Round 7 Part 14: Long Beach (2053-2057)

Douglas is 32, Sarah is 24

Turn, turn, turn

narrated by Douglas Long

Sarah and I decided not to go on a honeymoon after we got married--neither of us had a job lined up so we didn't want to spend our money too fast, and anyway we lived right on the beach. It was just like a vacation but without the part where you forget your toothbrush.

I think we both enjoyed being lazy for a while after all the hard work of college.

But we weren't completely idle--for one thing, I took up swimming laps in the cove so that I could work off all of Sarah's amazing cooking!

It's a good thing I was in shape, too, since right when our money was about to run out I got picked up by a talent scout and cast in one of the leading roles in this movie about a starving artist, an heiress, and a playboy caught up in a love triangle. (I'm the starving artist. It's a role I can sympathize with for sure!) There was more travel involved in the job than I would like, but beggars can't be choosers.

The timing was especially lucky since right after I signed the contract, Sarah found out she was pregnant! I was on location for most of the pregnancy, unfortunately, so Sarah's mom came over a lot to keep her company and help out on days when she wasn't feeling well.

About two weeks before the baby was due I heard that the studio was looking to retain a lawyer--apparently movie making involves jumping through a lot of legal hoops--and of course I pointed Sarah in that direction. She had a Skype interview since she was far too pregnant to travel and actually managed to get the job! They were even willing to push back her start date by 8 weeks so she could have some time to focus on the baby first.

Sarah ended up having about 7 weeks of maternity leave since the baby came a little early--in fact, she went into labor the morning after I arrived back from filming!

The baby was a girl and we named her Susan. She has her mother's gray eyes and if you ask me she's just as beautiful.

The first thing Sarah did once she was back on her feet was have a little photo shoot with her mom and grandma--baby Susan makes four generations of lovely ladies and since Sarah's grandma has been in declining health of late Sarah didn't want to procrastinate.


Notes:

1. Douglas' work-related travel is of course entirely made up. But having Rock Gods and famous actors and so forth living full-time in a town that's characterized as being very small and rural makes no sense. So Douglas gets some imaginary travel.

2. Since Sims have disproportionately long pregnancies, Sarah actually got pregnant on her wedding night, as I mentioned in the mini update. Which means that she was pregnant for over two years of real life time! Poor thing.

3. Pretend that Sarah is wearing something more professional in the picture of her imaginary Skype interview. Or don't. I mean, if people only see you from the collarbone up do you really need pants?

Round 7 Mini-Update: The Pons-Long wedding (2053)

Narrated by Sarah Long

Douglas and I ended up getting married just a month after I graduted from college. I managed to keep it low-stress by having a very small wedding with just my family and our closest friends. (Douglas' parents couldn't make it, but they sent their good wishes.)

The morning of the wedding, Ingrid came over and did my hair. I loved it, of course.

Meanwhile, my brothers helped Douglas set up our little buffet area.

Between one thing and another, the wedding started about an hour later than we had planned, but finally everyone was in place and we were ready to start.

Our ceremony was pretty traditional and basic. We said our vows...

exchanged our rings...

and had our first kiss.

My mom was so excited that she gave us a standing ovation as soon as we were done. Nobody else joined in, but she didn't seem to mind a bit.

Afterwards, we sat down for a sort of late lunch. It was an awkward time of day for eating, but I for one was starving...I hadn't had a bite since breakfast that morning.

Jaden was the best man, and he gave a very sweet toast.

My sister Jeannie was the maid of honor, and her toast was just as touching. I might have cried a little bit.

Then everybody backed away from the table a bit so Mom could get a good shot of us cutting the cake...Mom is a good photographer and it's amazing how many pictures she was able to get in the middle of spazzing out about her baby getting MARRIED.

After that we had a bit of dancing, but not much since it was already dark. My siblings all walked home so Brian could go to bed on time, and I think Ingrid and Marion and Maggie went back to their place to watch chick flicks or some such thing. They claimed to be tired of all the smoochy couple stuff, but I think they were just tired of walking on sand in their heels.

Finally everybody was gone, and Douglas and I were alone in our bedroom. I'm not going to lie, I had a bit of a nervous moment just then. I mean, thinking about being married and all that that entails is one thing; actually standing in front of your shirtless husband in a skimpy nightgown is quite another.

Douglas calmed me down by asking me about the book I'd been reading most recently.

Eventually we did things other than talking, but I'll leave those to your imagination.











Notes:

1. So, my first attempt at a fancy wedding. I am really sad that I didn't get posed pictures of the wedding party or Sarah with her family, but I ran out of time (both in-game and IRL) and decided to just call it a lesson learned and be more efficient next time. (You'll see the fruits of that in my next mini-update.) 

2. Sarah wore the same wedding dress as her mother did. It just seemed like the kind of thing she'd do.

3. Joan was the only one who stood up to clap because everybody else was still sitting in their chairs like I told them and not actually watching the wedding at all. (I had to eliminate a lot of photos that had speech bubbles in them...Gretchen and Jaden were having an involved conversation about food during the vows.) That is another mistake I worked to remedy the next time. 

4. Sarah and Douglas were both virgins on their wedding night, but Douglas had had a brief affair with Brittanie Kules (they didn't woohoo, but they did a lot of serial making out) so I figured he'd be more experienced and she'd be a bit nervous. Storyline-wise, he would have told Sarah about his dissipated youth, but in-game she has no idea. (Stupidly, it was causing major problems with Jaden and Douglas' relationship, but I managed to fix that at my next wedding too.) 

5. Sarah is already pregnant. Joan will be pleased. (Actually, Sarah and Douglas also have a baby want.) 

6. Custom content credit: Sarah's wedding hair is Spring in Your Step by Almighty Hat (scroll down) and Ingrid's hair is Melody of the Wind by Libitina. There was also shameless overuse of the Teleporter Cat from Simlogical (Pets version, because I don't have Apartment Life) to get everyone on the lot and make them go where I wanted them to go. 

Sim State University Class of 2052 and 2053

Class of 2052:

Douglas Long

Douglas Long
Major: Literature
GPA: 4.0
Honors: Zeta Zeta Epsilon Greek House member, Landgraab Society member, Big Sim on Campus award recipient

Douglas Long is the son of Ian and Amara Long, who reside in Indonesia and are employed as missionaries. Douglas plans to establish a home in Prosperity Plains and pursue a career in the entertainment field. He is engaged to Sarah Pons, a fellow SSU student who plans to graduate in 2053.

Class of 2053: 

Jaden Kules

Jaden Kules
Major: Literature
GPA: 4.0
Honors: Zeta Zeta Epsilon Greek House member, Landgraab Society member, Big Sim on Campus award recipient

Jaden Kules with parents Brittanie Kules and Ryan Cho.

Jaden Kules is the son of Prosperity Plains residents Ryan Cho, a marine biologist, and Brittanie Kules, a party consultant. He plans to return to Prosperity Plains with his fiancee, fellow SSU grad Gretchen Riedmayer, and apply for a job with the Sim State Historical Society.

Jaden Kules with fiancee Gretchen Riedmayer.

Margaret Landgraab

Margaret Landgraab

Major: Philosophy
GPA: 4.0
Honors: Zeta Zeta Epsilon Greek House member, Landgraab Society member, Big Sim on Campus award recipient

Margaret Landgraab (second from left) and Marion Landgraab
with parents Beata Riedmayer-Landgraab and Malcolm Landgraab IV.

Margaret Landgraab is the daughter of local businessman Malcolm Langraab IV and retired general Beata Riedmayer-Landgraab. She plans to set up a household with friends in Prosperity Plains and possibly pursue a career in journalism.

Marion Landgraab

Major: Economics
GPA: 4.0
Honors: Zeta Zeta Epsilon Greek House member, Landgraab Society member, Big Sim on Campus award recipient

Marion Landgraab is the daughter of local businessman Malcolm Langraab IV and retired general Beata Riedmayer-Landgraab. She aspires to pursue a business career and will be living with friends in Prosperity Plains.

Sarah Pons

Sarah Pons

Major: Psychology
GPA: 4.0
Honors: Zeta Zeta Epsilon Greek House member, Landgraab Society member, Big Sim on Campus award recipient

Sarah Pons with parents Joan and Greg Pons.

Sarah Pons is the daughter of Greg Pons, a senior military officer, and Joan Pons, a renowned artist and journalist. She plans to reside in Prosperity Plains with her fiancee, Douglas Long (SSU Class of 2042), and pursue a career in law.

Sarah Pons with fiance Douglas Long (Class of '52).

Gretchen Riedmayer

Gretchen Riedmayer

Major: Literature
GPA: 4.0
Honors: Zeta Zeta Epsilon Greek House member, Landgraab Society member, Big Sim on Campus award recipient

Gretchen Riemdayer (second from right) with aunt Jill Smith,
cousin Jacqueline Riedmayer, and father Johnson Simpson.

Gretchen Riedmayer is the daughter of Johnson Simpson and the late Quinton Riedmayer. She hopes to pursue a career with the Sim State Historical Society and will be residing in Prosperity Plains with her fiance, classmate Jaden Kules.

Ingrid Riedmayer

Ingrid Riedmayer

Major: Biology
GPA: 4.0
Honors: Zeta Zeta Epsilon Greek House member, Landgraab Society member, Big Sim on Campus award recipient

Ingrid Riedmayer with mother Edith Riedmayer
and stepfather Thomas Dai.

Ingrid Riedmayer is the daughter of Edith Riedmayer, a retired member of the SCIA. Ingrid will be living with friends in Prosperity Plains while she pursues a career in medicine.

Jacqueline Riedmayer

Jacqueline Riedmayer

Major: Political Science

GPA: 4.0

Honors: Zeta Zeta Epsilon Greek House member, Landgraab Society member, Big Sim on Campus award recipient

Jacqueline Riedmayer with friend Ryker Owens (Class of '46).

Jacqueline Riedmayer is the daughter of Jill Smith, a member of the SCPD, and the late Elwood Riedmayer. She aspires to a law career and will be living with a friend in Prosperity Plains.









Notes:

1. I loved doing these graduation portraits because I got to compare my Sims to their parents. (Except, you know, the ones who were adopted or are estranged from their parents or whatever.) I was surprised by how much Jaden looks like his mother--he has Ryan's nose, but otherwise he's all Brittanie. I was also surprised how much Ingrid doesn't look like her mother...she has Edith's eyes, nose, and mouth, but Corbin's overall face shape, and it makes a big difference. 

2. Custom content: The base game OSMPs from here. I used normal Maxis poses, because I'm lazy, and used boolprop to make visitors controllable and force the students into their graduation gowns at non-automatic times. 

Week Six Part Fourteen: Pinenut Plaza Dormitory and Zeta Zeta Epsilon Greek House

Marion Landgraab: 25 years old. Aspiration: Pleasure. LTW: 50 1st Dates. Astrological sign: Gemini.

Jacqueline Riedmayer: 23 years old. Aspiration: Fortune. LTW: Become the Law. Astrological sign: Aquarius.

Gretchen Riedmayer: 23 years old. Aspiration: Fortune. LTW: Become Space Pirate. Astrological sign: Aries.

Jaden Kules: 22 years old. Aspiration: Knowledge. LTW: Become Space Pirate. Astrological sign: Scorpio.

Margaret Landgraab: 19 years old. Aspiration: Popularity. LTW: Have 20 Simultaneous Best Friends. Astrological sign: Gemini.

Sarah Pons: 17 years old. Aspiration: Fortune. LTW: Become the Law. Astrological sign: Aries.

Ingrid Riedmayer: 17 years old. Aspiration: Fortune. LTW: Become Chief of Staff. Astrological sign: Gemini.
Family trees:
Jaden
Jackie and Gretchen
Marion and Maggie 
Sarah and Ingrid

"Magical"
narrated by Sarah Pons

The year I went to college, there were seven of us...six girls and one guy. We were supposed to live in Sim State Dormitory, but we ended up getting moved after the first week because they needed to fumigate it...bugs or something.

Anyway, while they were getting our new rooms at Pinenut Plaza Dorm ready for us, we killed the time shopping for clothes. I mean, what else are six girls going to do with a few spare hours? I think Jaden looked at cell phones the whole time we were there.

Even though Jaden really didn't get our collective obsession with fashion, the seven of us were soon really close. I knew almost everybody before, 'cause I'm related to almost everybody, but seeing them around town wasn't the same as living with them.

Of course, it wasn't all socialization. We all kept our noses to the grindstone pretty well, in fact, and maintained 4.0 averages.

After our freshman year, we moved over to the Greek House with Douglas Long, who had been there the year before the rest of us. While we were moving in, this random cheerleader girl kept trying to strike up a conversation with me. Douglas says she hangs around all the time but has never actually tried to pledge or anything.

Jaden and Douglas bunked together in the mens' dormitory; I think Jaden was happy to have somebody who wasn't always talking about shoes and makeup. The women's dormitory wasn't big enough for all of us girls, so we switched around between that and the two double rooms.

Not long after we moved in, Jaden and Gretchen started going out together. They worked together in high school, so they've known each other forever, and they have a lot of common interests. I was super happy for them. (In addition to them both being my friends, Gretchen is my first cousin twice removed. I know that doesn't seem very close, but family loyalty runs deep in the Riedmayers.)

Speaking of family...I always felt bad for my cousin Ingrid. She had kind of a rough childhood and was very moody and withdrawn for a long time. She really blossomed in the Greek house, though. Sometimes I even caught her doing lighthearted things like juggling.

She also gave us all makeovers regularly. I think even Jaden let her cut his hair a few times.

Ingrid wasn't so happy when the secret society came to abduct her. I guess she hadn't been paying attention to the rest of us getting snatched one by one, because she thought she was genuinely getting abducted and almost broke this guy's nose hitting him with the back door. We managed to calm her down and she still got into the Landgraab Society.

Jaden and Gretchen were still going strong...

And I had started a little something with Douglas.

The only crisis we had was the one time Marion set herself on fire. We're not sure what happened...maybe some grease got on her clothes? Anyway, most of us were studying upstairs when it happened. Maggie ran down first to help.

Douglas ran down to help too. We didn't all want to get in the way, but he could tell that Maggie was panicking. Fortunately, the fireman also arrived quickly and Marion manged to survive with nothing but minor burns...a small miracle, considering.

I don't know if maybe that put Jaden in mind of his own mortality, but at any rate later on that year he took Gretchen down to the Crypt O' Night Club. It's not the most romantic place, if you ask me, but Gretchen told me about it later and said that while they were having drinks at the bar Jaden told her that his parents had met each other at that very bar, about thirty years previously. She thought that the evening was magical even with the creepy atmosphere.

After they had a few drinks, a table opened up and they had dinner. After they ate, Jaden proposed. Gretchen was expecting it (I mean, they'd known each other about ten years and been dating for five...) but she said it was still an amazing and emotional experience, hearing him declare his devotion to her.

Jaden got the DJ to put on some slow songs for them, and they danced the night away before coming home to the Greek house.

Around the same time, Ryker--he graduated from ZZE a few years before we started--came to visit, and when Jackie went out to greet him he bent down and kissed her hand.

From then on, the two of them spent pretty much all our parties making out.

Again, I hasten to reassure you all that we didn't spend all our time making out and going on dates. A lot of our "dates" involved heading up to the computer lab in the attic and seeing who could finish their term paper the fastest. Maggie usually won the race, but then she had to spend a lot of hours editing, whereas Jaden and Douglas could crank out perfectly polished essays in the first try. (Not 'cause they're guys. Just 'cause they're super nerdy and the rest of us aren't so much.)

Douglas graduated while the rest of us still had one year to go. I was really proud of him--he got a 4.0 and all sorts of honors--but also really sad to see him go.

Maybe I shoudn't have been, but I was actually surprised when he called me over and got down on one knee...right there in his graduation gown, with the photographer snapping pictures all the while. Good thing I was dressed up from having just attended the graduation ceremony. I said yes, of course. It was wonderful to know that our separation would be brief...Douglas told me after he proposed that he had gotten some land just down the street from my parents. He'd supervise the building of our house, and then we could get married as soon after my graduation as I wanted.

After Douglas left, we had an open space in the house (it's against the law to have more than 8 people in a rental) so we asked a girl named Anna Jeffress to pledge. She and I had been friends for a while, and became even better friends afterwards.

I know Jaden was sad to have the only Y chromosome in the house after Douglas left, but at least Anna was a good study buddy for him. She's at least as nerdy as Douglas. Jaden and Anna kept the rest of us on task during that last year...maybe it was just because my mind was on my wedding, but it seemed like the last months until graduation just dragged by.

We all finally made it, though!










Notes:

1. As you might be able to tell from the loading screen pic, I was having trouble getting Marion to age up properly. She looked like a teen and could only wear teen clothes, but she had all the YA interactions available. (She could flirt with the other YAs, etc.) I tried moving them and all sorts of other things. What finally worked was aging her back down to teen in SimPE and then reloading the lot...she aged up to YA properly as soon as the lot loaded. Hopefully I won't have any more trouble there.

2. I don't hold with gender-based stereotypes, but I must admit I found this group's conversations hilarious. The girls all have high interest in fashion and would seriously talk about it ALL THE TIME and Jaden would always have negative interactions, because he has low interest in fashion. (He managed to become best friends with everybody nonetheless.) I can't remember if Douglas has any interest in fashion or not.

3. I have been planning on marrying off Ryker and Jackie for a long time, but at one point this play session I decided to see if he was more attracted to any of the other girls and maybe switch things up if he was. He must have got wind of my plot, because he kissed Jackie as soon as she greeted him. (This caused her to fall in love and him to fall in crush, so I had them make out a little bit and then he fell in love too.) They only have one bolt, but I guess bolts aren't everything. :)

4. Anna is a Knowledge Sim with the refreshing want to Max All Skills. Her astrological sign is Sagittarius.

5. Everybody got 4.0, Big Sim on Campus, and Secret Society. I'm like a machine. 

6. I'm working on a graduation post, so you can see everybody else in their caps and gowns.