something in the water

February 2081 - Blake Miller is 35, Clarice is 34, Elliot is 3. Last update, October 2078.

Blake couldn't resist telling Clarice all about how Joel ran himself to the ground trying to make sure he and Aurora weren't having an affair. It was funny, you have to admit (though Blake suddenly gets an overwhelming suspicion as to why Joel doesn't really like him...)

Oh, but it's all in good humor! If he and Joel aren't friends, it hasn't been through any lack of effort on Blake's part. He guesses Joel is just a strange character - not really shy, but still a bit of a loner; not deadly serious, but a career military man. Maybe the only thing they even have in common is Aurora. So Blake jokes.

it could be worse

February 2081 - Joel Harris is 39, Aurora is 35, Zachary is 2. Last update, March 2079.

Maybe it's strange that Joel has been married to Aurora for eight years, and still never managed to make friends with her best friend? Maybe it's not strange though - Joel has never been the type to have many "guy buddies." He has a brother, and that's enough. He always preferred girl friends, lady friends, girlfriends. The thing is, he kind of had to get rid of those when he got married. Well, he didn't have to. She didn't ask him to, but he knew Aurora wasn't that kind of woman, and their marriage wouldn't be that kind of marriage, and it was something he was happy to do.

But Aurora didn't get rid of Blake. Joel would never have asked her to. He was like family to her, or so she claimed. Joel's girlfriends were nothing like family. But Blake is like family. He borrows money like a little brother. He leaves their toilet seat up. He even welcomes himself right into their bedroom to say goodbye at night.

one day, after school...

February 2081 (mini-update) - Liza Hathe is 12, Melissa Fortney is 13, Lucy Harris and Blair (?) are 14.

One day, after school, a boy named Blair followed Melissa home like a little lost puppy. And then he tried to flirt with her, which is apparently against the rules. For two reasons: one, because Melissa is WAY too shy for that flirting business, and two, because Liza Hathe does NOT approve!

the state of the Riley family

January 2081 - Madison and Bryson Riley are 58 years old. (Mariah Riley is 22, Keri is 20.)

*** notes: I've recently started linking to the family's most recent update in the date header ;) And also note in this update, I am changing Madison's title to Governor of State... further notes about that to follow after the update ***

One of Madison's first orders of business this year, with the taxpayer's hard-earned money, is to make over the Governor's Estate. It's still being renovated inside at the moment, but she thinks it was worth the effort. Check out this crib! She hopes the taxpayers like it, because it's going to be a vital part of the Lake City skyline for years to come.

The door on the right is to Madison's new Governor's office, which is accessible from the street, and separate from the rest of the estate.

happy new year, 2081!

Happy New Year, 2081!

The Harris family hosts our new year's party this year.

2080, extras

Before we start the new year, these are just some extra shots I had left over from 2080. They never fit into any of the posts they belonged to, or there might not have been enough room, but I liked them enough that I thought I'd share them anyway ;)

Hopefully I'll be able to work on the new year's post some time today.

she loves him, she loves him not

*** Lakeside Heights is back in business ;) ***

December 2080 - Andy and Claire Bradshaw are 54. (Amelia Bradshaw is 25.)

As her sister-in-law carries on about which of her daughters' boyfriends might be cuter, Claire Brashaw is wondering, when did this become all they had to talk about, the men their daughters might or might not marry? Why not discuss what smart, independent, and beautiful young women they've grown into instead?

But Madison insists, "You know, Justin is a great kid, but you should have seen the cutie Mariah is dating!"

"Is she dating?" Claire asked. "I thought she broke up with him."

"Oh, not that one," Madison says. "A different one. You know how it is at that age."

header image gallery

This is just a little gallery of all my previous header images that I'll be adding to the sidebar. I managed to dig through my photobucket album and find even the very first ones. I think it's fun looking back through them, so I figured you guys might enjoy it too. It's almost like a history album!

I'm a dork, I know ;)

traditional kind of people

December 2080 - Adam and Heather Thompson are 27, Laney is 13 months.

Heather says to her 13-month-old daughter, "The thing is, Laney-cakes, I never really liked it anyway. It's so traditional-looking, so conventional, and what I want to try for is avant-garde. Your daddy liked that one. Your daddy's more traditional than you and I - though we are pretty traditional kind of people - well, except for the graveyard thing. But anyway, the painting..."

LCU, a very dear friend

LCU, fall semester, 2080

*Long, as these LCU updates tend to be...*

Justin is exiled this semester, in what was supposed to be an exciting year of study abroad, instead he'll spend the year at Takemizu Academy without Keri. And it looks like he's going to spend the whole year beating off girls with a stick. He's never considered himself a dream-boat or anything. Not that he thinks he's ugly, and sure, he supposes he's kind of funny, but this desperate girl is just insatiable! She won't take no for an answer. But NO is the answer, since this man is very happily engaged - even if Keri is a world away. He's even thinking about hiring a hit-man.

black sheep

November 2080 - Cameron Gibson is 29, Bella Bradshaw is 24. (Cody Bradshaw is 65, Kendal is 60.)

Bella Bradshaw and Cameron Gibson might possibly be the two hottest people alive... or at least they think so. Cameron is crazy about her, and has been for over three years now. He really hasn't even thought about another woman (or man, for that matter) since they got "serious." But this is Bella Bradshaw we're talking about. Cameron knows he's likely not the only man on her mind - but he also knows it's quite obvious who her favorite is.

give me back my broken parts

October 2080 - Hayden Phoenix is 31, Summer is 16, Ryanne is 10. (Tyler Jackson is 17, Piper Wilson is 26).

* optional soundtrack, "Be OK" by Ingrid Michaelson *

Hayden and his girls are finally trying to put their lives back together, but first-things-first! Ryanne says, "You need a new outfit, Dad, you're thirty-one-years-old and you need to wear shoes that cover your toes!"

seaside woods, grounded for life

October 2080 - Tad and Tosha Harris are 71. Talin Collins is 66, Abigail is 65. Nina Shaw-Gothier and Benjamin Gothier are 64.

Tad thinks it's nice when the younger ones move in. They're not that much younger - not even ten years, probably. But they never had kids... that's why they're still all lovey-dovey! Because first you have kids, and then your wife eats too many pork chops and loses that nice figure she used to have. You see, Abby, she keeps herself nice and trim. Very pretty lady. Never had any kids to mess up that nice figure of hers... But on the other hand, Tosha does make really good pork chops. He just wishes she would use that treadmill he bought her a little more.

And of course, you have to have kids to get great grandkids, and Tad and Tosha have five precisely - Melissa, Zachary, Sarah, Sam - and leading the pack, Lucy, who has never been in trouble her whole life like she's in trouble right now.

you were kind of right about Lucy

October 2080 (mini-update) - Dallas Deppiesse is 16.

"What the hell?" Vicky says. "Now you want to talk to me? It's been, like, five weeks. I've been calling. I've been by several times. Your sisters kept saying you weren't home."

Dallas says, "I know..."

"You told your sisters to say you weren't home, didn't you? That's really pretty lame."

here comes the bride?

September 2080 - Paul Gallagher is 30, Charlotte (Centowski) Gallagher is 26.

Whether or not Charlotte Centowski actually makes it down the aisle this month is anyone's guess. Marisa made the trip back into town this week to be her maid of honor.

"Don't make that face," Marisa says. "It looks beautiful."

"I don't know," Charlotte says. "Something's not right."

"Well, if you would stand up straight, it might look better."

"What color did I tell you, for your dress?"

"Pink," Marisa says.

"I said pink? Why on earth would I say pink?"

"That's what you said, so that's what I bought!"