Life and Times of Sandi French - part 5 - College Struggles, Fiona's Night Out, Thor's Best Friend, and the Wedding.

 It turns out despite her best efforts, Sandi is not the best at academics. She tried: spent a lot of time working on her science skills, never skipped a class, (though she did fall asleep once in a while), sucked up to the professors, studied before her exams and read most of the textbook, but she failed both tests her first and second terms and has a C average. 

 

This echoes the real-life conundrum. You can either do well in school or have a boyfriend, but it's really hard to do both. Sandi and Bernie Butler became fast friends then more than friends.

I gave him a makeover so he didn't look so much like someone's dad. 

This poor guy kept clobbering himself with the pool ball while Sandi and Bernie were getting cozy.

Dear Arlo,

    You are a wonderful man, so I thought you should know that I have found someone else. Please don't think this is a reflection on you. Any woman would be lucky to have you. But I guess time apart has given me a new prospective, and I feel it is time to move on. I hope you will be happy for me; I hope we can still be good friends. I wish you all the happiness in the world and know someday you will find your true love too.

I think you would like Bernie and hope you get to meet him someday. He's neat, but doesn't mind my tendency to be a slob,. . . .

he's charismatic, brave, and loves the outdoors. (He's also a good kisser, but Sandi didn't think it was right to mention that.) He's majoring in the Fine Arts. Say hi to Darlene for me. I hope she and the baby are doing well. 

xoxo,

Sandi

After her first term, Sandi returned home briefly. Here's what went down. Molly was still running the bakery 3 days a week and working at the restaurant part time. She nearly topped the culinary career and did master cooking. Trying to hold down two jobs is a strain, however. Her tasty baked goods sell about as fast as she can make them, which is a good problem to have. A not-so-good problem to have is the fact that the customers are coming behind the counter and trying to take over!

This ain't your kitchen, Iqbal! I put in a fence with a gate, but couldn't lock the gate. I think it's because I had to use moveobjects to place it. I had to settle for sending Molly in to cook and then blocking it with a chair so others wouldn't follow her.

Fiona had been working hard, so she took a well deserved night out - and boy what a night it was! She went to the Sunrise Lounge, where everyone who was anyone showed up. I had thought she and Hannah had an understanding and were just friends, but I guess Fiona wasn't aware that Hannah had a new girlfriend!

She called her a piece of garbage . . .

implied her mother was a llama, then resorted to fisticuffs!

Hannah got the upper hand, however.

Needless to say, they are no longer friends. Fiona was still stung from that horrible makeover River gave her, but she tried to mend fences.

There seems to be no ill will between them. One of Fiona's goals was to make some new friends. As luck would have it, the instant she and Cornelia Goth reached the friend stage, Cornelia up and croaked.

It was such a shock! A lot of people were broken up about it . . .

But the person most upset, ironically, was Vita Alto, who I thought didn't care much for the Goth family. I guess it's Nancy Landgraab she really dislikes.

"This is all YOUR fault, Fiona McIrish! If you hadn't made friends with her, she'd still be here today!"

To top off the evening, Jocasta Bachelor passed out, giving Simis the opportunity he was waiting for to come on to Fiona.

I think you've had enough fun for one night, Fiona. Time to go home.

It wasn't long before it was little Thor's birthday. 

He doesn't look too bad. I only changed his outfits. He did seem to inherit Jared Frio's winning personality, however. Oh so contrary! Sandi tried to give him a potion to turn his imaginary friend real, but he rejected her present. To be fair they weren't quite up to the friend level, and he hadn't seen her much as she went off to college, but what a jerk!

Sandi "left the potion lying around," and I put it in his inventory so he could use it. Meet Lucky!

They went trick or treating the neighbors because it was Spooky Day, but they wouldn't keep their costumes on because it was too cold. Hannah asked him if he was one of the kids who stole her hubcaps the other day. I wouldn't put it past him! His traits are disciplined, evil, and snob. Lucky's are disciplined, grumpy, and photographer's eye. 

It wasn't long until it was time for Sandi to go back to college and finish her degree. She continued her romance with Bernie.

Her friend Alfred Jobb tried to steal her away, . . .

And other girls tried to woo Bernie, but they stuck together. Sandi only went to one real party during this term, and that was to her friend Alfred's house. I think it was meant to be a pool party, but Alfred doesn't have a pool, so it turned into a "git neckid" party. 

Alfred cooked up and ate some hot dogs in the rain, but decided later to join in the fun.

I think I figured out what Sandi is doing wrong! She's working hard in her Renaissance of Slacking Off Class. Maybe she just needs to chill. 

The next term she slacked off in this class and passed with flying colors! Go figure! Fall gave way to winter, and it was time for some winter fun . . . 

winter fights . . .

 . . . and winter woohoo!

The term ended and Sandi managed to pull her C grade up to a B in time for graduation. 

Hurray! 

She invited her mother and little brother, but they didn't show up. Maybe Thor got in trouble at school or something. However Jamie showed up - without a coat. 

And Fiona also came. 

So long everyone! Time to start the next phase of your life, Sandi.

The game went a little glitchy on the way back home. I think the roommates came along and got dropped off somewhere. Sandy invited Bernie over and he was there lickity-split. No waiting until the next morning like it is when you invite a "foreign visitor." In fact I don't think that inviting a "foreign visitor" was an option. Sandi proposed to him and he said "yes." 

In customary Sims fashion, the wedding didn't go as planned. In this world there's a wedding chapel in the graveyard. I bought the cake and put it in Sandi's inventory, made sure she and Bernie had wedding clothes, set up a wedding party at the lot, inviting the Bunch family and a few others, and took the whole family to the lot early to set up. I placed the cake, and waited for the guests to arrive.

The bride was stunning. Fiona tried taking a few pictures with the bride.

Sandi thanked her for being there through all her formative years and for being so supportive and putting up with her pranks, mood-swings, and sloppiness. She was truly like a second mother to her.

While waiting for the guests (who never showed up), Sandi tried giving gifts to the kids. She had several Frisbees that she had accumulated during her time at college and thought they would like them. Lucky couldn't imagine the gift to be anything fun. It was probably just clothes.

"We don't even know each other, lady! I don't trust you!" Even Thor spurned her gift.

"What is your problem, Thor? Why are you so antagonistic? Why can't you accept a special gift on my special day?"

At least Fiona graciously accepted her Frisbee. She and Sandi had many fond memories of playing catch with them during her teen years. It was time for the wedding, but the groom managed to get himself stuck at the bar and was unable to get to the wedding arch. I had to reset everything and try again. I also replaced the benches with chairs because I knew guest won't autonomously sit on benches but they will in chairs once the "get married" interaction is selected on the arch. However, I didn't realize doing this would remove the cake from the lot until it was too late.

So we started again from home - this time leaving the bratty kids behind. 

We only invited Darlene over this time. It was time to get this thing done!

No cake, but they did have a buffet dinner, some drinks, some karaoke, and some dancing before going home. 

Bernie was offered a job on the police force in Barnacle Bay, so the next day the couple packed up and moved. They decided to invest in a farm rather than take an elaborate honeymoon, so they settled into this little fixer-upper. They plan to remodel the enormous rooms as they get the funds to do so.

Bernie especially loves the chickens, and Sandi has big plans to make this as eco-friendly and self-sufficient as possible. She has planted a garden, which will help her in her new job at the science facility. 

It wasn't long before the couple realized the people in this town don't take to newcomers too easily. It doesn't help that Bernie enjoys antagonizing his co-workers. These two already dislike each other. 

Sandi and Bernie plan to make the most of living in this small, secluded town. 

We've been getting warnings that Fiona and Molly are about to die. I can't send Sandi back to that version of Sunset Valley (I guess because it's a save file and not the actual world.) I think if I can still reach Thor and Lucky by phone, I will invite them to visit and add them to the household. I don't know if they are still kids or if they have aged up into teens, but I can see them adding some drama to this household. I don't know if this is possible, however, and I deleted the last save of that town, so they may be lost forever.