Charles "Chuck" Everett - Simday 25

30 simyears old, Fall 2007 

I'm the new fisherman in town. I made a contract with Kimberly Spencer to produce 5 crates of fish every season, except winter. Once my obligation was filled for Fall 2007, I was able to get a job as an Oceanographer. We made $1,633 off those crates. Not bad, but not good either considering we're $70,000 in debt.

I've been trying to think of ways I could make some extra money. My bootleg juice is the meanest batch this side of SimCity. I could sell it, but I don't think it's legal.

I'll have to see what our Spokesim has to say about it. I met his wife the other simday, when I went to City Hall to fill out my application for the Oceanography job. Nice lady. Very "official". She was surrounded by other Sims, and I didn't think it was the right time to bring it up, so I didn't.

For now, me and my wife, Viv, enjoy it on occasion. It gets the kinks out, you know what I mean?

Shoot, I'm a happy drunk. I dance and act a fool.

As for my wife...it makes her poot, poor thing. haha!

I wasn't counting on it making her pregnant. Ok. I know bootleg juice don't make a woman pregnant. But it certainly took me outta pocket. I usually make sure we don't make any mistakes...this time, I just wasn't thinking. Maybe I didn't care?

When we got married I made an agreement with her we'd never have kids. I knew she wanted 'em, but I'm no good with kids. So what's changed? I keep askin' myself that. I'm feeling a lot more relaxed, I'm doing what I've always wanted to do...fish. And I just had my 30th birthday. Maybe that has somethin' to do wit' it.

Viv looks more terrified everysimday. I see her trying to hide it from me. I sit right beside the bathroom door burning a hole in my laptop keyboard trying to surf the web for Angling sites. I sit there so much, I burned my computer out. We had to buy another one. I'm sayin' all this to say...my wife is in and out that bathroom at least 10 times a simday. She can't make it to the one in our bedroom..so, she's all the time throwing up in our guest bathroom.

Does she honestly think I can't hear her in there? What does she think I'm gonna do? Leave her?!

I can't even kiss her nowadays, without her running for the toothpaste first.

I'll let her squirm for a little while longer, just for the hell of it. Then I'll ease her mind.

Vivienne "Viv" Everett - Simday 25

30 simyears old, Fall 2007

Food is universal. Everyone speaks its language. For a journalist on her way to the top, this is golden.

My shyness doesn't hinder me in getting the job done, because it takes everything I can muster to make myself appear outgoing and talk to Sims with confidence. Before an interview, I always sit and imagine what kind of hors'deurves I could serve.

My husband is the same way! We are two Sims that enjoy each other's company and could live peacefully in our own little world, but that's not the way life is.

My husband, who's more shy than me, can spend countless hours at the pond out back...fishing, with no Sim contact whatsoever and be just fine.

But I can't do that. I have to be in Sims' faces all the time, getting the story, getting the facts.

So, I use food to get over my shyness, by creating little pieces of edible art. It's a nice way to break the ice.

These little treats have a great way of helping me make new friends. I shared some of my recipes with Kim Spencer. She seemed eager to learn some fancy food tricks, so I gave her some of my favorites. I think it's kind of foul how her husband is this fantastic chef, yet he doesn't teach his wife how to cook. She and I have become really close in a short amount of time. Not to mention the great working relationship my husband has made with her to sell fish in her Fresh Market.

Kim's shy too, we have that in common. We've got many things in common, she and I. She just found out she's pregnant, and can't stand the way food smells right now. Neither can I, so we just sit in silence. It's not strange to us, sitting in silence...it's comforting.

I've been able to meet all kinds of Sims since we moved in. I'm wondering who makes this town tick. And I'm finding out slowly but surely. My house has literally been a revolving door.

Honey Michels came by talking about her new group, the Green Lipz Organization. I jumped on that. I have 4 top interests, serious MAXED OUT interests, and Environment is one of 'em, so I told her to count me in. We got our yellow compost bin, and we're helping the Spencers keep their farm fertilized.

What else are we going to do with all these leaves? Better to help than to harm the environment by burning them all.

Finally, my last visitor was a sight to remember. I met Marisa Bendett. Of all the Sims I'd be working with, why her?! She's got a mouth on her, and I hate the way she dresses. I'm wondering if anybody ever told her that was cute? It's not. (One of my other maxed interests is Fashion. Marisa's 'fashion' makes me sick to my stomach.) Not that mine is all that fancy, but it's certainly appropriate for where I live.

And to top that outfit off, she tells me about this guy she's infatuated with. She's been following him around, lately..and thinks he's very attractive, but wonders what his deal is. She saw him at a club and thinks he has a thing for teenagers, I don't know. She thinks there's a story there. Not to mention the chance to get to know him. (I thought she was engaged?) Anyway, I told her to move with caution. We don't want any lawsuits at the paper.

***

Chuck asked me out on a date! I don't know why. He hardly ever wants to do anything outside of fishing, except for his nature hikes or birdwatching. Isn't that strange for a Pleasure Sim? Well, I think he wanted to celebrate selling our first 5 fish crates to Kim. He took me out to the Cedar St. Bar & Grill.

It was really nice! The food was good, but it took everything to hold it down. My thoughts were averted when the pipe burst on the sink in the kitchen!

The chef was running around yelling and cursing at the staff, and the staff didn't know what to do. My Chuck calmly got up and saved the day! He fixed the sink within a few minutes! I knew he was handy, but I didn't know he had it like that! That was my opportunity to excuse myself to the ladies room.

Do you know they even paid Chuck $100 for doing it? We got our meal free also, that night. How you like them apples? I figured we have made a good choice in living here. The Sims are a bunch of characters so far. Nice bunch, though.

On our way home he said to me, "You know that felt pretty good!" I said, "What?" He said, "Tinkering could be something I could do on the side to make some extra money, since we'll have to get ready for the baby." I said, "What baby?!!" He said smiling, "The one you're carrying."

I'm trying to figure out how he knew?! Those wood walls in our house must be thinner than they look, huh.

I've been bracing myself for Chuck's response to the news. He's never wanted kids. Ever. Now, I guess I don't have to worry about it. This must be his way of telling me that he's okay with it.

Sergio Spencer - Simday 25

51 simyears old, Fall 2007

Please let this be the last time I have to move. I'm getting too old for this. *smiles* And I'm happy now.

I thought my last farm was my dream farm. It was absolutely gorgeous on the outside...however me and my family quickly learned how looks can be deceiving, when the rains started falling inside the house and barns, soaking and flooding everything we owned. No matter how much my wife cleaned, the house constantly smelled like mildew and dankness, because of so much rainfall.

As much work as Kim put into decorating it, she blames the mold and mildew for losing our baby, Shauna. Shaun's twin sister. If I knew then what I know now, I would've moved us outta there with a quickness.

After fixing the roof, we got hit with the hurricane and lost everything anyway...I admit I was a little relieved for the new start. Things were looking a little dismal for your boy, Serg, on the farm front. We lost our store, Aldi's, too.

It felt like a terrible weight was lifted off my shoulders. At the time, I wasn't sure which direction I wanted to take Aldi's in. Even though it was making a little money, we didn't have customers bustling in like I wanted. And to top it off, in all the seasons I've been around the Hills claiming that I was the Agriculture Guy, can you imagine how it felt to have never gotten a decent sized crop to harvest? There was never any produce to put inside my store to sell, we only ever had regular groceries manufactured by SimCity, and the occasional tomato. *sighs*

Ohhh...the looks and stares I got from Sims, like I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I didn't! But it wasn't just me. It was in the air. Something wasn't right with the world. Now we know I was right. We all had to start over.

------------------------------

This new farmhouse is more than I could've ever dreamed of. It is truly my dream come true farm! Thanks Green Construction! You know how you never knew you needed something until you actually got it? Here, we have the acreage to have two large greenhouses and masses of fruit trees. We're not saddled down with a bunch of farm animals that we basically have no use for. Our sitizens want fresh produce and fish. Simple as that.

Be careful what you ask for, that's all I got to say. We moved in here on the last day of summer. And I wasn't prepared for all the hard work it was going to take to get this farm up and running. I was nervous as hell! What if I plant and never get a harvest, like before?! All I knew was that I had only one night - one night. Forget unpacking boxes, forget eating, let the kids do that! We needs to get to plantin'! hahaha! I had to get something in the ground before fall officially started at 4 a.m., and my hands were itchin to get into that dirt.

I'm an old school farmer and I do things by the Farmer's Almanac. In fact, I use my Grandaddy's old almanac. It's got all his notes in it and it's falling apart, rest his soul.

Like him, I only plant what's in season. Unfortunately, all I had in big supply were tomato seeds. I had totally forgot to buy the cucumbers and pole beans I needed to have a full summer crop. Shoot, I've been carrying around these tomato seeds for 3 seasons! LOL! They had to be planted no later than the last day of summer by 5 p.m. and I had so much stuff left to do. I checked the clock. 6:30 p.m. It bugged me a little bit, 'cause I'm usually a stickler for doing things by the book. We got to work as quickly as possible.

The we I'm talking about, is me and the 3 lady farmhands I hired. They came to me saying I needed a woman's touch in the gardens, maybe that's why I never got a harvest. Heyyy...I'm not one to dismiss any superstitions. I got Kim out there with us too, and we worked all night long, 'til the break of dawn. Planting tomatoes. The upside is that winter is coming. Folks'll be needing lots of tomato juice to keep 'em warm.

If you want to see the new garden layouts for my crops and hear more details about my farm planning, check out my NOTES section.

We have never worked as hard as we did that night. I could see how green and supple my garden plants were, I could see and smell the little flowerings on my fruit trees. I felt confident I could invite the Garden Club over to see the farm. Kim decorated the front of the house as cute as she could. Put in a walkway, some bushes and lawn decorations to make it pretty.

Then Bandit goes and pisses Shasta off while the lady is there. I'm thinking to myself, dang we need these discounts for our gardening supplies! Would y'all puhleeeze hold it down! Through clenched teeth, I growled, "Bandit, Shasta!!" Dang on stray dogs! Who's dog is that?! I've got my hands full with the two I have, and it soon will be more! Now I'm feeding the entire neighborhood's animals! I didn't move from my seat although I wanted to, but I didn't want to bring any more attention to the situation. The dogs might get startled and all hell would've broke loose. They quieted down on their own, so it was all good.

I was keeping an eye on the evil Shasta, though. I attributed her bad attitude to her pregnancy, but Kim says dogs fight and pee all the time, regardless. I just didn't want that Garden Lady stepping in pee or being influenced one way or another because we have unruly dogs. I had Kim on standby with a mop, just in case.

I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my face when my fruit trees harvested right as the Garden Lady was walking towards the orchard. I have lived for this simday. I think back to my first few simdays out of college, not sure if this was the life for me. Seems so long ago. And now, I'm officially a true farmer! The Garden Club lady must have empathized with me. It was a beautiful moment. She gifted me with a beautiful Wishing Well and some simoleans, because every inch of my farm was thriving!

Kim and I crated up as much produce as we could. There was a method to our madness. All the summer crops, well all the tomatoes and any future fruit...will be harvested and crated and inventoried for the store. We're using the screened in porch as a storage shed and doggie bath area. It doesn't look it, but it holds in heat. It'll keep everything dry and safe from the cold. This storage space will only be used as-needed. I'm hoping to keep an eye on how much I'll owe in Produce Tax each season.

We were crating at a feverish pace. I told Kim she needed to move her crate packing station back from that window. It kept sliding in, and she kept bumping her head. But she looked at me and said, "Keep it moving." She didn't care. We had a madness about us that night. A passion. I will never forget it.

Once we were armed with a little fruit tree inventory, we knew we needed more. We talked about using the Fresh Market's greenhouse to supply us with the summer crops we didn't plant. The crops were already planted there. Everything from apples to peppers to tomatoes, was just waiting to be tended up to harvest. Sims can go there and buy anything they need.

Kimberly called up Nick and got the Business Certificate to open Spencer Farm Fresh Market. It's a PYO (pick your own) style market. Not only does it have a greenhouse, but it has a pond for fishing. Kim bought the place with a loan, and quickly paid it all off, thanks to my recent endorsement of a revolutionary combination food processor and fax machine, called the Blend 'n' Send. Have you heard of it?! It netted me $50,000!

So in all our decision-making, we thought it would be best for Kim to run the store this time around. She's way more qualified, she's a Nature enthusiast and has a college degree. I'm way too busy with the farmhouse crops, and getting to the top of my Culinary career. It works out this way.

Kim said goodbye to us a few simdays later, and left for about a simweek to go tend the crops at the store, like we planned. Listen, it was a tremendous sacrifice for Kim to be away from her family like that. I commend her. Her dedication to me and our family literally blows my mind. Sometimes I'd talk to her on the phone and I could hear her voice trembling, like she was at her breaking point, trying not to cry. But she stayed there and got 'er done. Once it was over, she came home and I grabbed her and couldn't let her go. By the look on her face and the smell of her clothes, I knew that everything was going to turn out perfectly. Boy, did she reek!

There was a time in the past, when I asked her what she thought I needed. And she played doctor with me. heh-heh. I asked her this time, what she needed from me, and she told me there was something she was wishing for but wasn't sure if the timing was right...she said she got her wish.

She was pregnant and she needed my patience...say whaaat?!

Immediately my mind started racing back. When the heck did that happen?!...ahhh, I remembered. How could I forget? It was the day Sierra came home from school early, thinking me and her Mom weren't home.

***

Yes, patience is definitely a virtue. Surprises like that one are a prime example. Me and Kim never heard the end of it. You know that, right? And let's not talk about the infamous 'cootie couch' that no one wants to sit on. LOL!

Ever since Sierra became a teen, I've had to demonstrate quite a bit of patience with her. As a kid, she couldn't get enough of the country. I could never get her to come inside away from the farm animals, but at least she'd be at home where I could keep an eye on her...Now, it's all I can do to keep an eye on my truck! I'll just happen to look outside and my truck'll be gone.

I've put an alarm on it, I've hidden my keys...she's a car thief, that one. She's determined to do what she wants to do. Just like her damn Momma, rest her soul. I was wondering when Asya's genetic stamp would pop up. hahaha! Here it is!

Sierra is all about the two B's. Boys and Books. I'm grateful for the books part. She loves to study. And me and Kim can't emphasize college enough. But, the 'boys' part is becoming an adjustment. I just can't believe I've got this gorgeous looking young woman, that I'm responsible for. And all the boys are coming around sniffing. You should see them!

Sometimes I wish I could keep a better eye on her. But I'm only one sim. And I just don't know if I even have the energy to keep up with her. Now we're having another one?!

Kimberly Spencer - Simday 25

38 simyears old, Fall 2007

Word got around that we were getting the farm back up and running. Nick dropped by to put in a good word and let us know that he'd be at the bank when we needed to get our new BC application filled out. Unfortunately, Serg wasn't home. He would've loved to see him. What a turnaround for these two. I'm so pleased to see them as friends again.

He wasn't the only company to drop by. Sen. Cunningham walked by and said hello. He told me how successful the Silent Art Auction was. He's all smiles, too. I can't blame him, it was more than any of us could've hoped for. 3 million simoleans?! That's a miracle!

I wish some of that was donated to us, to help us get this farm and market going. LOL! It's been an awful lot of work, but I can't complain...I've enjoyed every bit of it.

I left the farmhouse and my family for about 7 simdays. It was HARD. Not because I didn't want to do it, but because I was doing it alone. I was very excited to be starting a new chapter in my life. I was actually getting my own business ready for its Grand Opening! I opened the doors for just a few simdays before we had any harvest. I needed a few quick simoleans to purchase some garden supplies.

A lot of customers told me that they look forward to getting fresh produce and fish, and the hood's been sorely in need of it. Tell me about it.

There were some simdays when I wanted to seriously go home and soak in my whirpool tub and forget about the whole thing. I was missing my husband and kids, I was lonely, I was tired, and I felt hopeless sometimes. There were a couple thunderstorms that passed through, where I would have to sit inside the store and wait. I put a cot in there so I could sleep. I sure hoped Sergio was doing the laundry.

Other simdays were a triumph. They balanced out the whole experience. It was a wonderful ride!

I would have to get into a 'zone' when I worked, though...blocking everything and everyone else out. It paid off in mouthwatering fruits and veggies. I can really relax knowing that Sims will be filling their fridges and their bellies with my produce.

Once back home, I was still filled with so much mental energy. I'm like..what's next?! After I cleaned up...and when I say cleaned up, I mean I took an hour-long soak in my favorite tub. My skin was literally cracking from being so dry. I finally calmed my thoughts down long enough to get some much needed physical rest.

I started feeling like I needed to catch up with my husband in the kitchen. He laughs everytime I call the family to dinner...wondering what's on the menu for that night. I don't take this kindly. It's a slap in my face. Back home, where I'm originally from, I'm a good cook. Not the greatest, but I'm good. And, my kids don't complain, it's just Sergio.

Living under his Executive Chef's shadow, I hate my own cooking. And it makes me feel incomplete as a woman. I went out and bought this huge cookbook. I've been studying it and making out my grocery lists for weekly menus. He found a way to make me feel embarassed by that. Telling me that, "real cooks don't use a cookbook." So why did he write one? And why is he planning on writing another? *smiles* (I just 'owned' him...as the kids say.)

I don't really know how to cook many dishes, aside from the basics. Cereal, oatmeal and jelly toast. Oh, I learned how to make a cake! I also make this hotdog and potato salad combo with ketchup on the side. The kids really love this one, so I make it all the time.

When Serg sees it on the table, he takes FOREVER to sit down and join us. Oh it is sooo nerve racking! LOL! He drags his chair along the floor making this dull scratching noise as if he dreads sitting down to the table. Sometimes I wanna tell him, "You do it! Why don't you ever cook for us, Mr. Executive Chef?! You do it then, if this is not good enough for you!" LOL! Yeah, I can laugh about it because it's just my competitive nature. I was a cheerleader once, remember? Aside from this, I assure you that we are very much in love.

So in love that I found out we're expecting another baby. This news came around the time I was getting ready to enter a cooking contest uptown at one of the Cedar Street Shoppes. It wasn't just nerves I was feeling. My stomach was attacking me. All those smells...*changes the subject*

Well, it's exactly what I wanted before the hurricane, and still do. I'm just a little apprehensive about it now. Although me and Serg both want a baby...we're just scared about it, that make sense? I think back then, too, I was unknowingly feeling hurt that I lost Shauna. I needed a replacement to fill that emptiness I was feeling. To look at Shaun was a constant reminder that a little girl was supposed to be there, the same age as him. I hadn't truly moved beyond it. To this simday, I've not been able to move past it. Yet, I've got something else to fill the space. The timing for a new baby feels kinda out of place right now. I'm on the brink of new personal success. I'm finally out of the house and doing something that benefits me...and in a short amount of time, I was able to get the store up to a Level 4 business. I just don't know how a new baby is gonna fit into my plans. It's stressing me out, really.

But I can't deny that it's a true blessing. I'm not getting any younger and we've got a great place to live. I take stock in that everyday, walking around the farm and counting my blessings. We've got plenty of room, and this baby is going to have the pleasure of growing up here. I find a lot of joy in that.

And Shaun is growing so fast. It would benefit him to have a little brother or sister to play with and teach stuff to. Sierra hardly has time for him anymore.

The kids were downstairs waiting for the schoolbus to come this morning. I think Shaun was outside trying to complete his School Project, hunting for 5 bugs. Sierra was primping in the mirror of course, *rolls eyes* that's all she does...she's an authentic teenager now. When all of a sudden I hear screaming. I ran downstairs to find Shaun running away, hands flailing in the air, from a swarm of killer bees! (Well, they looked like killer bees.)

Do you know Sierra didn't even come out the bathroom to see about him? She calmly walked to the bus and got on it, not saying a word! I was surprised by this, because she's changing everyday into someone I don't really know. I mean we used to talk about anything, and now I hardly ever see her. I'm so proud that she's got two scholarships for college already, and working on applying for more. And, I know she's liking that Valdes boy now, but I don't know how serious it is. Well, all I can do is pray for patience. Serg is not the only one who needs it. That's for sure.

I grabbed my baby up and took him right over to the hospital. Dr. Dalton applied some medicine to Shaun's stings and told me to keep him out of school today. She'll be over later to make sure he's not having an allergic reaction. "Just let him rest." she said.

She came by later, just as she promised. Thankfully, he's alright. But, he'll have to do some hard work to get his grade back up. He's got a D+ right now! That's serious in this house. We don't tolerate bad grades and poor study habits. Too bad she couldn't fix that part. *smiles*

You know I had to call Mrs. Wise about it. She told me it would be ok, all he has to do is be present for the Fall 2007 Semester of classes coming up, and that should help him get his grade up. (See...in the Hills, the kids who've enrolled, go to SH CPS all year round, except summertime - unless it's really needed...but then there is a special round of classes that the kids take during each season that gives them an extra opportunity to study and learn skills. This is the session that Maxine Wise reports about in her Education Reports.) Me and Sergio are so into our kids' educations, I thought I'd explain how it works, for those that don't understand it. It just takes a little bit of imagination, that's all. *smiles*