Tuesday 28 December 2010

Under the hedge

Round 29: November 2030 (Spring)
last update/next update

Augustin and Hanna Novak are both 75, Naomi is 55 and Owen is 53.
(Eliot is 44, Amar is 29, Adrienne is 23, Malcolm is 20, Hope is 19, Charlotte is 1)

Narrated by Naomi Novak

Mum finally retired recently and we were all glad she was finally going to take it easy.

None of us more than Dad. He retired as soon as he could and has been after Mum to do the same for years now.

I think she sometimes finds herself at a loss for what to do. She didn't really want to retire but she just couldn't work full time any more.

She and Dad have started a veggie patch, just to keep active.

They're both getting really into it now and are talking about some kind of garden club. I don't really know what it is but they want to join.

She's also come in to help me out at the boutique a few times.

Mum is a little slow on the register...

...which I don't think my customers appreciate. She's getting there though and she likes feeling useful. It's not just a token thing either. It gives me the opportunity to focus on sales, instead of being stuck behind the register.

Dad doesn't mind hanging around the house and he's having the time of his life right now watching Charlotte while Cordy and Eliot are at work.

Dad says Charlotte reminds him of me when I was little. Until now, Adrienne has been my parents' only granddaughter, so Dad is having fun with a little girl around again.

He's always sorry when Eliot picks up Charlotte to take her home again. But Mum and Dad are very involved with all of their grandkids and see them all the time.

It was their pestering that finally got Malcolm to come home one weekend and bring Hope with him for a change.

Malcolm and Hope have been together since high school but would you believe we've met her maybe twice in that time?

We certainly feel like we've got to know her well enough now. Hope is a lot of things, but she's not shy.

I think Hope led the conversation for most of the visit.

Although there was still plenty of time for Malcolm to ask us for money. The other seniors are moving off campus next year and Malcolm wants us to supply the funds for him to do the same.

Owen and I were in complete agreement with our response. It's not happening.

We're already paying for medical school. This is a fantastic opportunity for Malcolm to learn some money management skills. One day, he'll appreciate it.

He accepted it but I'm sure we'll hear a bit more whining about it before he gives up completely. We're trying to raise independent adults here, so while we could afford to pay Malcolm's way if we wanted to, that's not something we're going to do.

But we can't deny that with our recent promotions, we really wouldn't miss the money. On a whim, Owen decided to apply for a position within his firm doing family law.

Neither of us were too optimistic about it. He has everything counting against him - his age, the fact that he hasn't been practising too long, et cetera - but amazingly, he actually got it! Shorter hours and better pay! We're very happy!

And I'm not doing too badly myself. My last collection was showcased in fashion magazines around the world. I'm not the biggest designer in the world (yet!) but I'm definitely top of the pile around here.

Not bad for someone who was already no spring chicken when she started out!

It definitely required some celebration!

We went to a little restaurant not far from my boutique. I've been desperate to try it out since it opened.

We should really go out to eat more often. Now that the kids are all grown up, we're not short on time.

I guess everyone else wanted to check out Le Magnifique as well, because there was no parking on the block, so we had quite a walk back to the car.

But had we not had that walk, we wouldn't have spotted Adrienne, making out with some mystery man.

It was dark but I can recognise my own daughter. I knew it was Adrienne.

Owen wanted to go right up to them. I was dying of curiosity but I knew Adrienne would be mortified if we came up and introduced ourselves. I've never wanted to be that kind of mother. So we got in the car and headed home.

But of course, the next time Adrienne came over, the "mystery man" was the first thing Owen asked about. He can be very protective of her sometimes, so he wanted to know who this man pawing at his daughter was.

She was a little embarrassed but she should be thankful I didn't let Owen go right up to her that night.

We got a name out of her at least: Amar. Adrienne is insisting that I would have met him at work at some point, because he's a photographer and she met him at work herself.

I think she's just trying to avoid the whole "meet the parents" thing. But even if I have met him, Owen hasn't and if she's seeing this guy, he's definitely going to want to meet him eventually. She might as well just get it over with.

Charlotte spam:

...because she's so adorable and all!







Notes:
  • Title is from Under the Hedge by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.
  • How cute is Charlotte? I couldn't resist spamming you all, even though the next update (and final update of Round 29) will be her family. So you'll get even more Charlotte soon!
  • I really wasn't expecting Owen to ever get promoted again! I didn't even realise he had the skills to be promoted but I was wrong. He needs 2 or 3 skill points to get another promotion but none are charisma (ie., the only skill they won't work on autonomously) so it's possibly he might earn another one.
  • I've seen Adrienne and Amar together on community lots a few times this round. I was alerted to their presence this time by that "falling in love" music cue!
  • Unintended use of the parts posing box - preserving a Sim's modesty! I didn't notice until after I'd been playing for a while that Naomi's outfit is rather revealing from most angles when she's sitting normally. It was handy to be able to have her cross her legs!

16 comments:

  1. I'm glad Hanna finally retired! It's good for her to spend more time with Augustin, with three deaths next round.... dun dun dun.. ;)

    Though... there are plenty of other elders, some I'm afraid to even consider! Geez, this round is really making me fret!

    But alas, Charlotte is super adorable! I keep thinking she needs a few freckles on her nose. She has the coloring that I could totally see her pulling them off, but I don't see them in her family history, shame.

    I'm glad that things are going well for Naomi & Owen! I really liked the blinds you used for the restaurant, I have them in my game, but didn't like the ones that were semi-transparent, but I like them here! I may have to give them a try now.

    And wow, on Adrienne! That would be a shock for her parents to see, after the whole Sylvia fiasco. And of all the men for her to fall in love with.... I wonder though. Maybe it will work out. Amar is likely to settle down sometime, and much better for it to be with a playable, as opposed to someone like Amber Dawn.

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  2. LOL at Hanna doing yardwork in her suit and heels!

    Please, please, please Malcolm shave! He just looks so sleazy. I don't see how Hope stands it. Maybe I'm just a tad biased because of the situation with Susannah.

    Mystery man my foot. I'd recognize Amar anywhere, LOL. Not that I'm too surprised either.

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  3. LOL, I guess modesty is a good reason for a pose box. I love the Charlotte spam, she's so huggable and adorable and squishy :) I wonder how Adrienne will explain the whole Amar situation given that they're not really seeing each other.

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  4. I've got them all commented before work (thank you Lola for waking me up this soon :D)

    I knew it was Amar before you mentioned his name!! I hope Adrienne and Amar are a good match, and can keep one another on the right track! I hope that it turns out to be seriuos too!

    I'm glad Naomi and Owen both got a promotion, and I think it's a good thing they don't just give the money to their children! It's like Naomi said, they are trying to raise independant adults!
    I absolutely love Owen's outfit, do you remember where you got it??

    Charlotte is too adorable!! I was expecting more pictures of her in the actual update, but the picspam is a great solution!!

    LOL at Hanna, working in the garden in such a fancy suit :)

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  5. Thanks for your comments, everyone! Sorry I'm so late getting back to those of you who commented so soon after this was posted. :)

    Maisie, poor Maisie, you're going to be biting your fingernails down to the quick for the whole round, with all these elder deaths!

    LOL, I pretty much just put freckles on whenever I feel like it, actually. Amelia has a smattering across her nose, for no good reason at all. Declan and Caitlin's were added on a whim as well. So I might try some on Charlotte - they're not generally something you're born with anyway.

    I actually don't normally like those blinds either! They came with the restaurant, which I haven't edited at all. I haven't found anything else to do with them!

    I do see them both Adrienne and Amar settling down eventually - whether that's with each other or not is yet to be seen. I've grown quite fond of Amar, so it'd be nice to keep him around permanently.

    LaurelCrossing, LOL, I didn't notice she had heels on! Oh well...she's very prim and proper, so I don't have too much trouble imagining her being a bit overdressed for gardening!

    Well, Malcolm is a scruff which is the main reason he has the facial hair. But he looks better with facial hair to me - he's got a really big chin and he looks a little odd to me clean shaven. So he'll be keeping his beard, though he might have to tidy it up a bit once he starts med school. ;)

    I figured all you guys would recognise Amar right away. Naomi hadn't met him though (and still hasn't), so he'd be a mystery to her. Amar and Adrienne first met in Adrienne's last update, so that might be one reason you're not surprised. :)

    Apple Valley, Naomi's very neat and very shy, so if she could, I'm sure she'd thank me for preserving her modesty!

    Charlotte is a total doll. I played her family last night and there was yet more adorableness from her.

    True, Amar and Adrienne aren't exactly "seeing each other", at least in the way most people might define that. They could be heading towards a more traditional relationship but we'll see what happens with them.

    Tanja, heh, I knew Amar wouldn't be a mystery to any of you. ;) I'm not sure how serious they are yet. They still haven't slept together in game (though I imagine that they would have by now) but there's a lot of interest, on both sides.

    I would say Malcolm just thought asking for some cash was worth a try! He's 21 next year, so it's time for him to stand on his own two feet, especially seeing his parents are footing the bill for his education. Including med school, which is the most expensive post-graduate program I have.

    Owen's outfit is from All About Style, if I'm not mistaken.

    More Charlotte coming tomorrow - Charlotte's first Christmas (well, her second, really but the first I've done with her in game).

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  6. Charlotte is just a baby doll! How adorable! I can see her with a few freckles.

    Laughing about Owen and Naomi seeing Adrienne in a big clench with Amar. Walking up to them and pushing right in would have been the wrong thing to do for sure. They might be good together.

    And I like Malcolm scruffy. You're right, sometimes men look better with facial hair, depending on the chin and jaw. It can hide flaws pretty well. Did he really think they were going to come up with more cash for him LOL?

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  7. I really do enjoy seeing everyone's lives progressing like this, shame on me for not checking out legacies before.
    But, I suppose, in a way, mine is a sort of legacy, only at a snail's pace, LOL!

    Charlotte is a sweetie, and that must have been a shock seeing your daughter making out. but, they handled it well. Love Owen gave her the lite version of the'Spanish Inquisition' though, next he saw her.
    Oh well, she was in a comfy chair.
    Don't mind me~

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  8. S.B., Charlotte really is my favourite toddler right now. So sweet.

    I definitely have some mothers in Sullivan who would have strolled right up and introduced themselves! Naomi isn't one of them, fortunately for Adrienne.

    Adrienne and Amar could be good together. I can see why she'd be attracted to him especially. I'll deal more with that when I get to her update next round though.

    As for facial hair, I'm probably the worst judge of that! I don't even mind those full hipster beards guys sometimes wear to be "ironic", lol. But Malcolm is definitely a facial hair kind of guy.

    I don't know if he really thought his parents would give him any money but he thought it was at least worth a shot. ;)He'll be in the dorms again next year.

    Drew, I move slower than some legacies, if you'd believe it. Legacies can speed through the generations because they only focus on the one family. I guess this is more prosperity challenge style, though I'm only following my own rules here. ;)

    I'm sure seeing Adrienne and Amar was a shock for her parents. There's a bit of history with Adrienne that has changed the way Owen thinks about his daughter. Adrienne got pregnant at uni and gave her baby up for adoption (the father was a random townie). Owen was a little more relaxed before that and probably would have waited for Adrienne to introduce Amar to the family. But he really likes to know exactly what she's up to now.

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  9. LOL I noticed that Hanna was overdressed for gardening, too. But I think it suits her. She looked cute trying to learn the register. She looked like my mom when I tried to teach her how to text (and now she won't stop texting me!)

    Charlotte spam, any spam of cute sim children, is always welcomed. I just love how tiny she is.

    I'm glad to see that Naomi and Owen are trying to make their children act more responsibly with their money. But like you said, Malcolm had to try, right? :)

    I think anyone would have recognized Amar's hair, no matter if it was dark out lol. I'm excited to find out what happens with him and Adrienne next!

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  10. Danielle, LOL, parents and mobile phones! My Dad still doesn't know how to text. Based on the number of e-mails he sends me a day though, I should probably be glad.

    I figured nobody would mind some Charlotte spam. She's so adorable.

    There's never any harm in trying! But Owen and Naomi are forking out $32,000 for med school (in a lump sum, no less). Malcolm will have to suck it up in the dorms this year. Hopefully, he'll get along with his next roommate better than he gets along with Nathan!

    Ha, Amar's hair spikes kind of glow in the dark! I'm still arranging the play schedule for next round, but Amar and Adrienne will probably both turn up in the first half.

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  11. Oh my! Adrienne and Amar?! That is an interesting match, for sure.

    What good luck for Owen and Naomi (though if Amar ends up being a steady part of Adrienne's life...maybe their luck has run out). Charlotte is indeed adorable, and you certainly can't be faulted for the pic spam. :)

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  12. Rachel, Adrienne and Amar are an interesting pair, definitely. They make a lot of sense to me at the same time though. I think if Amar becomes a permanent fixture in Adrienne's life, Owen probably won't be especially thrilled. I can't imagine Amar would go over too well with the dads. ;)

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  13. I'm glad Hanna finally retired although it doesn't look like she's taking things any slower.

    Naomi and Owen are so sensible! It's good that they don't just hand over any money their children ask for.

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  14. Sari, no, Hanna's the kind of person who needs to keep busy. Augustin's quite happy to just stay at home but Hanna needs to do something.

    Owen and Naomi were probably not surprised that Malcolm asked, even though they had no intention of ever giving him anything. It's very typical of him to ask but he'll have to deal. ;)

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  15. I forgot about Adrienne and Amar. And then they were caught by the parents! Considering the last surprise, I'd say Owen has every right to be curious.

    And then Hope and Malcom, lol! Owen and Naomi have certainly raised some interesting children.

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  16. Lunar, Adrienne and Amar were a while ago! I think before this, the last time we saw them would have been sometime around winter 2029. I'm sure Adrienne's last surprise gave Owen a few grey hairs. He and Naomi would like to at least meet Amar!

    Thanks for reading!

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