Not That I'm Counting or Anything

SPAM

To anyone who might read this - Apparently if I leave comments with my author ID, they go into SPAM comments. Either that or the blog boogieman is deleting them.

Le sigh. Sorry about that.

Reverb

 

As with all living things, the characters in one's head grow, evolve, change. Many times we try to put those physical characteristics in a tangible thing - a Sim for example. If I had known back in 2005 how to more accurately create what I saw in my head, I wonder how he would have turned out. Not that I would remake him; I wouldn't. Plus he manages to evolve on his own physically.

How many times have you as a writer been asked the question, "If you could pick an actor to play so-and-so, who would it be?" For the longest time I could not answer that question. Cooper took shape in my head long ago. It was never hard to describe what he smelled like or what he sounded like but to put flesh and blood on the frame was difficult. I could see it, describe it, but I could not name it.

The other day I stumbled upon an image of a model and I gasped. The man in the image was Cooper in physical form. The only thing he lacked was the dusting of body hair. I have stared for hours at the shot and wondered how I could recreate it. This is my lame attempt. It probably won't be my last once I find a pose box that will get the right body and arm position.

 

On the to-do list - I'd like to do a family shot, profiles of Coop, Beth, Rayne, Nate, Eric and Hugs. All as adults - lined up. Not sure if that makes sense. I can see it though. If I can shoot it, you will too.

 ETA: Cooper in the flesh.

No Frills Status Update

Thought I would post a status update since it has been awhile. I am slowly catching up with the stories I follow via Google Reader. I promise to leave a footprint on each of these very soon.

Writing is coming along nicely. I set aside one story to focus on another that took off like wildfire. Hoping to have that first draft completed before the end of August. Studio Time is still on hiatus but it is not permanent. We will be back. I just do not want to pin a date on that when I am so bad with deadlines and schedules. I hope that you can be patient on that front.

I have also made some progress on the CC front with regard to TS2. Let me just say that size definitely matters with regard to downloads. So far, I am at just under 20,000 files and the game loads immediately! Of course there are no high poly files in there yet (hair, skins, clothing) but I am going to be more selective about what I install in that area. That means if I cannot find it to re-download or cannot distinguish it in my CC folder then I go without and so do the characters. Everyone needs a fashion makeover right? I have a post-it on my monitor that reminds me not to reflex-click on the download link for every cool thing I come across.

I have a "writer blog" for non-Sims 2 posts under the pen name Gayl Taylor (homage to my man Rafe). If you follow me here and are interested in what is going on with my writing/future publishing progress, that site would be a good place to go. I am all over the place socially and trying to manage all that is not easy for a recluse! However, if you would like to keep up with me on the writing front (and why wouldn't you?), I am at the following social networks:

Twitter - gaylschat

Facebook

Goodreads

She Dreams - My writing blog

Google + (both my gaylsmail and gtaylor423 ID)

That is about it for now. Once I get this social network thing under control, you should hear from me more often!

The Things We Do

Is it just me or do all sim-babies look the same? Anyway this is Gemma's baby girl, Hollis Wilson. She seems to have her mother's coloring and her father's eyes. Yeah you didn't think I was going to actually tell you who that was did you? Silly readers...

On top of the change in my work schedule this week I ended up with a cold. I think the stress from last week's exams took its toll between staying up to cram and the general tension. So I am sitting here at the computer sweating from a fever, sneezing non-stop with a tissue permanently attached to my face and wondering how I will stay up all night. I do have iTunes blasting (currently listening to Daughtry) and I decided to amuse myself with some blasts from the past. First up under the cut is the hospital photo shoot. Word of warning there is a crapton of shots and general stupidness that is my commentary. I can only defend myself by saying I am sick.

Brain Freeze

Not the kind you are used to but similar. My head is so full of data that I don't think it will hold one more slice. It is chock full of information I will rarely apply in my job and most likely will forget in a few weeks. That is not to say that I won't apply certain things on my own personal box because I will - I have learned things, had AHA! moments that have me itching to apply to my PC. And I will have another string of acronyms to tack onto my business card (if I used it) plus two shiny certificates to pin on my wall.

Microsoft does not make it easy to earn these certs. Luckily one can be a C student and still earn it. I've been cramming to learn and let's face it, I've been memorizing a few things that I know I will not remember later. Anyone ever see a chart about networking, subnets, hosts and IP ranges? Yeah...it boggles the mind...or my mind at least.

So. Exam today at 2PM. Exam on Friday at 11AM. Have to pass both. Or retake. No one has addressed the issue of "what if I don't pass a second or third time?" I know what the answer was six years ago when I got my XP cert...

WTF Moments

You may recognize this woman as the gorgeous green-eyed beauty from Beth's post. Not so lovely here is she? All I can say is that looks extremely painful...and odd. What in the name of Will Wright is going on there? And she impaled the poor barista's hands...he'll never juggle tumblers again. A few inches to her back and that poor guy will be singing soprano.

I created another test neighborhood in a different user account on my PC for shits and giggles although Cooper clone lives there (he was my crash test dummy). I have been experimenting with ACR so that I can figure out how it works without borking my story NB relationships (not that the NB will stay up longer than 30 seconds). So this woman is the only Romance sim in the test hood (I used a Randomizer for everyone) and she got knocked up first woohoo. With birth control set to ON. *sigh* Fortunately Cooper is in everyone's Friends Zone so he gets no love whatsoever.

Post Valentines Post

It has been a rough couple of weeks. I think I have dried up creatively during this time and honestly wondered if I had completely lost it altogether. Whenever I ask myself why I cannot snap out of the funk I realize that my spirit is broken, utterly crushed, and it has been for some time. You can slap on a mask and pretend you are fine but the truth always comes out. Is it possible to be damaged beyond repair? Sometimes I really think I am...

Words and Music

I was not going to publicize this but I'm in a mood so I figure why not...

This shot is an outtake from my recent week's photo shoot. I couldn't find the stilettos I wanted to use and I couldn't keep the guitar case open without propping it with something. I was really at a loss as to what I wanted this week and ended up posting something completely different.

I am sticking to my resolution about using my digital camera as well as attempting to write something every day. To help me stay with it I committed to a 52 week photography challenge. I selected a theme which I will admit is broad but whatever. I selected music along with my storytelling as a theme. I've managed 4 weeks so far. They aren't great but I'm having fun with it.

The second piece, the writing, is why I created the blog Words and Music. I'll either post something original, directly from our stories, or something revamped from our stories. They are very short, like one-minute exercises.

I do not know if anyone is remotely interested, I just wanted to put it out there.

Circling the Drain

Ever have one of those weeks where you cannot for the life of you remember why you began writing? There are a couple of updates stuck in my head; I've been circling around them, trying to pluck them from their hidey holes to no avail. It's like I've forgotten how to do this writing thing completely. And I've been ridiculously sick which doesn't encourage or inspire the grey matter...

In other news, and I wasn't going to plug this but...meh, whatever, I started doing a sort of photo challenge, not sim-related, 52 Weeks of Whatever. Put my first shot up last week. I chose a theme of music although I also intend to steal a page from Laura who writes Lakeside Heights and use excerpts from my writing as a prompt as well. It's all related in a manner of speaking. Because I am a bit reclusive and anti-social I doubt I will plug them as they post but since I committed myself to a resolution involving photography I'm going to try and stick to it.

Oh yeah, and I am rebuilding...again. *le sigh*

Ice Age

Pardon the terrible iPhone image...

I was complaining to glitterenvy in her post yesterday about the cold...she makes me laugh...

Thought I would post proof that even in sunny California it gets cold...this was at 7AM PST. My house is not that much warmer for those of you who remember my post about the small wall heater in it. At least the hallway gets warm. I stood in front of it last night. It stops feeling warm once you are about 5 feet away...

Brrr!!!!! Bring on spring please?

Resolutions 2011 Style

res·o·lu·tion – noun: a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.

I make them every year like many people. I fail to keep them the same way many people do. This year I am making a few that I find I may be able to manage.

• I will be more discriminating in the downloading of custom content
• Just because it is pretty and shiny doesn't mean I need it or will ever use it
• If it isn't well made I do not need it
• I will test all the aforementioned CC before corrupting my game with it
• I will try to devote time to finishing my other threads
• That includes Rising Above which I intended to finish in 2010 as well as Chameleon
• I will write on a regular basis
• Even 100 words a day is better than zero 
• I will go on a walk at least 3 times per week to clear my head and gain perspective
• I can't promise more than that so beyond 3 days is considered a bonus
• I will finish my at-home Photoshop lessons
• I will take more still photos with my digital camera
• I will post said photos for feedback (read praise and glory)
• I will comment as I read so I do not fall behind resolution fail #1
• Writers who take time to share their work deserve a few well chosen words

I do have some other, more personal goals but I do not feel compelled to share those since...they're personal.

Request for Feedback

Nearly two and a half years ago I did a photo shoot for a simgenix challenge based on the seven deadly sins. Mine was done on Lust. No surprise there right? I've learned a lot in nearly three years and I'd like to complete the set. I would love some feedback from anyone who reads this.

Same Old Song

Yeah, I know how you feel baby girl, I know how you feel.

I am starting over. Clean Downloads file with only Genetics. And some CC that I know is safe. Hoping I can recover the rest of the CC needed for the lots. I do not want to rebuild. But then you don't always get what you want do you? (sounds like a song...)

Alive and Kicking

Just a brief note to let anyone who reads this know that I am still here. I've been sick so staying awake has been a challenge. I am behind in my reading but I have not forgotten or abandoned my favorite stories and writers. I just need to play catch-up when I can. Please bear with me.

Also trying to reconcile the game crashes. There is no logical reason behind it so weeding through things has been slow. I appreciate your patience. Beth and I have an update waiting in the wings if either of us can figure out our game issues. Maybe this guy can help if he ever wakes up...

Cold Front

Slowly weeding my way through CC. I haven't deleted much but I did find an entire folder totaling about 940ish files that crash my game. Isolated the folder for later. It makes sense since the files came with a lot I downloaded and that was when everything started going sideways. I don't need the files really. I can redecorate the lot to suit the man that will live there. Still have around 44 folders of CC although it is tens of thousands of files still. Hoping to get through them all tonight so I can be productive. My process goes like this - add a folder, load the game, load the lot, click some objects, browse the catalog (objects and clothes), send a character to a community lot, send them home, test the hacks. We'll see...

Lady in the crappy game camera shot is from the test family that I use in a clean NB. I could not resist actually "playing" a little as I scoped the content. I sent my dude on vacation. He fancies himself a player. He knocked up some Townie (yes I forgot about silent woohoo) and they had a kid. She is preggers again. And having a Bud...

Did you know they smell the flowers in M&G? I didn't. Did you know you can slide down banisters? I didn't. Did you know you can use solar panels and have "green" Sims? I didn't. Playing can be enlightening.

It is raining off and on. Cold. And there is a breeze coming from somewhere in my house that I cannot find. Feels like a door is open. I need to shove towels under the door jam so the cold air stays outside - well I would if I didn't have boys coming in and out all the time. My hands are like ice and my shoulders hurt. Wah! Whine, whine.

More Mosaics

I tend to do other things when I'm thinking through an update. Focusing on something else usually sparks an idea or two when I am not trying too hard. Focusing on these mosaics was a little more distracting than I expected but I like how they came out. At Beth's encouragement to post them instead of sneaking them into bios, I thought why not? Maybe I will do character studies down the road.

Mosaics under the cut.

Spinning Wheels

We are trying slowly to find a plot among all the fragments we have. It isn't working yet but we're thinking it through.

Thought I might throw up a shot of Julia and Gemma side by side (sort of) for those curious. Dug into the deep freeze and yanked Julia out so I could get a shot. They look the same and yet subtly different from each other. Might be the difference in personalities. I never really got into Julia's when she was alive. Maybe I can do a bio on her and bring some of that to light although I have no idea why. During the last couple of weeks I did manage to start mosaics and bios on a few people. They are still in the editing stages so I haven't posted them.

I don't know what I'm doing right now. Broken down on the side of the road without a map or GPS. Slippery slope and I just don't know which direction is best.

Turning Point

Should have posted this yesterday...I meant to...

Had I known then what I know now about creating Sims in Body Shop this would be a better likeness. I no longer feel that compelling need to recreate him and beat myself up over loss. Most likely this will be my final post on the subject. I did make a cherry pie last night since that is what he preferred instead of birthday cake.

Today would have normally found me spontaneously crying, overly emotional and sensitive, buried away somewhere dark. The loss, the emptiness is still there but it no longer consumes. I think that is a good thing, either that or I am beyond numb at this point. I prefer to think it is acceptance. I never remember the steps of grief and loss but I must have reached the last one. Sometimes it take awhile if you hang onto it too long trying to examine every facet.

I slept most of the day away so that certainly helped. Is it wrong that I didn't feel that pull? I'm thinking not.

Cloudy With a Chance of...

I woke up to a howling wind that rattled the windows in my room. All I could think was that I hoped it didn't start raining. I have a refrigerator in my back yard courtesy of the kids all moving out of the Santa Cruz house. It's mine and honestly I wish I could put it in my kitchen since it is energy efficient and would most likely reduce my utility bill. Maybe I can shove the landlord's piece of crap into the garage or something. You know a refrigerator isn't worth its salt when you can't stick magnets on it and hang the artwork your kids do...

I'm at work. Wish I wasn't. Terrible headache and puffy eyes because I cried like a fussy whiny crybaby last night until I fell asleep. So now I feel shitty and have to play nice with the customers. TGIS...