#I never considered myself a builder so sharing lots makes me way more nervous than sharing CC!
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When artistic visionary Ann Ghelld passed away, she bequeathed her beloved townhouse to the city as affordable housing for fellow creative types... on one stipulation; that nobody touched its eccentric and wildly impractical layout.
While this final request has caused its share of architectural headaches, nonetheless, the Ann Ghelld Building survives in the heart of Sim City’s basket weaving district. Upon crossing its unusual threshold you might grab a coffee from Cafe Urele, pick up a bouquet or snacks from LlaMart Convenience, or simply catch the elevator up to any of its three apartments.
I love watching LilSimsie’s videos, even though we play different editions, and I particularly enjoy her shell challenges - where she uploads empty exterior walls and others have to make a lot out of it. I especially liked this one, referred to lovingly by LilSimsie & her followers as the “Big Mistake Shell Challenge” - because all the exterior walls are 100% diagonal.
This is just as difficult to work around in TS4 as it is in TS2, so I wanted to join in the torture! The (wonky) red lines mark the untouchable shell. I ended up really happy with the results, so I’m sharing this fully-furnished, cleaned, play-tested, CC-free apartment building in the hopes you’ll enjoy it too.
Important info, more pics & download link below!
🚨 PLEASE LOAD THIS LOT BEFORE MOVING SIMS IN 🚨
When you move Sims into an apartment, it’s difficult to safely alter anything outside, so please make sure to check that everything is as it should be before you move Sims in.
You do not need CC or mods to play this lot. However, it was made with a few common mods in mind, and if you don’t want to use them, please tweak the lot before playing:
Rugs have been placed off-grid. Either make sure you have Rugs Off The Grid, or delete/move rugs to avoid graphical glitches as seen in these previews.
If you don’t have Water Inaccessible Flowers and Trim Inaccessible Bushes then you may need to move/delete some landscaping and/or fences.
The ground floor was designed for use with Apartments & Shopping On The Same Lot. If you don’t use this mod, nothing bad will happen, but the bottom floor will not sell anything except via the vending machines & electronics kiosk. You can replace the convenience store with a common area such as an indoor pool, computer room, etc, or even another apartment; I honestly recommend leaving the cafe as-is, because your playable Sims can still work there as a barista.
There is no CC in this lot, but there are some deco "accessory” items not normally accessible by players (e.g. a saucepan). If you delete these you may not be able to replace them. Similarly, some items were placed with Shiftable Everything. If you delete some items you may not be able to replace them in the same positions without this mod.
A corner counter in the top apartment may not corner properly when the lot is placed. This can be fixed with moveobjects. Although it clips, it is considered within the apartment, so you can put objects on it without apartment cheats.
If you don’t use Shiftable Trash Chutes, your chutes may appear glitched (see below). This is harmless and can be fixed simply by replacing the chute. Note: the chute on the second floor was originally placed with the cheat setquartertileplacement on.
If you play with CC, then I also have some suggestions for where it might improve this lot:
The expensive computer in the cafe (I hate that hideous thing) would be much better as a laptop.
The flower plots on the rooftop would also make a great produce garden with Honeywell’s placeable garden plots.
You can replace a corkboard in the lobby with a jobs board.
The signs for Cafe Urele might look nicer with a recolour or swapped out for a cute sandwich board.
The bike racks by the basketball court look a bit bare without some deco bikes.
The bare brick wall at the back of the building is prime real estate for some graffiti.
The busker’s guitar out the front will look a little more appropriate with an invisible amp recolour and maybe a decorative case.
If you find all the lights overpowering, don’t forget to turn some off.
And of course, don’t forget to add fences, hedges, etc. that will make this lot blend in better with the surrounding lots in your hood.
The first apartment has two separate bedrooms; Currently, it’s furnished as though occupied by two unrelated roommates - one sewist and one musician - but it could also work for a parent and a child. It has this kitchenette common area as well as a small balcony.
The second apartment is the most “luxury”. It’s a cozy open-plan studio with a double bed, a small but quality kitchen, and its own balcony. This is ideal for a D.I.N.K couple or perhaps a single Romance Sim.
The top apartment is the smallest and cheapest, barely fitting a kitchenette and single bed, but there’s space to move out on the building’s largest balcony. Perfect for an artsy single Sim working or studying in the big city. (The little reading nook bumpout is my favourite detail.)
All bathrooms are more or less identical, with a toilet, basin, medicine cabinet, trash can, and shower. The second floor studio has a shower/bath combo.
I wanted the lot to have free skilling opportunities, so all residents have access to the rooftop garden and free use of the crafting station & chess set there. There’s also a bookcase in the cafe, a guitar on the street for busking, an outdoor gym, and a basketball hoop.
Sims should be able to access everything (except the flowers/hedges - see above) without routing errors, though of course, with such an “interesting” layout, your Sims might get a bit cramped and fussy. The only issue I ran into is that there’s nowhere on the second floor for the newspaper to be delivered, so it often glitches into the apartment on the left, regardless of which apartment you live in. You can retrieve the paper in buy mode without cheats. This is not an issue on the top floor.
Thank you so much for reading! I don’t remember the last time I shared a lot for download; if you do end up playing it, I’d love to hear how it went.
Download Ann Gheld Building [CC Free]
#the sims 2#ts2#sims 2 lot#I don't know what to tag this with lol#sniffles. looks at you directly. please clap#I never considered myself a builder so sharing lots makes me way more nervous than sharing CC!#if you like it then reblogs would mean ... the Sim world ... [staring at you with huge eyes]#in all seriousness though this was so fun I love shell challenges. It being entirely diagonal was SO interesting#in TS4 and TS2 alike a lot of items NEED to be on straight walls to function#TS4 doesn't have elevators or spiral stairs though so their stairs situation was even harder haha. I do feel bad about that#but placing things like toilets and counters etc was hard because they look best against straight walls#and some other items just don't function diagonally. like some of the dressers. or they do but need a 4x bigger footprint#and I couldn't use any of my precious walk-around/through blocks!! because CC free!!#I do adore Shiftable Everything though god bless modders#I'm experimenting so much more now that 1) I don't have to fiddle with OMSPs and 2) I know I can share it wantonly#I think my favourite little outcome of the extreme space/orientation restrictions were that I actually had a reason to put trash cans#in the bathrooms. Like that was the only place they would reliably fit#because all the bathrooms were so weirdly shaped because they all needed straight walls. so they all had little pockets#meanwhile the rest of the apartment typically didn't have space for a bin where it would be accessible in normal gameplay#I never put trash cans in Sim bathrooms normally because there's no need for one there even tho IRL it's probably like#the most common place to have a trash can after the kitchen#BAM. Lil bit of realism for you. Two sim birds with one sim stone#anyway I'm rambling. I had a lot of fun with this and I'm gonna do more shell challenges and maybe share more builds#there's also a little rockethorse easter egg for you to find if you do download it#thank you again for reading!#rockethorse lots
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GGS Spotlight: Pat Pope - Girls Gone Strong
https://healthandfitnessrecipes.com/?p=4210
Name: Pat Pope
Age: 53
Location: Ohio
How long have you been strength training, and how did you get started?
I seriously started strength training March of 2017. Before that, like 30 years ago, I used to work out with my brother who was into bodybuilding at the time, but I didn’t stick with it. Then over the years I would, from time to time, take a Body Sculpting class — but again, only for a period of time. Otherwise, I was pretty sedentary.
However, in September 2016, I started walking and loved it. I was doing it several times a week, increasing my speed and distance over time, then eventually added in a video workout. I lost 23 pounds, but when I hit a plateau, I knew I needed something more and so I joined a gym and began strength training. To date, I’ve lost 59 pounds.
What does your typical workout look like?
Three to four days a week, I lift weights preceded by either the elliptical or treadmill. Two days a week I do a circuit class.
Favorite lift:
I don’t have just one. I enjoy bench pressing and the deadlift, but I really enjoy pretty much anything where I can exert strength.
Most memorable PR:
Finally being able to do deep squats. In fact, I’ve moved from doing them with no weight, to using a wooden stick, to now using a barbell. This is a recent development and I’m proud of it. I can remember when I started out, marveling at people who could squat deep. I always felt so stiff and like I could only go so low, but with time and practice, I finally got there. Still working on perfecting it, but I’m a long way from where I started.
Top 5 songs on your training playlist:
I don’t have a playlist. I live in my head, so I don’t listen to anything while I’m working out. Just me and my thoughts.
Top 3 things you must have at the gym or in your gym bag:
A towel is a must as I sweat a lot and easily, a water bottle, and gloves.
Do you prefer to train alone or with others? Why?
I like a mix. I’m a solitary person, so I enjoy working out alone when I lift, but I do enjoy our circuit classes where usually one to three or four other people participate. While you are working out with other people, you’re each working on a specific exercise within that circuit alone, so it’s kind of the best of both worlds to me.
Most embarrassing gym moment:
Well, there’s been a couple, but one that my trainer and I still chuckle about is the day I overestimated the width of the seat on the little bench where you do shoulder presses, and I toppled right onto the floor. Thankfully, I didn’t have any dumbbells in my hand when I did it.
Most memorable compliment you’ve received lately:
Being told that my weight loss and dedication has inspired someone. I’ve never thought about being an inspiration; I just set my mind to it and quietly got to work. That’s generally how I approach anything once I make my mind up to do something.
Most recent compliment you gave someone else:
I told someone what good shape they were in and they shared how they’re always working to improve and their method for doing so. I found myself listening to her and really feeling inspired by the way that she shared and didn’t pump herself up.
Favorite meal:
Hmmm… I can’t think of any one meal that I love, but I do love chocolate.
Favorite way to treat yourself:
Shopping — clothes shopping in particular since my weight loss. It’s opened up a lot more options and is more enjoyable to me now. I have to actually contain myself because sometimes I want to buy all the clothes. But it’s not just the weight loss (I was buying new clothes months before I even started working out); it’s about indulging myself for a change after putting others before me for so long and also creating my own personal style as well as buying things that I want without others’ opinions about them.
Favorite quote:
I tend to collect quotes and one that I’ve read recently was meaningful to me and reflects well where I am currently in life.
Know when to tune out, if you listen to too much advice you may wind up making other people’s mistakes. — Ann Landers
Also, from On This Day on Facebook, is this post that I made four years ago, and it’s still true today:
“I heard a sermon last week on Luke 6:46-49 (the wise and foolish builders). The pastor said something to the effect that, ‘A house will be limited by its dimensions.’ So, I ask, how far are you willing to stretch your own mental and emotional dimensions to accommodate new ways of being and thinking?”
What inspires and motivates you?
In terms of motivation, it would have to be my continued transformation, whether it’s in the area of weight loss, added strength, increased stamina, or just general self-improvement. Sometimes when I hear people ask about what to do when they’re lacking motivation, I would have to ask, “how big is your why?” In other words, the reason that you do it. How big is it? How important is it to you? Does it drive you? Has your why become a non-negotiable? Those are things to consider when wondering about how to get or stay motivated.
What do you do?
I’m an IT Analyst for a large insurance company. Mostly reporting and communications, so no, I cannot fix your computer.
What else do you do?
When I’m not working or at the gym, I enjoy going to the movies and reading.
Describe a typical day in your life:
I generally get up around 7:15 and am out the door to work between 8 and 8:15. I usually get in a lunchtime workout, then leave work around 4:30. After living with and caring for my mother for three years, I absolutely love and look forward to coming home to a quiet and peaceful house and I cherish my time alone. Evenings that I’m not at the gym usually consist of running any needed errands, cooking dinner, watching television, and catching up on Facebook including the GGS Strong Women Lift Each Other Up group.
Your next training goal:
Next is to master the front squat (I just started working on that), start incorporating some powerlifting, continue to increase strength, and lose at least another 22 pounds. Once I do that, I’ll determine whether or not I want to lose any more weight, but it will depend on how I look and feel. I also am working on building more muscle and decreasing body fat, so I’ll be cleaning up my diet a bit more.
For what are you most grateful?
It would have to be my personal freedom. Although I have always been a strong person, there were many times in my life I that I would just go along with something to appease others.
It feels good to put myself first and to live life on my own terms knowing that what I think and feel matters and it’s not dependent on others’ opinions.
We often have the power to do things, we just don’t utilize it or feel we need to ask permission or seek others’ validation first. In fact, sometimes the things people insist on you doing, are merely them projecting their own fears and insecurities onto you. Once you realize that, you can take in what others say but know that you have the final say as to how you live your life.
Of what life accomplishment do you feel most proud?
It would have to be my weight loss. I’ve gotten there through a lot of dedication and hard work, and because I chose to do it and took the steps on my own to make it happen. It’s also been a time of self-discovery and dropping a lot of baggage, both physical and emotional.
Which three words best describe you?
Dedicated. Serious. Thoughtful.
What’s the coolest “side effect” you’ve experienced from strength training?
Just seeing what my body can do. It’s neat to see the gains in strength and endurance. I can now do things that I previously didn’t see myself being able to do like deep squats, regular pushups, box jumps, or short warm-up jogs and seeing how the work I’ve been doing has paid off. It’s just like one day everything clicked and I was doing some of these things either for the first time or doing them better than before because of the gains I made in training.
Another side effect for me, is just the way I push past limits. I’ve spent a great deal of my life around some people who could be negative and easily defeated. In some ways, they could drain my energy.
For me, to push oneself past a perceived limit is empowering.
In fact, when I’m working out, I can often be heard saying, “Let’s go!” and it’s just my little pep talk to myself knowing there was a time that I would have held myself back because of my exposure to negative people in my life. That’s what worked for them — the easy way out. But that’s not who I am.
I’m a fighter and there have been times that I have literally been pushed so hard in workouts that I was on the brink of tears, but I kept going. There’s a lot to learn from that. I also feel more alive when I’m working hard.
On a lighter note, there’s also the cool side effect of having the cashier ask you if you need a cart when they see how many bags you’re carrying, but you don’t need it because you can carry them with little effort.
What do you want to say to other women who might be nervous or hesitant about strength training?
Don’t be. I think it’s ingrained in a lot of women that lifting weights — and heavy weights at that — is a male thing, because traditionally it has been.
There’s no rule, and never has been, that women can’t lift weights. It’s just one of those things some have bought into without questioning it.
But women do not need to fear it. It’s all about what your goals are and training towards those goals. If you want to build muscle mass, you can do that. If you simply want to lose some weight and tone, you can do that. If you want to get into powerlifting or bodybuilding you can do that also.
Each one of these goals requires a different strength training regimen, so just simply lifting weights is not going to make a woman “huge,” “bulky,” or “like a dude”. You can still be as feminine as you want to be. No one gets to define what that looks like for you, but you!
The post GGS Spotlight: Pat Pope appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.
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Musical teamwork: the pillars of effective collaboration
10 things to remember when you’re working with other musicians.
I just got back from Oregon where I played the part of Peter Gabriel in a re-creation of his Secret World Live concert experience. A nine-person band, two hours of songs, custom-built set pieces and stage extensions, 3D image-mapping and projection, choreography, the list goes on.
It was one of the most involved shows I’ve ever participated in from a planning perspective. In the execution, it went even better than I’d imagined — and we had the audience dancing in the aisles from the start of the concert.
Afterwards, I wondered “How the hell did we just pull that off so well?”
Simple answer: teamwork.
As musicians, we can forget when we’re stressed or (worse) desperate, but effective musical teamwork is built on a few basic concepts:
1. Time is your greatest resource.
Athletes don’t just show up for the first game of the season. There’s months of practice (and sometimes pre-season games) beforehand. The same should go for any musical project or production.
I was asked almost a year in advance if I wanted to participate in this Peter Gabriel tribute. The personnel (music, lighting, design, production, PR, etc) had mostly all been determined nine months ahead of the target date for the show. And the show itself had been dreamed up and storyboarded even further back than that.
I watched the original Secret World Live film and listened to the album nonstop for months and months. So much that I still hear my daughter singing Peter Gabriel songs to herself while playing with her toys.
The date and venue — a beautiful concert hall in Portland called Revolution Hall — were locked in well in advance, and the team did several technical walk-throughs to measure stage dimensions, explore lighting options, etc.
We had two full weeks of rehearsal scheduled leading up to the show, in a practice space that had been taped-off to the exact dimensions of the stage.
We had two days with a choreographer.
We had three days with our sound engineer at the rehearsal space, dialing in individual mixes and effects.
There are a hundred other details that needed to be ironed out as well, and the only reason the ironing got done is because time was on our side.
Plan well in advance. Budget your time accordingly.
2. Work with reliable people.
My friend Anders, a fantastic drummer and one of the producers of the show, was the person that asked me to be the singer. I immediately told him the idea made me nervous because my voice sounds nothing like Peter Gabriel. Gabriel’s voice is somehow both raspy and full, even when singing higher tenor and falsetto lines. Mine is much… clearer. (Less of that cool, rock rasp).
Anders assured me that no one expected me to sing LIKE Peter Gabriel, but that I was being asked because I had the vocal range to cover both baritone and tenor vocal lines, and more importantly, he knew I’d do my homework and step into the role with conviction and my own sense of emotional delivery. I would show up prepared.
All that to say, Anders was counting on me to do SOMETHING good, even if it didn’t exactly mirror Peter Gabriel in delivery, and to not slow down the momentum in rehearsal, because I’d be ready to get to work. He could rely on me.
Same goes for everyone on the team, all fantastic musicians, technicians, builders, etc. But more important than talent was preparedness.
Be ready.
3. You’ve got to be MORE than talented and reliable.
So yeah, talent and reliability are crucial. But there’s something else that is just as important to your musical team’s ultimate success.
It’s tough to define because it’s different for each team member, but I’ll explain it this way: One of the guitarists also served as the musical director, one of our backup vocalists was an important part of getting people out to the show thanks to her network of friends and followers, the bassist knew about set design and fabrication, the drummer was in charge of van and gear rentals, and so forth.
You’ve gotta bring something to the table besides your immediate musical contribution. Web design? Writing skills for your press release? Photography? Deep pockets? Whatever it is, contribute something beyond your talent and dependability.
4. Get over yourself and take chances.
This probably sounds like a self-help cliché, but if you don’t put yourself into situations that challenge you, you aren’t going to grow.
For me (and for most of the band) there was an initial discomfort with replicating the theatricality of the show, which is all about bridging distances. There are awkward, suggestive, and joyous dance moves, dramatic duets, and plenty of moments when I’m singing on my knees at the front of the stage while staring into the eyes of individual audience members. I’ve never considered myself a naturally charismatic performer, I’m more of a workman-like singer-songwriter, but this role required that I push through my inhibitions in a way that was frightening (at first) and ultimately… freeing, engaging, successful.
The risk I took was showing up to practice ready to make a fool of myself, and to never nix ideas until we’d actually tried them. I think this helped everyone in the band get over themselves and just… dance.
I’m sure there’s a similar way in which you need to overcome something on your next big project, whether it’s writing a more vulnerable song, stepping out to the front of the stage for your solo, or risking rejection when you reach out to bloggers.
Risk it.
5. Delegate.
Once you’ve assembled a reliable team where each member has a particular skill set, it’s time to let go of the reins (a bit). There’s no way the three producers of the show could do everything themselves. So they had to trust that the set pieces would be built on time, that the band would be rehearsed, the PR campaign was underway, etc.
Of course they kept folks accountable with frequent check-ins, but they weren’t micro-managing.
That being said…
7. Every team needs leader(s).
We had three producers ultimately steering the ship. There’s a delicate but powerful balance that can happen when everyone takes ownership of their own area of expertise, while also feeling free to weigh in elsewhere.
With the “command structure” of this production, I deferred to the producers for the ultimate say, but one of our guitar players was tasked with musical direction, so it was his job to solidify the arrangements, make suggestions on everyone’s playing and singing, and so forth; I kinda took it upon myself to assist him with giving queues on stage (where solos end, when we exit a vamp, etc.) since I’m the guy wearing the bright outfit out front and all the players could see me. Our choreographer was in charge of movement, but everyone had input to shape the final show.
Anway, all this to say, it’s easier to make suggestions and collaborate when it’s clear who’s in charge of what, and who gets the final word.
7. Be clear about the rewards and penalties.
What does each person gain from contributing? Upfront money? A share of ongoing royalties? Fun? “Exposure?” What are you expecting? What should they expect of you? And just as important, what are you NOT responsible for?
What happens if you flake out, fail, or otherwise don’t deliver? Are there contingencies?
All of this should be communicated upfront. Terms, splits, payments, etc.
Contracts? Read ’em. If fair, sign ’em.
8. Use the tools.
You wouldn’t set out to create the next great EDM album with a 4-track cassette recorder and an acoustic guitar. (Well, maybe that WOULD be cool, but…)
You need the right tools to get the job done. For this production, with so much dancing, we needed the entire stage clear of monitors and cables, so everyone went with wireless in-ear monitors and wireless packs for their instruments. That required… a LOT of wireless packs, in-ears, plus those fancy antennas to broadcast all those signals. It also meant nine separate in-ear monitor mixes.
So we rented a bunch of gear, along with the same digital board that the venue has in-house. We brought it to our practice space along with all that other stuff to work out the tech and mixing details ahead of time, and saved the custom mix settings to load into the venue’s board on the day of show.
That’s just one of many examples of how we relied on a wide spectrum of tech (image mapping and projection, digital mixing, loops and samples, etc.) to make this show as good as it could be.
I don’t want this to sound like you need a billion dollars worth of the latest gear in order to be successful — in fact, Steve Lacy would tell you the opposite: start NOW with whatever you already have on-hand — but whatever tools you’re using, be sure they’re up for the task. This leads back to point #1: have adequate time to test and adjust.
If you don’t own what you need, call in favors, borrow, rent, or do that thing where you buy from Guitar Center and then return it after the gig (JUST KIDDING!)
9. Throw the Hail Mary.
Despite all the preparation, things will go wrong and you’ll have to scramble and improvise to navigate around the setback.
The only window of time our 3D-mapping expert could get into the venue to dial in his settings was the exact same time as soundcheck, so both processes were competing with one another, and both were delayed. This pushed right up to the time the doors were about to open.
It also meant we didn’t have time to do a cue-to-cue for every single song, which we’d planned to do with our sound, lighting, and projection teams. During the show, a few “important” lighting and projection sequences didn’t happen as planned.
I put “important” in quotes because you know what? No one in the audience knew any different. The music and performance had to carry the moment, and it did.
Things will go wrong. So be it. Roll with it. You might throw a desperate pass and win the game.
10. Celebrate, or at least post-game.
This Peter Gabriel tribute show I played was a success (bragging!) and we knew the moment we stepped off-stage that we’d done a good job. It was all love and congrats and celebration. That’s important. Striving to make a connection with music is a difficult path in life, and sometimes we’re too cool for our own good. It’s important, vital even, to sit on these little victories for a second and soak up the good feeling. (Those feelings might have to power you through some rough patches).
But even if your collaboration isn’t a smashing success, you should still rally the team afterwards, give thanks where thanks are due, figure out what could’ve been better, and assess how you’ll improve the next time around. Don’t just disperse into the night.
Win or lose, every team looks back on the game for lessons and a sense of camaraderie.
Have you had any successful collaborations lately? How about bad ones? Got any tips to share about musical teamwork? Let me know in the comments below.
[Picture of Real World Collective taken by Debra Penk.]
Here’s a video of one of our mellower tunes with stellar vocals from Margaret Wehr and some lovely audience participation at the end. Also, you can see some of our more animated songs HERE.
youtube
The post Musical teamwork: the pillars of effective collaboration appeared first on DIY Musician Blog.
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