So, What's New?

[Chee-Z]

I'm sitting in the communications building, waiting on my next class. I'm not quite sure what to think of summer school yet. At least it's not so darn hot. :o

I've been having Writer's Block again, and it's probably why I didn't enter the short story contest. Then again, So a Robot Married a Woman seems to be a collection of short stories, so...:o

I'm still playing the neighborhood, and looks like there's going to be another baby boom. The youngest child in gen 6 is a toddler; the youngest child in gen 7 is an infant. I also had a couple deaths in Gen 5, but I won't divulge who they were...yet. ;)

I r bored. I have to wait 2 hours between classes. At least I got some nice breakfast. :)

[Lynet]

I've been having Writer's Block again, and it's probably why I didn't enter the short story contest. Then again, So a Robot Married a Woman seems to be a collection of short stories, so...:o

I'm still playing the neighborhood, and looks like there's going to be another baby boom. The youngest child in gen 6 is a toddler; the youngest child in gen 7 is an infant. I also had a couple deaths in Gen 5, but I won't divulge who they were...yet. ;)You still have two weeks to write something. No reason not to give it a try. I hope you do. :)

My news is the unexpected arrival of my son, home from Amsterdam. Funny :rolleyes: that I was just talking about it a couple of days ago, but what happened is that his father was visiting him, they were traveling around Europe during the past week, and then when it was time to return to Amsterdam, my son was stopped in Brussels. They told him he could not go back to Amsterdam because he did not have the appropriate residency card. He'd been too long in the country (the Netherlands) and had to go back to the states. So here he is. His employers, back in Amsterdam, are scrambling to get through the monster stack of applications and forms that need to be filled out and processed. They want him to come back. He just got a promotion, too. :(

The Netherlands, apparently, is very slow to process these things. Could be several months. He can do some of the work of his company over the internet, but not all that they need doing.

There are many obvious questions -- like, how could he have been working there without the residency card in the first place? Well, all I can figure out is that some wheels turn very, very slowly.

He sent an email to me from Brussels this morning, and LOL, I met him at the Baltimore airport at 4:30 pm. Total surprise. But a nice one for me. :D

[surprised_by_witches]

Well, that is a nice surprise. I hope he gets it all figured out.

I posted a story in the short story contest. I didn't include pictures ... I suppose I could edit it to include them.

Anyway, just thought I'd give it a whirl. It's something I was meaning to write anyway ...

[Lynet]

Well, maybe just one itsy-bitsy picture of Lorelei's husband. :rolleyes: I'm very curious. Unfortunately, further comments not permitted. :o


Meanwhile, for some reason I started thinking of Rick (substitute D for R and you'll know who I really mean) Francis. I used to get one of his novels for Christmas every year. *sigh* His website says his last novel was published in 2000. I think I have every one of his mystery novels in hardback, since books as Christmas presents tend to be in hardcover :)

Maybe I should just reread them. It's been a few years and my memory of details is not so good anyway. :p

Anyone else around here like his style?

[surprised_by_witches]

He's pretty good but I find his books a bit repetitive. I like Janet Evanovich better. But if you like horses Francis's books are very entertaining. (And I do like horses!)

I'll post pictures tonight. I have some ideas for shots I'd like to get.

[muffin-tacos]

Yay, another story for the Short Story contest! :hyper: I haven't read it yet but I'm going to check it out soon - meaning as soon as I finnish this post. By the way, SBW, can you post a link to your story on the announcement page? Makes your lovely story easier to get to. :)

Come on, Chee-Z, I think you should go for it. It would spice the contest up a bit, with another story in there.

Ooooh, I just want to talk about everybody's stories but the rules say I can't. :sour: :o My lips are sealed (for the time being). Well, actually, it's my fingers that I need to keep under controll. :knockedout:

[Lynet]

My lips are sealed (for the time being). Well, actually, it's my fingers that I need to keep under controll. :knockedout:I've tried wrapping duct tape around my keyboard and my fingers. Sometimes it works. And sometimes -- :footinmouth:

[Chee-Z]

I'm eventually recovering from waking up for an 8am class. Maybe I might enter this contest. Alas I need to think of an idea. :o

[muffin-tacos]

Maybe I might enter this contest. Alas I need to think of an idea. :o

The more stories that enter, the merrier (and better) this contest gets! :classic:

Hmm, you know, I've been thinking if I should post some tips somewhere on how to get a story started. It might get a few more people to write something and post it in the library, you never know. What do you guys think? Flip or flop?

[Lynet]

Hmm, you know, I've been thinking if I should post some tips somewhere on how to get a story started. It might get a few more people to write something and post it in the library, you never know. What do you guys think? Flip or flop?I could use some tips. I keep thinking that I should be able to write 10 chapters of something between now and the end of August, but I've got a mental block, (among other things going on. But still...)

How about a thread here in the Offtopic Coffeehouse area?

[hugzncuddles]

I could use all the help I can get. :p

Story writing was never one of my strong points. Actually, I have no creativity at all. :o

I was always a science geek at school - literature was my weakest subject.
/me proudly displays my Grade E :rolleyes:

LOL!

[muffin-tacos]

Righty-ho, I'll try to cook something up. I gotta think of some good tips though, first, which could take some time. :o

Going to get my hair cut today! :sour: Not really sure what I want though. I want to get it cut short-ish 'cause I can't be arsed to have long hair anymore. Fingers crossed that I won't come back looking like some fluffy hamster/piglett/whatever animal you can think of! :crossfingers: :silly:


/me proudly displays my Grade E :rolleyes:

LOL, Hugz, did you get that E in Science or Literature? :silly:

[Chee-Z]

I'm loving this news writing class. Short, to the point sentences. No fluff. ;)

However, it's an odd juxtaposition to be taking that and a business presentations course at the same time. :o

[ManagerJosh]

E as in excellent? :D

[Sacharissa]

Well, maybe just one itsy-bitsy picture of Lorelei's husband. :rolleyes: I'm very curious. Unfortunately, further comments not permitted. :o


Meanwhile, for some reason I started thinking of Rick (substitute D for R and you'll know who I really mean) Francis. I used to get one of his novels for Christmas every year. *sigh* His website says his last novel was published in 2000. I think I have every one of his mystery novels in hardback, since books as Christmas presents tend to be in hardcover :)

Maybe I should just reread them. It's been a few years and my memory of details is not so good anyway. :p

Anyone else around here like his style?

Good news, Lynet...His website is WRONG! I just finished his latest novel, which was just published last September (2006) - Under Orders. I features one of my favorite characters, Sid Halley, and was quite a fun "listen" (I got it on Audible, and listened to it on my iPod - although I also have the hardcover...)

Here is the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Under-Orders-****-Francis/dp/0399154000/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-9793564-5477655?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181231684&sr=8-2

The paperback is also being released in August.

I do enjoy Mr. Francis's work, and was afraid we'd seen the last of it. So I was pretty pleased to find a new one!

[Sacharissa]

Going to get my hair cut today! :sour: Not really sure what I want though. I want to get it cut short-ish 'cause I can't be arsed to have long hair anymore. Fingers crossed that I won't come back looking like some fluffy hamster/piglett/whatever animal you can think of! :crossfingers: :silly:

I just got my hair cut a couple of weeks ago...after having it very long, pretty much since college! (Let's just say that was a long time ago!) I pretty much put my self in the hands of my stylist, and although it took me a couple days to get used to it, now I LOVE it! (Who knew I had curly hair???)

It was pretty fun going to work the next Monday, 'cause most people were in shock - but in a GOOD way!

I'll cross my fingers that you will also have a great haircut! :crossfingers: And remember, if it turns out less then stellar, it can always grow back!

[surprised_by_witches]

I love your new haircut! It's so cute and fun.

I think you're probably more creative than you think, Hugz. You're certainly funny. Why not give it a whirl? We promise to be nice.

I think, when writing a story, it helps to know where it's going, right from the start. But if you write interesting characters they sometimes take over and say, hey, I would never do that! In which case it's best to listen ...

Your story doesn't have to be about anything "big." Just take a situation from the game and think about how to make it interesting to others.

At least, that's what I do.

[hugzncuddles]

LOL, Hugz, did you get that E in Science or Literature? :silly:

It was in Literature - the entire year group got an E that year in Literature (we never did find out why but actually I was only pleased that I didn't get an F. :p ) I double majored in Science and Geography at Uni, they were my best subjects.

E as in excellent? :D

I wish. :p

I think you're probably more creative than you think, Hugz. You're certainly funny. Why not give it a whirl? We promise to be nice.

Thanks for the vote of confidence SBW. :) If I could even be half as good as all the story writers here I'll consider myself successful. :)

Well, what's new with me is that today I was told that my temporary job has to finish tomorrow - funding has been suspended for all temporary workers where I work and it's with immediate effect. There's a lot of restructuring going on right now in the City Council and our Department is next on the hit list. I feel really raw about it at the moment - it's a shock as it was such short notice, and I have loved working there. My agency has found me some temporary admin work in another part of the Council - Fostering and Adoption (part of Social Services) but it won't start until 2nd July. So unless I can find another job for the next 3 weeks, I'm gonna be at home all day. Still, I've gained a lot of experience in this job and it will help me to get a job with more responsibility now that I have direct experience and a long list of Social Services contacts. I need to update my CV by tomorrow so I had better get started on that.

[Lynet]

Good news, Lynet...His website is WRONG! I just finished his latest novel, which was just published last September (2006) - Under Orders. I features one of my favorite characters, Sid Halley, and was quite a fun "listen" (I got it on Audible, and listened to it on my iPod - although I also have the hardcover...)

Here is the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Under-Orders-****-Francis/dp/0399154000/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-9793564-5477655?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181231684&sr=8-2

The paperback is also being released in August.

I do enjoy Mr. Francis's work, and was afraid we'd seen the last of it. So I was pretty pleased to find a new one!Thank you, Sacha. I'll be sure to find it so that I can read it on my next plane ride out to California, coming up at the end of August (granddaughter's 1st birthday. :) )

[muffin-tacos]

My hair turned out OK, I suppose. It was a bit different from what I had expected but I'll get used to it like Sacha's nice hair. :) Thanks for crossing your fingers for me, BTW Sacha!

I have now attempted to start a thread with a few tips in it for story writing. Hope it's OK. :o
http://forums.worldsims.org/showthread.php?t=12585

[Lynet]

I have now attempted to start a thread with a few tips in it for story writing. Hope it's OK. :oIt's great! :D

[surprised_by_witches]

What's new with me is today I got paid to help organize my department picnic. I'm exhausted! But I think everyone had a good time. I've got a headache from being out in the sun too long, oh, and from playing kickball while a bit on the tipsy side. Silly me.

Hope you all had a fun day as well.

[suitemichelle]

Sounds a bit like emulating your countryclub sims to me :D

[Sacharissa]

What's new with me is today I got paid to help organize my department picnic. I'm exhausted! But I think everyone had a good time. I've got a headache from being out in the sun too long, oh, and from playing kickball while a bit on the tipsy side. Silly me.

Hope you all had a fun day as well.

Oooo! Sounds like fun! Which park did you go to? (I hope it wasn't TOO hot!)

[surprised_by_witches]

MLK park, on Nicollet. It's a nice park.

Today Witch Baby and I walked to the seafood store and then the Asian grocery and bought sushi making stuff. I've only lived here 10 years, I thought maybe I should, oh, I don't know, take advantage of the fact that I live right down the street from a place that sells sashimi-grade sushi to restaurants and the best Asian grocery in the city. :rolleyes:

So, we made cucumber rolls--she doesn't do the raw fish thing yet--and tuna rolls and sashimi on rice and had mango mochi ice and almond cookies for dessert. And tea.

We plan to do this every Saturday we're not busy this summer. I'm thrilled that she likes healthy food, finally! She gobbled it up, seaweed, tea, and all. We made her daddy get up a bit early for work so he could eat with us. He said it was like Father's Day a bit early, so fancy.

Next time, I'm buying wine. I have a gift certificate to Williams Sonoma and I'm going to see how much a fish filet knife would set me back. And we're going to go to the Asian store and buy some Japanese serving dishes--you know, the cute little square ones. Witch Baby says Japan is the land of cute.

It's also the land of presentation. Presentation is everything.

Anyway, tons of fun! Shall have to thank my coworker who suggested it. I was too chicken to try it myself, but he said he does it all the time, and I thought what the hey. Sushi-grade fish for two was $13 instead of $40. Can't beat that with a stick! Maybe if I get good at it I'll have a sushi party. It's quick, and fun! Just gotta work on my rolling technique.

[Odinmoon]

Lol when i go fishing I take soy and wassaby with me and have fresh sushi on the boat. My friends hate to fish with me cause I eat the bait.:D

[Lynet]

ROTFL, Moon. Just make sure the hooks have been removed.

[muffin-tacos]

I'm not too keen on fish - it's too fishy for me. :silly: But I love sushi. It's so yummy and you can do a lot with it. One of my cousins and I attempted to make some sushi for Christmas. It went OK but we thought it would be best to order some as well, in case people got poisoned by our stuff. :silly:

Moon, you really like hot stuff, don't you? I tasted wassaby once (with my sushi, as a matter of fact) and I thought I'd get cocky and took too much. Yuck, it went right up my nose! :yuck: Not a pleasant experience... I'm NEVER going to take lots of that stuff again. My cousins and my brother had a real laugh though... :rolleyes:

[Chee-Z]

When I go to visit my bf in Vancouver in July, he promises that he will let me try *real* sushi, not California rolls. :D My family is not too keen on the idea of eating sushi, so I haven't introduced it to them yet. :o

[surprised_by_witches]

Califormnia rolls = sushi for wimps.

Midori's Floating World, here in Minneapolis, does make good ones, though. :D

[Sacharissa]

...Anyway, tons of fun! Shall have to thank my coworker who suggested it. I was too chicken to try it myself, but he said he does it all the time, and I thought what the hey. Sushi-grade fish for two was $13 instead of $40. Can't beat that with a stick! Maybe if I get good at it I'll have a sushi party. It's quick, and fun! Just gotta work on my rolling technique.

Oooo! Hope I get invited to one! (Although I'm with Witch Baby...not sure if I'm ready to try the uncooked fish yet...)

[Odinmoon]

I'm not too keen on fish - it's too fishy for me. :silly: But I love sushi. It's so yummy and you can do a lot with it. One of my cousins and I attempted to make some sushi for Christmas. It went OK but we thought it would be best to order some as well, in case people got poisoned by our stuff. :silly:

Moon, you really like hot stuff, don't you? I tasted wassaby once (with my sushi, as a matter of fact) and I thought I'd get cocky and took too much. Yuck, it went right up my nose! :yuck: Not a pleasant experience... I'm NEVER going to take lots of that stuff again. My cousins and my brother had a real laugh though... :rolleyes:

Lol Muffin the hoter the better.:eek:
My favourite is peanut butter and chilli sandwiches. Taste just like sate.:D

[Mirelly]

Oooo! Hope I get invited to one! (Although I'm with Witch Baby...not sure if I'm ready to try the uncooked fish yet...)

LOL I sympathise with those who find the idea of raw fish offputting, but I always saw this: if it ain't safe to eat raw, then cooking it won't save ya.

The worst thing about living where I do is that I am too far from a decent fish market (nearest one is an hour away.) I have been put off supermarket fish after discovering that Norwegian farmed salmon are frozen and shipped to China to be defrosted, filleted, skinned and portioned before being shipped back all packed into those little plastic trays to be sold as "fresh". :eek:

[surprised_by_witches]

Blech, Mirelly. I wouldn't buy that either. :p

[Mirelly]

I know ... trouble is we'd all starve if we knew how our food was produced. I'd be much happier going out in the back yard and grabbing a fat head and whacking its head off with my big kitchen knife than buying an "oven ready" "product" :rolleyes: ... Trouble is there's probably a bye-law against it. Darn society. I got a 5th of acre here, some fowls and a goat would keep the weeds down. ;)

I stopped buying chicken by degrees ... first I refused to buy anything manufactured ... just whole fresh chicken ... then I insisted on being able to examine the bird for signs of bad husbandry, then I stopped altogether when the industry took to removing the feet up to the distal drumstick joint so I couldn't see the visual evidence of bad practise. I mostly eat domestic-reared lamb and outdoor reared pork now ....

[surprised_by_witches]

I found out they torture chickens on chicken farms and now I only buy free range eggs. Trying to talk hubby into free range eatin' chicken too, but so far we're just not buying chicken.

Chickens are horrid little beasties but that doesn't excuse torturing them. :mad:

But I agree, if we knew where all our food came from we'd starve instead. And if we only bought what our politics allowed we'd have half a square of sod, no clothes, and a trip to the looney bin.

One has to make compromises. But you can certainly pick your battles.

Which is why I don't buy big farm eggs, or shrimp of any kind. (Open sea destroys too many other types of fish; shrimp farming destroys the environment.)

There. Have I made y'all feel guilty enough yet? :p

[Mirelly]

LOL ... glad you can read thru my typos ... :o ... of course I meant I'd like to grab a fat hen ... not a fat head ... but then again ... :rolleyes:

[surprised_by_witches]

What's new is Witch Baby and I are meeting Sacharissa for an all-day Harry Potter movie marathon at our local theater.

Oops! Gotta go! :D

So, as a P.S.: boy are my eyes tired, but we had fun, right Sacha? And Witch Baby placed third in the costume contest. She went as Luna Lovegood. She had radish earrings and a copy of the Quibbler, both of which she made herself. She read the Quibbler upside down in the lobby.

That's my girl!

[muffin-tacos]

That sounds like fun, SBW. A Harry Potter marathon... :sly: :rolleyes: I gotta see that new movie that's coming out soon (or maybe it has already out, I have no idea).

Going to Gothenburg tomorrow with my friends! I'm kind of excited about it. We're going to stay there for 3 days at a cosy little cottage. :eek: But we're going to drive off at 4 AM - which means that I'm going to have to wake up at 3 AM. Just thinking about it makes me tired! :nosleep:

I'll be away when the Short Story Contest prizes are given out to everybody. I haven't counted the points but it looks like I'm not going to win anything big. Still kinda sad that I'm going to miss it though. :( But it will all just be a nice surprise when I get home!

I should really start thinking of getting to bed, considering that I'll have to wake up at 3 in the morning tomorrow. :sigh:

See ya all later, then. *waves goodbye*

[Sacharissa]

Yes - the Hary Potter Marathon with SBW and Witch Baby was a lot of fun! Witch Baby made an adorable Luna Lovegood, and even beat out a very good Professor McGonegal and a terrific Harry Potter to take the 3rd Place prize. She was only beat by a Dementor (another friend's son - his costume was CREEPY!) and Hagrid (who really, looked just like Hagrid in the movies)!

I still can't believe we lasted all day! (10am to 10:30pm!!!)

[ManagerJosh]

We really need to start a WorldSims: MN Chapter... :rolleyes:

[Sacharissa]

We really need to start a WorldSims: MN Chapter... :rolleyes:

But then we would miss all of the great interactions from all of you people not blessed enough to live in our fair state!;)

[jupitershana]

We really need to start a WorldSims: MN Chapter... :rolleyes:


Ohhh ohhh!!! I claim president! :D ;)

[suitemichelle]

I second the motion!:D

[surprised_by_witches]

Heyyy, don't you need to be duly elected or sumpin?

We have a kitty!!! A brand new baby girl named Elinor. Our dog is being so good about the new arrival. What a good dog! She backs off immediately when Ellie feels threatened. I think they'll be good friends in no time.

Here are two photos of our new arrival.

[Mirelly]

Aw that is so cute. "I can has Momma's lap" for a lolcat caption to pic number one. :D

[Lynet]

Elinor is so cute. *sigh*

I'm on vacation this week, but at home. We're not going away. Maybe I'll actually do some housecleaning. :o

Who am I kidding?

[suitemichelle]

somehow I sense some serious simming waiting in the wings.:scratchchin:

[muffin-tacos]

Aww, what a cute kitty!! And cute dog in the background of the first pic. :slaphappy:

Came back from Gothenburg yesterday. I woke up a few hours ago from having a loooong nap on the sofa. I fell asleep around 6 PM thinking that I'd set an alarm on to wake up an hour later. The next thing I know, I wake up at 2 AM with the alarm clock in my hand! I must have fallen asleep before turning it on. :D Anyhow, I went to bed and woke up at 9 AM. How refeshing. :cheerful:

The holiday was great. First day we spent by trying to find the hotel we were staying at (it is so hard to find things in Gothenburg!!). Second day we went at an amusement park. It was really fun. During the last two days (and nights) we were at two rock festivals and saw lots of great bands. One of which was MCR. It's funny 'cause I don't even like them (that much) but I liked their concert the most, I think. We spent two days and nights at those festivals so we got hardly any sleep. We were just going to go to the first one but we found out that there was another one the day after so we went to that as well. Came home at 6 in the morning; got delayed home by one day due to the second festival. My feet and legs were killing me but it was fun anyway. Glad to be home. :)

... Now to get started on another chapter for the Viscottis'!

[surprised_by_witches]

Aw that is so cute. "I can has Momma's lap" for a lolcat caption to pic number one. :D

LOL, Mirelly, wish that was my lap. That's Witch Baby's. But she's a Mama to Elinor too.

Yes, Muffin, Izzy is a cute dog, and a good dog. We're trying to keep her from feeling too jealous. Yesterday they touched noses, no hissing involved. I have hopes they'll be friends some day.

[Sacharissa]

... Now to get started on another chapter for the Viscottis'!
That's right, young lady! You've had your fun...now it's time to get back to work! That story won't write itself, you know! ;) (You kind of left us hanging, there! Looking forward to finding out what comes next!)

[muffin-tacos]

That's right, young lady! You've had your fun...now it's time to get back to work! That story won't write itself, you know! ;) (You kind of left us hanging, there! Looking forward to finding out what comes next!)

Lol, Sacha. :winks: Well, I've written 2 chapters and I'm working on the 3rd. I haven't posted them here yet; I gotta get some pics. I hope they solve all your problems. :D

[surprised_by_witches]

The mice have headed for the hills since we got the kitten, and by that I don't mean they left. I mean they headed UP. Yesterday I put on a sweater that was hanging on a hook (it gets cold in our house with our new A/C) and there was a freaking MOUSE in the sleeve!!!!! Major eeyeyewwwww moment. I still shiver thinking about it. I'm sure mousey was even more freaked than me. Sweater went in laundry. I went into hysterics. Mouse went under fishtank. Mouse is lucky kitten's still a baby.

Oh, sure, it's funny NOW.

[Sacharissa]

I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time...but sorry...as you, yourself stated, it's very funny now! I can't help thinking that once the kitten gets bigger and really starts to hunt them, where will the mice go? I mean, they can only go UP so far...:rolleyes:

[Lynet]

Oh, SBW, it IS funny but I get the shivers just thinking about it. You are going to view all clothes with a wary eye :eyepopping: for a while, I know.

But when Ellie gets big she'll scare the mice away from the house.

Lots of rain and thunderstorms around here lately. Yesterday the storm knocked out all cable service and for us that included the TV, the internet, and the telephone. What could I do with no TV, internet or telephone? Well, we still had electricity :wink: so the computer worked just fine.

[surprised_by_witches]

Poor you, forced to sim! :p

You're right, I view every sleeve and lining with deep suspicion now. It's true what they say: you never have "a" mouse.

We had interspecies cuddling last night: The kitten accidentally slid onto the dog (off of my lap) and lay there purring. The dog was a little freaked out, having never been purred on, but I told her it was OK and she stuck around. She seemed to like it.

They've started to play, too. Just a quick game of tag the other night, but it's very encouraging. And last night they played under the tablecloth peek-a-boo, with the cat under the table and the dog on the other side, batting at each other.

I'm so glad they like each other! A big reason for getting a cat was the dog was lonely.

[Sacharissa]

That sounds to cute, SBW! I sometimes wish they could stay kittens forever! Of course then, you'd still have a mouse problem. *Sigh*

[Lynet]

Aaargh! I am sooooooo tired. I'm caught up in trying to hire someone to replace me when I leave for my new job, and I hate it. I think the very first woman we talked to would be perfect, but my boss still wants to talk to more people. Can't hire the FIRST one, can we? Of course not. We gotta see who else is out there. But I'm afraid that by the time we discover she's the best one she might have taken another job offer.

I just want to count the beans. I don't want to do the management/administration stuff. It's so IMMENSELY BORING.

OK, whining over. :o Maybe it would cheer me up to write some more about Mrs. Crumplebottom. :)

[surprised_by_witches]

Yes, that would really cheer you up! Wriiiite, wriiiite . . . :p

[ManagerJosh]

Just get Hugz hired. Enough said :D

[Lynet]

Hugz would crack the whip and get this place in shape real fast. :yell:

I'm inclined to live and let live--do what you want as long as you don't bother me while I'm getting my own work done. Oh, and be quiet about it! :shhh:

[surprised_by_witches]

You probably wouldn't like it where I work, then. We're a lively crew. We all went out for drinks last night, and it was a lot of fun. This is the first job where I can say that without prevaricating. We tend to talk a lot and goof off a little but we get a ton done too. I feel very lucky to have found this job.

And speaking of that, I should get back to it. :o

[surprised_by_witches]

What's new is I seem to have gained a recognition point.

And, I learned to juggle! I can juggle scarves and nothing else, but it's a start!

And believe me, if I can juggle, anyone can!

[Lynet]

I think juggling is hard. I think I've tried it with bean bags...something that doesn't bounce. :rolleyes:

All five of us who participated in the Short Story contest got recognition points. That's why mine jumped up so much.

[muffin-tacos]

What's new with me is that I'm going to see a Shakespeare play with my cousins and brother in an hour. My sister was going to come too but she has more important things to do *rolls eyes* (well that's what she says anyway). The play is going to be outside so I have my fingers crossed that it's not going to rain! I'm not sure if I like the sound of this play but I guess I have to wait and see. :D

[surprised_by_witches]

Ooh! Which play? I'm a huge Shakespeare fan. :)

[jupitershana]

What's new with me is that I'm going to see a Shakespeare play with my cousins and brother in an hour.


Sounds like fun! My best friend and I are going to see Chicago tonight at the Ordway in downtown St. Paul....very excited!!!

[Lynet]

What's new with me is that I'm going to see a Shakespeare play with my cousins and brother in an hour.Great! Which play?

As for me, nothing so intellectual. I spent the entire day yesterday just playing with my sims. And I was not in Pleasantview or King Iven's Land. I just decided on the spur of the moment to create a new neighborhood with one lonely guy on a 5 x 5 empty lot. There's a shopping mall down the road.

No cheats at all. No Merola Multipainting...no money cheats. Nada for the poor wretch. He wooed and married a townie (I think she's the Brandi LeTourneau one--pink and white shirt, jeans and ponytail.)

Last night she gave birth to twins. I haven't had any sim babies since I installed Seasons. Now I see what the "fussy" business is all about.:rolleyes:

[surprised_by_witches]

get the patch. it helps. typing with kitten in lap sorry no caps. :D

is brandy a meanie? she had 2 nice points when i played her, just curious.

[muffin-tacos]

The Shakespeare play (A Midsummer Nights Dream) was great! The weather was wonderful during the play - it started raining when we were walking to the car (and the others had laughed at me for taking a raincoat. Hah, were they sorry :D).
They had set up the play so that the audience had to get up and walk around a bit. They gave you free drink and little posh sandwiches - which was nice because the tickets costed a fortune! The play was very entertaining. There was always something good going on and I liked the way that the audience had to get up and walk around. Luckily, we had had a pick nick before the show so we had comfy cushions to sit on when there weren't any chairs around.
They had some great actors as well (one of them reminded me a lot of Jack Black).

It was marvellous. :biggrin:

[Sacharissa]

Oooo - A Midsummernight's Deam! One of my favorites. And how a propos to see it in an outdoor setting! Nice way to spend a summer evening - a little picninc, a little Shakespeare, and a lovely summer evening!

As for me, nothing so intellectual. I spent the entire day yesterday just playing with my sims. And I was not in Pleasantview or King Iven's Land. I just decided on the spur of the moment to create a new neighborhood with one lonely guy on a 5 x 5 empty lot. There's a shopping mall down the road.

No cheats at all. No Merola Multipainting...no money cheats. Nada for the poor wretch. He wooed and married a townie (I think she's the Brandi LeTourneau one--pink and white shirt, jeans and ponytail.)

Last night she gave birth to twins. I haven't had any sim babies since I installed Seasons. Now I see what the "fussy" business is all about.

LOL, Lynet...Sound like you are starting a Legacy Challenge! I never ended up completing mine (victims of the GBFBVFS), but It's kind of a nice way to gain a refreshed inspiration in playing the game.

[Lynet]

I did have the Legacy Challenge in the back of my mind. Seasons adds an extra bit of spice. I was wondering whether or not he'd have a house built before winter started. :) Fortunately, he had a couple of more rooms built before then, although I did put cheap awnings over his bed and kitchen area in case it rained. (Does it rain in the fall?) The only room with a roof that he started out with was his bathroom. Now, however, he's got a small house with a pond deep enough for fishing, a wife, twin girls, a baby on the way, a couple of sickly tomato plants...everything a sim could want. :p

I set aside my stories for a couple of days because my son had a house guest this weekend (I can't write if there are people around all the time,) and because I have been a little stressed with my job. Interviews! I hate interviewing people. Some people just make me so sad to deal with -- they clearly have personal problems. Anyway, I have left a message this morning for the woman we would like to hire. I sincerely hope she is going to take the job. Haven't heard back from her yet. :(

And by the way, for SBW, my sim's wife is Brandi LeTourneau and in this neighborhood she's got 9 out of 10 neatness points and 5 out of ten niceness points. She's a knowledge sim and is doing just fine as Turpin's wife. By mistake, I had her propose marriage so it's a LeTourneau household. LOL, he's now Turpin LeTourneau.

[Sacharissa]

Oooo - I hadn't thought of the added dimension that Season's would create! (As I recall, my Legacy Sims did a lot of "camping out" in the beginning!) I may have to try that challenge again!

NOT until after August, however...I'm having enough trouble keeping up with my two Summer Literacy Competition entries!

[Lynet]

And I have only one in the contest and it's winding down. Just need to get from point A to B in an interesting and believable (simwise) manner.

I did, however, leave poor Ben Waring wintering in a cabin in the mountains, and still plan for him to ultimately get together with his father, the great and awesome :D;):rolleyes::p Errol Waring.

p.s. The lady we hoped to hire has accepted the job and starts Monday. Whew! One big chore out of the way.

[Sacharissa]

Well, that's a relief! Now you won't have to feel so guilty about leaving your old job!

And I've been wondering about Old Ben, and hoping you'd get back to him after the contest...I wonder what he's been doing to keep himself busy over those long winter months..And it will be good to visit with Errol again...I have a great fondness for that old Sim...

[Odinmoon]

Whats new with me?
I had coffee next to Russel Crow today and his wife and child. He goes to the same cafe as me lol. :D

[surprised_by_witches]

Cool. So, does he seem like a nice guy?

Congratulations, Lynet, on hiring your replacement. Not that anyone could replace you! I want to hear more about Errol and Ben, so I hope you have time to write more about them . . .

I finally got the time to read your story, Sacha. It's great! Of course, it's now 3:30 a.m. so I'd better get my butt off to bed.

This weekend is Harry Potter blackout weekend. No media for me until I've read that book. I plan to take Monday off and spend the entire three days reading Book 7 aloud to Witch Baby. Hope that's enough time to finish it. :rolleyes:

[Odinmoon]

He seemed ok. Didnt throw a phone at me. He kept to himself and just played with his child alot. He was polite when someone came up to him to say hello. He bought a football club here, so he is on our local news alot. He wasnt dressed to fancy. Just a normal guy.:)

[Sacharissa]

Hey SBW! Thanks for the kind words. I just finished reading your new chapters...That was a bit of a surprise! Really good plotting going on. Can't wait to find out what happens next! (Poor Romeo!)

And yes - next weekend is going to be tough...Mom will be visiting, and I really want to get some more writing done, but I want to read the last Harry Potter before someone gives away the ending! Yikes!

And hey, Odinmoon...Can I come for a visit? Just kidding. I've always liked Russel Crow, and always thought he seemed happiest when he was just hanging out being a regular guy.

[Lynet]

All those new chapters posted in the library! Can't visit right now but later for sure.

This morning I spent meeting a client that I'll be taking care of in my new job--a teeny tiny bank in a row house in the city. Very interesting.

Last night I was so lazy and tired I just furnished canned houses for the (spelling???) Ottomas crowd, the Ramiswami couple, and the guy with the dog (Roseland or something?) in order for Turpin LeTourneau and family to have neighbors.

I didn't use money cheats. I did, however, buy those other families Merola's painting, because I hate it that everyone on the lot always has to go to the bathroom everytime you visit them. :o

Bye all. I'll be back later to enjoy all the new stuff in the library. :D

[muffin-tacos]

Speaking of chapters in the library, I'm not going to be able to write much for a few weeks because I'm going on holiday to England on Saturday (yes, the same day that the new Harry Potter book comes out).

I've been writing a bit today and I've nearly finished another chapter (as usual, there's the editing and photo shooting to do) so I might be able to post one or two chapters tomorrow - but I'm not going to promise anything. Something completely unplanned has popped up in the story that's going to jepardise everything! :slaphappy: Maybe not jepardise but it adds some more spice to the story. :bitelip: I just hope that I can finish it all in time!

[suitemichelle]

so nice to be back... crashed hard drive since the 15th... :rolleyes:

[Lynet]

so nice to be back... crashed hard drive since the 15th... :rolleyes::eek::eek: And I've been worried because my system has been overheating. I vacuumed the vents today and it's operating a little cooler now. Probably still needs to be cleaned out inside.

Yesterday, the whole business just shut down and rebooted when I was in the middle of photographing Mrs. Crumplebottom. :rolleyes:

So did you have a backup, Michelle?

[jupitershana]

so nice to be back... crashed hard drive since the 15th... :rolleyes:


Oh no! Glad you're back though!


Shameless self-promotion/attempt to get more people to read/post on the blogs...check out mine; it's all about the wedding planning. http://forums.worldsims.org/blog.php?u=16078

[Sacharissa]

so nice to be back... crashed hard drive since the 15th... :rolleyes:

YAY! You're back! I hope that this means you will be continuing your wonderful story, Flirting with Diz Aster (http://forums.worldsims.org/library/browsecategory.php?c=23) over in the Library! You kind of left us hanging there!!!

[muffin-tacos]

Oh oh! I'd love for there to be more Diz stories in the library. :D

[suitemichelle]

Thank you all for missing me. I was really missing all of you too.

yes.. I left a new chapter on the library table. Man, writing longhand sucks (Oops! can I say that?) I also changed from works to word... so I'm going to have to edit grammer and punctuation on the stuff that's already posted. Word sure doesn't like sentences with an understood noun or subject or whatever the right term is.

I've got a good hubby and we know a repairman that works weekends. He cloned our non-functioning hd and installed it into a new one. we went from 160 to 250. we'll see how long it takes me to crash this one. (hooray! room for voyages)

[jupitershana]

I'm so excited! I just found out that I'll be going on a trip for work to Nashville to Boston!

I'll be arriving in Nashville on Tuesday 7/31 at 12:30pm and after checking in at the hotel I can do whatever I want all night. I don't have to be anywhere until 10 the next morning. I'm staying right downtown Nashville, within 1/2 mile walking distance of a lot of things. Anyone here live in/near Nashville and have any recommendations of what I should do? Keep in mind that I won't have a car so if I can get there by foot or bus that would be better.

On 8/1 I'll be busy all day flying from Nashville (layover in detroit..ugh) then to Boston and will probably be done with the work part of my trip around midnight. That leaves all of Thursday and most of Friday since my plane doesn't leave back for MN until 6pm for me to explore Boston! Again I'm staying right in the historical district within 1/2 mile of all the wonderful sites. What should I do when I'm there? Any recommendations for me?

Does anyone here even live in Nashville or Boston area?

[hugzncuddles]

Welcome back Michelle! Yes you have been missed here. I know how you felt about your hard disk when it caused problems. So glad that you got a copy for your new hard disk though, and yay! yes just think of all that extra room for downloads and Bon voyage. ;)

I have my old broken hard disk as a secondary disk now - it's read only/ storage, 250GB. The new hard disk I bought, 250GB had only 23 GB left until a few nights ago when I deleted some stuff to increase that to 35 GB free. I still have over 70 GB in Fraps movies alone! (Maplestory movie clips - need to compress them, burn to DVD and delete from hard disk). Then I have all my Sims 2 backup folders - deleted around 4GB in total of my added MP3s from all the backups, that's without the downloads and backups of those. I'm just a packrat, what can I say. :p The computer runs so slowly sometimes, a snail could run faster.

Shana, I went to Boston for one night only (sleepover next to airport to catch an early flight). We stayed in the Boston Hyatt hotel next to Logan Airport. If you want an awesome view of the Boston skyline, catch a ferry across or drive across to the Hyatt hotel and you can either go in the lobby or the elevator with the glass walls to get the skyline shots.

[Lynet]

I went to Boston in July once. It was extremely hot, in the 90s, close to 100 degrees. We just walked around the city taking in the sights, and drank a lot of iced tea and bottled water to keep cool. We were only there for one afternoon so we didn't do more than that. I think the airport hotel that Hugz mentioned is where we stayed. It was July 4th, and we watched the fireworks over the city skyline from our room. It was quite spectacular.

This week I'm working with my bookkeeper replacement. She's very nice. I'm sure she'll fit in to the company just fine. Showing her what I do there, however, takes up my entire day at work and so I'm not going online to check on Worldims at all. :rolleyes::o And I was so worn out when I got home yesterday that I actually sat down and just watched television all evening. (Usually I sit down at the computer ;))

But tomorrow my husband and I are headed out of town on a small vacation with his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, to a place in the Maryland mountains, Deep Creek Lake. No computers there.

Too bad, because I started another chapter of Mrs. Crumplebottom's story. Only got as far as a couple of paragraphs, nothing worth posting. She's going to have to wait until next week. :( :sigh:

[Sacharissa]

We will miss you, Lynet! We will wait eagerly for your return and the return of Mrs. Crumplebottom! Your vacation sounds lovely, though. You should have a lot of catching up to do in the Library, once you get back (at least I hope you will)!

And hey Shana! How fabulous is that! Travelling on the company dollar has always been one of my goals. Heck, I'd be happy with Des Moines! How EXCITING would Nashville and Boston be!

[suitemichelle]

yes it would be lovely to travel and not worry about the costs...

[Mirelly]

Catching up ... so will be quiet mostly while I try to read up the salient points of 700 odd posts.

What's new is that after a dog's age I finally got my puter fixed. A series of power fluctuations caused by our apocalyptic weather blew something in my mother board ... only I decided it was Richard Branson's cable modem what was broke so I had endless merry arguments with them. Eventually it was agreed that I would stop pestering them and go to Maplins to buy meself an ethernet PCI card ....

I can't even say that I have used my time of weblessness profitably. During the last few weeks we have had everything bar volcanic eruption. It seems that every time it rains my phone goes down. Well. I was all set to go an get the gear on Saturday until I got up and found that the latest deluge had caused both the cable and the phone to crash. They came back last night. I'm not complaining though. 20 miles from here there are folks with no drinkable tap-water, and four feet of faw sewage in the living rooms.

I hope Lynet's not coming to England for her summer hols :rofl:

[Sacharissa]

Glad your back, Mirelly! We've missed you and your witty reparte!

Been wondering how you and the other Brits have been faring this summer. I've been hearing that y'all have been having the worst floods in 60 years!

I've been kind of relieved that my brother moved back to the states after 30 odd years of living in the UK. The town he had been living in, Boscastle, was practically wiped of the map by a flood a few years back. Can't imagine how it's faring during this year's onslaught!

Hope you stay high and dry!

*~* Sacharissa send lots of good thoughts to her UK pals *~*

[hugzncuddles]

Welcome back Mirelly! Yes we've been wondering where you've been the last few weeks. Glad that your internet is finally back on. Hasn't the weather been vile? Those poor people in Tewkesbury. Even as I'm typing, it's raining yet again here, although we seem to have missed the really bad rain in my area. It still woke me up this morning, raining hard at 6am. It's been the wettest June since records began, so I heard, and the floods are getting ridiculous now. BTW, did you see that interview on Sky News a couple of nights ago? Can't remember the reporter's name but he was the one who was always in war zones. He interviewed a member of the Conservative Party (Shadow Environment dude). I was ROFL at their spat - the most politically correct trading of insults and arguments I've seen. Really cracked me up.

So yes, you have some catching up to do. Projects, Blogs, etc and all the stories in the library, and the SimCity Societies/Cities Unlimited boards. :)

[muffin-tacos]

Yesterday was the only sunny day that we've had since my family and I came to the UK. I didn't do anything special that day but my family and friends went to Paulton's Park. My mum was telling me some amusing stories of how she was screaming at the top of her lungs on one of the kiddie's rides. I said to her, I said: "Now I'm really glad that I didn't come along to Paulton's in the end." She just laughed. So if you saw a crazy lady screaming her head off on one of the kid's rides at Paulton's Park, then you've met my mum! (No offence, ma. :D)

BTW, does ROFL mean rolling on floor laughing? :o

[JohnEZ]

Welcome back Mirelly! Yes, you must catch up with SimCity Societies and Cities Unlimited. Did I mention Cities Unlimited? :o Good to hear that you weren't TOO affected by the storms and floods. :)

Muffin-Tacos: Yeah, ROFL means Rolling on the floor laughing.

[alliekat]

Ok, so I announced my engagement in the shoutbox and photos were requested. Here I am obliging :p

Can't write much more, am cooking tea, but will definately be back later.

1st pic, me and my fiance (hehe, that's soo cool) Ash at my 21st 3 years ago.

2nd pic, my ring!!!

Love me.

[Sacharissa]

Congrats, alliekat! He looks like a keeper then! Here's wishing you all the best! :couple::champagne::sun:

[hugzncuddles]

Congrats Allie! That's a great picture of the two of you and the ring is just beautiful. :)

Any ideas on the wedding date yet? ;)

[jupitershana]

Congrats again Allie!

Hugz and I welcome you to the WorldSims Engagement Club...we've been trying to convince Josh this site needs a wedding forum! ;)

You two make a cute couple and I love your ring! Congrats again!

[alliekat]

Haven't really thought about a date yet. We need money first, so it's probably going to be a while. I will definately keep you updated though.

Thanks for all of your well wishes. We have been living together for the past 2 years, so the only real difference is, I'm wearing a ring. I don't wear rings normally, but I've decided this one suits ;)

[suitemichelle]

Well, I for one am glad you're alright, Merrily. You too, Muffin. The weather has just been bizzarre this year.

My congrat's too! Allie. Ditto's on what everyone already said.

[person123]

Hi, everyone. It's been three months, I know...I would like to say that I was very busy, but, truth be told, I definitely could have stayed active here the past few months if I wanted to. I think I just grew tired of posting everyday or every few days, reading all of the new posts...I don't know. I think I didn't like being expected to post all of the time, and if I didn't people would notice and mention it, and I would feel guilty. Of course, I realize that that only means you guys care about everyone here and what happens to us.

I believe another reason I drifted away from this place was that I lost interest in TS2 for a while. I don't want to complain much or talk about myself. Actually, the reason why I am back today, and posting, is because I decided to look back on some of the topics I used to post in last year, and I missed all of you guys and wanted to come back. While I was reading those posts I realized how much I used to talk about myself. :o But, anyway, there were a lot of things going on in April, up 'till now, and I just didn't have the motivation to play.

I really want to thank some of you guys for the concern about my whereabouts. I may elaborate on some things going on about me in the future, but for now I just want to talk! :p Congratulations, alliekat! The both of you look so happy together.

[surprised_by_witches]

Hi, Sarah! I missed you! Witch Baby and I are going camping all weekend so I'll be out of touch for a while, but I wanted to say hi!

So glad you're back, in any capacity. You don't have to be playing the game to hang out with us, we just like your company. :)

Anyway, welcome back.

[Lynet]

Hi, I'm just dropping in for a moment. I'm in the mountains and there is a thunderstorm. Just wanted to say Welcome Back to Person 123 and Mirelly. Ooooh, big roll of thunder!

See ya on Sunday. :D

p.s. Ed and I are skipping Europe for travel this year. We're going out to California to visit the grandbaby. :rolleyes: More exciting than flooded England, I'm afraid. But I sure hope it calms down for you guys over there. :(

[sailorchiiavalon]

I've completed my third week in a packing factory packing Boots stuff. It is tiring!

[suitemichelle]

sounds like the notorious "summer job". but it probably pays okay, right?

My first factory job was in for a canning company. when we were done sorting out bad beans we caught the pears that the peeling machines had left skin on and peeled them and cut out rotton places. so much fun.

[Sacharissa]

Hey, Person123! We have missed you - especially in the new Library! I've been thinking it'd be fun to see a story from you...Loved the one you were doing on your Legacy Challenge! You have such a great, witty style.

I know what you mean about losing interest in TS2. I was as well, for a while. And then Seasons and the Summer Literacy (http://forums.worldsims.org/showthread.php?t=12700) contest has suddenly gotten back into TS2 big time!

Anyway, welcome back! No pressure! As SBW pointed out, you don't need to play Sims just to hang out. We enjoy your unique perspective!

[Chee-Z]

Congratulations, welcome backs, and hellos to all. :)

I haven't been interested in the Sims for a while as well. It'd be a shame to go to a resort and sit inside and watch Sims burn lobster thermador. Or play Sims when I should pay attention to my honey. :o

I hadn't really gone to a beach before, living in landlocked TN. It was a new sensation to put one's foot in sea water and realize that one's stepped on a small crab. Thank God for water shoes. ;)

So yes that's where I've been the past couple of weeks. I'm still here with my bf for a couple more days before I return home. Then I might give Sims another try when I get home, since I've been on vacation and my outlook should be refreshed. :)

[jupitershana]

Welcome back 123! We've missed you for sure! I understand the whole not playing TS2 for a while, I haven't played in the past month.


I hadn't really gone to a beach before, living in landlocked TN. It was a new sensation to put one's foot in sea water and realize that one's stepped on a small crab. Thank God for water shoes. ;)



Chee-Z; where in TN do you live? I'm going to Nashville on Tuesday and I'm not sure what to do there...any advice?

After Nashville I'm heading right to Boston...YAY! I have a whole list of stuff to do once I'm there!

[Sacharissa]

What's new with me? After not getting to sleep until well after midnight, because of the party that had spilled out int the yard right outside my window the night before, I was woken up at 6:30 yesterday morning by the fire alarm going off...Not the little smoke alarm in our kitchen hallway...NO, this was the official building alarm out in the stairwell!

I took a peek out in the hallway - no signs of panic, no immediate smell of smoke...so I figured I had time to grab a few of the important things - the PowerBook, my iPod, the Cat (Note necessarily in that order) - And headed for the street!

I had to wrap Blackthorne (my cat) in a sheet, because the sound of the alarm was really freaking him out - I have the scratches and puncture wounds to prove it!

We gathered on the street with the rest of the apartment evacuees and waited until the firetrucks came..two hooks-and-ladders! Well, they checked the place out, found nothing, turned off the alarm and let us backl in. That was a relief...Until half an hour later, the alarms go off again!

All I can think, is something was smoldering in the basement that they didn't catch, and now it's caught fire! So, back to the street! This time, one firetruck. Still nothing!

Ten minutes after the truck leaves, THIRD fire alarm goes off. This time, they just send a car. We don't bother to leave our apartment. By the FIFTH alarm, we're just turning up the radio louder!

They finally get the alarm fixed about mid morning. No sleeping in for us! :sigh: How was YOUR weekend!

[Mirelly]

Oh, Sacha, I am roffling like crazy. Poor you. Maybe you can get a rebate on your building's management fees. Wonders why these things only occur on Sundays .... Hope you took the opportunity to laugh at the hungover partyers. Also ... poor puddy-tat. Mine would be seriously annoyed at being carted up and down stairs all morning ... :eek:

[person123]

Agh, I hate fire drills at school. We have a quota to fill--two drills per month, and our school always waits until the last day. It's so annoying to have to jump out of our seats and crowd into a stairwell twice a day.

Isn't it kind of a shame that we live in NJ and we haven't been to the beach in three years? I guess we're all just stay at home people. I really hate when sand gets in...uncomfortable places in your swimsuit. :o Oh, I remember when we used to go with our cousins, we'd build an immense, highly complicated water system starting all the way at the top of the beach, far past the high-tide mark. But then when we actually poured water in, it'd just absorb into the sand before it could reach the shoreline. We tried it every time, though.

[Sacharissa]

Oh, Sacha, I am roffling like crazy. Poor you. Maybe you can get a rebate on your building's management fees. Wonders why these things only occur on Sundays .... Hope you took the opportunity to laugh at the hungover partyers. Also ... poor puddy-tat. Mine would be seriously annoyed at being carted up and down stairs all morning ... :eek:

Actually, I don't think that the Hungover Partyers ever even heard the alarm! At least they didn't show up at the curbside. And my roommate, being the good Catholic girl that she is, started feeling guilty because her initial thoughts were "It would serve them right if they burned up!"

And yes, Blackthorne was pissed! Several of the puncture marks on my arm are starting to bruise, and he also put holes in one of my favorite T-Shirts! Guess I shouldn't have been soo vain, and just stayed in my jammies instead of grabbing the first thing I could lay my hands on!

[surprised_by_witches]

Bad Blackthorn! Naughty kitty. No tuna for you. Our naughty miss has taken to biting my husband's fishing line in two. He can't keep the poles in the house! Also, I have to banish her from the room if I'm putting on anything with dangly ties, if I don't want to get punctured. She still seems to think a nip means "I love you" and gets quite wild when disciplined. Good thing for her she's so effing cute.

Witch Baby and I had a blast on our camping trip, though lots of it wasn't actual camping. We hiked down a cliff --and back up again, of course!--on Friday and on Saturday went to a water park, followed by lunch at Applebees and then a second viewing of the 5th HP movie. (Hey, the point was mother-daughter bonding!) We did cook weenies on a stick for dinner, so that was camping-like. And of course slept on the aforementioned hard warm ground.

Sounds like my weekend was a bit more fun than yours, Sacha!

[Sacharissa]

Oooo! I'm so jealous! That sounds like a lovely weekend!!! I finally got to see Harry Potter for the first time, so the weekend wasn't a total loss!

[Lynet]

Oh, I remember when we used to go with our cousins, we'd build an immense, highly complicated water system starting all the way at the top of the beach, far past the high-tide mark. But then when we actually poured water in, it'd just absorb into the sand before it could reach the shoreline. We tried it every time, though.I wonder if a whole lot more water would have worked. :confused:

[surprised_by_witches]

We used to try that all the time, still do now that I have an only child (who else is she supposed to play with on vacation? And besides, it's fun).

It's just erosion. Sand doesn't stand up to water. Simple physics. Doesn't stop generations of kids from trying, though.

[Lynet]

Stopping in for just a second -- my bookkeeping trainee now uses this desk but she has driven off to make the bank deposit and get herself a hamburger at Burger King. Obviously, I haven't mentioned Worldsims, or that I have visited here often in the middle of the day. :rolleyes: In fact, as soon as I sign off here I'm going to delete the Favorites bookmark for it. :o

So no more workday visits for me. :sigh: But I'll be checking in again this evening. :D

[hugzncuddles]

Hehe Lynet, did you delete the history pages too? and cookies/temporary internet files? :p

[Lynet]

Hehe Lynet, did you delete the history pages too? and cookies/temporary internet files? :pYup *she smiles a sly smile* I knows about dem things.

[Chee-Z]

Welcome back 123! We've missed you for sure! I understand the whole not playing TS2 for a while, I haven't played in the past month.




Chee-Z; where in TN do you live? I'm going to Nashville on Tuesday and I'm not sure what to do there...any advice?

After Nashville I'm heading right to Boston...YAY! I have a whole list of stuff to do once I'm there!

I live in East TN, Knoxville to be exact. I just got back home here today. :o As for what to do in Nashville...ah well, there's always shopping and Grand Ole Opry? :) I need to do more touristy stuff there myself, at least I have an opportunity to do that next year.

[Mirelly]

So no more workday visits for me. :sigh:

Oh, look on the bright side. Your trainee might be headed for the airport with the day's takings .... :p

[Lynet]

With yesterday's deposit she wouldn't even be able to buy a cheeseburger. :p

It's a very small family store, employs 15 people (including the owners,) and the late summer months are the s..l..o...w...e...s...t :zzz: of the year.

I'm liking this trainee. She's homespun (sort of like WYSIWYG? :rolleyes:), and I mean this in a kind way. She's eager and very excited about the job, mainly because it's a level of responsibility that she's never had before. But I'm sure she'll be fine. :crossfingers:

Two and a half more weeks and I'm done with this job. :D

[person123]

I started working at my dad's store this summer. Utter agony. At the end of every day my arms and face would be all sticky from the italian ice and ice cream. At least I'm getting paid.

This morning my sister left at about seven to go to a marching band thing, which she will be at for the rest of the week. I went to bed at one last night, and I woke up at 6:30 to the sound of a very large suitcase being dragged down the stairs and various orders being shouted out, as if this were some kind of military move-out. Sooo....tired....

[hugzncuddles]

What's new with me is that I spent a few hours at the A & E (or the ER as it is in the USA) this morning in the early hours. Woke with a very scary feeling/pain in my head and eye (like a wasp or something stuck inside my brain), developed into another severe migraine. The A & E doctor gave me a cocktail of strong painkillers which zonked me but didn't really help, as pain is only one part of the migraine. What helped was I took my old dose of migraine med. In the last 6 weeks I have dropped the dose of my daily migraine preventer med, in prep for when I get pregnant. Seems that I'm going to have to go back to the old dose. Last weekend I fell forward in the kitchen and lost all balance, got nerve pain in my arm and another severe migraine. Also, it seems I've become hyper stressed about trying to get pregnant, as I'm having trouble with fertility issues as I have PCOS. I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself and feeling guilty and worried that it's going to take a long time to conceive. I guess I need to take time out to relax and try some stress relieving techniques. My sister is pregnant with her 6th baby, and as her pregnancy keeps progressing, I keep wondering if I'm ever going to have even one baby. Gah, someone thump me, I'm in self-pity mode. I am being referred to a specialist who will hopefully be able to help, just gotta wait for the appointment. I've slept all day and feel wobbly so forgive my waffling. :rolleyes::o

[Sacharissa]

Ah, Hugz! That is just rotten!!! So sorry to hear of your troubles. And it sounds like the stress you are putting on yourself is definately not doing you any good. Sounds like you need a good relaxing spa day - a little pampering can do wonders.

Hope things get sorted out soon, for you. I the meantime, we are all pulling for you!:crossfingers:

[hugzncuddles]

Thanks Sacharissa. :) I wasn't aware that I had been stressing to the degree that I have, but I'm planning to take some time to chill out. A pampering day sounds good, and maybe a day watching funny DVDs. Laughter is the best medicine and all that.

[Sacharissa]

What's new with me is that I am sitting here watching my local news, and one of the major bridges over the Mississippi River here in Minneapolis - a bridge that I travel over all the time - has just collapsed into the river right in the middle of rush hour! It looks like an earthquake hit it! Cars are in the water, cars are still dangling on the bridge...it is unreal! I am sitting here praying for those who were trapped on the bridge, and hoping that none of my friends or family were there!

[Sacharissa]

What's new with me is that I am sitting here watching my local news, and one of the major bridges over the Mississippi River here in Minneapolis - a bridge that I travel over all the time - has just collapsed into the river right in the middle of rush hour! It looks like an earthquake hit it! Cars are in the water, cars are still dangling on the bridge...it is unreal! I am sitting here praying for those who were trapped on the bridge, and hoping that none of my friends or family were there!

SBW? Shana? Are you guys OK?

[Lynet]

I've been off line for a while. Just saw the news here about the bridge. I think Shana is in Boston. Anyone heard from SBW?

[JohnEZ]

No, unfortunately. :( Here's hoping she's here soon.

[Lynet]

She's OK. Just heard from her. :)

[ManagerJosh]

Heard from SBW? *whew*

O wait...We still need to hear from Shana and see if hubby is okay :S

[surprised_by_witches]

Hi guys, sorry if you were worried. I'm fine, my husband is fine, siblings and their spouses are all fine. I know a lot of people in this area, though, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow brings no bad news.

I suppose it's selfish, but natural, to hope it's no one I know.

Some of those cars were smashed like pancakes and their drivers escaped with only minor injuries. Others, of course, weren't so lucky, but I have to say, there's something to be said for modern engineering. Two cars smashed into each other, one on top of the other, and everyone walked away from it.

I'm hoping for more good stories like that, but I'm afraid the death toll hasn't been completely counted. Several cars went into the water and their drivers probably drowned.

This is simply horrible. Like I said in the other thread, I'm not sure anyone will talk about anything else tomorrow. I'm checking my work email before I go in. I work downtown and the commute is going to be a nightmare, not for me, as I ride the train, but for a lot of other people.

[Lynet]

When I was in London (when the underground was bombed) I had no computer with me and couldn't log on here. Shana may simply be out of reach until she gets back. I'm hoping so.

[hugzncuddles]

I've just seen the video footage, one that showed the actual collapse too, and it's such a terrible tragedy. It's shocking and terrifying for those in the situation. My heart goes out to all those affected by it. I hope that Shana's fiance is ok too, I believe that Shana is still on the work trip to Boston?

[Mirelly]

Still no report in from Shana ... :( ... I feel sure that she and her hubby are OK, but it will be nice to see her here again to confirm this.

What's new is that I woke up to find an email from the BBC accepting me into the beta trial of their new iPlayer service. This arrived just in time because last Saturday I managed to miss the final episope of the incredibly excellent serial Jekyll (I love anything with the fabulous James Nesbitt ... even those Yellow Pages Ads: "shut up or I'll give you another haircut!" :rotfl: ) so thanks to the new download service I can get programmes from the last 7 days on demand ... like I said, just in time cos Jekyll will be gone forever by tomorrow. Ooh ... 52% complete ...

[ManagerJosh]

Still no report in from Shana ... :( ... I feel sure that she and her hubby are OK, but it will be nice to see her here again to confirm this...

I hope she wasn't enroute to the airport at the time.

[hugzncuddles]

In an earlier post, Shana said she was flying to Nashville on Tuesday, then to Boston, so she would have been out of the area when this happened. I believe she flies back home this afternoon, from Boston. Still, I hope that her fiance and family are also safe.

[Mirelly]

Yeah I was also under the impression she was away before this started. (Just back after watching the last ep of Jekyll ...I have no willpower ... I intended to clean the kitchen this morning followed by some serious gardening ... part of my back yard is attempting to compensate for tropical rainforest clearing ... darn global warming and elevated CO2 levels just makes stuff grow more ... :(

[Lynet]

... darn global warming and elevated CO2 levels just makes stuff grow more ... :(Are your sure it isn't just all the rain you've been having? :p

My back yard is drying up for lack of rain this week. And it's supposed to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit today. :sun:

Thank goodness for air conditioners.
Thank goodness for the electricity that runs the air conditioners.
Thank goodness for the burning coal that powers the electric plants that...er...

Well, OK, I suppose if 6 billion people on the planet were all sitting around log fires in caves, the CO2 levels would still be rather high, except we'd all have lung cancer, and there'd be fewer trees. :sigh:

[Mirelly]

LOL ... if we still lived in caves there wouldn't be 6 billion of us to worry about our ... um ... emissions :o Personally speaking, I don't think that it was the move from naturally air conditioned caves to electrically air-conditioned condos that started the trouble ... it was our ancestor's decision to come down from the trees ... :rolleyes:

[Lynet]

Yeah, life was much better when we were sitting up there with the birds, picking fleas off each other. :D

Joking aside, I don't suppose anyone has heard from Shana yet.

[jupitershana]

Joking aside, I don't suppose anyone has heard from Shana yet.

Awww...you guys are all so sweet worrying about me and mine. Thanks for thinking of me! I updated on the "official" bridge collapse thread. My plane didn't get in till 9:00 tonight and I just got home about an hour ago. When I was in my hotel room after exploring Boston I was glued to the TV myself. Brandon actually called me the minute my plane was scheduled to land in Boston to fill me in; my parents called 5 minutes later.

Anyway; I'll update more about my trip, along with photos, later. Right now I've got some strong vertigo as I went on a whale watching trip for 3 hours right before catching my 3 hour plane ride home and I still feel like I'm either on a boat or a plane! The computer screen just isn't working for me!

[Odinmoon]

I know how you feel Shanna .:(
I was diving in Hawaii and 2 hours later was flying back to OZ.
I got the bends in the plane and was sick for a few weeks.:eek:

Happy you and fiancé Ok :)

[Lynet]

Wow, Moon. You've had the bends? From diving in Hawaii? You should start a blog at Worldsims and chronicle all your adventures. Sounds like you've had quite a few.

Meanwhile, this weekend I've been a serious Sim addict, playing the game until my vision blurred, taking loads of ingame pictures in order to continue my story (see below.) It's August 5 and I haven't posted another chapter since July 31!

And OMG, Mrs. Crumplebottom invited Dr. Kuchenmitnussen to join a downtown outing. I was shocked when he got that phone call, so I told him to accept the invitation to see what happened. :shocked: Can't wait to tell you how it turned out. Unfortunately, I've got to write up the preliminary chapters first, and I've only just started. Excuse me, but I have to go and get started on it. ;)

(Oh, BTW, I'm beginning to think this "What's new" thread needs to be started over fresh. It's taking a long time to load and post to it.)

[surprised_by_witches]

Well, no wonder, it's 95 pages long! I'll close it and start another one.