Wednesday 17 February 2016

Running out

Round 16: July 2026


Cal and Elissa Cooper are 64.
(Stella is 62, Brady is 7 and Tate is 5.)


Narrated by Elissa.

Cal and I are finally in the clear after years and years of financial struggles. To me the biggest luxury is to be able to pay the rent without worries and help our children if they need something. Dining at the finest restaurants is a nice bonus but being stress-free is the best thing.

We celebrated the release of my third book "November Lights" with a small party of two at Joie Délicieuse. We would probably still be counting all our pennies if it weren't for the fact that Stella Harris saw the potential in my books and turned them into a movie and then another one.

Cal and I still work full-time so it's nice to unwind on our days off. Sometimes we lounge in bed in our pajamas all day just watching TV and relaxing.

Sometimes we babysit Ben and Denise's youngest kids. Riley has a summer job now and Liam just can't be trusted to babysit Brady and Tate on his own. He's a sweet boy but he gets so absorbed in his video games that the house could collapse around him and he wouldn't notice.

We enjoy spending time with our grandchildren anyway so whenever we babysit it feels more like our kids are doing us a favour than the other way around.

Stella and I have become friends and soon we'll become business partners. I was involved as a supervisor on the first two movies based on my books but now Stella wants me to take on a more active role as a screen writer and executive producer. The whole movie business is a bit foreign for me but Stella says it's just to give me more credit because the movies would have never happened if it weren't for my books.

Stella is followed everywhere by paparazzi. They're always lurking somewhere and taking pictures. She's gotten used to it by now but she still hates it especially when she's out with her kids. The media got more interested in her again when she and Deacon adopted Minka and Nick. At first she wouldn't go out with them at all but now that they're more settled she takes them to the park. I can't imagine what it's like to have your every stop documented and I don't even want to know!

I have decided to retire from the police force next year when I turn 65. Writing takes a lot of time and I have so many ideas for books that it should keep me busy. And I definitely feel like I'm getting too old to run the SWAT team. It's time for someone else to take over.

Cal says he'll retire too. He's found his love for making toys again and he's often working on the bench. So far he's only made toys for our grandkids but he says he might open an online store if he ends up making more.

I definitely won't miss the early morning jogs before work. Nowadays I have to work harder and harder to keep up with my younger colleagues. I know I'll try to stay in shape even after I retire but then it won't feel like such a chore.

Waking up slowly in Cal's arms is a much more pleasant way to start a day.


Notes:

  • Title reference: Running out by Matoma & Astrid S.
  • Yay, I'm so happy to get an update done! I've missed my sims.
  • I usually don't make my sims retire right after they turn 65 but I think both Cal and Elissa are more than ready for that. She's got her writing to keep her busy and he's just never been a career-oriented person at all.
  • Elissa published her third book and started writing a fourth one. Stella will most likely start working on a movie based on the third book soon. I really want to make movie posters for the movies but I don't have the time right now.
  • I hope to crank out another update but I'm not making any promises. I have a paper due this week for school and it still needs work.

6 comments:

  1. Movie posters would look amazing in your hood and a red carpet event! I love how they will retire soon, some sims are able to do that, while others need to keep working to pay the bills. I'm sure she gets plenty of royalty payments from her books.

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    Replies
    1. I'd love to do a red carpet event! I just need a bigger cinema with a huge entrance so it'll look good.

      I've always thought that Elissa and Cal would retire as soon as possible if it's possible financially for them. I have to figure out a way to handle royalty payments because the one payment in-game doesn't cut it IMO.

      Thanks for your comment. :)

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  2. It's always great to read how you tie things that happen in one of your Sims' lives in with the others.
    I must have missed quite a lot here, because I have no idea why this couple were struggling so financially, in spite of both of them working full time?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One of my favourite things about Wellington is tying the lives of my sims together.

      I think Elissa and Cal have been doing much better financially for the past few updates but they were quite poor when they moved to Wellington and ended up having to sell their house etc. I'm quite strict when it comes to finances so my families don't just get money to buy their houses, they have to take a mortgage or save enough to pay for one.

      Thanks for your comment. :)

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  3. I've always wanted to make movie posters - I can't find any with English text but with sims in the pictures - but apparently not enough to get off my bum and actually do them!

    Anyway, I think Cal and Elissa will be very happy in retirement! Sleeping in and having time to focus on her writing will be a nice change and the opportunities she has to work with Stella in the movie business are very exciting too. I can't remember...do you have any sims in the Show Business career besides Stella?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are so many things on my to-do list that never get made because I'm too lazy to do them, LOL. I really want to make those movie posters though.

      I think retirement is the right choice for Cal and Elissa and I'm sure they'll be happy about it. I don't currently have any playables in the Show Business career besides Stella. Skye Marlowe wants to become an actress but she's only 14. One of my playable NPCs, Libby Williamson (Niall's fiancée) is an actress though and she's the leading lady in the movies based on Elissa's books.

      Thanks for your comment. :)

      Delete