Something so strong

Round 20: Winter 2011

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Ben and Caterina Nihill are both 56 and Olivia is 14.
(Ione is 15 and Lia is 14)

Narrated by Olivia Nihill

Since I turned 13, I have been begging my parents for a sewing machine. They kept saying no, because they didn't want me to get sick of it and then just leave the machine in my room collecting dust.



I finally got my way when I told Mum I had so many ideas for clothes I'm going to make that I'll be busy with it forever. She still thinks I'm going to get bored of making pot holders to practise but I'm determined to get really good at it.

Mum's right though - making pot holders is pretty boring. Especially seeing I don't even cook.

My first pot holder was so crappy looking but Mum hung it above the stove anyway. I'm getting better though and I found a pattern for a teddy bear and I might try that one next!

My brother Max has been away at college for the past three years. He hardly ever calls but he rang this week to ask if he could move back in with us when he graduates. He says he misses us. He probably just wants Mum to start doing his washing again.

My friend Ione invited me to go ice skating with her and Lia. It was a school night, so I had to ask permission first.

I'm not usually allowed to go out on school nights but I thought I'd try asking Mum while she was distracted by the TV. Ha, and it worked! She just murmured that I had to be home by 10 and I was off!

Lia was the first to get there and I had to tell her all about how I had my first kiss with Elmer. She didn't look very interested though. Maybe she's jealous that she's the only one of us who hasn't kissed a boy yet?

Lia changed the subject pretty quickly and suggested we go shopping while we waited for Ione. I bought this really pretty necklace. You can't see it under my jumper but I wear it all the time now.

Finally, Ione arrived. We were getting sick of playing darts and Ione wanted us to wait for her before we went onto the rink.

When I started skating, I noticed this guy was staying really close to me all the time. I'd try to lose him and he'd follow. It was starting to creep me out.

We kept trying to avoid him and then he stuck his tongue out, put his finger to it and then made this hissing sound, like it was sizzling. And it was directed at me! Eww!

We pretty much all agreed that even if he wasn't some creepy pedo, we wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole. I'm definitely not telling my parents about him because they'd probably never let me leave the house again!

Creepy Guy left of his own accord, thankfully and we got back to gossiping. Luc has already gone off to college but his ex-girlfriend Rose is still at school with us and their break-up and her hooking up with Joanna is still the major story going around the school.

The only other bit of news from our family this winter is that Mum finally bought Exeter Gym. She's wanted to buy it since before I was born and she's finally got the cash together. She's changed the name to Exeter Health Club and has hired a couple of employees, including Abigail Lachance.

She's also in the middle of having it refurbished. It's still open for business but Mum and her employees do a lot of work there after the gym closes for the day.

Notes:

• Not much happened this round for the Nihills. I guess that's like real life sometimes, so I don't mind too much.
• Is it just me, or did it used to be possible to have more than two Sims in a snowball fight? I tried to have the three girls have a snowball fight and Ione just stood there and I didn't get the option to ask her to join. :/
• I have never run a gym before so we'll see how this goes! I have a ticket machine out front, Pamela Gray (the NPC playable I had marry Corbin) is going to man the cash register and Abigail is going to wander around pretending to be a personal trainer. I'm hoping that she'll do this autonomously when I send other Sims there but I'm not sure. I may reconsider her role if it doesn't work out.
• Ben got another of those weird $500,000 bonuses through a chance card this round so the Nihills are now millionaires. I managed to read the text this time and the text definitely reads $500. I'm leaving it because it's fun to have a few insanely rich Sims in the hood! And it let Caterina buy the gym and will allow her to extend it too.