Cape Albacore 13 - Changes in the Carranza household; RIP Myra Burkhart
The whole town is aging and the old folk are dying off. Luckily we now have a cemetery.
Staci Carranza finally became an adult. (She was a teenage single mother when her oldest boy, Raymond, was born.) She celebrated with her friends at the Equestrian Center.
Music was supplied by Alma Augustine and Staci's new beau, Davis Thornton, (Yvonne Askew's baby-daddy aka the man with the ruby red pants.) Davis and Staci were getting serious, and Staci asked him to move in.
I think she's accusing him of stealing the laptop (which, in fact he did.) He also got on her bad side by having the audacity to sleep in her bed!
In her final days, Myra was getting unbearable. She tried pitting Raymond and Frank against each other, complaining to each about the other; . . .
She frequently snuck up on them and scared them.
But that did nothing to curb her behavior.
"I see you grandma. That's not going to work!"
Despite her concern for little Buck earlier on, she enjoyed terrorizing him as well.
"Since you haven't taken out the garbage, you are forbidden from going to the theater this afternoon!"
"But Grandma, I get school credit for going!"
Myra was so explosive that little Buck started to wonder if she was even human. "Maybe she's really an evil alien from another planet inhabiting my grandma's body," he thought.
"Yep, that's gotta be it."
Frank was the one who seemed to get the worst of it. One day it got so bad that it ended up in a knock-down-drag-out just before school. The school bus was honking away as they battled each other in the TV room.
Myra started complaining about Raymond, and Frank told her she needed to lay off of everyone, especially little Buck.
The next thing I knew, she lunged for him!
Nothing like getting beaten up by your grandmother just before school!
Frank started looking for a way out of the situation. He was close to graduating and becoming an adult. Then he would definitely move out as soon as possible! But he had no money for a place to live.
He had become good friends with Holly Dawkins, who knew Frank's grandmother treated him like garbage. In fact she'd experienced Myra's behavior herself when Myra, out of the blue, started criticizing Holly's father.
'As soon as we both graduate, you can move in here with us, and we'll save up some money and get a place together," she suggested. And that's just what he did. But first, his older brother Raymond had to age up.
Here's the adult Raymond. He still struggles with his mental health. He's even been to the hospital for treatment, but it was just a temporary fix.
He had begun writing novels as therapy, and had completed 3 of them so far.
Raymond assumed it was his mental condition that caused him to slap his grandma when he was a teen. She has since gotten even.
He tried to apologize for his past behavior, . . .
but Myra accepted his apology, then followed it up with a swift slap in the face!
It's not just the kids that Myra torments. Staci has had her fair share of it too.
It wasn't long until Frank also aged up and graduated.
After graduation, the whole family went to the park for a picnic.
While the kids amused themselves, Staci found someone to play kicky-sac with, and Myra found someone to beat up.
It was old Harrison Dawkins. She really doesn't like him much. Luckily Nikki was there to kiss the booboos.
The next day, Frank broke the news that he was moving out. "It's mostly because of grandma, but also because this place just has too much art, and I have to share a room with both my brothers. He explained.
Raymond seems content to stick around awhile longer.
He's making friends with Staci's boyfriend Davis, though he seems to be concerned that they might produce more siblings.
Raymond completed his first science fiction novel and asked Staci if she could create the cover art. Maybe they will collaborate again in the future.
Unlike Frank, Raymond hasn't found a romantic interest yet, so I had him set up an online profile and scout out the single women of the appropriate age in town. (I also adjusted things in Nraas to hopefully eliminate autonomous pairings of young adults with elders. We'll see if it works.) At this point, I see two possibilities for him: this woman he met at Dock of the Bay, . . .
or Cydney Speegle. There may be others that I'm not aware of.
The only family member who is worse to live with than Myra is Misty the cat who is enemies with everyone in the household - except Myra. She simply dislikes Myra.
(This is Buck as a teenager.)
Is Misty trying to steal Myra's money???
One day Slade Speegle asked her out to the winery. His wife Shantel apparently followed him there. Maybe she got wind of his behavior at the Oyster Pearl earlier and felt she needed to keep an eye on him.
She looks like she suspects something.
"Really, honey, I just asked her here to see if she could run a background check on this new guy at work who acts like he's hiding something."
They drank some wine together, but kept everything on the up and up. It wasn't too long until Myra's eyes wandered to the handsome Frank Callaway, sitting and eating his lunch all by himself.
"What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" she cooed.
It turns out he was there to interview Braden Child. Myra decided she would need to get to know Frank some other time when there weren't so many people around.
Next she was asked out to the equestrian center by politician Vince Howard.
I don't think his intentions were romantic, because he balked whenever she flirted. But Myra would not take no for an answer.
"Myra! I said I wasn't interested in you like that!"
"Oh, you are such a tease!" she insisted.
"No, Myra, I am really quite serious!"
Luckily, Myra's phone rang a few seconds later. It was Elton Strickland, the town crooner, wanting to know if Myra could meet up with him. "Well, I might as well since Vince isn't much fun!" she thought.
"Can you really make a good living performing singing telegrams and singing for tips?" she asked.
When she started flirting, he said he already found the woman he wanted to marry. However, he offered her flowers to soften the blow.
Myra misinterpreted this gesture and tried to give him a kiss.
"Woah, lady! I just want to be friends." He insisted. "But here, have some more flowers."
At this point, Myra decide to just question him for a report for work.
In the end, she and Elton became friends! Now she has two friends (aside from her Ford Fiesta) and fourteen or more people she dislikes or is enemies with. She even started a blog series "The Jerks of Cape Albacore" where she calls each one out in a blog post.
Myra's other friend is Jordan Daily, a coworker on the police force. Myra's partner is James Russell, and they don't get along well at all. This is probably why neither of them are advancing in their careers. It was Myra's day off, and she and Jordan met up at the Crab Spot for some drinks. (This is where she beat up waitress Randi Alvies in an earlier episode.)
This time, Randi refused to serve Myra. In fact, she asked Jordan back to the kitchen to discuss the matter.
It looks like Randi wants Myra to kick the bucket. Jordan admits Myra is childish (not really one of her traits; I think he's trying to sugar-coat the situation) but he promises to do his best to keep Myra away from Randi. It's Greta Leadbetter who has the "privilege" of serving Myra this time. Greta does her best to establish good rapport with Myra.
Randi is glad that Myra is not at one of her tables.
Greta did her best, but Myra found fault with the kind of music Greta likes.
Myra spotted her partner, James Russell, who apparently was hoping for a Myra-free work day, and started complaining to him about Greta and her love for heavy metal music.
"What do you want me to do about it, Myra? Arrest her?"
"Would you, please?"
"Myra, I've told you before: we can't go around arresting every person who doesn't meet your standards!"
Meanwhile Jordan and Randi slipped out to the deck and discussed the new play that came to town that week. Jordan admitted he's not a fan of art, but he does like theatrical performances, especially if there are some well-known actors involved. Maybe they should go see the play together sometime.
"Just don't tell Myra, she'd have a fit if she thought I was consorting with the enemy!" he joked.
The next day, Myra met up with her other friend Elton, and they went to check out the new sports bar in town. (Paddys Sports Bar by texansky).
Elton spotted some of his neighbors from the apartment complex and decided to eat with them, so Myra entertained herself by watching the game on the TV.
Davis Thornton was also there, playing a game of pool.
Elton showed off some of his musical talent to Myra. "See, I can do more that just sing," he said.
She got wind of a party going on in town, so she donned her police uniform and went to break it up.
I believe this is Mr. Bates, of Chesapeake Shores (by ciane). First she bawled him out for breaking the noise ordinance, . . .
then she destroyed his snowmen and put up one of her own.
When Myra got home, Staci confronted her. It appears she's getting quite the reputation from running around with a different man every night, some of them being married. Staci felt she was acting like a foolish tramp.
Will this convince Myra to change her ways? I doubt it!
Staci has her own relationship to nurture and career to think about.
Davis and she are now living together, but haven't been able to spend a lot of time together. She tried to remedy the situation by getting romantic in the kitchen. However, she must have interrupted him cooking waffles or something, because the stove caught fire as they were making out.
"You guys! Stop all the PDA and pay attention to your surroundings!" Buck screamed.
Luckily Buck got the fire under control. Thanks Buck!
Staci has had second thoughts about being a stylist. Her customers often are disappointed in her makeovers no matter how hard she tries.
She dabbled a little in interior design, but I really don't want to change a lot of the builds at this point, so she eventually registered as a self-employed painter. Now she can stay home all day and do what she loves.
At day 115, the Sims life bar is full, but it appears Myra is powering through on sheer meanness. Many of her contemporaries have passed away: Maria Purdy; Nana (Marks) Lance; Luther and Brianne Kane, and Bubba, Billy, and Betsy Askew and their dog Otis to name a few.
I caught poor Seth Askew looking a little pensive at the gym shortly after his parents passed away.
I'm glad he has Sammy Speegle in his life.
As I was saying, the "scheduled" life span for my sims is 115 days, but Myra is on day 133. This morning she got up before the rest of the household and decided to take herself out for some coffee at Sugary Bites and Dark D'lights.
She wanted to top the cooking skill, and she's on level 9, so I had her do some baking - a cobbler and a pie. Then she decided to go torture Heidi Bobo, the barista at the coffee bar.
She really wanted to scare Heidi, but Heidi seems to have figured out that as long as she's at her post, Myra can't do it.
Myra waited her out for a little bit, then decided to complain about her to anyone who would listen. Then she decided to see if anyone was upstairs.
It turns out there were a lot of other people upstairs standing in a circle chatting, but apparently not letting Frank Callaway join in their reindeer games. He didn't look happy about it. "Here's my chance to capture Frank's heart!" Myra thought.
She went over him and started turning on the charm.
"Hi! Remember me? We met at the nectary last week."
While LeRoy had his wife distracted, Frank quickly produced some red roses and presented them to Myra.
It looks like things are going Myra's way, but Frank realized his wife was starting to notice.
When Myra tried to kiss him, he balked, and guided her to a safer topic, that of law enforcement and justice.
Soon, Myra was distracted by someone else she had a bone to pick with.
Suddenly, Myra started feeling a little woozy and a little "floaty."
Mr. Grim had finally come for her.
Myra took the news well. I guess she was growing weary of this world, perhaps even a little bored, which could be why she spent so much time stirring the pot and creating drama. She's off to her next great adventure.
Before Grim left, however, he noticed the cleaning staff hadn't shown up, so he took it upon himself to mop the puddle on the floor of the men's room, . . .
. . . and reshelve books the customers had left lying about.
As for the rest of Myra's family, despite their severe dislike of the woman, they all took her death very hard. (I guess I can't speak for Frank as he had moved out by this time.)
Staci cried more than a few tears.
Myra may not have been much of a mother, but she was the only mother Staci had.
Raymond got a call from Cydney Speegle to meet up, and went and found solace in her arms.
"There, there, Raymond. You'll get through this. After all, tomorrow is another day."
"I know she was a cantankerous old bat, but I thought she was invincible. We had our problems, but I know I was her favorite of all the family."
After Cydney went home, Raymond spotted something struggling in the deep snow. It was a falcon! It's feet seem to have frozen to the ground somehow.
Raymond helped the bird get free and befriended it.
Tending to a creature in need helped Raymond get his mind off his problems. He decided to take the bird home with him.
Not wanting to entrap an animal meant to roam free, Raymond purchased a perch for the falcon and placed in on the upper deck. The bird would be able to come and go as it pleased.
The next day was the funeral. Staci set it up to be held at the Cape Albacore Cemetery and Funeral Home (by soocoolsim.) It had to be a destination party as funeral wasn't an option.
Staci gave a moving eulogy, . . .
. . . but Cydney was not impressed and wondered what James Russell was thinking about it, having had to spend time with Myra day after day on the job.
After Staci finished, Cydney put in her two cents. "Let's not fool ourselves! Myra Burkhart was an enemy of the people. She constantly cited, arrested, or fined the citizens of this town for the silliest of reasons! Her family has my sympathy, but I refuse to pretend she was an asset to the town. I am here to support my friend Raymond in his time of need, but I refuse to pretend I'm sad to see the woman go.
This caused Raymond to have a panic attack.
Staci was inspired to paint a picture "Fishing with Dad" to depict her dream of what a good parent is like.
RIP Myra. The town may not miss you, but I sure will. You are the queen of all things drama-related.
Oh, and she wasn't the only one to die in this episode. I forgot to send someone to feed the cow plant.
Frank Carranza was conspicuously absent from his grandmother's funeral. (Mainly because I couldn't find him in the list of potential guests.) I dropped in on him to see how things were going, and helped him and Holly Dawkins move into their first house together - The Gator Pod by Hidehi. They seem quite happy with their new home.
It looks like you landed on your feet, Frank. Best of luck to you!
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