In the swim

Oy, it's humid! At least it was today in Simsylvania. And hot, too! Over 90F/32C--and it's only mid-May. Let's hope this isn't a trend . . .

The best way to cool off in Clemmons Landing is to dive head first into the glistening pool at Thatcher Memorial Natatorium and Gymnasium.

Again, more shades of Mark Twain, Thatcher being a reference to Becky Thatcher, Tom Sawyer's love interest in various Mark Twain stories. So in my mind the story goes that Judge Thatcher bequeathed his sizable fortune to Clemmons Landing, and the citizens of said Landing decided to spend part of his bequest on public works.

Such as this lovely Beaux Arts-esque swim center and health club, a public facility, free and open to all. Decidedly much cheaper and more convenient than Mister Crunches Gym.


The TMNG is my latest Sims 3 creation. It was a challenge to do, and I think I must have redone the floorplan at least three times, bottom to top, start to finish. I kept running into layout problems, the lot itself being just large enough to hold the building. I couldn't get the stairs right, the shower area right, the pool right, etc., etc. So I tore it down and started over again. And again and again and again.

But I learned a lot in the process, too--for example, you can't put stairs next to a wall. Once I got past that, I could do pretty much everything I wanted to.

Except put in an elevator. The Sims god only knows how to put an elevator in a building, especially if you're trying to go from the basement to the top floor. I just gave up on that after a while. But stairs I mastered.

I was actually aiming for something a bit dingier, less polished, more like an old-styled bathhouse (the public kind from the 19th century). Something that says "faded glory of the Northeast Corridor." But this is the Midwest! Nothing faded. Everything beautifully preserved in amber.

So you can see the results: the gilded gym, the sparkling pool, and the pristine locker room.

I'm pleased with the results, and others seem reasonably happy as well (55 downloads, 1 favorite). I'm not sure where to go next though. That building project took so long that I want to move onto something simpler and less complicated. Right now, I'm considering doing a campground--tents, fishing hole, outdoor restrooms and showers--or a farmer's market--produce, stands, and wheelbarrows, tying that into a farm I should also build.

Time will tell what I accomplish. But on hot, humid days like this, I'm OK with staying indoors to work on Sims 3 projects.