A Townie Dynasty with Zest, Completed

[MarianT]

@FrancescaFiori, Getting the tombstones takes a fair amount of effort; in fact, after I finish the dynasty, I'm going to suggest to the Challenge team that we offer a point for getting the heir's parents'. Actually, Houser went over to his dad's house twice and had his dad over twice.

@oshizu, Having a full house does help with the score, as long as everyone uses the bathroom and gets enough sleep. The kids will get Bs if they do their homework once; if you can get two homework sessions in, an A is a good possibility.

@Joria, I'm looking forward to seeing the girls as teens, too. And I'm hoping that Houser will max the Art critic career, so I can put a beret on at least one of them. His beret is part of his uniform, but it hasn't unlocked in CAS yet.

[MarianT]

Chapter 20 -- The Fourth 10 Points and Free Day



Bjorn apparently took my worries about his weight gain to heart and has started working out on his own. Something I'm even more worried about, that I haven't shared with him, is who he'll find to marry once he becomes a young adult. There are currently two unmarried women living in houses in our world -- one is his Aunt Alicia, obviously ineligible, and the other is an elder in San Myshuno, who appears to be immortal. She's been living in the same place since my grandfather Ojo's time, so it's unlikely she'll die any time soon. The other women are married and have young adult sons. My hope is that a beautiful young woman who loves children will move into one of our many empty houses soon.



Bjorn is turning out to be a good kid. Even though he's a loner, he doesn't mind playing as sea monster for Caroline to attack.



I supposed you've heard the phrase, "You can dress them up, but you can't take them out"? Apparently, you can't even dress them up. Friday evening, after work, I took some of the family, including Dewayne, over to the swimming pool. True, we have a pool at home, but it's hardly ever used. Anyway, Dewayne's swimsuit came as a complete surprise to me. On the plus side, it appears that he's beginning to develop some musculature through the shoulders.



The next day, it was Talon's turn to embarrass us. I didn't have to work, and the Spice Festival was in town, so we all went. Talon had a toy helicopter in his possession that one of the girls had found, and settled down to play with the thing while Bjorn and Harper watched a guitarist. It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't kept hitting himself in the eye with the thing.
 


I was so distracted that I didn't pay any attention to the food cart's menu but ordered at random. Next time, I'll know what four red peppers next to an item indicate.



Bjorn went off to play basketball and Katlin to play on the monkey bars.



A little while later, Harper demonstrated the technique of docking spacecraft by using her basketball and Katlin's.



The next day was devoted to birthdays. Dewayne went first, and I gave him a new swimsuit as a present. I'm not sure he'll do much swimming though; he says it hurts his back.



Katlin and Talon went next, Katlin blowing out the candles on Talon's sugar-free cake and he taking the chocolate one.



Then Norah took her turn while Harper cheered. I missed getting Caroline's picture because she slept late. Worse still, I missed baking a cake for Harper a few days later.



Luckily, a few suave kisses enabled her to forgive me...



...and we were able to do a little romancing when all the children went to school and Talon went to work. Dewayne was asleep, tired after a long night's work as a ringleader.



Getting to the next free day took me a whole week, but the girls said they didn't mind. It meant that they could have fun playing "Don't Wake the Llama." Left to right, that's Norah, Katlin and Caroline, with their Uncle Dewayne at the far right.



Bjorn didn't mind either, taking advantage to work on his basketball shots.



One evening I dozed off after finishing my play, It Happened One Free Day. Everyone else in the house was asleep, and Dewayne was at work, so the gremlins responded immediately. Alicia came over and was rather appalled at the damage. "Why don't you just go ahead and call a plumber?" she asked. "It's kind of stinky in here." I told her I'd get to the toilet as soon as I finished with the refrigerator.



To encourage our teens to do their homework, Harper set up the rocket model she'd been given at work. So far, Katlin's the only one to be influenced by its focusing aura.



But I suppose it makes them all eager to get to school. The three girls were on time.



Bjorn was a bit late, though. Apparently he had to arrange his scarf just so.



Saturday morning, I boasted to them that I'd achieved this latest free day by getting promoted to level 9 of my career. Bjorn was a bit started to learn that he'd have to practice painting after finishing his homework, and Norah boasted that she'd done her homework already and achieved level 2 of fitness. Caroline was cross, either with me for telling her she'd have to do homework or with Norah for having finished hers, I'm not sure which.



Katlin was feeling a bit blue -- she inherited my gloomy trait -- so Harper tried to cheer her up. Obviously, Talon hasn't learned wisdom with age, but he does have 1000 followers for his blog -- they seem to enjoy his jokes. I tried telling one of them at work, but it fell flat.

I achieved my 10 points with 2 promotions of my own, and one each from Talon and Harper. I got another point for writing, and 2 points for adding $30,000 to our original household income. Two points for satisfaction, and one point for becoming good friends with Talon completed my total. Just ten more points and then I can hand over to Bjorn.

[cyclonenic]

Go Houser, almost top of the Art Critic career! I think my favourite triplet is Katlin, I love her knit dress. Though I think Caroline grew up the prettiest.
Good luck Bjorn finding a wife, maybe some new blood will move in soon. This households been rocking their promotions, Watchette is doing a great job. 

[MarianT]

The Zests hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday. Let the wild rumpus begin! Woot!

[MarianT]

Chapter 21 -- The Last 10 Points and Free Day



And just like that, I'm almost done. Maxing the writing skill brought in 3 points, 4 when you include the 1000 satisfaction points. To get my promotion at work, though, I needed to be at level 6 in comedy. I told every joke that my great-grandfather Johnny had written down for us -- and some of them indeed were old enough to have whiskers -- and managed to get that task done. Now all I have to do is go to work two or three more times.



Dewayne came home early the next morning with a promotion. He's still pretty nimble on his feet, back pain and all. After chatting with him, we became good friends finally, and I gained another point.


Watching Dewayne made me realize that I'm not getting any younger, but unfortunately I am getting larger through the middle. Alicia came over and chatted with me while I worked out.


After that I did yoga. I probably shouldn't have tried to regain my youthful figure all in one day, though. I could hardly move the next time I got up. Talon came home from work with a promotion that afternoon, and the royalties from my book brought in another $30,000, bringing my point total to 9.



I realized that it wouldn't be long before the Watcher switched her attention to Bjorn, so I tried to talk to him about the dynasty. I warned him that he wouldn't have much choice when it came to finding a spouse. "Your mother and I became sweethearts in high school," I said. "And I wish that could have happened for you, too. You're probably going to have to marry a woman who is much older than you -- closer to my age, in fact -- but I hope you'll be just as happy with her as your mother and I have been."

"Relax, Dad," said Bjorn with a grin. "It will all be okay."



After the children went to school, I asked Harper out for a long overdue date. We decided to live it up and go to Chez Llama.



Here's my lovely wife in her formal attire. You'd never guess she's the mother of four teenagers, would you.



We splurged and shared a bottle of Monte Vista Reserve with our meal. It was so smooth that I found myself wishing I'd become a food critic instead of one of the arts just so I could concentrate on developing my palate.



While we were eating, Harper got a text from Katlin saying that she'd brought her grade up to a B, and I got a text from Norah saying the same. That brought my point total to 11, one more than I needed, but I figured both girls should get credit since they'd worked so hard.



Back at the house, Bjorn was laughing with Katlin at one of their Uncle Talon's famous cat videos, when he learned that the last free day was starting. As the next heir he would have a lot to do: portraits to paint, a collection of photographs to put together, and a spouse to find. I felt a wrench as the Watcher left me, but she promised she would be back before finally departing. And in the meantime, it was pleasant to finish my dinner with Harper without having to worry about anything.



The Watcher gave Bjorn the Observant reward so that he could find out everything he needed to quickly. Izumi Shimizu, our next-door neighbor, turned out to be a bookworm, an insider, and cheerful, certainly acceptable traits. And since she was a teen when Bjorn was born, she was older than he was, but still young enough to have children.



Her brother Seiji was a snob and a perfectionist -- not great traits, but acceptable in a housemate.



Anika Salavani worked as a waitress at Chez Llama, which is why Bjorn had to dress formally. As an elder, she was a long shot, since Bjorn would have had to adopt. Since she was a foodie, they would have shared an interest in cooking, but Bjorn eventually crossed her off the list.



Aahani Srivastava was about the same age as Izumi and seemed fairly nice. But her younger brother had the jealous trait, and Bjorn felt cramped in their house.



Back at the house, the Watcher gave Bjorn a moodlet manager and told him it was time to start painting.



He ended the family's sittings early the next morning, and I was the last. It was hard to tell jokes when I felt so sad about his coming departure. And also about growing older and Harper getting older, too. But I guess it's fitting that I should end as a sad clown, or a gloomy goofball, to be more accurate. To quote one of the great comediennes of the Watcher's world, "I'm so glad we had this time together."

Houser's Final Stats
Skills: writing, 10 pts
Promotions: 23 pts -- Houser -- 6, Harper -- 4, Talon -- 3, Dewayne -- 3, Bjorn -- 2, Katlin -- 2, Norah -- 2, Caroline -- 1
Satisfaction Points: 6 pts
Good Friends: 7 pts -- Bjorn, Katlin, Caroline, Norah, and Alicia Zest, and Talon and Dewayne Bjergsen
$30,000: 4 pts.
Maxed Skill: 2 pts -- Houser -- writing
Negative: -1 pt, bladder fail

[MarianT]

Chapter 22 -- Transition to Bjorn



"Huh? What's that? Who's there?"
(I'm the Watcher, Bjorn. The guardian of your family's destiny.)
"Oh, right, my dad told me about you. Look, I don't really need a Watcher. I've figured it out already: once I finish these portraits, I'll take 10 photographs and use them for my collection. I'll marry either Izumi or Aahana, probably Izumi because I like her house better. Then I'll pick up 12 points from maxing gourmet cooking, 12 from maxing baking, and 10 or 11 from reaching the top of the culinary career. I'll probably max cooking, too, so that'll be another 2 points. That'll get me to 36, and I'll certainly get some satisfaction points. My wife and the kid should bring in a few more points, and I'll make a good friend or two, and that'll take care of the rest. So basically, you don't have to stick around."
(I forgot -- you're a loner like your grandfather.)
"Yup, so you can just go and do whatever Watchers do. I'll be fine on my own, really."



(Excuse me, Mr. Fine-on-your-own, but are you aware that your face is covered in orange spots?)
"Pimples?"
(No, a rash. How do you feel?)
"Itchy, and kind of headachy."
(I hope that's not a group meal you're making.)
"Um--"
(Well, if you bring it to a full, rolling boil that should kill off all the germs. Go and order some medicine from the computer and drink it.)



"Ooh, that one looks like a whale. I just loved Moby Dick, didn't you?"
"Um, I never actually read it, and I don't understand how you can see anything with the stairs in the way."
"Oh, but looking at the clouds through the stairs is more interesting because you can guess at what the shapes might be."
(How are things going?)
"Watcher, so far she's referred to or quoted five books I've never even heard of, let alone read. It's like hanging out with my Simlish teacher."
(Well, she is a bookworm. Do you want to go spend some time with Aahana?)
"Another stranger whose name I can't spell? Not really. At least I'm not tense around Izumi anymore."



"Romancible at last. Hallelujah!"



"Izumi, I know that there's a difference in our ages, but I really think we could have a good relationship. And I was really glad to hear that you're still single."
"My love is like a red, red rose that's newly sprung in June," said Izumi, taking the rose.
"Um yeah, that is a red rose."
(She's quoting a poem by Robert Burns. Say "My love is like a melody that's sweetly sung in tune," and she'll be yours forever.)
"My love is like a melody-- sorry, I can't remember the rest."
"That's sweetly sung in tune," quoted Izumi, looking at Bjorn adoringly.



The next day, after he'd finished his last portrait, Bjorn took Izumi to Myshuno Meadows. "I have to take some photographs," he said, "and I'd like to get one of you to hang in our museum."
"Museum?" said Izumi.
'Yeah, I'm in a dynasty and I have to come up with a collection...Oh, look, what's that over there?"



"I've never seen a heart-shaped cloud before," said Bjorn.
"Only from the heart can you reach the sky," said Izumi. "That's from a medieval Persian poet named Rumi -- you probably haven't heard of him."
(Actually, it's from the last of the fireworks that went off at your great-grandfather Ojo's wedding. He was whisked off to his new house before he could see them.)



To take more pictures, Bjorn and Izumi went to the Island Bluffs in Windenburg.
"Oddly enough, I've lived here all my life, but I've never been here before," said Izumi. "This is really --"
Bjorn leaned in for the kiss.
"Oh," said Izumi. "Oh my. That was quite lovely, but I feel rather tired. I guess it's like Sleeping Beauty in reverse."
(Sleeping Beauty is a fairy tale--)
"Watcher, I've heard of Sleeping Beauty."



(This would be a lovely place for a proposal if only Izumi were awake. Why don't you take some photographs for a while?)



Bjorn had a better idea. By the time Izumi woke up, however, he was hungry and sleepy, so they both went to their separate homes.



Bjorn woke up again around 2 am. He took his portraits and photos over to the Museum.



After adding Houser's portrait, he turned around and saw his great-grandfather Ojo.
"Everything going all right?" asked Ojo.
"Yeah," said Bjorn. "I'm just trying to find space for the rest of my portraits and collection."
"You'll have to go upstairs," said Ojo. "Is the Watcher as bossy as ever?"
"I'll say. She's a know-it-all, too."
(You two do realize I can hear you?)



Bjorn found a place for the rest of his family. Top left to right, Katlin, Caroline, Norah, Harper; bottom, Dewayne Bjergsen, Bjorn, Talon Bjergsen.



He squeezed in his photographs around the windows. When he finished, Bjorn found himself talking to another ghost. "I'm your great-great-grandmother Alice Spencer-Kim," she said. "I like the look of that girl in the photo. Are you two getting married?"
"I hope so," said Bjorn. He left the Museum before he could meet any more of his ancestors.



Early the next morning, earlier than he really wanted, Bjorn got a call from Izumi. "Want to go on a date with me?" she asked. "I was thinking we might go to the spa."
(Great! You can try for baby in the sauna.)
Yoga wasn't Bjorn's idea of a date activity, but he knew he wouldn't be able to talk to Izumi until she finished her class.



Before going into the sauna, Bjorn dropped to one knee.
(You're taking a chance -- she's not in a flirty mood. But I guess you're committed now.)



Izumi inspected the ring before putting it on.



Then she leaped into Bjorn's arms. "Is that a yes?" he asked.
"Yes," said Izumi, "even though that was one of the worst dates I've ever been on. I've got to go. Bye."
And Izumi left.
"Watcher, I don't understand. I just proposed to her. How could that be a bad date?"
(Maybe you should have picked a more romantic spot for your proposal.)
"But she's the one who suggested the spa."
(Look. Just call her and ask for another date. Pick a place where there's a wedding arch -- like the garden in Willow Creek.)



And that was where Bjorn and Izumi got married.

Bjorn's stats upon moving in:
Portraits: $957
Photographs: $107
Satisfaction points: 1000
Job: Culinary, 2
Aspiration: Master Chef
Household Income: $18,460

[oshizu]

Wow, it's hard to believe that you've already started the fifth generation of your TenGen Dynasty Challenge!
You make it seem as if the sims are jumping through all the hoops so very efficiently.
Considering you only control one sim in the household, the other sims' behavior doesn't seem at all chaotic.
You are really doing great! And, surely, making it look a lot easier than it actually is, hehe.

I'm glad Bjorn ended up with Izumi. What lot do they live in with her brother?
When a sims couple are romancing and the other sim suddenly has to leave, it's usually because they have a job. Bjorn really finessed his way into Izumi's heart!
Looking forward to reading about his new life in their new home.

[MarianT]

Wow, it's hard to believe that you've already started the fifth generation of your TenGen Dynasty Challenge!
You make it seem as if the sims are jumping through all the hoops so very efficiently.
Considering you only control one sim in the household, the other sims' behavior doesn't seem at all chaotic.
You are really doing great! And, surely, making it look a lot easier than it actually is, hehe.

I'm glad Bjorn ended up with Izumi. What lot do they live in with her brother?
When a sims couple are romancing and the other sim suddenly has to leave, it's usually because they have a job. Bjorn really finessed his way into Izumi's heart!
Looking forward to reading about his new life in their new home.

TS4 Sims really do take care of themselves pretty well. The main thing is to have at least 2 bathrooms (and I got by with 2 even with 8 Sims in the house), and a couch available near the front door for Sims who come home exhausted from work.

Izumi didn't have a job, but she left because the timer on the date ran out. She was the one who invited Bjorn so there weren't any objectives. Usually those dates end badly, but once I had the initiating Sim say she had a great time.

[oshizu]

Oops, I always manage to post some irrelevant or incorrect remark in your thread every time, due to not reading carefully (usually) or not understanding how uncontrolled sims behave (only sometimes).
Thank you for explaining why Izumi left. I was confused that she asked him on the date but then left. The idea of the timer running out didn't occur to me at all, hehe.

Do you find this challenging "more relaxing" than an Immortal Dynasty, since you're only permitted to control/micro-manage one sim?
I've been thinking of doing a Rival Dynasties Challenge after my legacy but you make this one seem like more fun...

[MarianT]

Oops, I always manage to post some irrelevant or incorrect remark in your thread every time, due to not reading carefully (usually) or not understanding how uncontrolled sims behave (only sometimes).
Thank you for explaining why Izumi left. I was confused that she asked him on the date but then left. The idea of the timer running out didn't occur to me at all, hehe.

Do you find this challenging "more relaxing" than an Immortal Dynasty, since you're only permitted to control/micro-manage one sim?
I've been thinking of doing a Rival Dynasties Challenge after my legacy but you make this one seem like more fun...

To be honest, I think this is more fun, mainly because I get so tired of trying to get those 5 perks for the retail store in my Rival Dynasty. But also it is relaxing to only have to worry about one sim. I am really enjoying the point system, too -- it keeps the momentum up so that you don't get that dull time when you're waiting for someone to become an elder and take ambrosia in the Immortal Dynasty or for your child to become a teen in the Rival Dynasty and start working on the requirements to move out. If I'm moving fast, it's because I'm playing a lot more.

[FrancescaFiori]

Oh, so glad Bjorn was finally able to pin Izumi down! I didn't think about the bathroom issue until now, but I'm sure it must be a big factor in choosing spouses and houses. If you had surprise triplets in a house with one bathroom  . . . yikes. Though I suppose you could build out the basement.

The museum is starting to look really impressive. Nice that Bjorn got to commune with a few old relatives while he was there.

[MarianT]

Chapter 23 -- The First 10 Points and Free Day



The first thing most people say to me upon being introduced is "Funny, you don't look Japanese."  My brother Seiji Shimizu does and apparently resembles our father; I look more like my mother Maki. The first thing Bjorn said was "Hi, I'm the heir in a dynasty." Immediately I was intrigued since dynasty and legacy families are the equivalent of nobility for Sims. I'm not quite the snob my brother Seiji is, but I do love a good historical novel, one with a long family tree especially. Although there are disadvantages to living in a dynasty household -- the omnipresent Watcher, for example -- one advantage that I soon discovered was access to an unlimited wardrobe and salon. Bjorn, who became a romantic upon growing up (my influence, I'd like to think) reacted quite favorably to my new look.



Speaking of my brother Seiji, he got a new hairstyle, too. He joined me as a mature adult almost as soon as we moved in. Bjorn was regretful, saying that if he'd known Seiji was due to have a birthday, he would have baked him a cake.

Take note of the picture hanging on the wall. It was our attempt to claim the bedroom, but with the computer in the room too, I suppose interruptions were inevitable. Luckily no one gets so embarrassed that they risk dying.



Mom said she was content with her old clothing and hairstyle, but she did welcome a new chess player. I had to laugh when I saw Bjorn trying to cheat -- Mom's so good that she can still beat him. She's a scientist and actually used to work with Bjorn's grandfather.



The day after Bjorn moved in, he decided to throw a dinner party. I was surprised because I know that he's a loner and not very fond of company. He told me it was a requirement for his aspiration to become a master chef. I got to meet his mother, Harper, who is obviously in better shape than I am, despite having had triplets and being so close to becoming an elder. Luckily I know what's causing my weight gain. I do hope it's not triplets, though.



And here is my young Adonis. Bjorn asked me who Adonis was, and when I told him he was the lover of Venus, he said that as far as he was concerned, I was more beautiful than Venus any day. That's one of the nice things about being married to a romantic. He might not always get my literary allusions, but he knows how to turn them into compliments. Anyway, Bjorn's a fanatic about yoga and exercise -- as a gourmet cook and glutton, he says he has to be.



Like I said, there's a disadvantage to having the computer in our bedroom. Seiji soon took the hint and left though. I was feeling like an overripe cantaloupe, but when Bjorn looked into my eyes, all my aches and pains vanished.



I thought that I couldn't get any plumper, but I was wrong. By the time the baby arrived I was convinced that I was carrying triplets, just like Bjorn's mom. I should say, though, that I had an easy pregnancy -- no morning sickness at all.



And here is the next Zest -- Elsa, named after Bjorn's grandmother. I was surprised at how pale she turned out to be and now I can't wait to see whether she inherited my hair coloring or Bjorn's. I heard Mom coming home from work and called out to her to come and see her new granddaughter.



"I'm coming!" she called back, and I expected her to come rushing into the nursery. But when a few minutes went by without her appearance, I realized that something was wrong. She hadn't been talking to me at all.



Instead she was addressing the man in black, the one with the recording tablet. It was the first time I wished I wasn't in a dynasty so I could plead for her life, just long enough for her to see the baby.



Bjorn wasn't with me; he was in the nursery looking after Elsa. "Our first female heir," he cooed. "She's going to be fantastic." We've discovered her traits -- she's going to love the outdoors, but also be a slob and hot-headed. Anyway, Seiji was with me when Mom died, and Bjorn said that she'll be buried in the Zest family plot next to the Museum. I guess that'll be a comfort once the first throes of grief pass.

 

The next day, Bjorn surprised me and Seiji by saying he had a free day, which meant that we could choose careers. I'm going into politics, to campaign for the organization, "Speak for the Trees." Seiji wants to be a comedian.



Bjorn took me to Oasis Springs, having heard that they had a great gym. He found someone to coach him while he worked out.



I tried to get a protest going, but apparently the residents of Oasis Springs aren't interested in trees. I guess if they cared about trees, they wouldn't live in a desert. "I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree," I boomed through my bullhorn, but no one paid any attention. It's obvious that if a tree fell in Oasis Springs, no one would hear it.



Bjorn actually liked the place and said he hoped that Elsa might marry into one of the houses here. Chacun son gout as Mom, sniff, used to say. (Bjorn required a translation -- "to each his own" is how it's usually rendered in Simlish.)



Later that day Bjorn's sister Norah came over to see the baby. She changed Elsa's diaper and told us about the time she had to go all afternoon with a dirty diaper because Bjorn was so busy cooing at her that nobody else could get to the bassinet to change her. She was in a bad mood about something and kicked over the garbage can when she left, but I don't know what her problem was.

And that's it for Bjorn's first 10 points. He promised to make me some grilled cheese sandwiches (I love grilled cheese) if I could write a whole chapter without quoting anything, so I guess I lost. I think I can get him to make more grilled cheese anyway. Here's how he got to 10 points: 5 for gourmet cooking, 2 for satisfaction points, 1 for a promotion, and 2 for becoming good friends with Elsa and me (we were long on romance, short on friendship when we married).

[FrancescaFiori]

Izumi is a marvelous narrator! I love her new look, too. I confess I was really hoping she'd get a makeover when she and Bjorn got married, and she looks fabulous.

I particularly liked her protesting by shouting poetry into a bullhorn. Amazing.

Good start, Bjorn! And welcome little Elsa!

[oshizu]

I agree with FrancescaFiori about Izumi being a great narrator with all her literary allusions!
She's also striking--I like her dark skin and copper hair. I can't wait to see what little Elsa looks like as a child!

Wow, the first free day already!

Question: I don't understand about the computer in the bedroom. Can't it and its desk/chair be moved to another part of the house?

(Also, I'd asked about the Shimizu lot then remembered you list all the lots on your second post--thank you for doing that!
And I thank you for explaining what you like about the TenGen Dynasty challenge when compared with the Rival Dynasties Challenge.
I can see how the 10-point system leads to smaller discreet modules for both gameplay and storytelling.)

[MarianT]

@FrancescaFiori, Glad you like Izumi's makeover -- I had fun picking out new clothes for her. I'd originally planned to go back to Watcher/heir dialogues, but since she's a bookworm, with much in the way of literature to draw upon, I decided to try using a spouse as narrator.

@oshizu, I just haven't gotten around to rearranging the furniture yet, so the computer is still there. I gave the lot the Homey trait, which speeds up cooking and also gourmet cooking, which are fast already. I expect Bjorn to max gourmet much sooner than Houser maxed writing.