Friday 2 July 2010

Shooting star

Round 27: Autumn 2026
last update/next update

James Novak is 51, Madelyn is 46 and Connor is 13.
(Naomi is 51, Malcolm is 16 and Charlie is 14)

Narrated by Connor Novak

Every Sunday morning, I get in Dad's car to head off to help him out at the dealership.

It's not exactly how I like to spend my weekends but it's only for a few hours and then I have the whole afternoon to myself, so I put up with it.

Dad's offered to have me come out and watch him on the floor, so I can learn sales but I'm not really interested in doing that, so I stick to the books.

Helping with the books used to be Mum's job. She's admitted that mathematics isn't her strong point though, so I started doing it instead. That kind of thing comes very easily to me. I love maths.


Anyway, that's how I know that business is good but Dad still hasn't earned back what he invested into this place. He and Mum want to take a holiday but they might have to wait until this place starts turning more of a profit.

After I finish college, I don't want to work at the dealership though. I have my own plans. I want to work in intelligence, maybe for the SCIA. I was telling Charlie about it and he got all excited, thinking I was going to be like James Bond.

As if the real thing is that action-packed!

After I'm done with work on Sundays, Charlie and I usually go and play a few games of basketball at the sports park.

Basketball is just a way to pass the time for me. Just a bit of fun.

Charlie takes it pretty seriously though. He wants to play professionally when he's older.

This week, anyway. He's always changing his mind.


Sometimes he wants to be a magician, sometimes a movie star. Always something where he thinks he'll get famous. I don't know how likely that is, so I mainly just humour him.

Seeing I'm the only one left living at home now, I decided I'd take over Aaron's old bedroom (which then became Ethan's). It's a lot bigger and it's got a way nicer bed.

Dad has also turned the downstairs bedroom (the one my grandparents used to sleep in) into a pool room. Once he sold all the old furniture, there was plenty of money to buy the table.

I wasn't too interested in it at first but then I read online that there are actually scholarships available for expert pool players. So I thought it couldn't hurt to try it out.

We're having a lot of family get-togethers lately. Most of the time, it's my aunt Naomi, my uncle Owen, uncle Eliot and aunt Cordy, plus my cousins, Malcolm, Timothy, Matthew and Simon.

I don't usually get near the pool table when they're all over.

They're in there most of the afternoon, playing game after game. They all love it.


Except Mum and Aunt Naomi. I don't think they've ever set foot in the pool room.

They usually talk in the kitchen all afternoon.

Mum always says that talking to Aunt Naomi about Adrienne makes her glad Aaron and Ethan never went wild but it also makes her worry for me. I've got no plans to go wild but Mum says I'm too young for her to rest easy about that just yet.

Anyway, while they're talking, Timothy usually goes and plays on my old swing set in the backyard.

Matthew and Simon are too young to do much of anything.

Except occasionally get in the way of the pool game.

That leaves me stuck talking with my cousin Malcolm. He's okay sometimes but 90% of the time, he talks about the same thing - all the girls he claims he "gets".

He can never give me any names of these girls when I ask him. He says it wouldn't be gentlemanly of him.

As if he's such a gentleman. I think he's full of it, personally. I try to ignore him when he gets like that.

Extra:
I put this pic up this morning and forgot to add text explaining why it was there! Anyway, Malcolm is kind of a jerk but apparently, his little cousins love him. If they weren't following their dad around, they were looking for Malcolm!

Notes:
  • Title is from Shooting Star by Eliott Smith.
  • James rolled the ROS Weekly Night In and the activity I rolled for him was "pool". I wrote it down so long ago that I actually forgot whether I meant a swimming pool or a pool table. But seeing it's mid-autumn in Sullivan right now, I went with a pool table.
  • Connor is such a typical Knowledge Sim - completely uninterested in girls so far! James was originally a Knowledge Sim (and still has Knowledge secondary) and he was the same way when he was in high school. I cannot picture Connor ever going wild.
  • Did everyone see the Jonas and Edward cameo at the basketball court? I thought it was so cute that they were having a little father-son outing. I had Dominic take Edward last time I played that family, so he must have developed a taste for it. ;)
  • Malcolm has not got any further than making out with any girl, but I think he's the type to lie about it. And Connor's the type to not be impressed anyway.
  • I haven't had a place to say it until now but I aged up Matthew and Simon to see what they'll look like as adults. Simon (the blonde) looks pretty much as I expected but I really love how Matthew turns out. It's usually the way that the odder looking toddlers turn out really well as adults.
  • Finally, I've put up a poll in the side bar so you guys can have your say on Jack vs. Charlie in the whole Audrey love triangle. I have included an "other" option. Just remember that this is only for fun. Whichever option wins isn't going to influence who Audrey actually does end up with, except maybe by coincidence. ;)

14 comments:

  1. Oh Malcolm! Don't all family gatherings have that little awkward group/person that you don't want to hang out with, but sometimes get stuck with. I feel bad for Connor. He's a favorite of mine, he just looks smart, and cautious, I don't see him ever going wild, except maybe with studying for exams. :p I think SCIA would be perfect for him, and more attainable then "become famous at all costs"

    I wonder how many families are glad that the Adrienne fiasco didn't happen to their daughters! lol I would be glad that's for sure! I can just imagine all the gossip that would go on for years.

    Funny on all the adults clamoring for that pool table, and those neglected toddlers huggling like little cuties.

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  2. Too bad Conner can't be an accountant, I think he would be good at that.

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  3. First of all, before I forget, I love the trays on the desk, the ones of the files that were/weren't done. My mom's office is covered in those!

    The pool-table pictures were priceless, and I loved Connor's expressions while Malcolm was talking: " 'Gosh, I'm bored out of my mind here...' , 'Gee, no names? What a coincidence!' , and 'Maybe if I look out the window and pretend I'm listening he won't notice...' "

    I officially love Connor! Gosh, I love a lot of your Sims don't I... this could be a problem...

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  4. Thanks for your comments, guys!

    Maisie, I can definitely think of a few Malcolms who I dread seeing at my family gatherings! I think it's a universal thing. You can't pick your family, unfortunately!

    Connor rolled the LTW to reach the top of the SCIA and when that happens, I sometimes try to make it fit them, to see why they might want that job. If it doesn't suit them at all, I'll abandon it (like Olivia and her Captain Hero want). But I can see Connor working in some huge surveillance room. I think he'd enjoy something like that...behind the scenes!

    Adrienne is definitely the #1 topic around the neighbourhood right now. If she keeps herself on the straight and narrow, people might find something else to talk about. Eventually.

    Apple Valley, heh, there's an accounting career at MTS, I think! So technically, Connor could enter that. I don't think he'd want to though. He's good at it but it's not necessarily something he wants to do as a career.

    Tessa, ha, yeah, I changed the office around a little bit from last time. I end up with all this office clutter in my folder, just from downloading lots and I so rarely use it!

    Connor is great fun! He's serious like Finn but he's not all that nice. It makes him even more of an old man than Finn is. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this family this round but it sort of ended up writing itself, largely thanks to Connor.

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  5. I love Connor! He's such a stoic young man. :) And LOL @ Malcolm! Connor's internal dialogue with him is just perfect!

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  6. You have to watch those knowledge sims, Carla. Nora is a knowledge sim and look at her! I've got my eye on Connor. ROFL

    And malcolm. Such a typical boy. Just as long as he doesn't lie about any girl in his school, there will be no drama.

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  7. I wonder if there ever is a moment when Malcolm isn't a jerk? Can't think of anything now LOL. Connor has quite a poker face :)

    It was nice seeing pics of the dealership. I gotta get my hands on that office clutter and the copy machine!

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  8. Laura, "stoic" is probably a good word for Connor! He doesn't seem too fazed by anything.

    I think Connor will be happy when Malcolm goes off to college and he doesn't have to listen to his bull any more. Connor will end up being a freshman when Malcolm's a senior but by that time, I'll have a crazy amount of YAs (12!) and they probably won't have to live together!

    Riverdale, oh God, are you serious? I had no idea Nora was Knowledge! LOL, maybe I should watch out for Connor! They do say it's always the quiet ones. ;)

    Malcolm's smart enough not to mention any names, although I'm sure he's been tempted. Not smart enough not to lie in the first place though, especially to someone like Connor who's not buying it!

    Sari, LOL, I can't think of anything either! I won't write him off just yet because so many 16 year-old boys are total jerks.

    That dealership is such an awesome lot. I was so glad to find it at MTS. I'd tell you where the office clutter was if I knew! Maybe I should add "office clutter" to my CC post that might get done one of these days. I should just post what I have and add to it as I go.

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  9. I love knowledge sims. and I think I adore Connor. Maybe it's the glasses or the sweater, lol. Though seeing him and Malcolm together might have sealed it. Connor isn't easy to BS!

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  10. Lunar, Knowledge Sims always seem so sweet (even when they're not). I guess I have a soft spot for those with nerdish leanings, having a few nerdish leanings myself!

    I think Malcolm is going to have to make a trip back home to visit his family while he's in college. I have something planned for Connor next round and I wonder if Malcolm might want to offer his opinion, lol.

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  11. I love Connor's face when he's talking to Malcolm, just sitting it all out, and hoping Malcolm will notice it, but of course he doesn't and he just keeps talking.
    I love the night in, all the guys seem like they were have a great time, and even the women seemed to have a nice night together!
    I sometimes think toddlers have to grow into their faces, they can look odd when they are little, but later on they can be quite handsom.

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  12. Tanja, I love when you have two Sims talking and they make exactly the right facial expressions for what you want to write. That's what happened with Connor and Malcolm.

    The night in ended up being more of an afternoon in but it was still fun! There was a reason I did it that way, not that I can remember why now!

    Toddlers definitely need to grow into their faces sometimes. I can think of a few Sullivan Sims who looked a bit odd as toddlers who have improved greatly as adults.

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  13. Matthew and Simon look so cute huggling at the grown ups' feet. I like how Connor is the subdued type while in the last update, teen hormones were in abundance lol. I feel bad that he got stuck with Malcolm during the family gathering. I feel his pain. I'm the second oldest of all the cousins, the oldest being 10 years older than me while I'm about 5 years older than the next in line. I was always stuck being the baby sitter when we were younger and then having to entertain them when I got a little older. Maybe *I* was the awkward person in the family :O LOL.

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  14. Danielle, yes, my teens are definitely running the gamut right now, from completely obsessed with romance and love to having zero interest in it and burying their heads in books.

    Poor Connor. He was pretty close to his brothers but they're much older than him and are off doing their own thing now, leaving him stuck with Malcolm.

    LOL at your position in your family! I was kind of lucky. I'm the eldest of 7 cousins but we were all born relatively close together. The youngest cousin is 8 years younger than me, which isn't a big deal, especially now that we're all in our 20s.

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