managed just fine. I have created a room to display all the jewels and such. And the display cases that come with WA are also very handy! They have all the Sunset Valley jewels on one display, and I now have a second one to collect jewels from travels.

There are also three other "future expansion" rooms down here and a full, four-piece bathroom.

Here's how I did the stairs. I read that you could just join the first stair from the foundation to the ground right up with the second stair that leads right to the basement, but mine didn't work like that. No bother, I just put a wee landing in for the first stairs, and they work beautifully!

Now Sonia received a call one day. She's a fairly logical-type person, and someone got wind of that and wanted her to go solve a puzzle in France. Not having travelled before, she immediately accepted! She geared up, sent off the bills, and booked a flight!

Then she hopped in her car and drove off to the airport.

Hours and hours later, she arrived at the hotel that had been recommended to her, stiff and sore from sitting in a crampy plane seat all day.

Whoa! I thought we were in France! Oh. Tourist. I get it.

Sonia soon got directions to Gustav's house, the man she was to meet about the puzzle. She rented a scooter and zipped off down the road.

"Wow! This is great! I could get used to this! Fun, sun, no kids, no husband, no garden, no cares!"

She rang the bell at a nice looking French flat and a nice looking French man greeted her.

Warning bells were going off in her head. His eyes were really nice. His hand was really nice. He was really nice.

This was not really good. She'd heared about French men.

So as soon as he ushered her into the entryway, she got right down to business and tried to avoid the really nice way he kept looking at her directly in the eyes while she talked.

"Yes, well, ahem, it seems that a mutual acquaintence of ours needed this puzzle solved..." She pulled out a piece of paper to show him. "And I was sent to talk to you..."

"Mm hm," he said, not even looking at the paper. "Zee answer is eight."

"Eight?"

"Yes. Eight."

"But... but you didn't even look at the puzzle!"

"I don't have to. Zee answer is in your eyes. It's eight."

Sonia stuttered a "thank-you", shook his hand, and left. Quickly.

"Well. That was that, I guess," she muttered on the way back to the hotel.

But she'd just arrived! It couldn't be over so soon, could it? As luck would have it, it wasn't. She saw a notice posted on the bulletin board at the hotel that someone was missing something and was too scared to go back to where they'd lost it. They were willing to pay for help.

A phone call was all it took to have Sonia whizzing down the road on her scooter again toward some kind of French tomb thing.

As she made her way down the stairs to an underground cavern, she realized she was surely not in Corrigan Bay anymore!

Then she spied an ingot of silver!

"Wooooo! Kimball will be so proud of me for collecting stuff in France!" she exclaimed.

"This room has to go somewhere other than here," she muttered after gathering up the silver and examining her surroundings more closely. There didn't seem to be a way out - except there was something behind that pile of rubbish...

She cleared the debris and found a hidden latch on the wall that opened a secret door!

"Yay! More stuff to collect!" she laughed as she cleared away more piles of rocks in the next room.

Still no sign of the item that had gone missing. Sonia kept working her way through the tomb - which didn't really look like a tomb, just some old underground storage facility or something.

"Ugh, more rock piles," she groaned. Her fingers weren't really used to all this pick-axe work.

Heh, heh, heh. Good thing no one was down her looking at her scratch her backside, huh?

Clearing away those three rock piles had winded Sonia. She dug out a now-dirty piece of paper from her pocket and made some notes while she caught her breath.

Then she threw a switch and entered something that was starting to look more tomb-like.

"Erg! If I'd have known (grunt) that this was going to be so hard, (huff) I would have passed and (pant) gone to the beach instead!"

Seeing a hole in the wall in the next room, Sonia sucked in her breath and stuck her hand into it.

"Yiiiieeee, I hope there's nothing in here! Oooooh, it's cold in there! Eeek!"

She shrieked as her hand hit something, but then she realized it wasn't a bug. It was another switch.

The switch opened a door which lead her into a room with a garden maze! Would this ever end?

However, she made her way through the garden maze, solved a puzzle or two, and managed to collect some more stuff for Kimball!

Finally, she entered the last room and found the item that had gone missing! As well as some more collectible things. She would be taking a heavy suitcase home from France!

She decided not to go back to the hotel that night and pitched her tent at a local campground. Roasting food around the fire, she ran back over her day in her head. It was good. Very good. But she missed the kids after all. And Kimball. She was so excited to share her discoveries with him!

It was time to go home.

And go home she did. Kimball was thrilled to see her again!

Gramma Ayesha was, too. She loved her grandkids, but sitting on the floor tutoring Liam was getting a little harder these days!

Sonia and Tate had a good visit that evening. She told him of the food she tasted in France. Tate, as you can now see, is a nerd. Corduroy pants, dress shirt, glasses, hair. The whole bit. As a teen, he rolled the "flirty" trait on top of his goodness, excitability, and cowardice. Not sure how he'll get the guts up to flirt, but hey. Whatever.

Oh CRAP!

Not the sparkles! But she was making dinner for everyone!

Oh well. I supposed someone else could make dinner. I figured it was her time to go. She'd lived a good life, missed her Geoff, and wasn't out collecting anymore.

Everyone (including a guest) gathered in the kitchen to see Gramma off. Grim appeared right on cue, the urn was ready, we were all set to go, each of us making peace with this new era without Generation 1 around.

And then THIS!

Where the framming heck did she get a death flower, huh? Who was the idiot who gave that to her, eh?

What? Oh. Me? Oh. *ahem* Well. *blush* I did? Really? I see. *cough cough* So much for losing Generation 1.

"Mom, where the hell did you get that flower! I thought that was safely in my backpack! Have you been rummaging through my stuff again!?!?"

Oh, suck it up, buttercup. Sheesh, you'd think Kimball was a whining teenager again.

*gasp* "Ooooooo. Pwetty fwower!"

Honestly, you should see how Grim goes ga-ga over these things. It's shameful, it really is. He comes on all tough and gruff and stuff like that, but he's just a pussy-cat on the inside.

"Holey Cow, you can go through counters now! OHMYGOSH!!!"

Yup. Kimball again. If Grim could roll his eyes, he would have.

However, Ayesha was back, and pretty much in one piece, except for the bit that was in the counter. And here's the crazy thing.

She was now only 74 days old! *faints* Well, that was a little longer than I'd been counting on having her around!

Death trucked off with his "pwetty fwower", but the fear factor took hold of Tate and wouldn't let go.

*cue shudders, gasps, fearful squeaks, and groaning*

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand he's out.

What in the world would he do if he knew Grampa Geoff haunted his room every night, I wonder??? *giggle*

Knowles Legacy, Chapter Eight

2010-08-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Sonia's tummy grew and grew. She waddled around like a duck. A happy duck, but a duck nonetheless.

The pregnancy really didn't seem to last a long time after all was said and done, however. Before she knew it, she was huffing and puffing and feeling quite strongly about getting this baby out.

Dang. No one told her those babies were so insistent!!!!

"Oh goodness, I have an idea! Why don't I call Kimball and he can take you to the hospital?" Ayesha squeeled.

Sonia gritted her teeth and tried to breathe. "That would be great, Mom," she said through her clenched jaw. Sheesh, you'd think it had been a literal eon since Ayesha had experienced this! What did she do, forget all about it?

Kimball rushed in and looked extremely panicked while Sonia had a meltdown and wished her mom was there to help her through this.

Why? Why, why, why did she have to go already??

However - a taxi ride and few hours later, Sonia gaily sauntered out of the hospital with a bouncing baby boy!

Tate Knowles, "the cheerful". He was good and excitable at birth. And Kimball could hardly keep up with Sonia, she was so excited to get home with her new son!

But as Tate fussed a bit when they walked in the door, panic set back in for poor Sonia. How could she mother without her own mother???

Ayesha saw her distraught look and took the new babe while Kimball took his wife into his arms and held her for a long time while she sobbed quietly into his shoulders. She clung to him as if she were a drowning woman clinging to a drifting log.

Having the gift of "good", however, Kimball was able to cheer his wife up while Ayesha got to know her first grandbaby. Sonia was so thankful for this wonderful family she'd married into!

After Sonia fed Tate, Ayesha offered to tuck him into bed while Sonia got some much needed rest.

And so the daily grind began. Feedings, changings, cuddlings - and exercisings!

Sonia found that post-partum weight-gain was catching up to her! She was grateful for Ayesha's help with Tate so that she could work out on the treadmill or in front of the TV.

Kimball was a great help, too, of course. He loved his new son - loved it all, changing diapers, feeding bottles, late night snuggles, everything. He was a great daddy.

No matter how carefully Sonia watched what she ate, that weight problem kept up with her. She tried to be consistent with her exercise, but that wasn't always possible with the family out and about Corrigan Bay working on collecting or Lifetime Wishes.

It seems Sonia wasn't the only one battling a weight problem. Remember the beautiful and slim Bella Bachelor??? Well - she'd obviously discovered Key Lime Pie. *sigh*

Ayesha and Sonia managed to squeeze out some time each evening before retiring to play some chess. Ayesha was now a master at the game, but she'd let Sonia win.

Sometimes. ;)

Geoff, meanwhile, finally got to visit that house across the street that he'd wanted waaaaay back when he'd first moved into town. He found out that the outside was deceiving. The inside was darker and dingier than the shell suggested. He was rather glad that he'd built his own home and that he and Ayesha had had the chance to decorate it as they went instead of renovating an entire house.

Before they knew it, Tate matured into a toddler! He looked a lot like his daddy and granddaddy, that's for sure.

But - - cuter. ;)

And - he liked to play in his toybox! Ayesha had been scared more than once when Tate pulled this on her while she was babysitting. He'd play Pirates, and Bathtub, and Caveman, and anything else he could come up with in there.

Sometimes, he'd play Peek-a-Boo, but he always closed the lid when Ayesha came into the room, the scoundrel.

Awwww. But he was so framming cute in there, Ayesha could never get mad at him.

He was a pretty sociable little kid - which was good, as Sonia was expecting a second child!

She was secretly hoping for a girl this time, although she knew Kimball wished for another boy.

Ayesha garnered so many Lifetime Happiness Reward points that they were able to install a Food Replicator!

Now, this thing did not come with instructions, so it sat there unused for quite awhile as they all tapped buttons and opened openings and tried to figure the darn thing out.

Right after a swim and her usual game of chess with Ayesha one night, Sonia went into labour for the second time. Kimball panicked - as if that's what fathers should just do, you know - and Sonia worked at the breathing thing.

This time, however, she refused to go to the hospital.

"I want a home birth, frammit!" she screamed.

Kimball couldn't refuse that, could he? *snork*

And so, with hardly more than a puff and a pant and some crazy sparkles not unlike the birthday effects, little Liam Knowles was born into the household.

Liam means "a binding" or "an alliance" - which seemed suitable, as he was the spare-heir to the Knowles/Ursine legacy. :D

Liam got a crib in his own room, which was Kimball's old room downstairs. "The last thing I need," declared Sonia, "is one baby waking another!"

Well, Kimball had to agree, didn't he?

Once again, the post-pregnancy weight battle was on for Sonia, poor dear.

Ayesha had taken up painting. Her style was --- interesting.

Liam was yet another apple in his Daddy's eyes, that's for sure. Kimball spent as much time with his sons as he could, considering he was putting in so much time collecting gems and fishing for great fish all around town.

Geoff had made his goal of 20 friends, so he was feeling just peachy-keen, to be sure. He loved working around the house, making things impervious to dirt or break-downs.

Sonia, still with a few extra baby pounds, had her birthday. She almost cried looking at her great in-laws and loving husband. Her grief over her mom's passing was lessening, but she still wished she could have seen her two grandsons and how Sonia had grown and matured as a mother and wife.

As she wished for a fat-free future, Geoff moved in around her to get a good shot for a photo.

Ayesha wished her daughter-in-law could get the hang of that fat-free life, as well, but it was still an exciting time as Sonia aged into adulthood.

Ayesha heard Tate crying upstairs, so she offered to go get him while everyone else dug into the cake.

Well - and isn't that a funny picture???

"Honey, do you think this dress makes me look fat?"

"Mmmphphmmmph."

With Tate settled, the four adults enjoyed cake and talked about their future. The money was flowing in, they were learning the best ways to cut the gems to get the best value from them, and they were starting to gain profits from some business partnerships in town. Things were definitely looking good!

And you know what? Kimball didn't care if his wife carried some extra pounds or not. He always thought she was the sweetest, loveliest person he'd ever known.

Definitely a good catch, that boy. ;)

"I love you, sweetheart. Thank you so much for our wonderful sons. And thanks for putting up with Dad fixing stuff in his PJ's, and Mom painting in her PJ's, and that gawd-awful stuffed blowfish in the dining room, and my fishing passion, and..."

"Oh, shut up, Kimball. Just kiss me again."

Yes, things were going well for the Knowles Clan. Kimball was becoming pretty good at bringing in the cash with his findings.

He couldn't believe how many rubies and sapphires and diamonds popped up out of the ground every day!

He ran all over town while his wife and parents looked after the kids. He made it to the beach one day and found some gems and space rocks.

Then he unpacked his Simford 2000 Fishing Pole Extravaganza from his pocket and tried for some trophy fish. After all, his LTW was to present the perfect aquarium! He needed more perfect specimens!

An angelfish! Perfect!

No, really. Perfect.

And the Tragic Clownfish. Now, wasn't that a great addition to his collection? Tragic or not, at least he was colourful. And perfect.

Sharks were.... a little scary. OK, a lot scary. But hey, if they would fit into his fishbowls, he'd take them home.

Later that week, Liam grew up. Funny how those kids just sit up and twinkle, eh?

Wow. Looks like he got his mother's red hair, and his grampa's love of a lack of clothing.

Did I say that out loud???

Goodness, that poor Sonia was really having an up-and-down battle with her weight! Geoff had never seen anything like it! Although Ayesha had always been such a fitness freak that he hadn't had a reason to... Still, it worried him that Sonia struggled so. He knew she got depressed when she was overweight, and he wanted his grandsons to have a happy mommy.

Ayesha continued to paint. She seemed to be getting a bit of a "style". Maybe.

And Kimball continued to collect. Even in the scary graveyard. *shudder*

Good thing he had the "brave" trait like his father and mother!

Tate was toddling around one night when all of a sudden he looked around, hearing some kind of strange "twinkly" sound...

He stood up, sparks flew...

He giggled and turned 'round and 'round...

And suddenly, he was a real, live boy!

In his underpants. Gosh, was he embarrassed!

His grandma said a gay "Happy Birthday, Tate, dear!" as he desperately pulled open the top drawer of the hall dresser, hoping to find something suitable to cover his undies.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the nursery, someone was up to Tate's old tricks...

Knowles Legacy, Chapter Seven

2010-08-02T04:13:00.000-07:00

Sonia was fitting right in with the Knowles clan. She was an eager learner so Ayesha started teaching her about fixing things and how their collecting lifestyle worked. She was growing very attached to her daughter-in-law.

Geoff forgot that he needed to collect all the types of beetles yet in order to get the point for "finishing all collection challenges" and got to work on his LTW of having 20 friends.

Just a few days after Geoff's birthday, it was Ayesha's turn to stand behind the cake.

She, too, surveyed the room. The son who'd become a responsible adult, the man she loved, the daughter she'd never had. Life was good.

She wished for grandbabies and blew out the candles.

Then she giggled nervously as the sparkles started up.

But once it was over, she was happy. Aaah - just having the grey hair made her feel like grandbabies must be on their way for sure!

She did, however, get rid of that horrid formal outfit and picked a dress more suited to her wilder nature. And she hated being pure white - so a little salt-n-pepper was in order.

Now, all along the Knowles' had been buying partnerships in several stores. The grocery store had been bought out and its name changed to "Knowles Foods and Fish". Since both Ayesha and Geoff were getting ready to pass on their hard work, they transferred all their partnership and ownership deeds to Kimball. He went out and immediately finished purchasing the Little Corsican Bistro, changing it to "Knowles Corsican Bistro".

And what was this? Well, a few nights later, they were robbed yet again! This time, Geoff beat up the crook. He may be older, but he hasn't lost any muscle mass yet!

Frightened and whipped, the crook ran into the house and waved her arms around, wondering what to do in her panic.

Then she screeched and covered her ears as the burglar alarm went off.

Unfortunately, this one got away. The cop passed her on the walk. *chokes*

Kimball and Sonia spent a lot of time in their room - they were glad they didn't share a wall with Geoff and Ayesha's room!

One morning, Sonia woke up feeling different. She felt special, and sweet, and motherly, and delirious, and...

...SICK!

Ooooooh, you just can't say enough horrid things about throwing up into a toilet, can you?

And as these things go, one day, she found her belly growing. She was so happy that she'd be blessing her in-laws with an heir!

But she was also wanting to tell her own mother! So she took a cab down to her childhood home by the beach and waddled up the front porch.

"Hey Mom!" she called as she entered the front door.

Claire Ursine was completely thrilled when she found out the good news!

"Oh, my dear, I'll make us a nice lunch to celebrate!" she chuffed.

Claire loved making nice lunches. It's probably why Sonia has always struggled with her weight!

Sonia giggled quietly as Claire busied herself in the kitchen, humming happily the whole time and calling out possible baby names to Sonia every once in awhile.

And it was a nice luncheon - waffles with real butter and scads of sweet syrup. Exactly what Sonia had been craving!

Claire insisted on cleaning up and having Sonia rest in the living room. When she joined her, she couldn't stop talking about the baby - how she looked forward to feeding him, and changing him, and cuddling him, and spoiling him.

Sonia laughed. "Mom, you don't even know if it will be a boy or not, but you keep saying 'him'!"

"Oh, you just stand up, young lady," Claire scolded aimiably. Sonia did so, and Claire felt her tummy. "Now, that is a boy, my dear. If that's not a boy, my name is Mud!" she chirped gaily.

Sonia chuckled. "OK, Mom, if you say so."

But then a strange gold, sparkly atmosphere surrounded Claire. Sonia gasped in horror.

"Mom! What is that! Mom! Mom!"

But her mom didn't answer. She was gone.

Sonia covered her mouth and screamed.

Her mother hung close for a minute while Sonia cried her heart out in great, groaning sobs. It seemed like a bad dream. But it wasn't a bad dream - The Grim Reaper appeared to confirm this was reality.

"Please!" Sonia begged Grim through her tears. "Please! Please don't let it be now!"

He ignored her.

It seemed that even Claire wanted a chance to stay to see her grandson born. She fell to her knees and Sonia heard her mother's desperate pleas mix with her own wailing.

But it was not to be. Death was a Grim Reaper indeed.

Sonia took a long time to regain some semblance of awareness. Her grief struck her to the core.

Finally, however, she called a cab and went home to the Knowles' house, looking for one last time on the childhood house she may never enter again.

Ayesha took one look at Sonia and instantly panicked. She looked pale - deathly pale.

"My dear, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

Sonia threw herself into Ayesha's arms while sobs wracked her body.

"Mom died!" she managed to get out between gasping cries.

"Oh lord," Ayesha whispered, instantly clinging tighter to her precious daughter-in-law.

After some time, when Sonia's crying had lessened just a bit, Ayesha held her by the shoulders.

"Look at me, Sonia," she ordered gently. Sonia did.

"I cannot replace your mother. I wouldn't even try. But I am here for you, darling, and I promise to help you in whatever way I can."

"Thank you," Sonia said quietly.

"Now, love, I know this is hard, but dry your eyes. This little one needs a healthy mommy, and you have to eat, dear. Let me get you some hot soup and a cup of tea, OK?"

"Yes, thanks," Sonia said, wiping her eyes.

News had spread fast through town, and as Ayesha went to the kitchen to make Sonia lunch, Kimball rushed in.

"Oh my gosh, honey, I just heard! Sweetheart, I'm so sorry I wasn't there! Or here! Oh my dear, I'm so sorry."

Sonia smiled weakly. "It's all right, Kimball, you're mom was here. She's so sweet."

"How's the baby?" Kimball fussed. That managed to get a very small chuckle out of Sonia.

"I think he's fine," she said.

Because it was a "he". She just knew it.

Knowles Legacy, Chapter Six

2010-08-02T03:47:00.000-07:00

The day finally arrived for Kimball's birthday. It had been a loooong four days.

His parents cheered. They were proud of their son.

A wish and a blow, and Kimball was an adult! He got the last trait of "Angler", because his lifetime wish is to present the perfect acquarium.

Still looking like his father, but with his mother's haircolor. And just as serious-looking as Geoff, too!

"Well, I guess that's it for the books for me," he enthused over cake. "No more school, how awesome is that!?"

"Just remember what you need to do now, son," Geoff reminded him.

Geoff had been talking about collecting things, but Kimball had something else to do FIRST.

He called Sonia up as soon as he could!

"Oh heavens!" Sonia exclaimed after this Great Kisser greeted her with a big ol' smoocheroo. "I've been waiting four freaking days for that!"

"Me too!" Kimball laughed.

However, it wasn't until the next night that Kimball pulled the surprise out of the hat.

They'd been chatting happily on the porch when without warning, Kimball dropped to his knee.

"Kimball Knowles, what the fram are you doing?" Sonia asked.

Then all words stopped and her mouth dropped open as he held up a box.

Kimball opened the box and smiled as her mouth opened further and she gasped in delight.

Fram, he loved this woman. He always had.

Kimball cleared his throat. "You know, we have a tradition in the Knowles family. Well, I'm the second to do it, so now it's tradition." He grinned. "I found this diamond up by the old mine, and I had it cut and set into this ring for you - just like my dad did for my mom."

Tears welled up in Sonia's eyes. "You will be my wife, won't you Sonia?" Kimball asked as he slipped the ring on her finger.

Sonia screeched. "Are you kidding?" she yelled. "I thought you were going to ask me last night! You horrid beast for making me wait another entire day!"

Kimball laughed heartily as Sonia flung herself into his arms. "Serves you right for growing up four days before me," he teased.

So the cars were moved over in anticipation of possibly having to expand the house. At it turned out, however, there was plenty of room above the living room to build another "master" bedroom for Sonia and Kimball - and it was also close to the upstairs nursery.

Despite the parents on both sides wanting a wedding at the park, Kimball and Sonia just wanted a private little ceremony. Late one night, they got married on the front walk to the Kimball residence.

They professed their love, exchanged rings, and kissed.

Which led to more kissing.

Which lead to even more kissing. After all, Kimball's a great kisser!!!

And that lead to their new master bedroom!

I'm sure you all know what comes next, no need to bore you with further pictures. ;)

Well, maybe one picture - because this woman really, really, really needs some fashion help!

However, Kimball had never been concerned with her fashion sense or her weight or anything else. He just snuggled up to her happily and they drifted off to sleep.

The newlyweds took a bit of a honeymoon - as in, Kimball didn't really get out to collect a whole lot, or even fish too much. Sonia spent some time learning basic cooking skills, getting to know her new in-laws better, and loving on Kimball.

Soon, it was Geoff's birthday, and they all assembled in the kitchen for the party.

Geoff looked at his son and his new daughter-in-law and knew his legacy was in good hands.

Now if they'd only have a kid!

And he looked at his amazing wife, who'd put up with his late-night galavanting for gems, fish, and ghosts. What would he do without Ayesha!? What a blessed day that was when he'd met her in the park!

He wasn't sure what to wish for. He ended up wishing that this whole aging thing wouldn't hurt.

The sparkles were freaky, because they prickled. But it wasn't exactly hurting.

Shocked at first, he stared at his old-looking skin.

But then he threw up his hands and laughed!

"Retirement, here I come!" he chuckled.

His formal wear was great, but his everyday wear was a disaster, so he headed on into the shops to change his look. ;)

And he had to get glasses. What can you say? Getting old sucks sometimes.

Anyway, they finished the night in style, gobbled down the cake, and teased Kimball and Sonia about giving them grandchildren.

Geoff hoped the grandkids would come soon - but he had the feeling there were a few more things they'd have to go through first.

Knowles Legacy, Chapter Five

2010-08-02T03:29:00.000-07:00

Ayesha was making more time for logic, including playing at the park in a tournament. She didn't win, but it was a good experience for her.

Kimball also like the park. Of course, he loves the outdoors anyway - but he especially liked visiting the park with Sonia.

Sonia loved the park with Kimball, so the feeling was mutual.

Now dig this - although Kimball had been blessed with the Great Kisser trait, he'd never yet kissed a girl! (For which his father and mother had been eternally grateful, what with all those girls he'd been getting to know!)

But tonight - well, tonight Sonia looked irresistable.

She giggled and looked at him out the corner of her eyes as he leaned closer...

But she'd always wanted to be kissed by a Great Kisser - actually, by this particular Great Kisser - so she accepted his advances and they shared their first kiss on the same spot where Kimball's parents had been married.

The Great Kisser thing really was great - and Sonia went back for more!

Kimball asked her to go steady and Sonia breathlessly agreed.

Kimball went home thrilled to the core! He had a girlfriend! A real girlfriend!

Geoff had made a habit of staying out late collecting or fishing. So late, that sometimes he'd nap on the benches in the cemetary. He didn't even seem to notice when the ghosts played with his bench and made it float! Brave soul that he is.

Ayesha was a little ticked that he stayed out so late. He'd describe the ghosts to her, like the orange one that stank to high heaven.

And the old guy who actually drove a car around town!

However, Geoff was home the night the cop car showed up in front of their house. And no - there was no burglar alarm going off.

Kimball had stayed out too late with Sonia. Geoff scolded Kimball soundly. Actually "scold" might be too mild a word! Kimball was not impressed.

Luckily for Kimball, Geoff continued visiting with ghosts, and so wasn't around for Kimball's other late-night entrances when he snuck in the back gate.

What really started worrying Ayesha was that Geoff claimed to talk to the things!

And it didn't help her to be convinced of his sanity when he insisted on visiting the catacombs. He saw "awful, horrible things a person should never see" - or something to that effect. It left him quite scarred. ;)

Evenutally, Geoff drifted from the cemetary and back into gem hunting, which consoled Ayesha greatly.

For those that don't have one yet, this is what the Collection Helper does when you're close to the ground - the thing you're looking for shines! Particularly effective when they are gems near the old mine. ;)

In order to attempt to stick to the new LandLubbers' rules, the Knowles' bought a pretty desk and began displaying one of each type of gem.

It really sucked that Geoff finally found the extremely rare Pink Diamond and had to get it cut and then keep it! It was worth §7,025!!!

Geoff and Kimball managed to mend their relationship a bit, which was aided by Geoff helping his son with his homework even when he was almost too tired to think himself.

Ayesha and Sonia met in the park for a little tutoring session, being as Ayesha had improved her logic skills so much. Ayesha really liked her son's girlfriend and secretly hoped she'd become part of the family one day.

Once in awhile, someone would head down to the library. Geoff ran across Kaylynn Langaraak there. She's quite pretty, no? Geoff was friends with her dad, Dustin.

One day Kimball went to the park. While there, he ran into the Ursines - and Sonia was an adult! She was still called his "girlfriend" in his panel, but he couldn't do any romantic schmoozing with her. He was heartbroken, because she was looking hot in that dress!

So they chatted amiably while he counted the days to his birthday in his head.

Four. Four freaking lousy lonely days! Aaargh!

The money kept coming in. Ayesha now had her own Collection Helper. That got her pretty excited and she was out running around town, which left Geoff with some time off to continue with his dream of making 20 friends.

Agnes Crumplebottom was no longer a spring chick. She looked at Geoff wistfully, as if she regretted letting him get away on her.

Geoff wandered over to the theatre to watch Arlo Ramsey play his guitar. And then, shocker of all shockers - - Corrigan Bay has dwarfs!

Yes, out of nowhere, this little short person appeared, looking slightly glitched.

She made her way through the crowd, and all Geoff could do was stare unpolitely. He could hardly be blamed - dwarfs had not been seen in all Simland ever before!

It looked to Geoff as if she were asking the tall man to move so she could get some sunlight, but surely they were just talking about the weather!

Yes, sure enough, it was just about the weather. Geoff shook his head, trying to get a grip.

Then he looked over and there was Bella Bachelor! She'd grown up since he'd last seen her when he'd harvested the flower from the Death Plant at the cemetary!

And when she smiled - whoa! It was the only time he'd even briefly entertained the thought of cheating on his wife.

Not a good day. Too many weird things happening! He went home and straight to bed!

He kept up his visits with Cornelia Goth. Never any real attraction there, but he did like her company. She talked about the funniest things sometimes!

And - she had ghosts in the house, so it was a way for Geoff to get a ghost fix without Ayesha freaking on him about cemetaries and such. ;) Because he was Brave, he always had a good chuckle when he saw a ghost!

Knowles Legacy, Chapter Four

2010-08-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

Soon it was time for little Kimball's birthday. He'd done really well in school and made his parent's so proud, that he got another trait. "Good Kisser". *snicker*

Geoff was out fishing or hunting up gems, and he didn't make it home in time for Kimball's transformation. I hope Kimball will forgive him for that.

Here he is, all grown up and looking very much like his father. Even dresses like him - which changed pretty fast, mind you. They already looked too much alike!

Geoff found two more gnomes to go with the one they already owned. Unfortunately, this was all they did together - stand there. They ended up being sold for cash.

Kimball's birthday had been on a Friday night, so he'd had a couple of days to get used to being a teen before he headed off to school Monday morning. He even got his collecting feet wet that weekend!

Skipping some days here, this was a sunrise shot of the Knowles' home as it looked at this point.

Ayesha had the Brave trait, of course, and that meant she didn't mind ghosts sneaking around her while she was fishing, although she wondered what this fellow was up to for a minute.

It appeared, however that he was just sneaking up on another unsuspecting ghost. Neither of them were happy about the dead Death Plant near the entrance to the graveyard.

Ayesha just kept fishing while the old white guy scared the young blue girl. "Tch, silly ghosts," she chuckled.

But then she shouted with glee, and both ghosts looked on as she pulled her first Deathfish out of the waters of the cemetery pond!

Geoff and Ayesha were still madly in love. They really made a good team in this life, and their home was changing around them almost daily. Geoff was sending so many gems away to be cut that he was allowed more and more types of cuts to use. Now it was a case of figuring out which cuts would be best for which gems to get the most money for them.

Meanwhile, Kimball was feeling his oats. He visited friends' houses after school - mostly girl friends, actually.

He thought he might like this one, but he found out she chatted a lot and he quickly forgot her name while his mind went numb.

"Uh, I gotta go, I don't want the cops to get me past my curfew," he lied. It was sunset. Waaay too early for curfew fears. But she bought it and just nodded and smiled.

He was glad he escaped that one.

Geoff went up to the Goth household and found out that Gunther had passed on as Cornelia was there alone with her son, Mortimer.

Bit of a shocker, but then, he'd never been as close to Gunther as he had been to Cornelia.

They had a good chat together, catching up on old times. Cornelia even cooked dinner for everyone. She'd lost a bit of her extremism in her old age, but she was still a good friend.

Geoff did notice over the days that his son was quite the lady-hunter. He wasn't sure that was good or not. Especially when the woman was older, like Sandi French!

Ayesha continued her regular work-outs and also began improving her handiness skills, all between scurrying around town looking for insects and fish!

Finally, they had enough money to buy two cars. Geoff loved his brightly-colour Vorn, and Ayesha chose a red SUV to jaunt around in.

Seems increased wealth brought out the bad side of Corrigan Bay, however. One night they were rudely awakened by their burglar alarm! The policewoman managed to nab the thief.

But as she chatted it up with Geoff, Ayesha decided the thief needed more than handcuffs. They needed a good pounding!

It was quite the cat fight! But Ayesha worked out regularly, and that burglar could tell!

The policewoman cheered Ayesha's win and Geoff hardly noticed. He wondered when the fram that stupid alarm would shut off!

The cop finally cuffed the perpetrator and hauled her away.

Having worked up an appetite, Geoff and Ayesha sat down to a midnight meal.

"Good job, hon," Geoff said between bites.

"Thanks, dear," Ayesha replied.

Yup. Married couples. Soooo good with dinner conversations.

Ayesha was becoming quite the fisherwoman now. She often snuck out early to catch the big ones in all her favourite fishing holes.

Kimball kept bringing girls home, including Becky Ramsey (he'd caught her name again at school when the teacher called on her.)

And this was another of his classmates whom he was showing some interest in, Carina Alto. Ayesha worried that he liked her only for her money.

Random shot of Ayesha coming home from a long day of fishing in her swanky red SUV.

When the time came to improve the house once again, Geoff and Ayesha decided to add a pool. Kimball was pretty excited about that!

They also fenced around the entire yard and added a nice little gate out back (hidden by a bush so it wasn't obvious in the yard). This gave them quick access to the park behind their house where there were often good insects to collect as well as wild trees to harvest.

Geoff was doing so well at the gem thing that Ayesha often found time to improve some other skills, like logic. Which was good, as her life's dream was to reach the top of the logic and athletic skills.

One day, while using the telescope, she spotted a meteor landing. Running downtown to find it, she found it was a HUGE meteorite! She was thrilled - and it brought in a lot of cash!

Now this young lady is Sonia Ursine, another classmate of Kimball's. Kimball thought she had the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen.

They'd often ride the bus home together and he and Sonia would work on school projects or hang out with each other.

Ayesha could see that Kimball might indeed be serious about Sonia - but being religiously athletic, she decided to give Sonia a bit of training. If there was one thing Ayesha was not going to stand for, it was a tubby wife for her son.

The results were great! The fashion, not so great.

But Sonia was now quite enthusiastic herself about exercise, and she loved hanging with the Knowles's.

Geoff watched his son and Sonia and wondered if this might not be the right one for Kimball. Finally.

Knowles Legacy, Chapter Three

2010-08-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Married life was good to Geoff and Ayesha. They made a great team. Ayesha started out being a whiz at collecting seeds and insects, which brought in quick cash. Geoff tended to go for gems, but he also found a nice little fishing spot where he enjoyed spending quiet evenings.

He found an abandoned mine waaay up in the back hills where he regularly found gems.

And he found his wife was already pregnant!

They headed to the library together to read up on this new venture in their lives.

And before they knew it, the day arrived when the huffing and the puffing and the groaning and the screaming and the "What the fram did you do to me????" happened.

Geoff had arrived home from his day of collecting just in time to find his wife in labour. It was a little shocking - he'd never heard his wife swear like that before!

"What do we do?" Geoff asked, completely forgetting everything he'd read.

"Just get me to that stork place!!!" Ayesha screamed.

Geoff deduced that she meant the hospital.

So he got her dressed between huffing and puffing along with her, and called for a cab.

"Keep breathing, honey," he coached as he urged the cabbie to go faster.

"What the frinklendorf do you think I'm DOING?!?" Ayesha complained.

Geoff decided to shut up after that and just hold her hand. They made it to the hospital and Ayesha was escorted inside by efficient nurses while Geoff waited outside, pacing and trying to coach himself to breathe.

Finally, Ayesha emerged from the front doors, holding a bundle in her hands.

It was a boy! They named him Kimball, which means "royally good", which seemed to fit being as he would be the heir to their collecting fortune (when they made a fortune). He was given the traits of "Good" and "Brave", as both of his parent's were brave and his name meant "good". ;)

As they went home, Geoff thought about what a baby would mean in their lives now. They really hadn't had a lot of time to work uninhibited by "other obligations", so money was still tighter than he'd wanted it to be at this point.

However, by the time they arrived home, excitement had replaced trepidation, and Geoff cuddled his son happily while he and Ayesha worked out how to continue collecting together with little Kimball around.

So the days passed in their little two-room cabin while the rocks, gems, seeds, and insects were brought in.

Geoff and Ayesha took shifts with Kimball so they could each get out of the house. Ayesha was particularly happy to get out jogging (being the Athletic type) and looking for things in her path as she did so.

She was getting very good at catching butterflies that brought in quite a bit of money from the Science Center!

They soon had enough money to put up the rest of the walls on their big house and even to add a few windows and a door on the front side.

Kimball had a birthday and turned out to be quite the cute toddler, as toddlers go. He gained the trait "Loves the Outdoors" because he aged well - which Geoff knew would come in handy as his son grew to continue their Corrigan Bay legacy.

And with the hiring of a nanny - well worth the price to get both Mommy and Daddy out collecting - they soon garnered enough cash to move into the bottom floor of their new home! The old home was taken down - some of the doors and windows and fixtures were used temporarily in the new home to save on costs - and the family settled into the big house.

Kimball often entertained himself by chewing on his Daddy Doll's head while playing in his room. Geoff was a bit disturbed by that.

Both Geoff and Ayesha had quite taken to fishing by now, so they put a little pond off the back of their house where they could practice and bring in a few fish to sell down at the market, as well.

Geoff happened to be downtown on his own at the bookstore when his birthday hit. But at least the folks milling around joined him in his celebrations as he moved into the Adult stage of his life.

Very serious, this Geoff Knowles. A man with a mission. LOL

It was also soon going to be time for Kimball to grow up into childhood. This was one of the last pictures they took of him as a toddler - Ayesha wanted to always remember how innocent he looked sleeping in his little shirt.

The kitchen and house was being improved as they gained the cash to do so. They now had a food processor and more counter space to work with.

They even had a dishwasher, although Geoff cursed it as it often broke!

The living area was still wide open, although there were plans to add some walls to break up the space later on. But it was cozy enough, and Geoff liked the wallpaper Ayesha had picked out.

They took the front room as their master bedroom for now until they could get the upstairs floor finished. Kimball's room was in the back, facing the pond, and there was one bathroom between the two rooms.

The day of Kimball's birthday arrived! Geoff and Ayesha dressed up a bit and they had a family party.

As Ayesha placed Kimball on the floor, she looked into her toddler's eyes for the last time. *sniff* He was growing up!

And grow up he did! Happy, but slightly embarrassed by the fact that they snapped the picture of him while he was in his boxer jammies.

Life continued. Kimball did well in school and made his parent's proud. They were a happy family - so happy, that Geoff finally garnered the coveted Collection Helper! Small enough that it fit into a pocket, but highly powerful. Now Geoff and Ayesha could pinpoint exactly where things were in town with no running around guessing! Well - the cash just tumbled in!

They kept upgrading their home. Now they could afford fencing for the wrap-around deck and they finished off the windows and the top floor.

The added stairs off of both back deck areas and a door from the kitchen side for quick access to the pond.

Geoff was so excited by the Collection Helper that he'd work long into the evening collecting gems and space rocks. But with the beautiful vista of Corrigan Bay to enjoy, who would mind working late?

And it was always a happy site to see a meteor shower! That meant more space rocks to find and analyze and more chances of getting valuable income!

Knowles Legacy, Chapter Two

2010-08-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

Geoff was managing to bring in some cash each day so far, so things were going fairly well. He collected anything he could find as he ran through town. Bugs brought in some cash with the Science Center, fruits and vegetables he found helped sustain him when he was out and about, and he was finding more gems and rocks each day.

His wanderings that first Friday took him far and wide. Seeds were plentiful, and even though he wasn't into planting them, they each brought him a few bucks when he sold them, so they were easy money.

Following the seed trail, he ran up a hill to an area the had a brick fence and a fancy gate. Where was he now?

Apparently, he was at the Corrigan Bay Cemetary! Geoff contemplated the ominous statue of The Grim Reaper, took in the fact that there was a pond to fish in here and a spooky-looking mausoleum, and wondered if he'd make his Lifetime Wish of getting 20 friends.

Random fellow.

Shrugging, he decided a little fishing might be a good diversion from collecting for a bit. But then another diversion walked into the cemetary - a pretty blonde!

Being as Geoff had just been thinking of that Lifetime Wish, he wandered over and introduced himself. "Agnes Crumplebottom", she replied in a low, sultry voice to his question about her name. For some reason, Geoff felt bashful when she smiled at him. Not his usual bold self today. Must be the surroundings.

They talked for quite a while. Geoff found out that Agness was a bookworm, a bit of a loner, and a hopeless romantic - not to mention rich. Something in those haunted eyes drew him. He asked if she were single.

Her eyes widened and she paused before she answered, "Yes". But what happened next was interesting - she started coming on strong! She flirted and alluded to kissing and all kinds of things!

She leaned in close and said in that low, sexy voice of hers, "I have a TV, you know."

Now Geoff, being without a TV at the moment and being the typical red-blooded pixel that he was, fairly well swooned at that point!

But just as suddenly as she'd come in, she left. Geoff shook his head as if coming out from a trance, and looked around. Wow! There was treasure to be had at the cemetary!

Back to work!

The open hole next to the gem he'd found was a bit unsettling, however. Good thing that Brave gene kicked in.

However, it kicked in so hard, Geoff decided a trip down to the catacombs would be a good detour - maybe there were riches untold down there that no one had found yet, after all. He really should investigate!

Unluckily for him, all he found was a bear. A big, bad, ugly, mean bear. Who mauled him. Big-time.

"Mebbe next time I should take a gun before I go down there," Geoff thought, eating an apple for some quick body-boosting sustenence!

Feeling refreshed by that apple, Geoff continued to explore the cemetary. He found an interesting plant with an interesting flower, and was watched by an interesting young girl.

Then he followed a seed trail up the nearby hill. He'd almost had it for the day, but that house at the top looked ominously interesting.

He scrambled his way up and found yet another fence and gate. He caught a glimpse of a woman across the other side of the yard. Curiosity - which killed the cat but had a tight grip on Geoff - drove him to run over and introduce himself.

Her name was Cornelia Goth, and he found out she was the wife of the man he'd met the other night. Equally as creepy as her husband, and equally as mysterious as Agnes Crumplebottom. But Geoff only talked with her for a few minutes before flagging a cab to take him home to bed.

The next night, he had Ayesha over and chatted some more. He'd just found out that she had a job in the Criminal Career of all things, when she turned to leave, giving The Controller the most hilarious upwards smirk as if to say, "Ha! Bet you didn't know that, did you!"

She hadn't known that. And she was quite surprised, to say the least!

The weekend came and Geoff sold all his goods and started building his house! He got as far as the foundation and a few walls up before he ran out of cash. Although he kept about §500 for expenses during the week, which was more than enough.

Undaunted by Ayesha's admission to being entrenched in a criminal lifestyle, Geoff called her over again. After all, sparks were flying big-time between the two of them, and he needed a partner-in-crime! Uh, so-to-speak...

He told her of his life, his collecting, the house he was building. She loved it all.

They kissed for the first time that night (Geoff had learned his lesson the first day he'd met her and had held off until he was sure she'd be agreeable...)

Then all flirting broke loose and Ayesha whispered her true feelings in his ear.

Geoff couldn't wait any longer. "Now, I know this is fast, but darling, just listen for a bit, I really think we should get married..."

Ayesha gasped in surprise, but she looked happy, and sooo...

...he went all out. Got down on one knee, made a big deal out of pulling out the box with the ring in it (which he'd secretly had made out of a diamond he'd found in anticipation of this day), professing his love, the whole nine yards.

Well, when Ayesha saw that ring, she just about fainted. It was the prettiest darn thing she'd ever seen, and the fact that it had been made out of a hand-picked diamond just thrilled her to death.

He slipped it on her finger, pleased with her reaction. She looked like she couldn't believe it was all happening, and he just knelt there and stared at her happily for a bit.

Until she pulled him up in typical Ayesha style and gave him an exuberant hug! She was a handful - but such a great handful.

He held her for a long time, basking in the fact that she said she'd be his.

The next day, they invited the few friends they had to meet them in the park and told them to dress formally.

Cornelia Goth had an interesting twist on "formal wear".

Chris Steel showed up, too, and they surprised everyone by getting married right there that day!

So typical of Ayesha, she wore a simple top and denim skirt. Geoff loved that about her - she was her own person, she didn't care about conventions. She'd need that quality to live with him and his crazy lifestyle!

"Ayesha, I love you. And if you promise to leave your criminal past, I promise to make you the richest woman in Corrigan Bay. Richer than the Altos or the Landgraabs or Agnes Crumplebottom!"

"Oh, I do!" Ayesha breathed.

Geoff excitedly slipped the wedding band onto her finger.

As Ayesha spoke to Geoff, Cornelia's husband ran in late and blocked the camera guy. Grrr.

A wedding in the park attracts everyone who is in the area, so they ended up with quite a crowd attending as they kissed each other to seal the deal.

Agnes Crumplebottom made it, although she looked a little sad about the turn of events. Nick Alto was there, crying his eyes out like a baby. Geoff wasn't sure if it was because he liked weddings or if it was because he'd sworn to become richer than him.

Chris Steel was very happy for his neighbour and friend. Even he shed a few tears of joy for Geoff and Ayesha.

They hung out in the park until evening and then cuddled on the bench overlooking the pond where Chris had told them there were some good fish to be had.

They made plans for their new life together, smooching and cooing until they couldn't stand it anymore and grabbed a cab for home.

"I promise we won't be in this cabin much longer," Geoff told his new wife. But the look in her eyes told him she didn't care where they were right now, as long as there was a bed available.

It was a night of love, a night of passion, a night of... oh, never mind.

Suffice it to say, their new life together started out very well. ;)

Knowles Legacy, Chapter One

2010-08-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

This is the Founder - Geoff Knowles - slightly camera shy. A young adult with a mission: collecting stuff from around Corrigan Bay for a living. His traits are Brave, Charismatic, Party Animal, Neat, and Good Sense of Humour.

Geoff has been plopped down in the middle of Corrigan Bay. He's not looking too pleased with his lot...

...Because the house he WANTED was the house across the street. But with no money to speak of, really...

...this is what he gets. An empty lot that backs onto a pretty park just up the street from City Hall.

Geoff lives right next door to a guy named Chris Steel. So he jogs on over there to introduce himself to his new neighbour.

Geoff introduced himself to Chris and told him all about his plan to find space rocks and other stuff in town. At least Chris didn't laugh.

In fact, Chris told Geoff about some of the fishing holes he liked to visit in Corrigan Bay. Geoff found out Chris was an angler and thought he'd better remember to get some fishing tips from Chris soon.

Geoff's set-up wasn't much for now. He threw up a log room for the bathroom and arranged his furniture artfully around it.

But even at that, reading on the neighbour's back deck seemed more "homey" somehow. ;)

However, if Geoff ever wanted to build a real house, there was no time for reading. He consulted his maps and found out that one of the best places to gather gemstones was behind the Athletic Center. He ran right on over and scanned the area.

And scanned.

And scanned.

He made it to the top of the hill without finding a single rock of any sort. While he was disappointed about that, at least the view was spectacular from up here!

After a breather, Geoff ran down the other side of the hill and kept on searching. He began to wonder if the maps lied.

By 5:00pm, he'd ran all the way to the army base. Since he hadn't found a thing yet, he decided to go on the last tour of the day and get out of the heat.

It was interesting - and he got some good gossip, too!

Evening was settling in by the time he left the base. No more running today. This time, he caught a cab.

As he arrived home, he met an odd-looking man dressed all in black. Introduced himself as "Goth". Mumbled a lot. Kinda gave Geoff the creeps.

And he went on and on and on about his favourite colour (as if Geoff couldn't have guessed) while Geoff tried to be polite and hide the rumbling in his tummy.

Finally Mr. Goth drove away in his huge black limousine. Geoff quickly heated up a microwave meal and satisfied his hunger.

Then he tucked himself in and stared at the beautiful stars as he drifted off to sleep.

Dawn and the birds woke Geoff up early. But he was ready to try again with his search around town, so he quickly ate and showered. Then he headed toward the beach.

And what do you know? Finally a rock! In fact, a small space rock. So there was proof that treasures do exist in Corrigan Bay, after all!

Geoff is fairly charismatic, so he had fun meeting a few people at the beach. This girl tweaked his interest.

Until he found out she was a Slob and she found out he was a Neatnik.

So much for romantic possibilities there. Geoff went home thinking he maybe ought to find a wife soon. He could use some help in this quest.

Day 3 found Geoff back near the beach. He discovered cool butterfly on a grassy spot. He could donate that later to the Science organization in town!

Next, he found an un-cut ruby just lying around on the sidewalk!

Day 3 hadn't been too exciting, nor did it yield much else by the way of great finds, so Day 4 started out in the park behind his house - and that yielded a GREAT find!

Ayesha Ansari - exotic, beautiful, amazing eyes. Geoff was rather smitten at first contact.

Although he wasn't quite sure what her grumbling about the computer was for...

Being the Brave type, he came right out and asked her if she were single after only a few minutes of conversation.

She chuckled and admitted she was single - and looking.

Geoff liked the sound of that.

He suggested that they see a movie together sometime.

She seemed highly agreeable to that idea.

She seemed so open to his flirtatious jokes and other comments and questions that Geoff got brave again.

He waggled those big eyebrows of his and told her he'd found a great place to view the stars from - partly thinking about the hill he'd hiked up, and partly thinking about his bed.

"How 'bout I show you sometime?" he asked.

"Sure," she said with a flip of her hair and a shrug of her shoulder and a sultry, sexy voice.

And that would be where the brave part came in...

Geoff leaned in to give her a kiss (of all the brash things to do!) but Ayesha backed off quickly.

"Oh, hey, um, maybe not..."

"Not that.. not... yet," Ayesha stuttered.

Well. Geoff felt pretty embarrassed, lemme tell ya.

But as he jogged back home, he was very determined to continue what they'd started.

Deciding there was no use hanging on to all of his moving funds, Geoff finished off the log cabin for a temporary home while he built the big house he dreamt of. He kept just a few simoleons to pay bills and gem-cutting fees.

It wasn't much - although more than his first "bathroom-only" camp - but it was his and he liked his neighbourhood and Corrigan Bay and this entire adventure.

He went to bed warm and snug and dreamt of finding two lifetimes of wealth in the hills and valleys of Corrigan Bay.