Summer Internship, Pt. 3 - August 2008

Part 1 - Summer Internship - June 2008

Part 2 - Summer Internship - July 2008

***

Sabien Cunningham, Sr. is 52, Tomika Cunningham is 52, Trinity Dalton is 52, Cameron Masters is 52, Nick Michels is 52, Honey Michels is 52, Sergio Spencer is 52, Emerita Valdes is 45, and AV guest, S'Ahmisa Warwick, is 18.

Life at the Cunningham home has been somewhat of a routine this summer.  To say "routine" and "Cunningham" in the same sentence, is unusual in itself.  There's usually always something that occurs to knock their plans right out the window!  If one was to sit still for a moment, they could sense an element of underlying sadness and tension in the air, but to look at the family on the surface, you couldn't tell it. 

Tomika's been so engrossed in her time with S'Ahmisa, the 'daughter' she never had, and with sewing.  Her renovated sewing room was hardly ever entered when the boys were home.  Now it's sort of become her sanctuary, well that is...when she's not spending girl time with S'Ahmisa; they clip coupons and make out shopping lists for the Butler, Vasyl, to pick up ingredients for new recipes the Culinary Group is trying out, or they go and buy the latest doo-dads for braiding and fastening S'Ahmisa's hair with, or they just sit in front of the huge TV upstairs vegging out while watching the SimLifetime movie channel.

Tomika, surprisingly, hasn't had time to really feel sad over her absent boys because she's been so pleasantly occupied, outside of work.  If she could only spend some alone time with her husband, that would be the icing on the cake.

Default Replacement Plates & Matching Dishracks

Well, in case you've been wondering what I've been doing for the past few weeks...this is it.  :P  I've been teaching myself how to make Default Replacement Plates with Morague's Mini-Replacement Tutorial.  I love to swap out dishes for my households.  And let's face it, we all enjoy those heartwarming family dinner pics.

For me, it's important that every sim gets their own style and color choice.  And since I can't afford Lenox, my simmies will!

I promise, I'll get back to simming soon.  Recoloring is highly therapeutic for me and a break away from the game.  *smiles*  I hope you guys enjoy these!  Get them at MTS2.  (link is below the pic)  I'll be doing more plates/dishracks in the future.

(British Colonial)

New Default Replacement Plates & Matching Dishracks

Coming of Age...Celebrate Life! - July/August 2008

Kimberly had grown tired of carrying this baby and being on so-called bedrest. It was HOT outside and keeping up with the chores on a farm, is all the more aggravating in the heat. She had adamantly insisted Sergio stay home from working the Fresh Market one evening; Let one of the girls run things for a night!  She wanted to move this pregnancy along.

They had spent most of the evening in bed talking about the store...about the farm...and everything to do with the heat index and its effect on the veggies' growth, despite being cultivated in a greenhouse....Wheww!  Kimberly was bored of the subject, but let Sergio drag on, as a good wife does, sometimes - I said, sometimes.  But, she couldn't ignore the fact that it was getting late.  She had to turn things up a notch or Sergio would never get a clue! 

Summer Internship, Pt. 2 - July 2008

Part 1 - Summer Internship - June 2008
***

Sabien Cunningham, Sr. is 52, Nick Michels is 52, Trenton VanHouten is 26, and AV guest, S'Ahmisa Warwick is 18.

With nothing to do at the mansion, S'Ahmisa was asked to accompany Mayor Cunningham on a dinner meeting with some members of his Hood Administration.  Usually, an intern wouldn't be requested to attend an after-hours meeting like this one, but since S'Ahmisa was staying with the Cunninghams...Sabien felt it was appropriate for her to see how business is conducted outside of the office, in a more intimate setting.

"We're not gonna be long, just a quick dinner to see what they want to talk to me about."  Sabien said to S'Ahmisa while heading outside to the car.

Whatever the meeting was about, S'Ahmisa secretly hoped it wouldn't upset Mayor Cunningham.  She had never seen his more vulnerable side until last night.  She heard him in his office, late, crying and sniffling; blowing his nose into a tissue....and she immediately wondered if everything was alright with him.

Walking to the car, he seemed tired and agitated.

SSU - July 2008

Rashid Cunningham and Elmer Valdes are both 19. 

Not much has changed at Sims State University since the Founders were here many years ago. That goes for the Landgraab Dorms, as well.  It's still the same old boring place.

The only difference is there's new paint and wallpaper, new carpets, and it looks like the furniture's been reupholstered...oh, and somebody planted some flower beds outside.

Comments

I'm unable to post comments to my own blog, guys!  Blogger has an issue that seems to be happening to lots of other bloggers out there as well.  When I hit submit to post my comment, an error page comes up stating:

bX-q9qnrq

Who knows what it means...??  I have written and posted my issue on the Blogger Help Forum (along with tens of other people), with no response.

I appreciate all of your comments, and since you take the time to respond to my updates, I think it's only right that I share the comment I took the time to write.  So, despite my current difficulties...I'm posting my comment here.  :P

Call it what you will...tacky, unclassy...whatevah...it's my blog.  I need to move on from this issue before it has me pulling my hair out!  It doesn't take much to make me frustrated nowadays.

***
My comment in response to your wonderful messages for Coming of Age...Celebrate Life! - June 2008
LC, I'm so surprised you've never seen Rashid and Tomika's resemblance until now!  I've ALWAYS thought he looked like Tomika.  He's got her facial structure (eye shape, etc.) and his Dad's nose, I think.  But the other two...they belong to Daddy for sure! LOL!  No doubts about them. hahaha!

I agree with your comment about Lydia.  Absolutely.  She is definitely concerned about Ray liking teenagers, and asked him if he had a problem back in November, before they got married.  He denied it of course.  But, I'm gonna say this...he has always, always gravitated towards teenagers in my game.  I don't know why that is, but I noticed the minute he moved into town.  He heart-farts for every young girl that walks by him!  I hope he's over it now, though.  Surely, he's learned his lesson.

One things for sure...I can't wait to get to their household's rotation.  Just to see what happens!  You gotta remember, Lydia just found out about Ray fathering Emilene around the end of May..it's only barely the beginning of July now.  So it's been a little over a month since she got the crippling news that he lied to her about he and Erline's affair happening only once, five years ago.

She'll make her decision after her baby is born, I'm sure.  I want to look at them in action and see what kinds of things spring up.  Heck, she might decide to keep him...I figure right now, she's not wanting to have this baby by herself.  She wants Ray to be there.  She's too family-oriented to even consider putting him out, at this point. (Because of her traits, not her aspirations.)

RD and Mizz, Rashid IS fine, isn't he?!  I'm so proud of that boy.  *smiles at her little pixel son*  LOL!

RD, I hope you can find those dimples you were telling me about.  That's how I picture him, too!  They would be perfect!

Mizz and LC, I can also imagine that Lydia will be playing 'detective' a lot being that she's so adventurous, and that's no way to live...always checking behind somebody.  LOL!  However, she gets caught up a lot in her own thinking (she's absent-minded)...and that tends to keep her from really dealing with the present situation, also.

AV, thanks so much for saying you can see my Sims' style.  I really appreciate it.  I try very hard to consider their financial situations, their preferences and personalities and put that into their homes and in their choice of clothes.

Francesca, yes Ray does.  He thinks that she's going through a roller coaster ride of emotions right now because she's pregnant.  Ray is a book smart genius, but he has no common sense, poor guy..I've said that about him a lot.  He knows his wife's sensibilities lean towards keeping her family together...so he's banking on that right now.

I love Chuck and Viv.  They are so loving and loyal to each other.  It's funny...Viv came from my old hood.  She used to be the poor, trailer park living, single woman/borderline insane, who used to clean houses for a living.  She'd come to some of my wealthier Sims' homes as their maid.  LOL!  I'm pretty happy that I gave her an opportunity to be more than that in this Simmington Hills hood.  She really does shine.

Carla, I think they are VERY adorable.  I made Viv based on a model's photo I found online.  (Donna Blair, too)  I truly hope they have another baby, in fact, I'm reaaaallly hoping.  I think they're both SO attractive!  But like a lot of players, I don't interfere with that part of the game, unless they both roll the Want to Have a Baby..then I might make it happen for them the Maxis way...but otherwise, I just let ACR do it's magic.

Chuck never rolled the Want to Have a Baby (Viv did, but I didn't do anything about it)...I figured Chuck wanted them to concentrate on their fish farm and on Viv's journalism career.  Viv wants to travel a lot, so a baby wouldn't be conducive for that...however, ACR stepped in and brought them little Darcy, despite what Chuck wanted.  LOL!  Maybe this will make them a little more open for more babies.  *smiles*

That little Hannah is a doll.  I love AZsimmer's VanHouten family.  They've got the Maxis eyes, I think...I use defaults.  But even though I'm not a fan of the big glassy-looking eyes, I think it's so cute in the VanHoutens' case, because it makes them so different from other Sims in my hood.  I'm in love with each one of them, the brothers, too...although I haven't gotten to know the toddler girls, yet.  I do know that Maxsim's daughter, Hannah, seems to be a little smarter than the others.  AZ said she felt the same way.  We'll see how their personalities evolve as they get older.

Thanks everyone for reading and posting!  (If any new comments are made, I'll add my response here as well.)
--green

Coming of Age...Celebrate Life! - June 2008

All age transitions, births, and upcoming births will be posted under the new Coming of Age - Celebrate Life! threads.


In this update, I'm excluding Sims that should be here...ie. Keva Michels (12), Kendra Bachelor (12), Kent Bachelor (4), and Ashanti Raphael (4).  Keva Michels and Ashanti Raphael transitioned too early (my mistake), and the others moved into town already at a transitional age. 

***
Viv Everett was surprised when Chuck called her into the nursery to show her a big blue fish rug he'd bought for the baby.  They didn't have much money to spend on a nursery, but they made the most of what they could buy.

"It's perfect, honey!"  She exclaimed.  Happily surprised that he'd bought anything at all for the baby - for one...and then thinking to herself, the rug barely matches anything in the room, but how much choice do you have when you're buying from thrift stores?  

"The baby's gonna love it!  Hopefully, he or she will one day run Everett Home Fishery, just like Daddy does."  Viv said enthusiastically.

Aerial Bionic Concert - June 2008

Aerial Bionic and S'Ahmisa Warwick are visiting from Apple Valley.

After the graduation ceremony, some families had dinner at the fancy Skyline Lounge, other Sims went home to rest, and some Sims changed into more comfortable summer clothes, all for the much-awaited concert of Aerial Bionic's Ursha Tour!  (Tickets were $50/adults and $25/teens and children.)

Rashid made his way to the ticket booth and saw Tyisha waiting there for him to arrive.  At first he was filled with dread, but then he thought about how much he missed their friendship. Could she ever be his BF again?

There she goes with that kiddie stuff...

"Ha, ha...Hey Tyisha." Rashid faked.  He's not feeling it today.  He just graduated and all he wants is S'Ahmisa on his arm; to sit back and enjoy the music with her...and create a memory with her.

What he didn't realize was that he'd pretty much be creating a memory by himself that day...

Commencement Ceremony - June 2008

Rashid Cunningham is 18, Elmer Valdes is 18, and Erline Valdes is 18.  (S'Ahmisa Warwick is visiting from Apple Valley.)

**Marchon Cunningham, Valedictorian of The Class of 2008, is 17 and currently attending the University of Riverdale.  He elected to graduate high school early.**

It was a gorgeous Saturday morning!  The birds graced the surroundings with their melodious songs.  The rays of sun warmed the souls of everyone and brightened the day with more sunshine.  

As the guests filed into the quaint auditorium, ushers passed out programs at the door.

Summer Internship - June 2008

Sabien, Sr. is 52, Tomika is 52, Rashid is 18, and AV guest, S'Ahmisa Warwick, is 18.

Summer Internship - Part 2 - July 2008
Summer Internship - Part 3 - August 2008

*a not-so-mini-mini update, I hope you enjoy.*

It was the 2nd week of June, and quite a cool, crisp day for summer time...it felt more like spring time outside.  Sabien watched as the beautiful girl descended the stairs in full Kimikurian dress.  He was thrilled to be hosting his first summer internship with such a gifted student. 

As S'Ahmisa stepped off the airplane, she remained very enthusiastic about her 3-month stay in Simmington Hills.  Although the realization of being away from her family swiftly came over her just as the cool breeze blew onto her face.  This was not another family trip.  She was visiting another SUN hood all by herself.

I can't believe I'm meeting Mayor Sabien Cunningham!  S'Ahmisa thought as her heart raced wildly.  Her knees were a little shaky with nerves, and she concentrated intensely on her Geta sandals, trying not to stumble down the stairs in front of the man she's wanting to impress.

"Mayor Cunningham, I'd like to give you this gift from Kimikura on behalf of my parents, Sazo and Sandy Warwick, we think you'll like it alot."  S'Ahmisa nervously handed Sabien the heavy gift.

"Well, thank you, S'Ahmisa!  I'm sure me and my wife will enjoy it very much.  Thank your parents for me.  I can't wait to see what it is!"  Sabien smiled.

"Aren't you going to open it?"  S'Ahmisa smiled anxiously.

"Sure, I can open it now..."  Sabien fumbled with the paper and the pretty red ribbon.

   "It's a gold-plated Kimikurian Tea Set.  The kind they use in the old temples."  S'Ahmisa smiled.  "There's dry tea bags in there also, to revitalize your senses and make you feel refreshed and energetic."

"Oh wow! How beautiful!"  Sabien exclaimed.  He had a luggage handler place the gift in the car, and turned back to S'Ahmisa.

"I hate to rush you, but we're gonna have to hurry and get changed.  We've got a speaking engagement over in Bluewater Village."  Sabien stated.

"That's no problem, I can change quickly.  I've brought a dress, is that too formal?" 

"No, a dress will be fine.  I'm wearing a suit.  Hey, have you ever been to a military base?  We've just opened the one in Bluewater, and I'm excited to see it."  Sabien asked her.

S'Amisa's thoughts flashed back home, and she thought of her boyfriend, Verde Herendez, and his efforts to pass the physical test at Fort Apple's ROTC camp.  Before she left, Verde had shared his intentions to marry S'Ahmisa with her parents.  She was in no way ready to take such a big step.  She was even questioning whether it was best to stay with Verde, since their lives were taking different directions.

Sabien and S'Ahmisa continued their light chit-chat in the towncar all the way home.  (The highlights of the Bluewater speaking engagement have been reported in the Simmington-Times Announcements section.)

Much later, just north of Cunningham Airport on Cedar Street, Tyisha Masters was opening the newspaper to read the events of the day...

"What the heck is this?!?!"  As she sees the picture of this gorgeous girl from out of town, who's living at the same mansion as her boyfriend, Rashid...and he never even told her about it...

ANBachelor - June 2008

Anthony is 42, Nedra is 35, Kendra is 12, and Kent is 4.  Skittles is their female kitten.  :P

*This is a long one*

Anthony Bachelor moved his family to Simmington Hills to help develop the town's military program. It's his job to recruit young cadets that will successfully defend against future militant attacks.  He's already recruited 15 year old Sierra Spencer into the ROTC program. 

Sierra shows real promise and potential.  This is what she's always wanted to do.  Anthony knows it's her determination to step into what her mother, former Military Advisor, Asya Rasmussen, started, and that's what gets her over that wall.  She told Anthony it was important to her to change her mother's legacy, and it touched his heart.

Anthony will be reporting to a highly decorated officer by the name of General Bruce Peterson, who has recently moved here from Apple Valley and lives in Bluewater Village at the Fort Hills Military Base [FHMB] with his wife, Greta.  (See Simmington-Times Headlines.)

Simmington Hills' military program is in its infant stage, and will take years to become the powerful institution Mayor Sabien Cunningham, Sr. hopes for.

Are You My Daddy? - May 2008

Edward Valdes is 45, Emerita Valdes is 45, Elmer Valdes is 18, Erline Valdes is 18, Mayor Sabien Cunningham, Sr. is 52 , Lt. Tomika Cunningham is 52, Rashid Cunningham is 18, Ray Wilsonoff is 33, Lydia Wilsonoff is 33, Dr. Trinity Dalton is 52.

Last month during lunch in the cafeteria, Rashid Cunningham had slipped Erline Valdes a small note asking her to call him.  She never did.

Surprised?

He was too, when he never heard from her.  It was her moment to find out where he stood with her.  And Rashid was ready to put his heart and his future on the line to step up and be a man...in his way; on his own terms.  He would've told her that he was ready to step up.  But, by the time Erline got home, exhausted from her first full day back in school...the fantasy had died and reality had set in.  What if?  She asked herself.  What if he's not the father?  Why mess with his head?  She'd done enough of that already.

KARaphael - May 2008

Kofi Raphael is 35, Amara Raphael is 34, Chima Raphael is 8, and Ashanti Raphael is 4.  Doogie is their male puppy. (This family portrait was taken when they moved in, before Ashanti transitioned into a child at the end of their rotation.)

Kofi and his wife, Amara, have traveled many miles from CapeSim Town, South Africa; fleeing from a terrible flu epidemic that left them and many of their family and friends with a benign skin pigment disorder.  It's neither life-threatening or contagious, but if medical care is prolonged, the condition can spread throughout the whole surface of a Sim's body.  They needed to leave South Africa quickly to find a good doctor in the SimStates that was properly trained in treating the dry-itchy patches this disorder causes.

I'm On Vacation...

So, my writing and posting on Simmington Hills has become a little sporadic again.  I go for long spurts and update a lot, then it trickles down to nothing for awhile...Well, here's my ramblings.  I've got a blog why not use it for myself sometimes, right? 

I've decided to take a small break from SH for a few reasons... I'm enjoying Facebook too much right now, that's one reason.  LOL!  A few of my friends know that FB is like crack to me...and I'm having trouble letting it go.  :P  I'm constantly waiting on energy refills and looking at the clock to collect my take; checking in to see who's attacked me and who's butt I've beaten down, not to mention my obsession with collecting things...and now that I've installed the new MW toolbar, I really can't let it go!  (All you Mafia Wars and Treasure Madness fans know what I'm talking about. Hee-hee.)

I've also been watching all the old seasons of The Office.  I had never watched this show before until I caught a re-run one night recently...I fell in love instantly.  I had heard how wildly popular it was and saw them get some awards on tv, but I didn't realize just how good the show actually is.  Now, I'm able to watch some of the old seasons and catch up, and I'm telling you...if you haven't seen it, you need to try it.  It is HILARIOUS!

I'm also enjoying spending time with my family.  December is a big month for us.  All of my siblings have birthdays in December.  There's four of us.  Me and my twin sister and two brothers.  I can't say if my parents planned it out this way or not; they deny it...but growing up, we always had to decide between getting Christmas gifts or birthday gifts.  LOL!

All of us currently live in the same city except for one brother, who is in town right now, visiting from Spain.  He rarely gets to visit, so it's great having all four of us in one place for a change, especially during this month of December.  Not to mention how happy my parents are.  We're the kind of family that loves to laugh, so we are constantly cracking on each other for fun, or playing board games, like Scrabble, and talking shit at the table.  Movie-watching and eating lots of great food together goes hand in hand with my tribe, so you can imagine all of us 'round' folks trying to squeeze a place on the couch to watch Dad's big screen tv.  While the surround sound rumbles in the pit of our chests because he's got the sound turned up extra high, "For effect." he says.  LOL!

***
Something that's coming up:  I'm going to be having major surgery next year, and I'm freaked out about it.  Maybe this is another reason why I want to just take it easy right now away from Sims 2 and writing.  This will be my first surgery, ever.  I'm not gonna lie, it's causing me some anxiety and stress, but I'm ok.  It's not a life-threatening issue, so no worries!  It may require me having to take another break from the hood, as well, to recuperate.  Although, I'm not sure yet what's going to happen.

I'm learning through some of my friends, that they can play Sims through stressful situations because it relaxes them...I'm the opposite.  LOL!  Go figure.

I'm not going to pressure myself to post an update.  I do that a LOT.  I gotta catch up, I'm so behind.  Riverdale will tell you.  The whole Marchon graduating college in Riverdale before his older brother, Rashid, comes to mind.  *smiles*  Rashid hasn't even graduated highschool yet!  So yeah, I pressure myself.

I also have to admit that I'm not feeling this next household on the calendar right now, either.  LOL!  This next household is the first time I've had trouble getting a feel of the Sims.  There's this groove I usually sink into while I play, I can't explain it...I'm just not feeling it with this family.  And I hate to sound shallow, but their skintones are really awful.  And I can't get past how bad they look.  And my Sims are not usually model perfect, either.  (But this family was a gift to me, so I didn't change anything about them so as not to offend the woman that made them. And I hope she doesn't read this and get offended, but we all have personal tastes.)  I should've changed them when I had the chance.  Now they're all moved in...the house is decorated, and I can't stop looking at their splotchy skin.  I would have to kill them off and start over, I think...but, I'm gonna go with the flow.  This is another challenge and I'm gonna write that they have a skin disorder, I've already planned to.  hehee!  You might ask:  Why don't you just move onto another household?  Sure, I could move onto another household, but I've got a calendar to stick to!  Hey, you guys know I'm compulsive like that.  LOL!

I hope, as this year winds down, all of you give an extra tight hug and share lots of smiles with the ones you love.  We take for granted how a simple smile can affect someone so positively.  It's a charity we can give to others that's totally free.  It's been a crazy year, hasn't it?  And life is just too short. 

Peace!
--Halimah (aka green)

CPS - April 2008

Steve VanHouten is 24, Rashid Cunningham is 18, Elmer Valdes is 18, Erline Valdes is 18, Sierra Spencer is 14, Tyisha Masters is 14, Keva Michels is 12, and Christina Wise is 12.

See previous school sessions HERE.

The high school added a new gym a few months ago, however this was only the tip of the iceberg of all the renovations that were planned for CPS.  Workers came in to paint and renovate several classrooms due to the latest budget increase from the Board of Education (BoE).  There are new students registered that are going to need the extra desks and chairs.

The crew started working in the early morning hours on the weekend.  The trusty janitor, Frank Mulner, pulled up in his light blue hatchback, just before sunrise, to unlock the doors.

As you can see, several desks and chairs were added to the main classroom.  There's also a new computer room and garden storage area (located behind the cafeteria).  The next set of renovations will possibly be to add a second-level auditorium.  It's not been approved, yet.  We'll see if the BoE deems an auditorium necessary.

***

The last sessions of school, before senior graduation and summer break, are always kind of informal and relaxed.  The kids get half-days due to teacher in-service meetings.  So, when notice was sent out to each family that year-end class pictures were due, everyone was happy that classroom time would be interrupted and the day would end earlier than usual.

No one had even thought about Erline Valdes.  She was a senior, so why wouldn't she come and take pictures with the rest of her classmates?

She had missed so much of the schoolyear because of her pregnancy...she had basically become 'out of thought/out of mind' to a lot of her so-called friends and fellow classmates. 

CPE - April 2008

Maxine Wise, is 37, Charles Wise is 12, Sabien Cunningham "SayJ", Jr. is 9, Terris Dalton is 9, Terryn Dalton is 9, Emely Blair is 9, Shaun Spencer is 5, and Tyrone Masters is 4.  (Frank Mulner, Janitor/NPC, is 38). 

See previous school sessions HERE.

The Janitor, Frank Mulner, arrived at school early to make sure the school year's last few sessions would end without a hitch.

The halls were mopped, the water fountains cleaned out, the trash disposed; everything was in its proper place and ready for the spirited primary students to burst through the doors at any moment. 

The kids were ready for school to be over with and for summer to begin.  So were the adults...

Bigger, Clearer Pictures, Yayyy!

My journal pictures have been crappy since 2006.  They look great when I take them in-game.  They look great when I post them on different forums, but when I post them here...they turn out horrible.  I hated the jagged edges and the compressed, fuzzy look...you guys know what I'm talking about!  I've asked around but never really got a definitive answer as to what to do.  Maybe I'm the only one that didn't know this, I don't know...LOL!

I think I was posting my pics the wrong way to begin with.  I've been using the Edit HTML tab, and using an IMG code that included a code for whatever height/width numbers I wanted to use.

I was inspired by Sullivan, who I think was experiencing a similar issue in the past with the look of her pics, and now they look fantastic!  I got up this morning, determined to make a change!  ....And today, I found the answer!  And I can't tell you how HAPPY I am!

So for those of you out there, who want bigger, clearer pics...(even if you don't want them as big as mine are...try this and play around with the sizes.)

Here's what I did, and I use Photobucket (free). I also use the updated Editor in Blogger (You can change this under "Settings"):

1.  I changed my Blogger template from "Denim" to "Stretch Denim".  (Everyone I asked before told me to use to Denim, and when I changed to Denim, I still could never get my pics clearer...they must've forgotten to say Stretch.  I tried it today on a whim.)

2.  Go to your Photobucket or whatever picture host you use, and copy the "Direct Link" of your picture.

3.  Under the Compose tab when making a new post, you'll see a picture icon that says, "Insert Image". Click it and choose "Web Address (URL)"

4.  Paste the Direct Link into the Web Address (URL).  You'll see your picture show up in the box, and hit OK.

5.  Now choose "Original Size" and "Center" should already be chosen.  (The Original size for my pics is the standard 600 x 450.)

That's it!

If you have a post that's already been published, and you want to change your pics...like I've been doing all day.  Then:

1.  Edit your post.

2.   Click the Compose tab and click on your photo, and 'remove'.

3.  Find your photo in Photobucket, copy the Direct Link.

4.  Paste it in the Web Address (URL) box, the photo pops up...hit OK.

5.  And again, choose "Original Size" or whatever size you want to use.

You can play around with the sizes.  There's small, medium, large, and extra large sizes too. 

I hope this helps somebody that had the same questions I had.

--green

Tax Collection - April 2008

Trenton VanHouten, Tax Accessor, is 25.  (If you'd like to read how taxes are collected in The Hills, please read Nick Michels' Business Advisor Notes for Round 2006 - September 2007.)

***
It's that time of simyear when all Sims must pay 'The Man'.  The tax man, that is...and Trenton knew it was going to be a long night.  Most Sims wouldn't be able to get by his office until the evening time; after work.  He made sure he had plenty of rest and spent some play time with his daughter, True.  He left her in the care of his brothers while he worked in the small office that was built next to the main house.

He was not looking forward to the endless complaints and unnecessary whining Sims would make about having to fork over their hard-earned cash.  He knew that most of these families would have to take out loans to pay him today.  He felt bad for them, but on the otherhand, Trenton knew that he and his brothers would shell out more in taxes than anyone else in Simmington Hills.  So he really didn't want to hear the whining and complaining.  Everybody has to pay up.  Only the Mayor and his family are excluded from paying property taxes.

CSMasters - April 2008

Cameron Masters is 52, Stacy Masters is 46, Tyisha is 14, and Tyrone is 6.  Prince Cunningham, is their cat.

It was hard for Stacy to get back on track after losing her baby. 

Of course, it would be hard for anyone to deal with; especially having only two months left before the baby would've been born.

DNA Drama - March 2008

Dr. Trinity Dalton is 52, Lt. Tomika Cunningham is 52, Mayor Sabien Cunningham, Sr. is 52, Ray Wilsonoff is 33, Lydia Wilsonoff is 33 and Rashid Cunningham is 18.

"Hi, Trin'.  How are you?  Rough morning, wasn't it?!"  Tomika hugged her old friend tightly; glad that the robbery at the Dalton home wasn't more dangerous than it turned out to be.

"Rough isn't the word.  It took me forever to get out of my driveway...all the cops snooping around for more evidence and SimCity reporters preparing their stories for the morning news.  But hey...we're doing fine.  The twins are a little shaken up, but otherwise, we'll make it." Dr. Trinity Dalton said with a trembling smile.  She was more daunted by the conversation she was about to have with the Cunninghams, than by the disrupted home invasion she encountered this morning.