Tyisha Masters - Simday 25

12 simyears old, Fall 2007:

NOTE from the author: Obviously Tyisha looks older than her age above, but we all know how this game is. She's a teenager now, so I'm just going with the flow.

I've always done what my Daddy said. I get good grades in school. I do my chores.

So when I had my birthday, I asked my Daddy if I could have a boyfriend. He asked me who I liked. I told him, Rashid Cunningham, and he smiled a little bit, but then he frowned. "Doesn't he have a girlfriend already?" I said, "Nope." My Daddy gave me this smirk look. I just wrinkled up my nose, and jerked my neck back; giving him a bigger smirk look. Ignoring the fact that Rashid's supposedly in love with some chick named Erline. She doesn't even matter in this equation.

Who's Erline, anyway? I know Erline, don't get it twisted, but I'm asking because who is she? She don't matter. Her Momma works with my Dad, and they used to live above my parents before I was born. She's a fat girl. She didn't grow up with us...well, not with me. I've liked Rashid since we were little. And since Mayor Cunningham and my Dad are best friends, I thought Daddy would be happy about it. So I asked him if I could invite Rashid over. I want Rashid to see the 'new me', and he won't be able to say no. Better to have him over when my Daddy's home, so that my Dad ain't tripping. He's gonna be my husband one day, so they need to have a good relationship.

Mrs. Tyisha Cunningham. That's cute.

I felt Rashid checking me out the minute he got here.

And I knew he was feeling me. 'Cause I'm cute, and he's cute, and I'm sho' feelin' him.

When my Dad wasn't looking, we had our first kiss. Sho' did.

I heard a big loud, "Ewwww!" - my bonehead brother. I didn't care. Plan A was done.

We're in love. And then he asked me...like I knew he would. He asked me to be his girl. So I was like, "Yeah f'sho'!"

I put on some of my Dad's music then. Careful not to scratch the record. The music was banging and we danced. Rashid's got some moves! He's good.

It was going so good; we was jammin' and getting our groove on, until...

What was my Daddy doing?! LOL!! He was trying to look cool but it was NOT working. You can see that I was not liking this interruption at all. I forgot my next move, I was getting ready to drop it like it was hot, but instead my legs got stiff. LOL! My Daddy was making things real uncomfortable.

We had to stop and just look at him. He was seriously making a fool out of himself. And I was totally embarassed.

I left and went to the bathroom. I could hear my Dad telling Rashid he don't want his baby girl getting mixed up in no drama, he wants peace, so Rashid's gonna have to handle his business with this other girl if he wants to keep seeing me.

Or else he'll come down so hard on Rashid, he'll think a bomb blew up on him.

All of a sudden Rashid must've seen how serious he was, 'cause all I heard is, "Aww, no Uncle Cam' this and that...sure Unc', no doubt Unc'."

I'm gonna have to tell Rashid, he gon' have to drop that Uncle business, 'cause I sho' ain't his cousin.

Stacy Masters - Simday 25

44 simyears old, Fall 2007:

I'm happy that my husband is ok and back home with us. His heart attack made me realize how short life is. It was truly a close call. Seeing him laid up in the hospital also reminded me that he's not a young man anymore. I mean, he's not OLD but he's getting close. I'm glad I was there to help fight for him.

Dr. Trinity Dalton was extremely wonderful to me during his hospital stay. She explained everything so clearly and gave me a great cookbook to help Cam's diet. I think Cameron still gets these crazy ideas in his head that I'm gonna haul off and slap her or something. But, I know that if she ever gave him a chance...I think he'd take it in a heartbeat. That's just how I feel. Men think with their youknowwhats first...errhmm, and not their brains.

No matter. There was no catfight. Trinity and I got along very well with each other. She seems to be a very understanding person, and I like that. Honey Michels had told me how Trinity was there for her when Nick got poisoned.

I wish my boss was more understanding. I lost my Athletic job during this ordeal. They wouldn't cut me any slack for taking off work to be at the hospital with my husband! Can you believe that?! Forget that. I don't need them. So I decided to go after my life's dream, and found a job in the Dance Career. I've always wanted to be a world class ballet dancer. I may not ever make that goal (I am getting up in age), but I'm gonna have fun trying.

The thought of losing my spouse made me think about my kids...during all this, I just couldn't imagine my son growing up without knowing his father. Kids grow fast, and he's a handsome young man now, and the spitting image of his father.

Tyisha is a teenager now and she's all about art and photography. We bought her a camera for her birthday, and she snaps pictures of us all day long. If I see another flash go off, I might just lose it. LOL! But, I'm so happy she's found something that interests her. I hope she will stay focused on her goals and not so much on her new boyfriend...yeah. She's got one. And although I'm happy with who she's picked, I'm a little concerned with how deep they're falling for each other. But, I'll let her tell you who it is. She supposedly snatched the boy from somebody else, and there's a little drama in school stirring over it.

Oops, well I guess I kinda let it out of the bag; she thinks about him all the time so it's not my fault.  Sorry, Ty.  Rashid's a cutie, but Tyisha runs the show. That boy's got no chance. heh.

Now, I've got to think about this new baby coming. Yes, I'm pregnant again. I'm thrilled about it, too. I don't care that we don't have any space. We'll make space. I wanted one more child. As long as he/she is healthy, I'm good.

When I told Cameron about it, he just sat silently..stunned, I guess. I know he's happy deep down, we worked hard on this baby. LOL! I can leave him alone now.

I keep telling him, a happy wife means a happy life. So give me what I want and everything will be all good.

Cameron Masters - Simday 25

50 simyears old, Fall 2007:

((I'd like to thank everyone for their well wishes while I was recuperating in the hospital. This journal was written after my ordeal.))

Well, I presented my novel research idea to Stacy and it failed, bigtime. I can't stay in Simhead Cemetery for an unknown amount of time. She just won't stand for it, and she thinks I'm a kook for even considering it. You can imagine, this took all the wind out of my sails. There's nothing exemplary about a regular novel on ghosts, but if that novel has PROOF, then it becomes a Best Seller! Well, my novel has become shelved, for now, until I can find another way to make it pop.

We settled into our home again, after the hurricane. We had to re-do the kitchen and parts of the bedroom due to the damage from the storm. Stacy and I absolutely love the kitchen, though. Our old bedroom was highlighted in LivingSims Magazine, Issue 8, February 2009 - "How To Use Patterns" article. We were thrilled to see it because they captured little Tyrone sleeping in his crib at the time. Stacy tells him he's the first Masters to ever be featured in a magazine.

It really doesn't take much to make my wife happy. As soon as I put my novel notes away and unveiled those purple appliances in the kitchen, she has been all over me like white on rice. We've been flirting around like we just met. heh-heh. I hope she ain't trying to make another baby!

Turns out she was...what is it about a woman's biological clock?! My wife turned me into a Woohoo machine and lost all common sense! She wouldn't let up! And I was constantly stressed thinking that we might have to buy a new house. That might be why I had the heart attack, but don't tell her I said that to you.

I was eating breakfast one morning before work, talking with Stacy about her new favorite subject, and then I went to take a shower. Everything was fine except I was feeling like I had burnt pancakes stuck in my chest. And the pressure started to grow! I had a difficult time breathing. I got out the shower and had just barely put my clothes on, when I collapsed. It was so quick, I wasn't sure if I yelled Stacy's name or not. I thought I did, but then everything suddenly went black.

Stacy later told me she was on her knees, begging death not to take me. She said she thought about me not seeing this new baby she was trying to have. And she became a bumbling fool. Death just looked at her and felt sorry, I guess.

Well, I got another chance. I was immediately rushed to the hospital, where Trinity was waiting. Irony, ain't it? Dr. Trinity Dalton had my heart in her hands, for once. Whereas I, had held hers in mine for what seemed like forever. But, that was so long ago.

I don't know why, but I was hoping to see glimpses of at least a vague emotion in Trin's face as she examined me, but there was nothing there but a professional air of care and concern. A cold sense of realization hit me, and I felt like that kid again, back in my old apartment, when Trin' ran out on me like I had the plague or something.

I was real glad when my boys came by to see me. Sabien is my dog, my buddy. He showed more emotion than anybody, and was pretty shaken up about the whole thing. I can imagine that it caught everyone off guard, including me. But it's tough to see the Mayor all emotional.

He was crying like a baby. Don't tell him I said that. LOL! Sergio hugged him and everything, and I told him, "Dude, man up. I'm ok." Then we just started cracking on him and we all laughed, including Trinity.

Trinity released me from the hospital with strict rules that I change my diet. I'm not changing nothing. If it's my time to go, then it's my time to go.

I could feel a little tension in the air, as I hugged Trinity goodbye and thanked her for taking good care of me. Stacy was watching our every move. But she need not worry about me and Trinity anymore. That's an old, scratched up record now.

First thing I did when I got home...I hugged my family, my cat Prince, and everybody.

I had the strongest urge to take pictures. I had a photographer, Elmer Valdes, come over and take some pics of my family. We love family pictures around here anyway...but it was important for me to capture these special memories of Fall 2007. It also sparked an interest in Tyisha. She's talking about being an artist or photographer, so we got her a small camera and an easel to sit on her desk.

Here are some of the pics taken that I will eventually frame:

Tyrone and Tyisha both had birthdays coming soon, and I wanted to spend some time with 'Isha-Poo' before she started hating that pet name. You know how teenagers are.

I took her to my favorite place in the world...the library, of course. I should say, the new library. It's really nice. We had dinner there in the restaurant.

And we talked about her Fall term school project. She had chosen to take a picture on why she loves Simmington Hills. I asked her if she had any ideas yet. And she said she did, but she didn't want to tell me what it was; I'd know soon enough. Stacy and I had showed her how to use the camera, so when she was ready to just let me know.

NOTE: (She ended up taking the school project photo of ME. The 1st photo of me, posted at the top of my journal is what she turned in to her teacher, Mrs. Wise. I'm so proud of Tyisha. She told Mrs. Wise that she loves Simmington Hills because her Daddy is here, and he's the smartest man in the world, and she's glad that I am ok.)