This is where I will be posting updates to my challenge story of Tracey Porter and his faithful friend Dogmeat as they try to survive in Twinbrook.
This challenge was proposed to me by
@CravenLestat so kudos go to him.
RULES: Have a sim who can only make money off what he earns from 2 items per day pulled from the claw machine. For every 1000 simoleons he earns, he can begin to build and then add on to his house. The challenge ends when he has a 2 bedroom, one bath house of a reasonable size. I started him off with a sleeping bag (so he can crash anywhere), a tent, a cool box/Coleman cooler, a toy box for Dogmeat and a firepit. I then set his funds to 100 simoleons, just to make it a bit harder. And the story begins.
Appaloosa Plains Townie Makeover Project!The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Comments
Meet Tracey Porter
and his faithful canine companion Dogmeat
They've just moved to Twinbrook after fleeing Sunset Valley in the middle of the night due to a rather unfortunate encounter with town lawman Hank Goddard.
After getting off the bus in Twinbook, Tracey and Dogmeat go for a walk around town, searching for a secluded spot to secretly set up camp away from prying eyes. They find it deep in the swamps, a large wooded lot with no one living too near.
After settling in a bit, Tracey and Dogmeat walk back into town, hoping to find food somewhere.
On the way into town, Tracey spots a tavern. He doesn't have money for a drink, but there's no cover charge so he decides to go in for a bit to use the bathroom and get out of the heat. Near the windows he spots a claw machine and decides to take a chance.
First day claw machine prizes:
money bag - $281
Vampire teddy - $50
After that Tracey leaves the tavern before someone notices he's not drinking.
He and Dogmeat continue into town and after exploring for hours, stumble upon a beautiful community garden with lush plants brimming with produce! Tracey quickly sets to work while Dogmeat explores the area.
But Tracey is exhausted and starving, so after eating a bit of the newly picked produce, he falls asleep on a park bench in the wee hours of the morning.
while Dogmeat sleeps on the pavement.
First day total funds: $431
The next morning after being awakened by the sun Tracey returns to harvesting the plants
Soon he is sweaty and stinky and weak from the heat. Fortunately experience has taught Tracey that public restrooms make excellent bathing facilities in a pinch.
The few hours of very poor sleep on the bench have caught up with Tracey, and he decides to return to his little camp. On the way out, he spots a man and decides to introduce himself.
The man is named Oliver Greenwood. Tracey asks the usual questions
and they have a nice chat.
Soon Tracey and Dogmeat head for home.
Once there, Tracey has a nice roasted head of lettuce
while Dogmeat fills up on cool clean water.
Both are exhausted, so they decide to take a nap. About the time it started to rain
I remembered I hadn't had Tracey go to the claw machine today! After swearing mildly, I got him up and sent him to Varg's. Today's claw machine bounty
A friendly freezer bunny $40
and a money bag $383
Tracey decides to stick around for a while and bang away at the piano
Day 2 ends at 2 am on what is actually day 3 when he zips himself into his tent and finally begins to get a good night's rest.
I found Dogmeat wandering around the neighborhood but forgot to get a picture.
Second day total accumulated funds: $854
minus first bill: $12
Leaves a balance of $842
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
This morning Tracey sleeps in a bit. As soon as Varg's Tavern opens, he's there to check out the miraculous claw machine again. He prays for another one of those bags of money, one with lots of money this time.
Third day claw machine prizes
Imaginary Friend teddy $50
Snuggleworth Wugglesworth teddy - $50
Tracey is a bit disappointed, but decides to hang around for a while. He spots an older woman in a surprisingly revealing outfit and decides to introduce himself to her.
He learns her name is Kat Hunter, and then for no reason he can see she begins to mock him.
Tracey is rightfully angry, and begins to insult her.
She reacts about as he expects. (Lovely, isn't she?)
Tracey decides to leave before the unpleasant woman can carry their argument any further. He decides to check out the fishing hole near his campsite. When he gets there, he spots a beautiful wild horse walking around and stops to stare at her in awe.
After a lot of gentle, soothing talk, the magnificent animal allows him to approach and feed her a tidbit of food from his pocket.
It's interesting to me that a wild horse would have a braided tail. Perhaps the horses have learned to do each others hair. I wonder if they stay up til 1 AM drinking Boone's Farm and smoking cigarettes, "accidentally" leaving the bedroom window unlocked in case the stud from the next farm over decides to drop in.
She soon bolts away, but Tracey's heart swells with joy at the natural beauty of this place. Tracey knows that Fall will soon be upon him, and he decides to catch some fish to preserve for the Winter when the lakes will be frozen and the plants dormant. He cleverly hides himself in the rushes from the fish. It works! They never suspect a thing.
He fishes long into the afternoon. When the sun begins to set, he decides to head back to his camp.
Third day total accumulated funds: $942
Tracey wakes up fully rested at the ridiculous hour of 3:30 AM. He has a wish to go fishing before 6 AM, so he returns to the pond he found the day before.
Shortly after the sun rises, he returns to camp to feed Dogmeat. Then they play and have fun
and share a hug.
Since it is hours yet before Varg's opens at 11 AM, he decides to teach Dogmeat a trick, how to sit.
No sooner have they begun when it starts to hail, so Tracey decides to head to the library to learn about gardening. He finds to his disappointment there are no books on gardening, so he asks the librarian to order some. (Curses for forgetting Twinbrook's library lacks skilling bookshelves) He then decides to just read a book for pleasure and wait out the hailstorm. Hours later the hail has still not let up, so he decides to visit the consignment shop.
He introduces himself to the cashier
and they chat for a bit. Tracey notices it is now after 11, so he and Dogmeat head for Varg's. The claw machine is not very kind today.
Fourth day claw machine prizes
Robo-Bearbot teddy $50
toy boat $2
Tracey feels bitterly disappointed, and tries to cheer himself up by playing the piano some more. He had very much enjoyed it yesterday.
As another hour passes and the hail still has not let up, he decides to check out the dumpsters outside. It never ceases to amaze Tracey what people will throw away.
Tracey finds an Easy Machine from Fred's PC Hut and a NeverRust Towel Ring in the first dumpster. Not bad! He moves to the other, while Dogmeat watches, apparently hoping there's a tricycle in there somewhere. For some reason.
Well this dumpster doesn't have the best stuff, just an emerald and a tungsten carbide, but still, who would throw that stuff away? Tracey heads back inside for a nice sponge bath in the sink but before he can reach the bathroom his phone rings. It's DeAndre Wolf, which is interesting since they've never met. How did he get Tracey's phone number???
After chatting with DeAndre for a bit, Tracey heads to the men's room for his bath.
Since he woke up so early, he finds himself in dire need of nap, so he throws down his sleeping bag outside the ladies' room and catches a few zzzz's.
He naps for a while, then heads back to his camp where he roasts a nice trout
Reads the paper
And turns in for the night.
Fourth day total accumulated funds $994
I was so mad! Six lousy simoleons away. Argh.
I decided to let him dumpster dive, but I'm not selling anything he finds. It's all going into inventory and hopefully he can at least partially furnish his house once he finally gets to build it.
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
In the morning Tracey gets up early and tries out a different pond for his morning fishing.
He does well, and returns home to store his fish away. Noticing that it is now 11 AM, he heads for Varg's, praying he'll have better luck today.
Fifth day claw machine prizes
Money bag - $435 (YAY!)
Wuggleworth Snugglesworth bear - $50
Feeling pleased, Tracey decides to check out the dumpster behind Varg's. He only has time for one, since he has to be at DeAndre Wolf's party at 1 PM. He pulls out a Shocking Pink Flamingo - 2nd Edition and a The Bloomington Lamp.
After a quick sponge bath, he heads for DeAndre's house. He tries to chat with DeAndre, but suddenly gets an uncontrollable urge to ride an invisible pony while DeAndre is busy doing the p p dance and a kitten looks on in disbelief.
He wanders out to the pool area and introduces himself to Marigold Racket.
They get off to a bit of a rocky start ...
Marigold: "Yo momma is a llama!"
Tracey: "..."
Tracey, furious: "Oh yeah?!?! Well I hear your husband's ... bank account ... is only THIS BIG!"
Then they discover they are both insane and bond happily by speaking madness to each other.
Tracey swims for a while before DeAndre tells everyone to go home. Meanwhile, Tracey's creator has zoomed over to his lot and built a 3x3 shelter. Inside it she places a dog bowl and later has Tracey fill it with food. And now Dogmeat has a food bowl! And basically a huge dog house!!
Tracey heads to the library after leaving DeAndre's and is happy to find his gardening books have arrived. He gains a skill point in gardening and while he's there, one in cooking.
He's ever cognizant of winter approaching, so he heads to the community garden to gather more produce.
before heading home to sleep.
Fifth day total accumulated funds - $1479
Fifth day end of day funds - $439
Tracey sleeps late and spends a few hours in the morning hanging around camp and playing with Dogmeat.
At 11 he heads for Varg's to try his luck at the claw machine.
Sixth day claw machine prizes
Money bag - $357
Gnome of the Darned $1000
YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Tracey is elated as he heads for the dumpsters. It seems to be his lucky day, because he finds a Big Sky Country Couch, an 18 Disc Stereo System from Albacore Audio, a smithsonite, and a Primo Deluxe Dishwasher.
He's feeling a little nauseaus (he finally got that moodlet) but decides after his sponge bath to randomly change into his workout clothes and go back to the pond. He's barely arrived when he's struck by ...
With his stomach feeling better, he decides to go ahead and fish for a while.
Tracey really, really likes fishing.
He only manages to catch a multitude of disgusting toads and salamanders, and a few middling catfish. Frustrated, he goes home and has a freakout
then goes to bed.
Tracey's creator expanded his 3x3 shelter into a 5x5 and bought a burglar alarm for $895. Then she forgot to take a picture.
Sixth day total accumulated funds - $1796
Sixth day end of day funds - $277
Tracey wakes up well before dawn and decides to try a completely new fishing spot at the beach. It's beautiful there.
At 7 AM (seriously, 7 AM) he gets a call from Marigold. He seems to enjoy their chat.
After they hang up Tracey decides to hit a few other dumpsters in town. Maybe a different neighborhood will have even better stuff. He tries behind the diner first,
and finds a The Matchmaker Loveseat, a Channel Trowler 27" Deluxe TV, an Open Arms and Feelings Trashcan, and a Final Contribution Dining Chair from Mike's Garage.
Not bad. He decides to head to the consignment shop to try his luck there. He comes out with a Crocks O' Stuff and a Cortinas Festivas!. Not great. Tracey decides to lay off the dumpsters for a while and heads to Varg's for his daily go at the claw machine.
Seventh day claw machine prizes
Toy sheep - $2
Another toy sheep $2
Bitterly disappointed, Tracey decides to comfort himself by rummaging through the 2 dumpsters behind Varg's.
He pulls out a Rafkin's Dining Chair, a Sawed-off Lightcaster, gold, and Stink Mask Perfume.
Exasperated by the middling finds, he heads inside for a sponge bath but is stopped (again!) by a phone call from DeAndre.
After their chat he gets his sponge bath and since he's starving, decides to treat himself to the first food he's had since he arrived in town that didn't come from a garden or a pond, a grilled cheese sandwich upstairs at Varg's.
Feeling as if he's earned the right to some fun after the week he's had, he dances for a while. He's the only one on the dance floor, but he has a blast!
Around 6:30 PM he realizes he's been gone from home all day, and he misses Dogmeat. He heads home and after playing with Dogmeat for a while, he puts out some of his finds from his dumpster diving and ends the evening watching his new dumpster TV.
Seventh day total accumulated funds: $281
Seventh day end of day funds: $255 ($6 for the grilled cheese and $20 for an end table)
End of week one stats:
He reached level 2 in the rebel social group and got the street art bag and megaphone.
Skill points:
Fishing 6
Gardening 3
Cooking 1
Piano 2
Friends made: 2
Marigold Racket
DeAndre Wolf
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
In the morning when Tracey wakes it seems to him the weather has changed overnight. It is now fall, there is a chill in the air, and leaves are drifting down from the trees. He zips his only piece of warm clothing - a hoodie - over his tee shirt. After breakfast he heads for the community garden to ravage the plants before they go dormant.
It begins to rain and he shivers in the cold downpour, but he takes a moment to smell the flowers.
He harvests until he can stand the cold no more, and heads with Dogmeat to the library where it will be warm and dry.
He manages to get two more skill points in cooking.
He realizes the rain has stopped and decides to leave for Varg's, but hesitates on his way to the door. The lady playing video games at the desk in the room looks nice.
and he decides to introduce himself.
He learns that her name is Holly Greenwood and she's married to Oliver Greenwood, whom Tracey met his second day in town. They have a very good chat, and Tracey bids her a friendly farewell before leaving for Varg's.
As soon as he arrives, he approaches the claw machine.
Eighth day claw machine prizes
Toy pony - $2
Money bag $2443
Tracey can't believe it! This is by far the best day he's had so far in Twinbrook. He's beside himself with joy. He fairly bounces as he heads outside to the dumpsters, where he manages to scrounge up a The Everityme Dresser and a Grindstone Cowboy Desk. He only has time for one of the dumpsters, because he's due at the grocery store to complete an opportunity he was given, to fish their overstocked tanks. He spends most of the afternoon there and when he leaves
it is with no cash prize, no increased fishing skill, a goldfish and a swordfish. "Really?" he thinks. "What a waste of time!"
He pauses on his way home to introduce himself to Clark Peddler, another neighbor. Clark seems nice.
While Tracey has been whiling away time in town, his creator has gone back to the lot to increase the size of his home to 7x5.
She then purchased the following household items:
A loft bed for $450
3 counters for a total of $420
1 overhead light for $30
a toilet for $250
a microwave for $215
I now regret buying the microwave, I forgot without a fridge he can't cook in it. I don't want him eating the free "quick meals" because that's too cheaty, so I'll be putting it in the family inventory.
Eighth day total accumulated funds: $2700
Eighth day end of day funds: $450
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey wakes up at 4 am to a deluge of pouring rain outside his window. He gets up and brushes Dogmeat
and they play for a while.
Tracey hangs around the house for a few hours, but the rain doesn't seem to be letting up at all. He finally decides to go check out the dumpsters behind the diner again
where he finds a Tilt N Itch Living Chair by Standard Issue, an emerald, a cockroach, and a Community Bench. Tracey is disgusted by the bug, and gets rid of it immediately. He's please with the chair and the bench, though.
He desperately needs to feel clean, so he hurries to the library where he has a sponge bath in the sink, which promptly breaks.
He feels bad about this and clumsily works at the sink until finally, he fixes it!
He has gained 2 skill points in handiness and is pleased with himself. He decides to read a book about handiness and raises his skill level to 3.
After finishing the book, Tracey decides to check out the Fall Festival which has just arrived in town. He enters the haunted house
and leaves smiling happily, having been touched by a ghost.
The rain has tapered away and he decides to head to Varg's to have his daily date with the claw machine.
Ninth day claw machine prizes
Money bag - $4166
Tracey is elated!
He then gets a Scary Beary Genie
but he doesn't care, he's overjoyed at the money bag. This has been by far the best day he's had yet!
Tracey's creator is pretty elated too, and zooms back to his lot to upgrade his house. It is now 10x7, and she purchased the following household items:
A fridge for $425
A stove for $1350
1 overhead light for $30
A dining table for $200
1 wall light for $65
Tracey leaves Varg's, and since the rain is getting heavier again, he decides just to head home.
He upgrades the sink to self cleaning, which raises his handiness level to 4.
He then uses some of his collected produce to make an Autumn salad
and eats his first meal
in what he can finally consider an actual home.
Ninth day total accumulated funds: $4616
Ninth day end of day funds: $21
A few bonus pics of the house interior.
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey wakes up to a bright and unseasonably warm day. After eating a serving of Autumn salad, he decides to teach Dogmeat to hunt.
As warm as it is today, Tracey knows that could change at any time, so he goes to a new pond to try his luck fishing before a hard freeze occurs. It's a beautiful spot with all the trees decked out in their fall finery.
Tracey discovers that the grocery store is having a sale and decides to go buy some stinky cheese, since he very much wants to catch some more catfish to put in the freezer for winter.
As he leaves the grocery, he notices 2 dumpsters behind it he hasn't seen before. He decides to check them out.
From the first one he pulls a Lamp Revere and an emerald.
He wanted to dive the other one too, but Lincoln Baker beat him to it.
Annoyed, he decides to pull out his megaphone and rant about love and relationships.
Unfortunately not one of the multitude of sims around him pays him the slightest attention.
Embarassed, Tracey wraps up his rant and decides to disappear into the crowd, stopping to introduce himself to a young blond man about his age.
He learns the man's name is Goodwin Goode, and they chat for a bit
before parting on friendly terms.
Tracey decides to head to Varg's and the claw machine, but the stench from the rotting produce and fish in the dumpster behind the grocery store is catching up with him. He has barely stepped out of the cab when he clutches his stomach and groans
before heaving onto the parking lot of Varg's.
Feeling better, Tracey decides to press his luck by checking out the dumpsters behind Varg's. He pulls out a No Snooze! Alarm Clock, a NeverRust Towel Ring (another one!), an Old Timey Tele, and a Blushing Torchiere. After a quick sponge bath in the men's room, he walks over to the claw machine. He watches with intense concentration
and smiles broadly at the money bag which drops down.
He even cheers a little.
It's only worth $319, but it's certainly better than nothing. He then snags a toy robot for $2, but he's not bothered.
He's hungry, so he heads upstairs to splurge on an order of nachos.
With his belly full, he heads to his favorite pond with his stinky cheese, hoping to catch a least a few good catfish. Success!
Just about the time the fish stop biting, Tracey gets a phone call from Marigold
and he tells her about his success fishing.
She then abruptly expires, leaving Tracey holding a dead telephone. He then sends a secret admirer text to DeAndre while his creator smacks her forehead in irritation (darn inappropriate trait!)
He goes home to put away his fish and spend a quiet evening with Dogmeat.
Tenth day total accumulated funds: $342
Tenth day end of day funds: $324
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey wakes feeling a bit stressed, so after breakfast he watches TV for a while to relax.
Eventually he decides to try out the street art bag the town rebels gifted him, and begins to paint a small tag on his dining area wall.
He's not too impressed.
So he cleans it off
and tries again.
Tracey isn't that happy with the way his street art is progressing, and soon notices it's after 11. He heads to Varg's and the claw machine.
Eleventh day claw machine prizes
Friendly Freezer Bunny $50
Scarey Beary Genie $50
Dejected, he heads outside to the dumpsters
where he finds a 998 Table TopTopia Phone, a moth, iron, and a Plain Pad & Pen Set.
Tracey stands in the rain, forlorn, wet and cold. He decides to just go home and have his sponge bath in privacy.
Once he's clean, he decides to call up Goodwin to see if he wants to go out and have some fun at The Red Rendezvous,
but Goodwin is busy. Rather than call anyone else, he decides to try creating a larger wall tag.
When he's finished, he studies it
judges it
and then cleans it off the wall.
Then he goes to bed and cries.
Eleventh day total accumulated funds: $424
Eleventh day end of day funds: $424
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey wakes up early, realizing that it's Spooky Day. He isn't much in the celebrating mood, and his mood scarcely improves when he clogs the toilet.
At least unclogging it brings his handiness skill to 5. After a sponge bath, he decides to try his hand at a floor mural.
He hopes none of the paint gets into Dogmeat's bowl. Around 10 am he gets a phone call from DeAndre inviting him to a costume party. He almost decides not to go, then thinks maybe just maybe it will cheer him up.
He arrives at DeAndre's house and changes into his costume.
He spots DeAndre playing his guitar in the garage and goes to greet him. Then he decides to "worship" him for some reason.
He then shows DeAndre his new gizmo, and DeAndre is unusually excited. While showing off his gizmo he reaches level 8 in the rebel social group and receives a new trait. His creator chooses artistic.
He wanders into the house to use the bathroom, and runs into Eva Drudge. They get hearts!
But unfortunately she's married and has brought her toddler to the party. They still have a nice conversation, though.
Tracey thinks she's pretty, and is sorry she's married.
Eva leaves to go tend to her baby, and Tracey makes use of DeAndre's bar to learn mixology.
Eventually he realizes it's getting late and he hasn't made it to Varg's today.
Day twelve claw machine prizes
Toy sheep $2
Scarey Beary vampire bear $50
Tracey wonders if the claw machine has been restocked recently. But then again, he had fun at DeAndre's party, so he shrugs and tries to let it go.
He goes out back to the dumpsters, where he digs up a Japanese beetle, 2 blue topaz, and a UV by Uwe Chair.
He's tired and smelly, so he goes home to sleep.
Day Twelve total accumulated funds $476
Day Twelve ending funds $466 ($10 for dog food)
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey wakes up early, but hangs around the house doing nothing much until he finally decides to head to Varg's.
Day thirteen claw machine prizes
Money bag $1229
and a toy car $2.
He then hits the dumpsters outside and pulls out an Omnidirectional Lightcaster, a Face in the Crowd Endtable, a Zephyr Metalmark butterfly, and an emerald.
After cleaning up and hanging around Varg's for a while, he decides to check out The Red Rendezvous
.
the place is packed!
Tracey decides to splurge on some bar food, and has a shrimp cocktail
When he's finished he looks around and spots a pretty blonde. He goes over to introduce himself
and they get hearts!
Unfortunately, she is Jenni Goode, nee Jones-Brown, Goodwin's wife. Before Tracey can explain that he is Goodwin's friend, Jenni presents him with flowers
Tracey politely accepts the flowers, but turns the conversation to safer topics.
The conversations is going well until Tracey is overcome with the urge to speak madness.
Jenni is having none of it,
and Tracey heads home before he gets himself in more trouble. He ends the evening playing fetch with Dogmeat
House natter under the spoiler
And a few interiors.
Day thirteen total accumulated funds $1695
Day thirteen ending funds $233
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey begins his day with his first shower in an actual shower in a very long time.
He then decides to fish for a while, and catches his first vampire fish!
At 11 he heads for Varg's and while there, announces a rowdy protest at the City Hall to no one in particular.
He goes to the claw machine and pulls out a toy dragon
and a toy boat.
He's getting very discouraged with the claw machine, but brushes it aside to check out the dumpsters. He only has time for one, and pulls out a ladybug and a monarch butterfly. At 3 pm he heads for City Hall.
He begins the protest with an impassioned speech.
and draws a respectable crowd.
He then leads a chant
and ends by riling the crowd.
Sufficiently riled, multiple fights begin to break out among the protestors.
Leaving the participants smelly and exhausted.
Tracey's protest is a huge success, and the protesters celebrate
before Tracey heads home to bed, feeling like a proper little crusader for justice.
Day fourteen total accumulated funds $237
Day fourteen ending funds $228 ($9 for dog food)
End of week two stats:
Friends 2 DeAndre Wolfe and Goodwin Goode
Skill Points
Cooking 4
Fishing 7
Gardening 3
Street Art 4
Handiness 5
Piano 2
Mixology 1
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey wakes up to a cold and beautiful day, the first day of winter. He hangs around the house for a while watching TV before heading to Varg's and the claw machine.
He pulls out a toy boat $2
and a money bag $14 (really? I honestly didn't know they came that small.)
Disgusted, he heads outside to the dumpsters, where he finds a 998 Table TopTopia Phone, a Japanese beetle, a Zephyr Metalmark butterfly, and a The Clothing Dehydrator Dryer. He's very pleased with the dryer, and decides to celebrate by creating a wall mural.
He puts out his tip jar, but no tips are forthcoming. Fortunately, he's also not arrested. He's pleased with the finished product.
After a quick sponge bath inside Varg's, he calls Goodwin to see if he wants to visit the Red Rendezvous with Tracey.
This time, Goodwin accepts! (He's now in the law enforcement career with a LTW of International Superspy). Tracey meets Goodwin outside the Red Rendezvous and they chat for a bit about Goodwin's new job.
Then Tracey challenges him to a game of ping pong, which he wins.
Tracey is hungry, so he decides to order some nachos while Goodwin plays Foosball.
Then the full moon causes Tracey to have a freak out,
and shortly after he and Goodwin part ways, having become good friends.
Day fifteen total accumulated funds $244
Day fifteen ending funds $236 ($8 for nachos)
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey wakes up early and since all his Autumn salad is gone, he uses his stove for the first time to cook some apple pancakes.
He manages not to burn them, and they are delicious!
With time to kill after breakfast, he decides to take Dogmeat to the Winter Festival. Once there, Dogmeat makes a new friend
While Tracey tries out the snowboarding ramp.
He then tries out the ice skating rink
but it's slow going. Ice skating is hard!
He decides to quit before he breaks an ankle, and introduces himself to a beautiful older woman with long flaxen hair.
Her name is Silver Racket. Tracey discreetly inquires about her relationship status,
and finds that she is married to Dennis. They chat and Tracey moves along. He notices that Dogmeat has disappeared and figures he went home. Tracy decides to head to Varg's.
He pulls out a toy loch ness
and a toy pony.
Tracey is quite aggrieved. The claw machine has forsaken him! He sadly makes his way to the dumpsters,
where under the judgemental gaze of his own artwork, he pulls out a Japanese beetle, a Face in the Crowd End Table, a Zephyr Metalmark butterfly, and a Cortinas Festivas.
He goes inside to take a sponge bath, never noticing the Grim Reaper appearing in the parking lot to reap the soul of Milly Racket, nee Pidgin.
Tracey doesn't feel like going home, so he heads over to the consignment shop and uses their drafting table to start a sketch.
He doesn't have time to finish it before weariness drives him home to Dogmeat and then his bed.
Day sixteen total accumulated funds $240
Day sixteen ending funds $170 (bill $70)
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
After breakfast Tracey upgrades his shower to self cleaning and raises his handiness skill to 6.
Afterwards he watches the cooking channel for a while
before heading to Varg's. There he pulls out a toy rocket $2 and a Scarey Bearys Mummy $50.
At home, Dogmeat is napping on the sofa and dreaming of Tracey. Awww!
Tracey heads out back to the dumpsters, where he discovers a spider, a 998 Table TopTopia Phone (another one. Yay), a Zephyr Metalmark butterfly, and a bloodstone. He takes a sponge bath inside Varg's and heads to the consignment shop to work on his sketch. He quickly finishes it, and raises his painting skill to 3.
He takes his sketch and heads home, where he showers love on Dogmeat, who is apparently dreaming of a promotion. To wolf, perhaps.
Tracey eats some leftover pancakes,
and then reads the paper to catch up on all the town news.
Then, since he'd like to be able to practice his painting skill at home, he buys a sketchbook for $30 and begins drawing enthusiastically while making adorable faces.
Then he unclogs the toilet and goes to bed.
Day seventeen total accumulated funds $222
Day seventeen ending funds $192
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
After breakfast Tracey decides to start cleaning up the leaves that have accumulated in his yard. Winter is almost over, and he hasn't even started raking.
He soon has a nice sized pile, which he disposes of before heading to Varg's.
Today the claw machine is slightly kinder. He pulls out a money bag worth $443
and a Robotank: Defender of Simanity $2
He goes out back to the dumpsters, and pulls out a Channel Trowler 27" Deluxe TV, a spider, a Crocks O' Stuff, and a smithsonite.
He decides to create another mural, on the ground this time
and is once again fortunately not arrested. He's pretty pleased with the result.
He goes home and once again has leftover pancakes
and draws for a while before going to bed.
Day eighteen total accumulated funds $637
Day eighteen ending funds $627 (dog food)
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey begins his day by eating breakfast and then breaking the dishwasher.
Fixing it raises his handiness skill to 7.
He decides to blow off some steam by dancing in the kitchen for a while.
He goes outside to rake more leaves
but is interrupted by a phone call from Goodwin. They have a nice chat.
Tracey decides to head to Varg's. He's becoming increasingly discouraged by the luck he's been having at the claw machine. He hopes and prays today will finally be the day he reaches the milestone he's set for himself.
He first pulls out a teddy $50
and then a marquise cut moonstone for $1393.
Tracey's creator screeched so loud she scared the dog, because this means....
I present to you, Tracey's 2 BR, 1BA house of a reasonable size.
The spare bedroom is 4x4 which is big enough for a bed and a dresser, so it works for me.
Tracey doesn't bother with the dumpsters today. He goes upstairs and dances the night away with Clark Peddler and his wife Penny.
Day nineteen total accumulated funds $2070
Day nineteen ending funds $122
A week later after many money making ventures, Tracey's house now looks like this.
Not bad for a guy who rolled into town with a tent and a dog.
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
A day or two after the challenge ended Tracey's guerilla street art activities caught up with him and he was arrested. The cop who showed up seemed deeply affected by Tracey's post dumpster diving aroma
but she did her duty and cuffed him.
Then, instead of taking him to the police station like I expected, she drove him home and he was fined $1000.
Since then the only street art he does is commissioned by city hall.
A couple of days later, he got invited to a party at Jenni and Goodwin Goode's house. Goodwin wasn't there, but Jenni and their son were. Tracey met Blaise Kindle and showed her his new gizmo. She was not impressed.
I then gave Blaise a makeover, because why not. Tracey joined Jenni in the bedroom to chat and watch TV.
Some time after that Goodwin came in and when I went looking for him I found him in the kitchen with a newly much hotter (heh heh) Blaise.
That poor devastated child is Blake, Jenni and Goodwin's son. Tracey went home shortly afterward.
A few days later, disaster nearly struck! The meteor warning siren (mod) went off and I sent Tracey and Dogmeat running across the street and turned off autonomy. Then this happened.
Fortunately it hit a bare spot in the yard. I sent Tracey back over to put out the fires, but there were too many. His mailbox was on fire, but it survived. His front door did not.
Tracey called the fire department and truck 51 showed up! (I love Emergency!)
The firemen put out all the fires, and their flaming co-worker.
They then scolded Tracey for not being more careful. Excuse me? Natural disaster here!
DeAndre died. He married a much younger woman and had three children with her before passing. So he left his young bride with a child and newborn twin girls. He also left her a mansion, a bu.ttload of money, and half the properties in town. So I think they'll be okay.
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey discovers her name is Leigh Sekemoto, and he thinks she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen.
They chat for a while and get to know each other, finding they have many things in common. As darkness falls, Tracey gallantly disposes of the leaves and heads home.
The next day at work he discovers that Leigh is now one of his co-workers! They continue to bond at work, and soon are seeing each other outside of the job. On their third date, Tracey asks Leigh to dress up, and he takes her to the Bistro for dinner. Outside, he makes his move and kisses her shyly
He then asks her if they can be exclusive
and she agrees enthusiastically.
They have a lot of fun together as boyfriend and girlfriend.
They go bowling
They hang out at the Red Rendezvous, having drinks
and playing games.
They take romantic pictures together,
and use the photobooth for the same.
They party down with their co-workers and Tracey's oldest friend Goodwin at Tracey's house.
After months of dating, Tracey gathers up his nerve and makes his way over to Leigh's cruddy little house. Once there, he gets down on one knee
and asks Leigh to marry him! She says yes.
He invites her over, and that night for the first time
Things are looking up! He's advancing in his career, he hasn't been arrested again, there hasn't been another meteor, and he and Leigh are very much in love! A big wedding is in the planning stages.
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
The big day arrives for Tracey and Leigh, and they make their way to the beautiful chapel they selected for the big day.
All of their friends have gathered to celebrate with them, and it's a beautiful ceremony! They exchange rings
and seal their new bond with a kiss.
Then it's time to cut the cake.
Tracey does the honors
but Leigh is so happy to finally be married to her one true love, all she can do is gaze at her ring.
Then instead of using the beautifully arranged tables outside, everyone goes back into the chapel to eat their cake.
The newlyweds get their traditional dance
and they party late into the night with their friends on the happiest day of their lives!
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
By the time Snowflake Day rolled around, Leigh was already well along. They threw a gift giving party and invited all their friends. Unfortunately their living room was short a few chairs, and a pregnant Leigh had to sit on the floor.
Don Lothario scored a video game system.
Tracey got an easel, but all Leigh could think about was the delicious pumpkin pie that Betty Newbie brought over.
They ended the evening by dancing with their partners, except for Betty who danced with Jeffrey Castor while Bob, who must have been cold since he never changed out of his outerwear, read a book on the sofa.
After their guests went home, Tracey and Leigh shared a romantic kiss under the mistletoe.
Just as Spring dawned, Leigh went into labor one evening and before long their little family had grown by one. Meet little Wyatt Porter.
Isn't he cute?
Leigh threw herself into motherhood. She loved bathing Wyatt
and rocking him to sleep.
Before Tracey and Leigh knew it, time had flown and Wyatt celebrated his second birthday. He had grown to be the spitting image of his father.
Leigh continued to lavish time and attention on her son
and when he wasn't working, Tracey spent as much time as he could with his beloved son.
Little did Wyatt know, however, his wonderful life as an only child was about to come to an end.
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Tracey enjoyed caring for this baby too.
"Look creator, look what a good Daddy I am!"
Tracey and Leigh made sure that Wyatt didn't feel left out with the new baby in the house. One Saturday they hired a babysitter for Wesley and took Wyatt to the beach.
Sometimes Wyatt hung out in his parents bedroom while they relaxed and baby Wesley napped.
Their lives were happy and full, and soon Wesley also celebrated a birthday.
Everyone thought he looked much more like Leigh than Wyatt did.
Leigh loved her boys fiercely, but caring for two toddlers was exhausting! Sometimes she couldn't even make it to bed before falling asleep.
The boys loved spending time together playing at the blocks table.
In the meantime Dogmeat aged to elder.
He moved more slowly now and slept more, but he was just as much a well loved member of the family.
And soon Wyatt also had another birthday.
Wyatt still adored his little brother.
One evening in the fading light of a beautiful sunset, Tracey stood outside gazing at the house he'd built for his family. He marveled at how his life had changed since arriving in Twinbrook. He'd gone from a homeless cra.zy person to a well-respected member of society. So if he was still a little odd, no one seemed to mind. They knew he was a good man and a wonderful father and husband. As he looked at the house he thought, "Not bad for something that started as a 3x3 shelter for the dog."
Meanwhile inside Leigh was making her way to Tracey to deliver a bit of good news (which has nothing to do with Dogmeat).
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Leigh and Tracey found themselves loving every single minute of parenthood. Even Tracey, unsure at first about having so many children, found that he loved his kids more than he ever thought possible to love, and relished the idea of having a houseful.
Leigh refused to let her newest pregnancy slow her down.
She spent time reading Wyatt to sleep
and watching over Wesley while he played happily.
When he wasn't working or painting, Tracey also spent time with Wyatt and Wesley. One of his and Wyatt's favorite activities was throwing around the flying disc.
The three oldest family members enjoyed dinners together while Wesley drank his bottle nearby.
Before long Leigh went into labor and there was another mad, late night dash to the hospital. Welcome Will.
Shortly after Will's birth, Wesley celebrated a birthday.
He and his beloved big brother were inseparable.
One afternoon of his day off, Tracey took Wyatt and Wesley to the beach. Wesley, an angler like his dad, fished
while Wyatt swam.
Tracey cooked hot dogs for the boys
and they all ate together before heading home at dusk.
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
Leigh immediately went to work teaching Will his skills, such as talking
and using the potty chair.
Wyatt took his responsibilities as the eldest child seriously and helped his mother wherever he could, mostly by keeping Will occupied. They especially enjoyed chatting at the block table.
Leigh's pregnancy was a fairly easy one this time around, and soon the time came to make the trek to the hospital to welcome their new addition. Meet Wylie.
Also a bonus pic of the adorable Wyatt.
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind
One day as Wesley left the City Hall after dropping off some permission slips, he ran headlong into an upsetting situation. Jeffrey Castor's dog Snaggles time had come.
Poor Jeffrey, being a coward, fainted dead away as soon as the Reaper had gone.
All too soon it seemed, it was time for Wylie's birthday.
Leigh started immediately on his training.
On one of Tracey's rare days off, he and Leigh took the boys to the beach. While Tracey fished and Leigh and the older boys sunbathed and read, the toddlers played at a blocks table.
Soon Wesley decided to check out the small amusement park attached to the beach, and enjoyed a ride on the merry-go-round
and some yummy popcorn.
Shortly after getting home, both toddlers were in desperate need of the ONE potty chair in their nursery. Will got there first and no sooner had he finished, his birthday began! Unfortunately, Wylie REALLY needed to go, and was right there the entire time.
Later that evening, Leigh went to find Tracey in the yard. She had news for him...
The Claw Machine Diaries Challenge
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind