Tuesday 9 August 2011

Better be home soon

Round 31: September 2034 (Spring)

last update/next update

Luc Lane is 41, Asha is 37, Ruby is 7, Marcus is 5 and Felix is 3.(Kit is 74, Olivia is 37, Ramona is 7 and Jacinta is 4)

Narrated by Asha Lane

For the last five weeks, I've only spoken to Luc on the phone or through the computer.

Luc has been spending the latter half of winter and now the beginning of spring on tour, playing shows all over the place.

He's having the time of his life and the shows he's been doing have been really well-received.

On top of that, he's making new connections before and after his gigs. It's fantastic for his career, obviously.

Every time I talk to him, he tells me about an offer to play somewhere or an offer to record with someone.

It's been a real challenge for me here at home though. This is the longest we've been apart since we started dating.

I'm just trying to tell myself we're in the home stretch now. I'm lonely but Luc is due home at the end of this week.

The kids are all really missing him too. I told Ruby and Marcus that people far away want to hear Daddy play his music, so he has to travel.

Ruby just thinks all those people should come here to hear him, which Marcus agrees with.

I had to admit, that would be very nice!

Felix asks every day if Daddy's coming home yet. He has no concept of time, or else I'd tell him how close we are.

We use webcams to keep in contact and the kids really love being able to see Luc, as well as talk to him.

Well, Marcus and Ruby do. Felix won't sit still for long enough, so I just hold him while he says a quick hello.

Even though I know logically it's not, the end of the week feels so far away. The kids are so nuts right now.

I think they've just had enough of Luc being gone and they're getting restless.

I probably would have gone completely crazy by now without Mum. She's been watching the kids for me while I'm at work.

Mum gets bored at home with Zaria, Max and Jessica at work or school, so she offered to come and watch the kids for me.

It's just Felix for most of the day, now that Ruby and Marcus are both at school. So I don't feel too guilty accepting her help, because Felix on his own is definitely manageable.

She also cooks way better than I do and we always eat an amazing dinner together the days she watches the kids.

Last time we had dinner together, Marcus started clearing up before I could do anything! He even put the leftovers in the fridge for me!

I don't know if Mum had a talk with the kids about helping out or something but I won't complain if he starts doing it all the time.

I definitely don't have the angelic model of child. Olivia seems to have two of them.

I don't know what her secret is. Her daughters just seem to behave, without much intervention from her.

I cannot imagine Ramona and Jacinta fighting and screaming like Ruby and Marcus do. I spotted Marcus kicking Ruby in the head last time we visited the playground.

But then, I don't know what I'd do with a kid as serious as Ramona. She's Ruby's best friend but I think even Ruby's not sure how to take her sometimes.

My kids have their faults but they're a lot of fun too. Even when they're driving me nuts, I usually laugh at their antics once it's all over.

And they can all be very sweet when I'm one on one with them. It's only when they get together that they wreak havoc.

Sometimes they even pretend to like each other once in a while.

Still, on the day Luc's flight was due to get in, I was more than ready to start sharing the parenting load again.

Ruby and Marcus decided to demonstrate just why that was in the arrivals lounge.

Thank goodness they were having a good day and sat back down when I told them to. The movie on the TV in the lounge occupied them for a little while.

They both jumped right back up again when they spotted Luc coming out of the gate.

I can hardly describe how good it felt to be back in the same room again!

Luc has some time off for a while now, so we're going to spend as much of that time as possible here at home.

I hope we have at least a few months before he has to go out on tour again.

Notes:
  • Title is from Better Be Home Soon by Crowded House.
  • Just some housekeeping: I've updated my family portraits how-to in the side bar. Most of the "new" information is not going to be new to those of you who have been posing for a while now but if you're a beginner, you might find some helpful tips. :)
  • Onto the update: poor Asha! Not one of the kids inherited her sweeter personality - they're all loud and brash like Luc. They're pretty amusing though, I have to say!
  • I always want to do more with my Sims' careers, so Luc's tour was a part of that. The venue I used was actually in Exeter but it was one I hadn't used yet. So shhh! I think I'll move it to Cape Elizabeth or something, so Luc (and any future musicians) will have to actually travel to play there. We won't see him touring all the time but it's something I want to remember to write in as a part of his job.
  • I calculated Luc's royalties with the help of Mizzgin's recent post over at her behind the scenes blog. Luc didn't have to split his royalties, since he's solo but I used the Australian definition of "gold" and "platinum" records. We have a smaller population here, so an artist doesn't need to sell as many records to be considered successful. A gold record is for 35,000 copies and it's twice that for platinum. So even being solo, Luc still ended up with less money than the boys from Mellow Metal did.
  • That said, Luc is definitely doing well for himself at the moment. Their funds were in the negative when I loaded the lot (they had a $7000 loan on via Monique's computer) but I motherloded them up to fix that. Cheaty, yes but it makes sense to me that a Rock God might have quite a bit of money, so I'm not going to consider it true cheating. ;) I now just have to decide how often he's going to get payouts like this.

29 comments:

  1. It seems that Ruby and Marcus are the Sim-incarnate of my RL children. Alone, they're fine but together they're the Dynamic Duo!

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  2. I can't imagine raising 3 kids alone for that long! I know there are plenty of mothers out there that do it, but man that's rough. I'm glad Asha got some time with Luc in the end. The paychecks may make it worth it for her in the end!

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  3. Interesting that you're posting about touring! When I get back to the January house (which will be soon), Ken will be promoted to roadie, so he'll be going on tour with a band I've been waiting to play. I was wondering if he really did travel and if he really stayed out of the house most of the update.

    Ruby and Marcus sound like my goddaughter and her brother. Manageable alone but together making you almost want to rip out your hair.

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  4. LOL! I love the kids, loud and brash and so child-like, however I wouldn't trade places with Asha at all, absent rock-star husband and alone with three kids for weeks-um, no thank you :P

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  5. I'm just glade he's back home! Three kids are a handful alone. Just dealing with five through out the day is ruff for me. I'm so happy when the hubby gets home from work, so I can imagine Asha! I need to kick myself into gear and get my little local band signed and touring to catch up with you guys. I'm taking my time though. LOL

    I don't call it cheating either. How else would you have given Luc his money?

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  6. Poor Asha, left at home with 3 kids to take care, and 2 of them being very loud and arguing all the time, this can't be easy! But that's the life of Rock god's wife I guess :)
    I love those kids though! Reminds me of me and my sister when we were younger, fighting all the time, but we couldn't live without the other :)

    I loved the place Luc was playing! And I love the fact that you've sent him on tour :) I can't wait to do that in SimsVille as well :)

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  7. Poor Asha, those kids look lovely but they seem to be little devils on the inside, lol! It can't be easy to take care of them on their own while Luc is away.

    Oh, I don't think it's cheating to give some sims money. In reality, successful musicians make loads of money. They make good money in game but not as much as real life stars. I gave MILLIONS to Stella Harris and Deacon Burrows and I didn't even pause to think that might be cheating ;)

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  8. Poor Asha! Those kids all look like quite the handful! I'm glad Luke had a good tour, but maybe he should stay home for little while longer, to give Asha a break.

    I. love. Ramona. Btw. She's is just so cute! Plus, I have a soft spot for serious sims. :)

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  9. Aww, I just love the picture of Asha and Felix sitting together at the computer. So cute! And Luc is hot, probably one of my favorite Sullivan sims - Jack is my all-time favorite ;)

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  10. How funny that the kids are mini-Lucs, lol! ;) Poor Asha, I don't know how she survived without going crazy.

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  11. LaurelCrossing, LOL! I think a lot of kids are like that! If they don't become little devils when teamed with a sibling, there's often a friend at school they like to raise hell with!

    Thanks for reading!

    Mandie, I know, so many mothers (and fathers) have to do this alone all the time, for much longer periods of time. It's new for Asha though, so it's tough! The pay cheques definitely help!

    Thanks for reading!

    Fini, oh, I can't wait to see how you do the touring yourself! This would have been different if I'd decided to focus on Luc instead. But I usually alternate narrators and it was Luc's turn last time. ;)

    I know plenty of pairs of children like Ruby and Marcus! I sometimes think "you're so nice alone. If only I could just isolate you from other children forever and ever!" LOL.

    Thanks for reading!

    Apple Valley, loud and brash, just like their dad. Asha should have locked herself in their recording studio upstairs for the duration of Luc's tour. ;) I probably would have, so no, I wouldn't want to trade places with her either!

    Thanks for reading!

    Riverdale, Asha is glad too! I'm sure five is no picnic sometimes, even with the promise of your husband coming home at the end of the day!

    Heh, I took my time getting Luc to do anything too! I'm glad I did though, because it's a fun little facet to add to game play and the story. As was the money. ;)

    Thanks for reading!

    Tanja, no, Asha definitely struggled with the kids while Luc was gone but she got through it. She knows it won't be the last time she has to do it either, due to Luc's job. She just has to suck it up unfortunately.

    The place Luc was playing is called Club SU. I didn't build it though. It's a lot from SimsUrbania, which I linked to on my Pinterest. Eventually that Sullivan on Pinterest post will fall off the first page, so the link to my Pinterest boards is also in the Welcome post in the sidebar.

    Thanks for reading!

    Sari, yes, they're cute but kind of devilish! Asha finds them challenging even with Luc around, so this was hard for her.

    Oh, wow, I think I'd forgotten you gave that much money to Stella and Deacon! I need to do some thinking about Patience and Matilda now. I forget what levels they're at but it seems like they should both have more money than they actually have! I won't consider it cheating if it makes things more realistic.

    Thanks for reading!

    coolkat2, they definitely are a handful! The hug was autonomous but most of the tormenting and cops and robbers was too (although restaged, so I could get better angles).

    I have a soft spot for serious Sims too. ;) I think it's because I had so few of them for so long! I have a little bunch of them now though and I'm quite thrilled. :D

    Thanks for reading!

    Rosa, that picture is a favourite of mine too. I'd eventually planned to do that another way but this way was easier and turned out cuter anyway.

    I love Luc too (and Jack). Asha's a lucky woman!

    Thanks for reading!

    Shana, LOL, I know, in personality and in looks! You can see it especially in the picture of Ruby and Marcus at the computer - they've both got Luc's distinctive nose. Felix has a little button nose, which I guess comes from Asha.

    Asha probably felt like she was going crazy at times but her sanity returned along with Luc, fortunately.

    Thanks for reading!

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  12. I've been reading your blog for awhile now and I absolutely love it! You've totally inspired me to create my own sims neighborhood blog! Do you have any tips for building a neighborhood like yours?

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  13. Allison, I'm glad to hear you enjoy Sullivan so much. :)

    As for tips, the most important things are to figure out a play and blogging style that works for you and to not be afraid to change it if it's no longer fun. Most of my ideas in the beginning were not original. They were mostly just taken from other Simmers and I adapted them along the way. Looking at other Simmers' hoods is a great way to figure out what you want for your own hood (and you're probably already doing that!)

    I'm not really sure if that's the kind of advice you were looking for though. ;) If you have a more specific question, I'd be happy to try to answer it for you.

    Thanks for reading!

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  14. That is SUCH a big difference than a gold selling artist in America which is 500,000 copies! So yea, they will make a little more. I loved the reunion pic, so sweet! I think it's fitting that Luc would have some little hell raisers :)

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  15. Mizzgin03, yeah, an artist selling 500,000 here would be platinum several times over! But then our population is almost 22 million, while yours is over 300 million, so selling that many records is much harder here!

    I don't think Luc would be capable of having non-hellraiser children, unfortunately for Asha! His physical features are dominant and so is everything else, apparently!

    Thanks for reading!

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  16. I just noticed that Luc is 41. When did that happen?

    Ruby and Marcus are very cute. I remember growing up in a very noisy house. I drove my mother crazy but I had lots of fun, when I look back now. I'm sure Asha will look back at it fondly when the kids grow up and move on.

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  17. I felt tired for Asha reading this update. The poor girl, I'm surprised we didn't see more yelling in the pictures. This just makes me interested in how they're going to be when they're older, even Felix.

    I'm surprised that Luc is 41 too. At least he's still pursuing his passion.

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  18. Monique, crazy, huh? Luc's college years still seem very fresh in my mind!

    I think you're right about Asha, especially seeing even now, she's able to sit back and smile about their antics once everything is peaceful. This house will be eerily quiet once all the kids are gone!

    Thanks for reading!

    Choco, I know, right? Poor Asha. I find, when dealing with really crazy kids, you can reach a point where you're too tired to do much of anything. It's like the stage past yelling, lol.

    I can picture Luc doing what he does for quite a while yet! Like Mick Jagger or Neil Young, lol.

    Thanks for reading!

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  19. Loved the homecoming picture! Too sweet, especially after so much time apart. And how cute to have the kids do video chat, LOVED that with their sweet expressions! I'm glad that Luc's career is going well for them, though it would be hard to be stuck at home. It's a lot of work doing the only parent gig with one away, and her kids all seem rather high spirited and wild, that it would just make it that much more exhaustive.

    Loved the park pictures, Ramona is adorable, funny on the girls being quite opposite of one another.

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  20. Aw, poor Asha, it's not fun when your man is on tour! The kids are hilarious.
    Luc seems to be pretty successful, and what beautiful pictures when he gets back home! *swoon*

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  21. Maisie, the video chat was a really early idea I got attached to and I was so happy it worked out! They're some favourite pics of mine now.

    Asha is kind of like a single parent when Luc is away, so it's definitely tough, especially with the kind of kids these two have! Wild is a good description!

    Thanks for reading!

    Sandy, LOL, no, I don't think Asha had as much fun with Luc away as she does when he's home. But then, even though he was having fun, Luc was missing his family while he was on the road as well. I think he probably would have enjoyed touring a lot more about 15 years ago!

    Thanks for reading!

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  22. Great update with great pics! I love how different Asha's kids are compared to Olivia's. I definitely see Asha as the type to have crazy kids. I like the idea of going on tour and have it written down in my notes to do whenever I have a musician. Paul is making his way into the music industry so I should start planning for some locations now. I'll have to save that royalties post for later. And wow, I didn't even look at the ages of this group and I can't believe Luc is 41! I'm thinking they're still in their early 30s or something. Wow. He's getting old... but still hot ;).

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  23. Danielle, ha, yes, I just played Olivia's family last and I didn't see Ramona or Jacinta kicking each other's heads once. Nor did they get any wants to torment each other! Asha's kids are very different.

    I'm looking forward to doing more with the music career now that I've done this touring and royalties thing for Luc. Asha is in the music career as well but she's currently a concert pianist - one of those stupid levels. I'm not sure what I'll do with her, because she never wants to study but she needs a ton of points to get to the next level. She kind of slept her way to near the top (Luc kept "pulling strings" for her).

    And I know, everyone's getting old! I'm struck by that with just about every family I play lately, lol! I'll be sad when I have to add wrinkles to Luc when he's 45. I think I'll just give him some eye crinkles to start with, to ease myself into it!

    Thanks for reading!

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  24. Such rambunctious children! Haha, I can't wait to see them as teens. Oh my, they're going to be trouble, aren't they? It's so cute that they fight though-- just like real siblings!

    And check Luc out. I'm glad he hasn't given his career up.

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  25. Lunar, they are rambunctious little things, poor Asha! Once Ruby is a teen, I think it'll be Luc who's worried about "trouble". He'll finally know what all the fathers of the girls he's been with must have been feeling!

    I guess there will come a day when Luc will end his career but I picture that being a long, long time from now. I see him as the type to keep going for quite a while!

    Thanks for reading!

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  26. OMG, Marcus kicking Ruby in the head! But they're cute little hellions! ;) I love how Marcus looks just like Asha, and Ruby looks just like Luc.

    I love the realism of sending him on tour, but how hard must that be on her! And wow, is he really 41!?! That's not really terribly old for a musician, and I can also see him continuing into his 50's or 60's, but I'm just shocked he's even 40 at all yet! :o

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  27. Laura, LOL, Cops and Robbers is brutal in TS2! Fortunately, both Ruby and Marcus make up for being hellions in other ways. You know, by being adorable and occasionally, not being hellions.

    I'm excited to see what these three will look like as adults - there's a lot of genetic diversity in this family.

    Touring would suck for Asha but she married an aspiring rock star, so she probably had a clue what she was in for. ;) And no, 41 isn't too old for a musician - I doubt there are many that age who are considering retirement if they're still doing well. Luc being 41 is a bit of a shock though (and I just started the new year, so he's actually 42 now!). Mostly because I know he's 2 years older than Rose and Joanna, so now they're 40. And they're 2 years older than Lia, Asha and Olivia, so they're not far from 40 either now! Crazy!

    Thanks for reading!

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  28. No surprise at all that Luc's kids can be a handful. :) I feel bad for Asha being left at home with them though. It's wonderful that her mother was able to help out, and it's also good that Luc was able to go on tour. This family is looking pretty successful!

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  29. Rachel, the kids definitely take after their daddy! Asha has her work cut out for her and I'm sure they run their grandmother ragged as well. Such is the life of a rock star's wife!

    Thanks for reading!

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