March 28, 2002

• If there's a theme of the day, it's saturation.  The ground is thoroughly saturated after weeks of almost continual rain (the sun broke through yesterday, but it's been heavy clouds and intermittent showers today). 

  
  

  I started on Monday teaching Tucker to read.  I had tried introducing him to reading last Fall, but it quickly became apparent that he just was not ready.  Now he is.  Last Fall we worked almost a week before we could complete a single lesson.  This week, he has gone through two lessons a day and would have done more if I'd let him.  I worry about saturation though.  How many new ideas can a mind retain at one time?  (Not to mention that there are only 100 lessons in this book and I want it to last until we take our Summer break in June.)

  
  

  I've been thinking heavy thoughts for about a week.  I've been on the problem of the mind and consciousness.  I haven't worked quite through it all yet, but when I do, I'll be sure to let someone know.  I think there will be a Nobel prize in the deal and I could use the money.

  
  

  I'm frustrated on the part of my SIMS people.  They have such a meaningless existence.  They work and earn money, so they can buy stuff, so they can be comfortable and happy, so they have the energy to go to work.  They could be said to have purpose only in that they give me pleasure, but how sad is that?  I'm an indifferent deity to say the least.  I've been known to delete little lives and restart them if they didn't develop the way I thought they should go.  Sometimes I let the run without my interference for hours just to see what they will do on their own but they never manage to break out of the cycle.  They never experience transcendence.

  
  

  Little Natasha Simdilius is having a grand time.  She still refuses to go to work, but I've made something of a contract with this character that I'll let her do her thing pretty much as she wishes.  Of all the characters in the simulation she comes closest to actually having free will.    She has used her free will to spend her days alternately reading books and soaking in the hot tub.
  
  She has a secret room with a crystal ball and a magic djinni lamp.  She had a little voodoo doll for a while, but the djinni waved his hands and changed her personality to the maximum of nice points.  So no more poking pins in Roberto when he displeases her.  Although, she has been known to wake him up in the middle of the night and make him move to the couch.  I haven't figured that out.  None of my other little Sims do that.   

  
  

  I'm not saturated with Sims yet.  This is still the most fun I've had since I played dolls with my sisters as a child.  Of course, Cheryl played beautician until Barbie didn't have hair anymore - just dots.  Only one of my Sims is bald, and I followed all Daffodilious' rules in designing his look.  He is quite buff. 

  
  

  Many thanks to you all for the reading suggestions.  Barnes and Noble thanks you as well, their stock should rise with the quarterly earnings report. 

  • 5:12 pm
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