The Chikamori Selfacy (A Reboot)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-451kWfI6hzI/X8bPPtEyeVI/AAAAAAAAk54/KB3_SyRJ73IFG8EkSAmOkYAyCBOz1giwgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/ChikamoriSelfacyReboot_banner.png Prologue: June 12, 1970; Sacred Spleen Hospital...
Forum Discussion
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-451kWfI6hzI/X8bPPtEyeVI/AAAAAAAAk54/KB3_SyRJ73IFG8EkSAmOkYAyCBOz1giwgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/ChikamoriSelfacyReboot_banner.png
Chapter Nine - "Graduation Day" (Part One)
Though we leave in sorrow
All the joys we've known
We can face tomorrow
Knowing we'll never walk alone
When the ivy walls are far behind
No matter where our paths may wind
We'll remember always, always
Graduation day ~The Freshmen
School's out for summer
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces
No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks
Well, we got no class
And we got no principals - (Watcher: or was it principles... ~evil smirk~)
We ain't got no innocence
We can't even think of a word that rhymes - Alice Cooper - "School's Out Forever"
So much for five years of post-elementary school education.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DNjHWvUS0og/YDQMo4S1v9I/AAAAAAAAnTQ/F-aveAtOETU7qVULfJyaLrsL2rAvM-pIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-65.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AHypRHXRxbU/YDQM2bsrE9I/AAAAAAAAnTU/MQXj2gf9tkwYPVeU3am86jWJqjpAW1CDACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-68.jpg
In the morning of Friday, June 30, 1988; they received a call stating that there was to be a graduation ceremony for Haruo, River, Phil and Noel...since they were the only four that were left to graduate out of that year’s class. And it happened to be that they would be called down to the city hall around nine o’clock or so or depending on when the school got the sound-system and stage set up. Considering the ad hoc graduation ceremonies that end up in this town, they just might as well keep the stage setup up all year. It would save them having to take it down and put it back up the next day. But of course, they had to have some make-work for all those who didn’t have much to do other than to take stuff down and put it away... and then take it back out four days later...and set it all back up again. Politics.
Maybe...it might be a good thing to have just one set day a month to have a graduation? But no, that would make too much sense, wouldn’t it?
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tLUY2QmUgaY/YDQNmwj_9cI/AAAAAAAAnTg/G7IhaNOoJcU6jfHH5BxWrnMkGucz8Pr9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-27.jpg
Bebe on the other hand was thankful that yesterday was the last day she had to work as a playground monitor. Now she got to monitor classes in-class...as a teacher’s aide. Which meant that she had to make sure kids were listening when the teacher taught a class and try not to fall asleep herself if she ended up in a class that she herself had taken as a student that was taught by a teacher who was dull and an effective teacher as banging a rock with a two-by-four hoping to make a hole. Luckily for her, that wouldn’t count towards her final grade or cutting points off her grade. Unfortunately sleeping on the job could cost her her job. Time for coffee. Could they get Biohazard Coffee there in Canada; 928 mg of caffeine per 12-oz – guaranteed to keep you hanging off the rafters like a chimp at the Greater Vancouver Zoo; (Watcher: they don’t have any in real life) screeching not included. At least, considering the fact that she was a family member of the graduates, she wouldn’t have to be sitting in those hard chairs...this time around.
Well, at least this time around the graduates would be Haruo, River, Torao and whoever the others were. They suspected that it would be Phil...or on the off-chance, Parker, who was only one day younger than Torao and River.
Phil was already a fire-captain in the Sunset Valley Fire Department and was making great strides career-wise for someone who was completely insane. Oh wait, having to run into a raging fire versus running out of the blaze was a perfect job for someone who was magnanimous...and had friggin’ bats in the belfry.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HKxEHSAKbA/YDQO6NNJhiI/AAAAAAAAnTo/YDMqF8PZmuAYwvY51OI3uRBvn8BqJfCbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-52.jpg
Haruo and River preferred nice sedate jobs, preferably at home: River had painting and Haruo went out to fish. Torao would be busy in the garden and well, Bebe was the only one who had to commute.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CRv50dH0i_M/YDQPPYzFysI/AAAAAAAAnT0/JvMkcJ3gbiIieb7plcWL0hSB5QBO13DmACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-75.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VOC4p4DduAU/YDQPPegn68I/AAAAAAAAnTw/-TUdnrE0p08j75F-ZVCZagX8kt93q8pqACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-77.jpg
Haruo, after finishing his meal, headed out to the front of the house, still in his underwear (luckily it was dark and only three in the morning...so he didn’t freak out anyone else not within his family circle) to pay the bills, then he headed over after changing into his every-day clothes over to see Moses Joseph to consign yet another group of items that needed consigning. After which he would check out the other consignment shop and see if he could get rid of some of the meteors that he’d had assessed.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PNblQby5NGw/YDQT4is7uaI/AAAAAAAAnUE/L4Oj74vFxqUtN8tlvJ2Pc3nHW5bgixjUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-79.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J2cqh8O9Gao/YDQT4RS3TLI/AAAAAAAAnUA/GpFQegBYD1siekSr4dz8qhlkrgXyiTw8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-80.jpg
When Haruo went over to the other consignment store, he’d realized that in his zeal that he forgot exactly what time it was. Naturally at 4:59AM, the consignment store would NOT be open. Well, duh. Unlike the Chikamoris, nobody else in town was insane enough to get up at 3 in the morning to start their work-day. After all, getting out of a nice, warm comfortable bed to get met by a cold blast of morning air; no matter how hot it would get in the midday would be any enticement to become an early-bird; worm or no worm. (Watcher: I’m quite certain that most sims’ palates would not extend to sampling Lumbricus terrestris no matter how appetizing it might be for robins).
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJhry3quAO4/YDQUHZC73II/AAAAAAAAnUQ/ZCO-FQGEI-YVcxi7hr0JewotucEKy9cvwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-84.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-Bqe7fQZd8/YDQUHoy695I/AAAAAAAAnUU/HaVMrvy763821K-iLzTEIijhpqvMTPqOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-87.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhOmEhsc9hw/YDQUG-tG68I/AAAAAAAAnUI/OWJRzPyX7D8El8pHEFBlzqeoFmbBz47dACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/ElixirConsignment_06-30-1988.png
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kn0ZfvmUEwk/YDQUG0taXvI/AAAAAAAAnUM/mq694KrGZYAKx5wKVApdTGShLtdaOKPXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/ElixirConsignment_Spacerocks_06-30-1988.png
So considering the fact that the consignment store down at 280 Sunnyside Blvd was not open, Haruo returned to the Elixir Consignment store at 365 Oak Grove Road and went to consign his space-rocks there – the Watcher, being holy, is resisting the urge to say something about Haruo getting his rocks off...
...to consignment.)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I5FVLLQ3Imc/YDQUzMMSYLI/AAAAAAAAnUs/PpBTJqdXr7kyPmVaY15GN3DHyjqeuAJuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-88.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-464WZkbCUuI/YDQUzJNUkbI/AAAAAAAAnUw/CfSUM7kgYLg_zOIKZXHJtAXX6qCGsxZHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-90.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LBL5-08C5EU/YDQUzDgWb1I/AAAAAAAAnUo/0ypfgECqd6E4sjpOKB8OS1iAj2uwFI1ngCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-93.jpg
Evidently the school was a bit more on the ball that morning and called at around 6AM to let them know that the school graduation would start at exactly 9AM; which is the way that all graduations should be run. A specific time, a specific place, a specific duration of time and it shouldn’t start any later than 9:15AM to prevent late-comers from milling around essentially not knowing what the heck they’re doing. Which of course prompts Murphy to show up and present his dictum; in other words, everything goes to hell in a hand-basket.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pwQnslccJyI/YDQU_QgQ4QI/AAAAAAAAnU0/Sedpdo0z7rQAftwoprkfUyMmBdmYuaqcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-94.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PA1yWn059h0/YDQU_e7vGaI/AAAAAAAAnU4/4F_WWskdgW8ZarpBcc4ZX8bWLLhXAOyogCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-95.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UNWW78R85c0/YDQU_azKflI/AAAAAAAAnU8/oJuSfnziIdYOd3gT4kvs9vS-QogS_SeFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-97.jpg
Uncomfortableness abounded that morning as Fiona decided that she would do the driving to the graduation ceremony instead of the family taking a cab and enriching Yellow Cab’s coffers by §160.00. And she placed Haruo in the shotgun seat which meant that she could keep an eye on him; which also meant that he couldn’t sit with River in the back and neck. No heavy petting, no lips on lips...and most definitely NO woohoo...especially NOT until they were married.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A19ymlCj7pc/YDQVTp3hBfI/AAAAAAAAnVg/8lWpD5oWDEMKFKhYRF6zOa7YRya9ucI7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-99.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r2_e601J61w/YDQVTF2hJxI/AAAAAAAAnVU/Qr812ylN1Ew2s-LF2CD-mfOe6sbzDnq8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-103.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zw_ywzLQnWQ/YDQVTbh1ApI/AAAAAAAAnVc/vTbR1OFBGxcK853tdpRCxBraktfc2ArJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-107.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FjTxEa4O7Vg/YDQVTZiw6-I/AAAAAAAAnVY/UrHfCGkTHyUuvXPszLRrMR-lZpoKwB3zgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-108.jpg
Oh, yes, graduation again was a long-winded affair; especially with teachers and faculty all having something to say to the graduates...and in actual fact, bloviating for the sake of bloviation which extended the graduation ceremony from a one hour affair of “walking across the stage, getting your high-school certificate and shaking the teacher’s hand and getting the flark off the stage.” to a three hour “sit in your chair and hope your tail-end doesn’t go numb”. Bebe sat in the audience hoping that she wouldn’t hear the same exhortations to greatness that she heard the first time around when it was her turn to graduate three days ago. That hope got blown to shreds when Mr. Isaac Klassen, the biology teacher pulled out a well-worn, much folded piece of paper and proceeded to read from it by rote. “Dear fellow faculty, and graduates of the School for the Gifted...” oh for the love of the Watcher...make it stop.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--2gNRJwaCj4/YDQVhVk26sI/AAAAAAAAnVk/q7yOKQlVBhI0U1xvsNS6zzkXgBWpNUAvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-106.jpg
Meanwhile the band in the background softly played “Land of Hope and Glory” over and over again...
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CeiyEjuidss/YDQVr3uUcNI/AAAAAAAAnVw/KAW_1_Wryn8NRJ6GdHQUAW0QIH0DVhraQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-109.jpg
We've heard this song before
On endless repeat,
Stuck here in our chairs for...
Hours listening to speeches.
Can we please get out of here,
So we can go eat?
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0cqucSxE2zI/YDQV52G-HBI/AAAAAAAAnV4/0H-Ky4_r6qMwQNTNsmL_s701o1pdcGrLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-110.jpg
That was about the sum of it...and eventually all expounding of exhortations came to a halt; either because of those at the dais running out of oxygen or running out of cogent things to say – it wasn’t certain as to which but to the utter relief of the graduates that were present; it was clear that they would get out of the graduation hall within a timely fashion...though not timely enough for them. At least it wouldn’t be one o’clock before they managed to sit down at a fashionable restaurant to intake some food; thank goodness.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UG0Y7-inqaQ/YDQWeO8OQfI/AAAAAAAAnWM/DSpq8cSggoQFR8-6tqbV699ExVmGPP2hgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-115.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B_z3WYD_RBw/YDQWdy3IhdI/AAAAAAAAnWI/F8mQKtQDvmETNGyIQIous-dJ331q8JEjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-120.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5JGDp-ByRpc/YDQWd9gOd2I/AAAAAAAAnWE/tb8yVFto3XcGcimpCvTEm1rlSs4Tbn1hwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-121.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-McGcoBUF-08/YDQWeclfy6I/AAAAAAAAnWQ/JdTf9dhWKtAnuXGUwoZOwqw1n534TAhgACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-122.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LmQIN3UiJg/YDQWe6PTL_I/AAAAAAAAnWU/No9lvgVTkVAhFMm3MrSO6curYLAEiN2dQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-123.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67X_mDlVbZo/YDQWfOSiDZI/AAAAAAAAnWY/_JKZUMZrua8PKauYEC9X3UjUjiui3SQUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-125.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z1pfZhXFRRA/YDQWf50362I/AAAAAAAAnWc/0sKIpEk9k-wxfcYOSwJr8JKwEqmAafAJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-126.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ArTGoAsJyIY/YDQWgClCv7I/AAAAAAAAnWg/rv_SySta1dML_jdqgCKVAZfc7IzF8R-IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-130.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F3mq1HDgkkw/YDQWgphUA1I/AAAAAAAAnWk/G1avcLNv84wEfNqyAqmRqUuRep-wNG2XwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-137.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw8J1ba8NP4/YDQWhICd0XI/AAAAAAAAnWo/nZZe3KU25IcBeLu-XvNSd72Og0mrOzlAACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-145.jpg
...and just to put a damper on things...when they got out of the ceremony, they ended up finding that the sunny day that they were expecting had clouded over; a metaphor for their life to come after the sunny days of no responsibilities other than getting their school-work done for the next day at school...or for Haruo, trying to come up with believable excuses for why his homework hadn’t been completed. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Frew...my dog buried my homework while searching for space-rocks.” Welcome to young adulthood and a mountain of responsibilities where excuses will end up giving you a nice little cushy spot on the unemployment line.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UeRz7VEjGp4/YDQWv5gg_8I/AAAAAAAAnW4/7Rw2WZN-JGQRmLAMZy3ygnEYYb7c9sVIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-2.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N6q4Cj_9iK8/YDQWvhsnvhI/AAAAAAAAnW0/Mz1kmsjbI2sDNwu2oYfrQZGbjk7m9tLbACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot.jpg
Or for Haruo...a lifetime of working for himself – self-employment being perfect for someone who doesn’t like answering to anyone other than himself; or to someone who just buys the fish that he is going to catch; thus having chosen the life of an angler.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Zz9X9x7wr4/YDQXFZxtxZI/AAAAAAAAnXM/wOVczzF2YEEJleYD4wOVhrAs7BcLcoEPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-162.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1flbOAtCzRk/YDQXFW9Zm1I/AAAAAAAAnXU/2-GVE0YQyCYXNUu7te-xgyz0YIwBfCS6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-165.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-97JIhvXS304/YDQXFVEQj2I/AAAAAAAAnXQ/6d7-852Hm2sLiJ4ts42LiuqpscYQTjbNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-178.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G3r7Lrx2Vo0/YDQXFy-NLeI/AAAAAAAAnXY/-kPIdGf-Gqgauv-qJC81PwnlElqaG9RagCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-179.jpg
But for now...there was trying to find sustenance thanks to Yasunobu offering to take them all out for a meal to celebrate their graduation. Ah yes, a good meal to start off their life of employment...
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vs19kCsteD0/YDQXYUn7zsI/AAAAAAAAnX4/O0B1QiPxwxoOjcQRwcWrfyjVJA4xZ2FpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-177.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qx1PjLAm7Xw/YDQXXwrqKeI/AAAAAAAAnXw/_HdOURWqrVcupVZ6aXUsFNixml32QfpFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-171.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WTcJ42qjxCM/YDQXXxVn_XI/AAAAAAAAnXs/bX3JXsC1zpcvB9X64_vsgVB8RJFi3ge0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-173.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wbK23fU8LEE/YDQXXxhJ93I/AAAAAAAAnX0/ADRdZ1JkOiwt6mrjF6ksOtao9P6VcIJYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-176.jpg
...and again the Watcher provided them a metaphor...to learn something about life. It started hailing. Sometimes life has a habit of kicking you in your happy place...painfully.
Chapter Nine - "Graduation Day" (Part One)
Though we leave in sorrow
All the joys we've known
We can face tomorrow
Knowing we'll never walk alone
When the ivy walls are far behind
No matter where our paths may wind
We'll remember always, always
Graduation day ~The Freshmen
School's out for summer
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces
No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks
Well, we got no class
And we got no principals - (Watcher: or was it principles... ~evil smirk~)
We ain't got no innocence
We can't even think of a word that rhymes - Alice Cooper - "School's Out Forever"
So much for five years of post-elementary school education.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DNjHWvUS0og/YDQMo4S1v9I/AAAAAAAAnTQ/F-aveAtOETU7qVULfJyaLrsL2rAvM-pIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-65.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AHypRHXRxbU/YDQM2bsrE9I/AAAAAAAAnTU/MQXj2gf9tkwYPVeU3am86jWJqjpAW1CDACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-68.jpg
In the morning of Friday, June 30, 1988; they received a call stating that there was to be a graduation ceremony for Haruo, River, Phil and Noel...since they were the only four that were left to graduate out of that year’s class. And it happened to be that they would be called down to the city hall around nine o’clock or so or depending on when the school got the sound-system and stage set up. Considering the ad hoc graduation ceremonies that end up in this town, they just might as well keep the stage setup up all year. It would save them having to take it down and put it back up the next day. But of course, they had to have some make-work for all those who didn’t have much to do other than to take stuff down and put it away... and then take it back out four days later...and set it all back up again. Politics.
Maybe...it might be a good thing to have just one set day a month to have a graduation? But no, that would make too much sense, wouldn’t it?
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tLUY2QmUgaY/YDQNmwj_9cI/AAAAAAAAnTg/G7IhaNOoJcU6jfHH5BxWrnMkGucz8Pr9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-27.jpg
Bebe on the other hand was thankful that yesterday was the last day she had to work as a playground monitor. Now she got to monitor classes in-class...as a teacher’s aide. Which meant that she had to make sure kids were listening when the teacher taught a class and try not to fall asleep herself if she ended up in a class that she herself had taken as a student that was taught by a teacher who was dull and an effective teacher as banging a rock with a two-by-four hoping to make a hole. Luckily for her, that wouldn’t count towards her final grade or cutting points off her grade. Unfortunately sleeping on the job could cost her her job. Time for coffee. Could they get Biohazard Coffee there in Canada; 928 mg of caffeine per 12-oz – guaranteed to keep you hanging off the rafters like a chimp at the Greater Vancouver Zoo; (Watcher: they don’t have any in real life) screeching not included. At least, considering the fact that she was a family member of the graduates, she wouldn’t have to be sitting in those hard chairs...this time around.
Well, at least this time around the graduates would be Haruo, River, Torao and whoever the others were. They suspected that it would be Phil...or on the off-chance, Parker, who was only one day younger than Torao and River.
Phil was already a fire-captain in the Sunset Valley Fire Department and was making great strides career-wise for someone who was completely insane. Oh wait, having to run into a raging fire versus running out of the blaze was a perfect job for someone who was magnanimous...and had friggin’ bats in the belfry.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HKxEHSAKbA/YDQO6NNJhiI/AAAAAAAAnTo/YDMqF8PZmuAYwvY51OI3uRBvn8BqJfCbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-52.jpg
Haruo and River preferred nice sedate jobs, preferably at home: River had painting and Haruo went out to fish. Torao would be busy in the garden and well, Bebe was the only one who had to commute.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CRv50dH0i_M/YDQPPYzFysI/AAAAAAAAnT0/JvMkcJ3gbiIieb7plcWL0hSB5QBO13DmACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-75.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VOC4p4DduAU/YDQPPegn68I/AAAAAAAAnTw/-TUdnrE0p08j75F-ZVCZagX8kt93q8pqACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-77.jpg
Haruo, after finishing his meal, headed out to the front of the house, still in his underwear (luckily it was dark and only three in the morning...so he didn’t freak out anyone else not within his family circle) to pay the bills, then he headed over after changing into his every-day clothes over to see Moses Joseph to consign yet another group of items that needed consigning. After which he would check out the other consignment shop and see if he could get rid of some of the meteors that he’d had assessed.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PNblQby5NGw/YDQT4is7uaI/AAAAAAAAnUE/L4Oj74vFxqUtN8tlvJ2Pc3nHW5bgixjUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-79.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J2cqh8O9Gao/YDQT4RS3TLI/AAAAAAAAnUA/GpFQegBYD1siekSr4dz8qhlkrgXyiTw8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-80.jpg
When Haruo went over to the other consignment store, he’d realized that in his zeal that he forgot exactly what time it was. Naturally at 4:59AM, the consignment store would NOT be open. Well, duh. Unlike the Chikamoris, nobody else in town was insane enough to get up at 3 in the morning to start their work-day. After all, getting out of a nice, warm comfortable bed to get met by a cold blast of morning air; no matter how hot it would get in the midday would be any enticement to become an early-bird; worm or no worm. (Watcher: I’m quite certain that most sims’ palates would not extend to sampling Lumbricus terrestris no matter how appetizing it might be for robins).
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJhry3quAO4/YDQUHZC73II/AAAAAAAAnUQ/ZCO-FQGEI-YVcxi7hr0JewotucEKy9cvwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-84.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-Bqe7fQZd8/YDQUHoy695I/AAAAAAAAnUU/HaVMrvy763821K-iLzTEIijhpqvMTPqOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-87.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhOmEhsc9hw/YDQUG-tG68I/AAAAAAAAnUI/OWJRzPyX7D8El8pHEFBlzqeoFmbBz47dACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/ElixirConsignment_06-30-1988.png
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kn0ZfvmUEwk/YDQUG0taXvI/AAAAAAAAnUM/mq694KrGZYAKx5wKVApdTGShLtdaOKPXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/ElixirConsignment_Spacerocks_06-30-1988.png
So considering the fact that the consignment store down at 280 Sunnyside Blvd was not open, Haruo returned to the Elixir Consignment store at 365 Oak Grove Road and went to consign his space-rocks there – the Watcher, being holy, is resisting the urge to say something about Haruo getting his rocks off...
...to consignment.)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I5FVLLQ3Imc/YDQUzMMSYLI/AAAAAAAAnUs/PpBTJqdXr7kyPmVaY15GN3DHyjqeuAJuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-88.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-464WZkbCUuI/YDQUzJNUkbI/AAAAAAAAnUw/CfSUM7kgYLg_zOIKZXHJtAXX6qCGsxZHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-90.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LBL5-08C5EU/YDQUzDgWb1I/AAAAAAAAnUo/0ypfgECqd6E4sjpOKB8OS1iAj2uwFI1ngCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-93.jpg
Evidently the school was a bit more on the ball that morning and called at around 6AM to let them know that the school graduation would start at exactly 9AM; which is the way that all graduations should be run. A specific time, a specific place, a specific duration of time and it shouldn’t start any later than 9:15AM to prevent late-comers from milling around essentially not knowing what the heck they’re doing. Which of course prompts Murphy to show up and present his dictum; in other words, everything goes to hell in a hand-basket.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pwQnslccJyI/YDQU_QgQ4QI/AAAAAAAAnU0/Sedpdo0z7rQAftwoprkfUyMmBdmYuaqcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-94.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PA1yWn059h0/YDQU_e7vGaI/AAAAAAAAnU4/4F_WWskdgW8ZarpBcc4ZX8bWLLhXAOyogCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-95.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UNWW78R85c0/YDQU_azKflI/AAAAAAAAnU8/oJuSfnziIdYOd3gT4kvs9vS-QogS_SeFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-97.jpg
Uncomfortableness abounded that morning as Fiona decided that she would do the driving to the graduation ceremony instead of the family taking a cab and enriching Yellow Cab’s coffers by §160.00. And she placed Haruo in the shotgun seat which meant that she could keep an eye on him; which also meant that he couldn’t sit with River in the back and neck. No heavy petting, no lips on lips...and most definitely NO woohoo...especially NOT until they were married.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A19ymlCj7pc/YDQVTp3hBfI/AAAAAAAAnVg/8lWpD5oWDEMKFKhYRF6zOa7YRya9ucI7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-99.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r2_e601J61w/YDQVTF2hJxI/AAAAAAAAnVU/Qr812ylN1Ew2s-LF2CD-mfOe6sbzDnq8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-103.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zw_ywzLQnWQ/YDQVTbh1ApI/AAAAAAAAnVc/vTbR1OFBGxcK853tdpRCxBraktfc2ArJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-107.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FjTxEa4O7Vg/YDQVTZiw6-I/AAAAAAAAnVY/UrHfCGkTHyUuvXPszLRrMR-lZpoKwB3zgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-108.jpg
Oh, yes, graduation again was a long-winded affair; especially with teachers and faculty all having something to say to the graduates...and in actual fact, bloviating for the sake of bloviation which extended the graduation ceremony from a one hour affair of “walking across the stage, getting your high-school certificate and shaking the teacher’s hand and getting the flark off the stage.” to a three hour “sit in your chair and hope your tail-end doesn’t go numb”. Bebe sat in the audience hoping that she wouldn’t hear the same exhortations to greatness that she heard the first time around when it was her turn to graduate three days ago. That hope got blown to shreds when Mr. Isaac Klassen, the biology teacher pulled out a well-worn, much folded piece of paper and proceeded to read from it by rote. “Dear fellow faculty, and graduates of the School for the Gifted...” oh for the love of the Watcher...make it stop.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--2gNRJwaCj4/YDQVhVk26sI/AAAAAAAAnVk/q7yOKQlVBhI0U1xvsNS6zzkXgBWpNUAvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-106.jpg
Meanwhile the band in the background softly played “Land of Hope and Glory” over and over again...
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CeiyEjuidss/YDQVr3uUcNI/AAAAAAAAnVw/KAW_1_Wryn8NRJ6GdHQUAW0QIH0DVhraQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-109.jpg
We've heard this song before
On endless repeat,
Stuck here in our chairs for...
Hours listening to speeches.
Can we please get out of here,
So we can go eat?
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0cqucSxE2zI/YDQV52G-HBI/AAAAAAAAnV4/0H-Ky4_r6qMwQNTNsmL_s701o1pdcGrLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-110.jpg
That was about the sum of it...and eventually all expounding of exhortations came to a halt; either because of those at the dais running out of oxygen or running out of cogent things to say – it wasn’t certain as to which but to the utter relief of the graduates that were present; it was clear that they would get out of the graduation hall within a timely fashion...though not timely enough for them. At least it wouldn’t be one o’clock before they managed to sit down at a fashionable restaurant to intake some food; thank goodness.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UG0Y7-inqaQ/YDQWeO8OQfI/AAAAAAAAnWM/DSpq8cSggoQFR8-6tqbV699ExVmGPP2hgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-115.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B_z3WYD_RBw/YDQWdy3IhdI/AAAAAAAAnWI/F8mQKtQDvmETNGyIQIous-dJ331q8JEjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-120.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5JGDp-ByRpc/YDQWd9gOd2I/AAAAAAAAnWE/tb8yVFto3XcGcimpCvTEm1rlSs4Tbn1hwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-121.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-McGcoBUF-08/YDQWeclfy6I/AAAAAAAAnWQ/JdTf9dhWKtAnuXGUwoZOwqw1n534TAhgACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-122.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LmQIN3UiJg/YDQWe6PTL_I/AAAAAAAAnWU/No9lvgVTkVAhFMm3MrSO6curYLAEiN2dQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-123.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67X_mDlVbZo/YDQWfOSiDZI/AAAAAAAAnWY/_JKZUMZrua8PKauYEC9X3UjUjiui3SQUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-125.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z1pfZhXFRRA/YDQWf50362I/AAAAAAAAnWc/0sKIpEk9k-wxfcYOSwJr8JKwEqmAafAJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-126.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ArTGoAsJyIY/YDQWgClCv7I/AAAAAAAAnWg/rv_SySta1dML_jdqgCKVAZfc7IzF8R-IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-130.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F3mq1HDgkkw/YDQWgphUA1I/AAAAAAAAnWk/G1avcLNv84wEfNqyAqmRqUuRep-wNG2XwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-137.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw8J1ba8NP4/YDQWhICd0XI/AAAAAAAAnWo/nZZe3KU25IcBeLu-XvNSd72Og0mrOzlAACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-145.jpg
...and just to put a damper on things...when they got out of the ceremony, they ended up finding that the sunny day that they were expecting had clouded over; a metaphor for their life to come after the sunny days of no responsibilities other than getting their school-work done for the next day at school...or for Haruo, trying to come up with believable excuses for why his homework hadn’t been completed. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Frew...my dog buried my homework while searching for space-rocks.” Welcome to young adulthood and a mountain of responsibilities where excuses will end up giving you a nice little cushy spot on the unemployment line.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UeRz7VEjGp4/YDQWv5gg_8I/AAAAAAAAnW4/7Rw2WZN-JGQRmLAMZy3ygnEYYb7c9sVIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-2.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N6q4Cj_9iK8/YDQWvhsnvhI/AAAAAAAAnW0/Mz1kmsjbI2sDNwu2oYfrQZGbjk7m9tLbACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot.jpg
Or for Haruo...a lifetime of working for himself – self-employment being perfect for someone who doesn’t like answering to anyone other than himself; or to someone who just buys the fish that he is going to catch; thus having chosen the life of an angler.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Zz9X9x7wr4/YDQXFZxtxZI/AAAAAAAAnXM/wOVczzF2YEEJleYD4wOVhrAs7BcLcoEPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-162.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1flbOAtCzRk/YDQXFW9Zm1I/AAAAAAAAnXU/2-GVE0YQyCYXNUu7te-xgyz0YIwBfCS6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-165.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-97JIhvXS304/YDQXFVEQj2I/AAAAAAAAnXQ/6d7-852Hm2sLiJ4ts42LiuqpscYQTjbNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-178.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G3r7Lrx2Vo0/YDQXFy-NLeI/AAAAAAAAnXY/-kPIdGf-Gqgauv-qJC81PwnlElqaG9RagCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-179.jpg
But for now...there was trying to find sustenance thanks to Yasunobu offering to take them all out for a meal to celebrate their graduation. Ah yes, a good meal to start off their life of employment...
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vs19kCsteD0/YDQXYUn7zsI/AAAAAAAAnX4/O0B1QiPxwxoOjcQRwcWrfyjVJA4xZ2FpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-177.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qx1PjLAm7Xw/YDQXXwrqKeI/AAAAAAAAnXw/_HdOURWqrVcupVZ6aXUsFNixml32QfpFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-171.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WTcJ42qjxCM/YDQXXxVn_XI/AAAAAAAAnXs/bX3JXsC1zpcvB9X64_vsgVB8RJFi3ge0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-173.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wbK23fU8LEE/YDQXXxhJ93I/AAAAAAAAnX0/ADRdZ1JkOiwt6mrjF6ksOtao9P6VcIJYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Screenshot-176.jpg
...and again the Watcher provided them a metaphor...to learn something about life. It started hailing. Sometimes life has a habit of kicking you in your happy place...painfully.
