Welcome back to Ruth’s (un)Officially Wacky Boolprop Challenge! You’ll probably notice that this chapter is a little on the short side; that’s because this is the metaphorical calm before the storm. Next time around, there will be more Plot than you can shake a stick at.

Also, I would just like to point out for those of you who came here from LiveJournal, when Gilbert wrote the original song, “gay” meant “extremely happy.” It has nothing to do with Old Adam’s autonomous gender preference, past or present.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get on with the story!

As we rejoin the Shankel household, the question is: What is Lisa so happy about?

And the answer is: The same thing Leila’s happy about.

Myrna and Adam remain a full three bolts worth of stalkery adorableness. This very nearly made Adam miss the carpool.

Adam is now in the Education career track, finally in line with his LTW of Becoming the Education Minister. Oddly enough, he had to go in to work, but the girls all got a snow day.

Like all snow days in this household, it was not wasted. It’s rather a pity that nobody’s LTW is to Max Out All Skills.

To prevent a traffic jam at the dresser, I sent Leila to repair the tub.

At nine in the morning.

I didn’t realize my mistake until two real-time hours afterwards. Leila failed to actually repair the tub, and I left it broken for the remainder of the rotation. I hope that makes up for my stupidity…

Myrna rewarded the scholars with fresh-baked berry pie at lunch.

Do you know, I think I forgot to tell you Rose’s information last time. When she became a Teen, she rolled Fortune. She also rolled the Turn-Ons of Fit and Fat, and the Turn-Off of Red Hair.

Yes, I roll for Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs. As long as you’re rolling, you might as well go whole hog, right?

Myrna and Lisa also braved the snow to open the Tacky Flamingo.

Not that it took much braving, really: the snow was already melting by ten and was mostly gone by three.

But I learned something : Customers absolutely hate it when someone kicks over a flamingo.

OPINIONATED GARDEN CLUB LADY: Hel-loooo! What is wrong with you? How can you let these beautiful creatures be treated like this? Knocked over and trodden into the mud? It’s a disgrace -- a disgrace, I tell you!LISA: You know they’re plastic, right?OPINIONATED GARDEN CLUB LADY: Don’t you argue with me! The customer is always right!ONLOOKERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT: You tell her!LISA: (sigh) I’ll go pick them up.

As it turned out, Adam might have been better of staying home too. Instead, he decided to stand up against a fellow teacher’s unethical “educational practices” and was fired.

OLD ADAM: To think that an educator would fill the children with refined sugar and tell a story about the examination results! To think that she was best friends with the headmaster! To think that she was in his office when I went to speak to him of it! O, whatever will I tell Myrna?

(The “I got fired” doodad is there, but it’s hidden behind his thought bubble. The plumbbob is deliberate, to show his mood.)

MYRNA: It’s no big deal, Adam. You did the right thing. And you wouldn’t want to work for people who think that’s a good thing anyway. You’ll find another job.

OLD ADAM: O, do you think so, Myrna? Truly?

MYRNA: I know so. Any school would be lucky to have you.

OLD ADAM: Not half so lucky as I am to have you, my dearest!

Adam did indeed get another job in Education that same day.

And speaking of education, that’s exactly what Lisa and Leila are up to! After one last round of applying for scholarships, they girls called the taxi, and off they went.

OLD ADAM (in a high, unnatural near-shriek): Leila, Lisa -- your Grandpapa sends his best wishes for your time at university!

Leila received the following scholarships:

SimCity Scholar’s Grant

Tsang Footwork Award

I believe last time I referred to the Tsang Footwork Award as the “Twinkletoes Award.” This is why you should always take notes before you say anything.

But you have to admit: the Twinkletoes Award is a much cooler name.

Lisa did not manage to reach a Silver Robotics badge, but she did receive the following scholarships:

SimCity Scholars Grant

Bain-Gordon Communications Fellowship

Hogan Award for Athletics

She also has a good head start on most of the other skills, even if not quite enough of a one to get money.

The curse of non-Wacky clothing continues into college, as you can see. I mean, Leila’s outfit is a little bit Wacky, but where are my jodhpurs? Where’s my green top and pink pants? Where’s my puffy vest and sandals with socks? Where’s my low-cut club shirt and sweatpants?

(sourly) I want a refund.

Some members of the household had trouble sleeping after the twins left for school.

OLD ADAM: Phoebe, why do you wake?PHOEBE: Why dost thou wake, Poppa? Is’t not three in the morning?OLD ADAM: So it is. (conspiratorially) Well, since you cannot sleep any more than I, what do you say to opening the Tacky Flamingo a bit early?PHOEBE: Poppa! Truly? Thou dost not jest?OLD ADAM: Of course not! Go change -- you cannot leave the house in your nightdress.

Adam had a good time running the place, of course. He usually does.

And so does everybody else.

The Tacky Flamingo is now at Level 9.

That evening, Myrna aged up, into an outfit that missed being Wacky by this much. The Wackiest thing about this outfit is that the top is an Elder mesh and the shorts are an Adult mesh, so the tummy sticks out quite a bit. While that may be a tad Wacky, it also looks horrible and reflects poorly on the player for allowing it to continue.

I gave Myrna her old dress back, because I haven’t had a chance to send anybody shopping for appropriately Wacky Elder clothing yet.

Of course, Adam wouldn’t care if she wore a potato sack, any more than he cares that she has white hair now.

Which is probably a good thing, since the same thing happened to him the next day.

PHOEBE: Esme’s teeth, Poppa! Thou hast grown powerful old of a sudden!

MYRNA: Watch your mouth, young lady! We don’t use that kind of language in this house!

…What? You think people in prison use nice language all the time?

Although it’s probably a good thing for Rose that her sister is a little rough around the edges. You see, Rose brought home a friend from school one day. As it happened, she kind of liked him.

ROSE: You know, Pong, I like… your kimono.

PONG GRUNDSTROM: Really?

ROSE: Uh-huh. I think kimonos are great. And it really brings out your eyes.

But you have to watch those Grundstrom boys. Apparently, he repeated a substantially altered version of events to his friends, and Rose’s next visitor believed it.

STEVEN McAULEY: Sooooo… I hear you like guys in kimonos. You wanna show me just how much you like ’em?

ROSE: Ugh, no! Don’t touch me!

PHOEBE: Thou degenerate sheep-biting incontinent varlet! Touch not my sister! Come thou not near her again, or I swear by Esme’s heart that I will hunt thee down and wear thy entrails for a hat!*

(happily) Isn’t it great to have family looking out for you?

*Although “thee” and “thou” are generally informal, familiar terms used for family or close friends, they are also used for social inferiors (like your servants) or for anyone you want to insult by implying that they are your social inferior.

And speaking of Family, our Family Plantsim was on the verge of having a meltdown because I refused to let her Get Married To Anybody I Don’t Care Who It Is, Fall In Love Right This Second, or Murder That Damn Penguin That Keeps Piddling On The Sidewalk.

Fortunately, plantbabies fulfill that Baby NAO Or Else want. This little fella is named Chant, after The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones. Which I haven’t read in years, so don’t ask me why I thought of it when he was born -- er, budded. Cloned?

The little guy is very popular, especially with Oliver.

OLIVER: Hey Chant, what’s your mother’s name?CHANT: Mommy.OLIVER: Funny. Who’s the lady in the yellow shirt?CHANT: Auntie.OLIVER: Do you know who I am?CHANT: Granddaddy Oliver. You’re Granddaddy Oakapple’s husband. (with mild concern) You should be playing with blocks too if you forget things a lot. Mommy says you can get old timer’s if you don’t keep your mind active. (turning back to the blocks) I don’t know what that is but it sounds bad.

There’s been a triple birthday over at Buttercup’s house: Buttercup and Albert are now Elders, and Skye is a toddler. Since Buttercup actually needs glasses now, her frames have changed, but she kept the dyed hair. After all, that’s one of her husband’s Turn Ons.

Albert is actually in a good mood in this picture -- it’s just that with every age transition, the frowny-ness of his mouth template becomes more pronounced.

And we’ll catch up with Jo and Cecil next time.

Stay tuned!

Notes, disclaimers, and other trivia

The title of this chapter is actually a cut song from The Yeomen of the Guard. Gilbert and Sullivan wrote it, but decided that it wasn’t really needed. If you ever see the show, you won’t hear the song. However, I thought it was the perfect title for the chapter in which Old Adam became an Elder.

Chant speaks like a much older child because plantbabies come knowing all toddler skills and having the same skill points as their parents. I thought precociousness made sense.

Also, if you were ever in any doubt that Lisa is really Old Adam’s daughter, here is the proof: she’s definitely his.

Please join me next time for Plot! And until then, Happy Simming!