Thursday 15 December 2011

The meantime

Round 32: May 2036 (Autumn)
last update/next update

David Sitko is 54 and Kirstin is 52.
(Amar is 35, Malcolm is 26, Connor, Lila and Camilla are all 23, Adelaide is 18 and Grace and Everett are both 6)

Narrated by David Sitko

After months of convincing, I finally managed to talk Kirstin into taking a holiday.

She had her usual objections, like crowds (not in May, when school is still in) and money (which we’re not exactly short on).

Eventually, Kirstin’s own desire for a little break won out and we were on our way.

We decided on the mountains at Three Lakes. Our last trip, to Takemizu Village, was a bit of a disaster and we went to Cape Elizabeth for our honeymoon, so we were up for something different this time.

We had a fantastic time. We did a lot of swimming in our hotel’s heated pool.

There were huge windows right up against it and the view was wonderful.

We both treated ourselves to a couple of massages. Every time Kirstin goes, the masseuse tells her how tense she is, so I think it really does her good especially.

I don’t know how she can stand sitting in those saunas though. That’s definitely not my thing!

A far more appealing prospect was the hot tub on the balcony of our hotel room. It was almost like we were up in the trees.

We hardly even noticed the cold - and it really was cold up in Three Lakes! It was enough to make me wish we had room in our yard for our own hot tub.

We did venture out to see the sights as well as enjoying all the luxuries at our hotel, of course. Kirstin really loved axe throwing.

I decided it was best I stay out of the way!

Kirstin didn’t enjoy the nature trail nearly so much, coming back with a case of poison ivy.

This time though, that was our only hiccup. The trip was pretty amazing, otherwise.

I was sorry to have to leave. I’ve already told Kirstin that I don’t want to wait another 20 years for our next trip. We both work too hard for that.

My job is a very demanding one, especially at this time of the year.

We’re heading into winter and every day there are more patients coming in with stomach bugs, coughs, colds and the flu.

On top of my patients, I also have to oversee the staff and do all the hiring for the hospital.

Malcolm, our newest resident, helped me out with my latest hiring decision by putting me onto his sister’s boyfriend, Amar.

We’re at the point where we need a photographer on staff to take pictures for promotional material and media releases and that will now be Amar’s role. A lot of new parents have indicated that they would be interested in having newborn photos taken at the hospital too, so he'll handle all that as well.

I don’t know how long Amar will stick around but he was very keen to get the position. I just doubt newborn photography or hospital press releases are particular passions of his.

Kirstin finally only has one job, like a normal person. She finished her term as governor over a year ago and she has passed the diner onto Camilla.

Kirstin really couldn’t wait to get rid of that place. She was mostly the owner in name only, as the manager did just about everything but Kirstin still saw it as a burden.

Until she finishes her internship in a couple of months, Camilla will probably be similarly hands-off with the diner, much to Grace’s disappointment.

Gracie seemed to have the idea that Camilla was going to let her work there and cook for everyone. Camilla had told her that but she meant that it would happen when Grace is much, much older. I guess we can blame her other grandpa for her cooking obsession - Tate encourages it all!Link
It’s such a highlight when Grace and Everett come over. They’re both such characters, my grandchildren. Not that I’m in any rush for more grandkids any time soon. I wasn't expecting to have any at the age I am now, let alone two six-year-olds!

Of our daughters, Lila is the most like Kirstin, so I think she’ll want to wait a while before she has kids anyway.

Lila talks a lot about her job but she doesn’t talk about children except in a “some day in the very distant future” sort of way.

She and Connor seem to be on the same page with that, fortunately. Kirstin and I weren’t and although we obviously figured it out, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cause any tension early in our marriage.

I think Connor is an excellent match for Lila. She used to talk about him a lot when she was in college but I never imagined they’d get together. Now that they are though, they seem to make a lot of sense.

I like Connor but Kirstin adores him! Connor is very sure of himself and of where he wants to go in life and Kirstin admires that, especially in someone so young.

I wish Adelaide would spend some time around Connor and Lila. Maybe some of their ambition would rub off on her!

Adelaide has ideas of what she wants to do after college but none are particularly realistic. I don’t think “follow rock musician boyfriend around on tour” is a viable career option.

I do worry about her but I’m hoping that now that she’s picked political science as her major, something in one of her classes might spark an interest in her and she’ll come up with a better plan for her future.

Kirstin isn’t as optimistic and she and Adelaide have really been butting heads as a result. Kirstin tried to approach her calmly but it really didn’t go well.

Adelaide’s grades for her first semester have been lacklustre to say the least and last time Adelaide visited, Kirstin really got on her back about it.

Realistically, we were never expecting Adelaide to get stellar grades. School was always tough for her and it just seems to follow that university will be even tougher.

We can’t force her to study; we just have to hope she figures out for herself that she’s not going to be successful unless she really starts putting some effort in.

Notes:
  • Title is from The Meantime by Phantom Planet.
  • I should make an effort to do family holidays, when the parents roll the want but my Sims usually end up waiting until all the kids are out of the house anyway!
  • So this is Amar's new job. The next level of the custom photography career I use is Medical Photographer, so that's what he's doing now. I have a friend who takes newborn pictures in a hospital, so I'm combining her job with a little extra, seeing I don't have that many babies born around here!
  • The feeling is mutual between Kirstin and Connor! She had the want to be friends with him when I loaded the lot and when Connor and Lila came to visit, he was very keen to talk to Kirstin (and then once he fulfilled that, he was all about Lila again. Aww!).
  • I'm still feeling bad for poor Adelaide. She's such a black sheep in this family. Both parents with highly accomplished careers, sisters both graduated with honours (one with two kids in tow). I really hope she gets serious about school and does better than anyone is expecting.

15 comments:

  1. I know it'd be good for Adelaide to start putting effort into her grades, but I actually like that she doesn't. I think it fits her so well, and I can't see her just suddenly being an honor student. She's fun to read about, you just don't know where she will go!

    I'm glad that these two took a vacation and had a nice time. David has been very patient with Kirsten over the years. So it's nice to see her take some time out to just be with David, he deserves some love too.

    I do love Connor, he fits with this family so well! And the twins are darling, I do love this family with their higher education, finer things, and government past. They are very well to do. Poor Adelaide.

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  2. I'm interested in what will happen with Adelaide as she progress through university. It must be slightly intimadating with such accomplished family memebers.

    Wow, 20 years between vacations? How dreadful. That massuse must have had his work cut out for him when serving Kirsten.

    The diner doesn't seem quite like Camilla's point of interest but with two kids it might just be a good investment. At the very least, it will give them their first jobs and appreciate money as they get older.

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  3. Maisie, that's very true! Adelaide is going to have far fewer options career-wise if she ends up flunking out but it really does make a lot of sense for her character, if that's what does happen. I'm following her wants, so whatever happens, it'll be because she directed it.

    David really has been a saint with Kirstin - she's quite the workaholic! He's probably lucky he got a honeymoon and the vacation they took soon after that, the way she works. I love them together though, so I was glad to be able to send them away.

    I was expecting Kirstin to love Connor but I wasn't sure about David (in game, this was the first time they'd met, I think). Connor really does fit in well with the Sitkos. They all (well, except for Adelaide!) value education and careers very highly and so does he.

    Thanks for reading!

    Choco, I'm kind of interested to see that too! As I said to Maisie, I'm following her wants, so it'll be up to her. Whether she finishes uni or not, I hope she can find something worthwhile to do with her life, even if it takes her a little longer than average to find it!

    I know, 20 years, huh? Kirstin really, really loves to be busy, so it's hard for her to take time out like this. But it's a healthy thing for everyone to do, so David will probably try to force it a bit more now. ;)

    No, a diner isn't really Camilla's dream business! She has an LTW to own 2 top-level businesses though and because this one is already doing so well, she'll use it as kind of like her starter/practice business. It also brings in around $1000 a day, so the money will definitely be welcome for a young family. Eventually, Camilla will open her own clothing store and the diner will have given her a good grounding in business practices.

    Thanks for reading!

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  4. About time they had a vacation, but 20 years is a long time to wait. Adelaide, tsk tsk, I feel bad for her being the black sheep, but hopefully she can find her own way.

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  5. I'm kind of with Maisie here; Adelaide really should start working for school, but I do like it too that she isn't doing too much. It will be interesting where she will go :)

    That trip to Three Lakes was so wel deserved for them! And I'm with David here that I hope the next one doesn't have to wait 20 more years!

    I still like Lila and Connor together, and all that talk about kids, made me look forward to some kids from them, I know it's early in their relationship, but I can't help but wonder about it :)

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  6. Cheers for Kristin and David finally taking a vacation, about time. Even though they waited 20 years it made it so much more worth it.

    I'm with the everyone else and is interested in which way Adelaide's life will turn. She may just surprise us all and want to really study and achieve higher.

    I admire Connor's drive and that he has his life fully mapped out. Connor and Lila look adorable together. I don't blame Lila for wanting to wait to have children.

    Grace and Everette are my faves next to Declan and Caitlin. These two stole my heart the moment they were born. I can't wait till they are older and see what they will do to shake up the town of Sullivan. :)

    Awesome update as always.

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  7. Apple Valley, I know, Kirstin is terrible. And kind of cheap. ;)

    I hope the same for Adelaide. I want her to figure out something she wants to do, if it's not college! She did roll the want to major in Political Science though, so she's one step ahead of Sophie, who just let the university put her in Philosophy!

    Thanks for reading!

    Tanja, as I always say, it's good to mix it up a bit, isn't it? We'll see what happens with Adelaide.

    I was glad they got to go on a holiday too. Kirstin especially has been working very hard since her dad died and she took over the diner. Now she can be normal again. ;)

    Connor and Lila are great together but they have not even started to talk about kids or any other concrete plans for the future! Kirstin was 29 when she had the twins and I think Lila will probably wait until around the same age. Her job is her baby right now!

    Thanks for reading!

    Nicky, well, Adelaide already surprised me once with wanting to major in Political Science! I was honestly expecting her to just coast along and not care at all.

    I just hope Connor's life goes the way he's expecting it to, because he's not the type who would take it awfully well if it didn't. He's very set in his ways! Lila is less so, but they're still a good pairing.

    I adore Grace and Everett. I was just thinking that as I was playing them! I got a few cute pics I didn't get a chance to fit into the update. ;)

    Thanks for reading!

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  8. I agree with Maisie, I like the diversity and love the fact that Adelaide is lazy when it comes to school. :)

    It was nice to see a holiday update, my sims tend to go far too rarely too.

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  9. simnovoris, it does really fit Adelaide. Ever since she was a kid, she's been like this. I'm just going to go with it and see what happens. ;)

    Holidays are fun and it's a good way to actually use some of that immense wealth Sims tend to build up after a while. Especially families like this, who have the money of three generations behind them.

    Thanks for reading!

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  10. I couldn't remember them ever going on vacation since Kirstin's such a workaholic, so I actually went back and found it. Yeah, this one was much better than their last.
    I'm glad Amar got a job, now get him back into his regular clothes! He looks so weird in slacks and a button-down.
    I'm also glad that Kirstin is finally down to one job. She can spend some time with her grandkids. And be glad that Lila's doing fine and worry about Adelaide. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't graduate, but I hope she does.

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  11. Fini, yeah, their last vacation was a seriously long time ago! Poor David.

    Heh, Malcolm stuck his neck out to recommend Amar for the job, so Amar had to make a good impression. I doubt we'll see him in business casual again any time soon!

    I'm hoping Adelaide will be more of a Sophie-style student than a Maia-style. Most of my lazies seem to be able to graduate in the end, though it may be with a very unimpressive GPA. We'll see if Adelaide can manage it.

    Thanks for reading!

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  12. It's nice that they finally got a holiday to themselves. I'm getting more on board with Lila and Connor--it's certainly nice that Kirstin likes him! I know he's had trouble getting parents to like him thus far.

    All those accomplishments in one family would be difficult to live up to--it's fun that Adelaide is so different from them (but probably a little frustrating, too!).

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, well, David and Kirstin definitely enjoyed themselves! It's just like Kirstin to wait so long to take a holiday though!

      Poor Connor...he doesn't normally go over too well with the parents. He can be very standoffish and he wouldn't be the type to get into small talk. Kirstin is similar though, so she gets it. And David's well used to it after all these years with Kirstin. ;)

      Adelaide being such a black sheep is a lot of fun, absolutely. I have zero idea what I'm going to do with her when she finishes university, if she actually graduates. I'm just going to have to go with the flow with her.

      Thanks for reading!

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  13. Aw, hugs to David and Kirstin! It must be so quiet at home without Adelaide! I so didn't expect to see her in Uni neither! (I'm answering to your answer to my comment on the Birthday's post... what a mess I'm doing... :D)
    It's good that they could have enjoyed holidays a bit.
    Kirstin should already be happy that Adelaide went to Uni instead of jumping directly in life, and with tiny jobs!
    I have to admit that Lila and Connor make a beautiful couple... Your answer to my comment makes me wonder if they're not engaged now... *hmm*

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    Replies
    1. Having all their daughters out of home would be quite the adjustment for David and Kirstin...especially David, being definitely the more family-oriented one of the two.

      Heh, Kirstin is a high achiever, married to another high achiever, with two high-achieving daughters and one doesn't seem to care much. She finds it hard to understand Adelaide!

      I'm glad you like Lila and Connor together. They just seem to make sense to me and they complement each other well.

      Thanks for reading!

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