Sunday 22 July 2012

Rattled by the rush

Round 34: February 2039 (Summer)

last update/next update
James Novak is 64 and Madelyn is 59.
(Maia is 37, Aaron and Calvin are 36, Ethan is 33, Connor is 26, Willow and Amy are 4 and River and Natalie are 2)

Narrated by James Novak

Lately, I’ve cut back the time I spend at NKL to devote more of my energies to Novak Motors.

When I started this business, I had no idea what I was doing and sometimes, I still feel that way. I’m not a natural at sales.

But more and more, it’s become sort of like my “baby” and something I truly enjoy.

It’s not for everyone but I really like helping people find the right car for them. And I don’t rip them off either, like a lot of other car salesmen I’ve come across.

I’ve talked about it with Madelyn and she thinks I should just move onto running the lot full time, if that’s what makes me happy.

She doesn’t understand why I don’t just resign right now but I can’t do that. I don’t want to leave a whole load of unfinished business for everyone.

I’ve decided to just see out the year and finish up then, when I’ll have reached the official retirement age anyway.

It’s not what Madelyn would do but we have different attitudes to work. Work is just a means to an end for Madelyn and she completely forgets about her job once she walks out the door at the end of the day.

Connor is just at the beginning of his career and it’s finally going the way he wants it to. He’s been at the SCIA for a few months now and he’s very happy there.

The only downside is a particular co-worker he’s not so keen on. He’s younger and has been there longer, which bothers Connor.

But he’s putting all that out of his mind and focusing on the work, which he does really like. It’s all classified and all he can tell me about it is that he does surveillance.

The new job came with a nice pay bump for him too. He and Lila want to buy a house together eventually, so that’s most definitely come in handy for him.

Connor says he might be asking me for some real estate advice once he and Lila are ready.

I’ll try to help out but I don’t think it will be necessary. Connor has a good head for this kind of thing. He takes after his old man!

Madelyn is bored to tears by any talk of money or real estate. She wants to be the very first visitor Connor and Lila have in their new home but the house buying process is not something she’s the slightest bit interested in.

It’s not something Connor would think to discuss with his mother anyway. He knows how to pick his audience.

Madelyn is always interested to hear about Connor’s career (as much as he’ll tell us!) but her own is one she won’t have much trouble leaving behind when it’s time to retire. She’s not the type to be bored at home.

She’s always finding new things to do. Her latest thing is the fitness kick she’s on.

It’s not something she enjoys but Madelyn will turn 60 next year and she’s come to see it as something necessary.

She’s been going out hiking more often too and trying to convince me to go with her. I’m not much of an outdoorsman though.

That’s something Madelyn has always shared with Aaron and Ethan and it’s probably one of the reasons she gets on so well with Maia too.

And Willow is just like her parents and grandmother in that way. Madelyn thinks it’s just delightful.

Willow is old enough now to go on hikes with them and has really been enjoying it. Or so she tells me anyway.

River is too young right now, so he stays behind with me.

I don’t really mind. I don’t really have one-on-one time with River very often, so I make the most of it.

We have plenty of fun together while everyone is away. It’s not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning.

Once everyone else gets back, we have lunch together and talk about how we spent the morning.

Or rather, Willow talks and we usually all just listen.

I couldn’t believe it when Ethan told me her teacher at school described her as “a little shy”! She’s definitely not like that with the family.

She has settled into school really well, which is no surprise given she has Amy with her. They just adore each other.

Being raised together is probably why neither Amy or Willow had much trouble adjusting to having a younger sibling.

Amy loves having a little sister. There's time enough for that to change, but so far, they get along very well.

Hopefully, she’ll take to having a second sibling just as easily, as Aaron and Calvin are planning to adopt a third child.

After they adopted Natalie, they said they were most likely done, so the news was a little surprising to me. I was happy to hear it but definitely surprised.

Calvin admitted Aaron had to twist his arm a little but in the end, he came around to the idea pretty quickly.

They’re both quite excited about starting the process all over again now. This time will definitely be the last for both of them though.

Amy is cautiously pleased about another sibling…as long as it’s a girl!

She has a lot of fun with Natalie and doesn’t think a brother would be nearly as much fun.

Madelyn reminded her that River is a boy and she likes him just fine. And of course, her parents are both boys too.

Amy would still rather have another sister but she’s agreed that a brother might not be completely awful either.

Amy is a good kid, so I think she’ll come around.

She could have plenty of time for that too. We really have no idea how long it will take until a suitable child comes along for Aaron and Calvin. It could be days, weeks, even years.

For their sake, I hope it’s sooner rather than later. And for our sake too; Madelyn and I are keen to meet our new grandchild.

Notes:
  • Title is from Rattled by the Rush by Pavement.
  • NKL is the name I gave to the corporation I pretend all my Business career Sims work for. Right now, that's James, Lila, Jack and Zane. Once James retires, it's going to be a very youthful workplace.
  • Madelyn must have heard that I'm planning to try out Maisie's death system on my future elders. She rolled the want to get fit, which is unusual in itself, because I've only had that want from fat Sims, which Madelyn wasn't. Add that to how lazy she is and she really must be psychic!
  • I was going to have Aaron and Calvin stop at 2 kids (Calvin's IFS - Aaron's is 3) but then Aaron went and rolled a want to adopt a child. It's really rare in my game for a gay Sim to roll a baby want, so I'm going to fulfill it. I have to take another look at their house but I think they might stay there. I'll reassess when all the kids are school age; they might be in need of another bathroom by then!

20 comments:

  1. So excited that Aaron and Calvin are going to adopt another baby! I secretly hope it a girl too.
    Haha Madelyn really is psychic. I am looking forward to seeing how Maisie's death system takes effect in Sullivsn.
    Those shots of James and River are so adorable. I adorable River, I think he is the cutest little thing (as is his big sister!)
    It must be pretty stressful at James' age to juggle a Job at the top of his career with running his own car business so I'm glad he will be spending more time at Novak Motors.

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    1. I'm a sucker for Sims wanting a baby. I think my Sims know it too! I'd kind of like Aaron and Calvin to have a girl too. I'm going for another baby this time, so I have no clue what I'll end up with!

      River really is very sweet. I was always going to have a soft spot for any kid who ended up with Maia's nose. I'm excited to actually play him this round!

      James is definitely at a time in his life when he wants to slow down a little. He should have plenty of time next year to focus on his grandkids, especially with potentially two more on the way!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  2. River is such a cutie pie! I can't believe that he's thinking about retirement already! Time flies in your hood!

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    1. River is indeed very cute; I just love him!

      I know, James's elderhood is zooming by. I was kind of surprised he was already 64 too.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  3. I'm really excited that Aaron and Calvin are thinking about adopting another one! Especially when Maia and Ethan are succesfull in having a 3rd one as well!
    It's sweet that Amy only wants a sister, and has to be reminded that she likes River just as well even if he's a boy. I do have to admit that them having another daughter sounds nice to me as well. Those 2 boys having to raise 3 daughters will be so sweet to watch :)

    I think it's nice of James to consider his co-workers in his decision of when he will retire, and doens't leave them with a pile of his unfinished work, but I'm glad he's considering retiring. It will be nice for him to be able to focus on only one thing now that he's older, and still have time for all his grandchildren!

    Lol at Madelyn overhearing that you are going to introduce Maisie's death system!

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    1. Yep, Aaron and Calvin are definitely going to adopt a third. You can consider the adoption process started and from now on, it's just a waiting game to see when it will happen for them. And we'll hear more from Maia and Ethan in their update.

      I'm kind of loving the idea of Calvin and Aaron with three girls but I guess it's up to the game! I've added some new default face replacements, so I'm excited to see what the baby looks like already, lol!

      James's co-workers are all very young, so he has to make sure the place won't go to pot after he's gone, lol! They're all pretty committed workers though, so I'm sure the place has more successes ahead of it. James is a bit over it. He's become quite fond of his grandfather role, as well as of his work at Novak Motors.

      Is it weird that I'm quite excited to try out that system? LOL, I just love the idea of death not being so random. I never liked that it was tied to aspiration (and I got rid of that in my game a long time ago) but I didn't love it being completely random either.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  4. Very exciting with a third baby for Aaron and Calvin! This family is so adorable; I love it when sims get some kind of freak-out and start obsessing about fitness or other similar things. :) Makes them seem human.

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    1. I'm excited for Aaron and Calvin to have a third too. I rolled for when they'll get it last night but I'm not saying when!

      Ha, yes, that's true! I know I've gone on weird little kicks about things too and an impending 60th birthday seems as good a reason as any to get fit!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  5. I'm with Madelyn on the work thing. I forget about the place before I even get in my car LOL. I quickly read Maisie's death system and it seems like it makes a lot of sense. Thanks for linking it because I probably wouldn't have seen it for a while. I'm so far behind there. I'm so glad Madelyn's starting to get healthy, though. I can only imagine turning 60 would make you re-examine your lifestyle.

    It was nice seeing all the kids and grandkids. Love River's big smile! He's so cute! I'm happy to see all the cousins get along so well. Yay for Aaron and Calvin wanting a third! Loved the shots of Amy talking about her soon-to-be little brother, or sister as she prefers! Cute as a button! I'm rooting for a girl, too!

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    1. I'm about as similar to Madelyn as I can be in my line of work! Teachers have to do a lot of extra crap outside the classroom but I really try to keep it to a minimum and not let it consume my entire life! I have to be able to switch off at the end of the day.

      This whole family is pretty nice, except for grumpy old Connor, so things normally go quite smoothly at family gatherings! We'll see what kind of personality Aaron and Calvin's new baby gets; EA-generated Sims are kind of a crapshoot! Amy wants a sister but she'll probably find she'd rather have a sweet brother than a nasty sister. It's not all about the sex, as Madelyn explained to her.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  6. Hahaha! Madelyn is on to you, Carla. ;) That's too funny, though. I'm glad she's getting fit. Maybe she can eventually con James into doing some laps for his own health's sake. ;)

    Willow being shy at school but not around her family is a lot like how I was as a kid. I guess I eventually came out of my shell only to go back into it again, though! Ha! Hopefully Willow's case is different.

    I really like your elder updates. I feel like it's a really good way to get the family together and to learn more about how they interact with one another!

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    1. I feel like my Sims definitely know what I'm up to sometimes! James must know that his death date is already decided via my old system anyway, so why bother? ;) Heh, no, James is actually quite active and has maxed out fitness already. He's just not the hiking type.

      My sister was very similar when she was a kid and that's kind of the way I am now, really! Very loud among people I know and very quiet among people I don't as well. Some of my work colleagues would probably be pretty surprised to see me with my family. As for Willow, she's a lot like Maia with her shyness; a little shy but not a crippling degree.

      Glad you like my elders! It's a good opportunity for me to continue stories I started with their kids or grandkids, seeing the elders themselves usually don't have a lot of drama going on. :)

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  7. Hi, I'm still quite new here, but I already feel like I know these sims (:

    Do you have special rules for adoption if you don't know if it's going to take weeks or years?

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    1. Not exactly a rule but I do have a method of deciding when the adoption will finally take place. I did the same thing to decide when Rose and Joanna would be successful when they were doing IVF.

      I use Hook's Random Stuff (link in my Resources page in my side bar) and set up a little text file like this:

      *Adoption/Pregnancy Chance*
      Yes
      No [4]

      The [4] means you're 4 times as likely to roll a "no" than a "yes". You can change the number to raise or lower your odds (and I'm thinking I might lower the odds in the future, because it's been quite easy for Aaron and Calvin, really). Anyway, I roll that for every single month until I finally get a yes. Then I note down when that yes is and that's the month we all get to meet the new baby. :)

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  8. How funny that Madalyn started exercising, it is like she had an inkling on her upcoming birthday! I'm really excited to see how it works out for you in Sullivan. But I'll be sad to see her age to elder.

    And I'm super geekily excited about another adoption! Their girls are super adorable, and I love the addition of unique traits to your gene pool!

    Their Sunday with family was super sweet, it reminded me of when I lived near my Mom, and that was how it went. Grandpa took the kids hiking, and we stayed to make lunch. Fond memories, so I really enjoyed seeing it played out for this adorable family. It seemed to take forever for them to get grandkids and now they have a great bundle of them.

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    1. Yeah, Madelyn has been fat previously and never got the desire to lose weight. She only lost it because she went swimming in the ocean while on vacation. So it was very interesting how it all worked out here!

      Adding some new genes into the mix is one awesome thing about adoption. I'm excited to see what this new little munchkin will look like. :)

      Aw, I'm glad Madelyn and James's Sunday brought back fond memories for you. They all seemed to enjoy it. Madelyn has enough nature enthusiasm that I could actually send them all out on a hike too. And I know...Aaron and Ethan were both a bit slow starting families but they didn't waste any time once they got started!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  9. That James is such a workaholic! I'm more in line with Madelyn--lazy and so ready to leave work at work!

    I still love Connor! He's adorable.

    River is such a cute little toddler! I am excited to see what he looks like when he's older. :)

    Wow, Aaron and Ethan with three kids! Yay! I hope the process goes quickly!

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    1. I'm pretty much with you and Madelyn! I like to leave work at work as much as I can, as a teacher. There are often things that can't be avoided and I just have to do out of hours. :\

      I think River's going to look like a male Maia, which I'm not too sure about! I hope he remains cute, lol!

      I know, both brothers with three kids soon enough, hopefully! Connor will have some catching up to do in the future. ;)

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  10. Once my neighborhood becomes more populated, maybe in another generation, I want to do a car lot. I've never done it before and I like challenges. I don't blame Madelyn though at not caring when she retires. I forgot she even had a job though. She definitely wants to last a while though, aparently. Has she become fit yet, or does she need more time?

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    1. A car lot is fun! You can turn quite a tidy profit with them as well, as long as you have the start-up capital. :)

      Ha, Madelyn probably almost forgets she has a job too, when she has time off! She has indeed become fit, so that should count in her favour when I try out Maisie's system this round.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete