Well, now that you’ve seen what the Baz and his fam are up to, it’s back to Burr Cottage, where 2nd gen heir Belinda is plotting to take over the world with her daisy bouquets.

Belinda: What on earth do you mean? I’m only spitting out flowers by the cartload because YOU thought we should start a family business.

Jen: There’s no “should” about it, Belindy. It’s in the rules. “You gain 1 point for every generation the ‘Family Business’ is a level 10 business.”

Belinda: Oh ho ho! So it’s completely optional. You won’t lose the challenge if we don’t start a business…

Jen: But I won’t get any points for it, either. And I’m all about the points. So get cracking on those crazy daisies!

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And now for something completely self-indulgent…an update on Basil Burr and his family. If you’re curious as to how they all turned out, then please do read on! If not, that’s okeedokee.

Later this week I’ll have a regular Burr update, and then maybe Ravelos, or perhaps a teaser for the new set of stories I’m working on. Also, don’t forget that midnight is the deadline for Maude’s Scavenger Hunt. Since I won’t check my e-mail until morning, however, you have a few extra hours…

Now…on with the show!

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(NOTE: For those of you working on Maude’s Scavenger Hunt: you are allowed to use pictures posted in stories on the Sims 2 Exchange. Just make sure they’re actually part of a story and not just screenshots. Good luck!)

As we roll through a stretch of Indian Summer and a plague of lady beetles here in Minnesota, the Burrs of Northcliff, in the Middle of Nowhere, continue building their home and legacy one tiny bit at a time.

This first picture is for Leslie, who wanted to see a close-up pic of Coriander as a toddler. Unfortunately he looks a bit radioactive…

“Do not bother me. I have reached a state of total enlightenment.”

Even though he’s not a clone appearance-wise, he has the same personality points as his sister Camellia: 5-3-7-3-7, for a whopping total of 25 points. Yes, I’m afraid Gen 3 is a bit on the lame side. Ah well, at least they’re cute.

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After my spare heir Basil moved out with his wife Roxy and their boys Cole and Cornelius, Roxy returned to Burr Cottage bearing gifts – a dozen roses and a piano. Must have been a delayed reaction from the dream date she had with Basil like five million years ago. Either that or she’s taken up a new hobby as a do-gooder, sort of a Repo Man in reverse.

Roxy Hood and her Magic Bag

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(WARNING: Lots of pictures. Same as last time. I take wayyy too many, and I had a tough time whittling them down. Hope you enjoy!)

As Belinda and Basil Burr wrapped up their college days, I considered having them throw a little graduation gala, which would have given me an excuse to dress them up in resplendent Victorian formalwear, but I was tired of university mode and itching to get on with the legacy. So without delay, B & B returned home to the rather ramshackle Burr Cottage and began their lives as full-fledged adults.

Almost immediately I invited their dormmate Farley Dahl over. He and Belinda went on a date in the front yard.

“You mean we’re going to stay right here and not go anywhere interesting? Marvelous!”

Poor Farley, now stuck in the Middle of Nowhere. Good thing he’s a Knowledge Sim – he’s happy as a clam stuck on the sofa with his nose in a book and a lightbulb strapped to his head. He’s not the romantic type anyway – whenever he has a free moment with Belinda, he forgoes flirting to play Red Hands or whap her with a pillow.

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In my last update, second generation heiress Belinda Burr and her brother Basil (wow, that’s a lot of alliteration) packed up their wagon and rolled off to university, a little place called Fernley College.

Now, it’s no secret that I’m not fond if playing my Sims through University. To me, it’s a notch above watching paint dry, just barely. It takes too darned long, and it’s horrendously repetitive gameplay-wise (sorry, Maxis, I’m still your slave and will buy anything you produce). But I am determined to send each generation to college, because…well, because it’s the right thing to do.

To make it more interesting for myself, I built a pseudo-Victorian dorm for the Burrs, who time-wise have moved into the 1880s.

“Isn’t it it grand to be here? In the middle of somewhere?”

That’s right, the “Middle of Nowhere” handicap doesn’t apply to Sims at uni, so I was able to build a decent dorm for them. No half-finished bathrooms for these kiddos!

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I’ve been playing the Burrs like mad lately. It almost reminds me of the Shanley Legacy days, when I’d be glued to my computer almost every night, getting such a kick out of simulated people doing the most mundane things.

We left off with the Gen 2 kids, Belinda and Basil, growing into friendly, energetic, polite children. Just after that, my founder Azalea got pregnant again. At least, I thought she did. I heard the lullaby and saw her kneeling before the porcelain god at least once. But even after a couple of days, she still looked like this:

“Why yes, doctor, I’m quite sure I heard the lullaby chime after we…um…er…ahem.”

That is, she never got that little pregnancy bump, nor did she start walking like she was carrying an 80 lb. watermelon. I figured it was something with the maternity clothing hack and had her try to change into maternity clothes, but the option didn’t even show up. My next thought was that she had gotten buggy and had a miscarriage of sorts, but when I directed her to go to work, she refused, saying she needed rest because of her pregnancy. I was confuzzled.

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