The Great Outdoors: Part 2

Hey, folks. Welcome back! It's no secret it's been a while since I posted here. It's not because I've abandoned this blog for good, I've just got a lot going on elsewhere. Truthfully, I haven't played the Sims all that much lately, but I do still have a bunch of stuff I haven't posted yet that I could have if I'd just gotten around to it. Yeah, being busy will do that to you. I've never been great at setting priorities.

Though the Sims has been one of my big interests for quite a while, my main hobby related interest is in Star Wars, and has been since I was a child. For a while, when I first started playing the Sims, I even had SW related characters living in the neighborhood. Han and Leia lived in a cheap but huge "L" shaped motel, and Luke was married to Britney Spears, and he fathered many ugly children.

The point of all that is that I recently started playing "Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy", which is one of the greatest games I've ever played, and is highly addictive. Most of my PC time I'd usually be spending playing the Sims has gone to JK:JA, and a fair amount of the time I'd have spent updating the blog has gone to learning lightsaber techniques and stuff like that. I know it sucks to have to trade one for the other, but when you've got limited free time like I do, that's just the way it goes.

Anyway, last time, we followed the Millers on the beginning of a long awaited vacation they were taking, and they headed off to the wooded areas first. Like everywhere else, the woods got boring eventually, and the gang decided it was time to pack it up and head elsewhere. The bugs must have been bothering the family, because they decided to head off to a snow resort next. I know it was their first time there, but they were a little ill-prepared when they first arrived.

Deana: "Brrrr! Nobody told me it was gonna' be cold at this snow place!"

Before too long, the gang figured out they needed to change into some warmer clothes, and then the fun began. Most of the gang went to check out the outdoor attractions, but Stu had different ideas. He made it no further than the entry area of the resort lodge, then plopped down on the bearskin rug with Keri for a little wine and fireside romance. Yes, there's something about sitting right smack dab in the middle of the reception area that is indeed very romantic.

Stu: "You know what would go great with this wine? Some pizza!"

Well, the fireplace and the wine were indeed fuelling the romantic mood, and it wasn't long before Stu and Keri started to do a little smooching. Well, maybe the mood was a little too romantic, because the smooching evolved into Stu tackling Keri and the couple rolling around on the floor right in front of the reception desk. I know the Millers don't all get out in public very often, but Stu and Keri do, and you'd think they would have a little more of a sense of decency. Or maybe they do and they just don't care. Those naughty, naughty sims...

Receptionist: "Hey, you guys...get a room! Seriously...you haven't checked in yet!"

While Stu and Keri were busy violating social etiquette norms, Peter was outside putting his snowboarding skills to the test. Snowboarding skills? Must be something he learned in a former life, or at least before our depiction of the Miller family first began, because I've certainly never seen him practice this before, or do much of anything athletic for that matter. First he displays his keen hidden archery skills, now he burns up the slopes on a snowboard. Ah, so much about Peter is a mystery - a mystery we have yet to care about solving.

Peter: "Mwah! Help! My hand is stuck to my boot!"

The best part about going on vacation for the sims, aside from getting away from their boring or overcrowded homes, is the costumed entertainers. Well, maybe it's not really the best part for them, but I sure get a kick out of watching the entertainers annoy them. Betty the Yeti, everyone's favorite frostbitten fleabag , was there to liven things up, and since there were no children present, the adults took the brunt of the "entertainment," as Betty danced about in the dining area.

Bobby: "I dunno about you, but I just can't look at that yeti and eat at the same time..."

Despite her persistence, everyone did an admirable job of ignoring Betty (it was pretty easy, since her actual interaction powers only work on children, and the Millers are all "adults"). Poor Betty! Actually, there wasn't too much reason to feel sorry for her, because she seemed to be having a pretty good time still. Once everyone was starting to head to bed, I witnessed an odd occurrence, as Betty headed into the game room, turned on the juke box, and discoed the night away. Ah, the things people miss when they waste time sleeping...

Moose Head: "Go, Betty, go! That's it...shake it, don't break it!"

That wasn't the only weird thing going on at the resort. When everyone else was all tuckered out, Stu and Bobby headed out to the hot tub for a little late night dip. I know the hot tub is supposed to be hot and all, but you couldn't convince me to go risk exposure sitting in one in the middle of the night at a snowy resort. At least not for the privilege of hanging with Stu or Bobby, but they seemed to be enjoying it. Of course, they weren't the only ones. The obsessed fan seemed to be enjoying it too...maybe a little too much.

Bobby: "What the...? That guy has got some serious, serious issues!"

Everyone was pretty wiped out by the time evening rolled around, and I couldn't figure out why nobody was going to bed at first. Well, it was then that I realized it had been Stu's job to check the family in, and he had gotten distracted with that whole indecent bear rug incident. About the time folks would have been passing out in the snow, I realized his oversight, and quickly corrected it. Everyone pretty much jumped into whatever bed was open, and quickly conked out. Of course, poor Peter happened to pick a bed in a room where the vacation director and one of the maids were busy chatting away in the bathroom.

Peter: "Zzzz...wha...hey...shaddup in there!"

The next day brought new opportunities for fun and frolicking, though most of the Millers missed out on them in the morning because they hadn't gone to bed until obscenely late. I was okay with that, though, because other guests started to arrive, including the suit guy who'd also been at the forest resort, and Sherbet Head, the lady with the crazy orange hair. They hit it off pretty well in the hot tub...a shame that they're both already married (at least I assume that's why they have significant others and children with the same last name they drag everywhere they go).

Suit Guy: "Why am I suddenly craving ice cream?"

Dean and Bobby were among the first to get up, and quickly headed outside to mingle with the newly arrived guests. Their idea of mingling involved pelting their fellow vacationers with snowballs for cheap and easy thrills. All the while, they were busy chatting and disagreeing with one another, which if you ask me, isn't very good teammanship. Come on, guys...this is supposed to be fun! You can squabble and bicker with each other for free back home!

Bobby: "Here we go with you and your boring airplane talk again! Or should I say 'Boeing' airplane talk?"

Peter was back to snowboarding again all by his lonesome, while Stu decided to check out the fantastic snow slide the resort had to offer. He slid down it several times that I saw, apparently extremely amused by the concept of sliding downhill on his arse (I'm sure the seat of his pants was less than amused). Eventually, all the physical activity coupled with his lack of sleep the previous night caught up with him, and I eventually found him lying motionless at the bottom of the slide. Meanwhile, Betty the Yeti stood by unconcerned.

Stu: "Ugh...help...help..."

Stu wasn't quite out for the count yet, though, and Keri came by and drug him over to the little game room where the juke box was. There, they danced their troubles away, while Sherbet Head's husband played video games way too energetically. It's funny how these sims always manage to find things to do that they can do at home after they pay for an expensive vacation. I guess everything is more fun when you don't have to do it at home, though. At least Stu and Keri were spending time together without bickering (hint, hint, Bobby).

Stu: "Ugh...it's hard to do the YMCA in this bulky coat!"

Eventually, it came time to move on to greater things...you can only take so much snow. Of course, you can't travel without eating beforehand, so the family sat down for a quick lunch before the shuttle arrived. Actually, not all of the family sat down for lunch. Okay, just Stu did, but it wasn't his fault that everyone else was preoccupied doing their own thing and had no interest in eating with him. At least he wasn't entirely alone, though...

Stu: "Well, obsessed fan, at least we still have each other!"

Well, as you may have guessed, we've reached the end of part two of the Miller vacation. As you also might have guessed, there's one more yet to come, and I bet you'll never guess where it will take place! Okay, so you may know where, but I'm sure you don't know when! We are approaching another slow time in the life of the MonkeeSims, but not without a few more action packed posts beforehand. See you next time with more lunacy!