An unmentionable wind problem...

So it seems with one of the TSR servers or some such like.  There is a lot of wind where once my sets resided on the servers.  I feared my creations were probably unpleasant enough to cause unmentionable gaseous disturbances but an antedote to the windiness has already kicked into play, and all files will be back later today.

That's unfortunate for you, isn't it?  Sorry about the nasty niff of my minisite in the meantime.

Sanctimonious yap - in triplicate!

Yes, my senile ramblings are appearing THREE times on my new minisite.  I don't believe anyone else has yet achieved that dubious accolade.  Therefore, I expect you think that my ego is SO huge that I want you to read what I write three times over and have been given special privileges to frame my sanctimonious yap in every available space...

Of course, that is true.  It is nothing to do with my impatient click....click..click-clickClickClickClick CLICK CLICK!!! behaviour yesterday when trying to click these pod-thingos we add to our sites...

At first, my thought was simply to walk away, whistling innocently and, when challenged about the state of my page, I would simply put on my best shocked voice and exclaim: "It wasn't me!  Oh NO!  SUCH a mess!  What HAS someone-who-is-not-me done?!!!"

But as I always do that, I guess my game would be up anyway.  So yes, I borked my site through my own usual bad temper.  Now you have to pay for it by being greeted by the messy result - in triplicate!

NOW what?!

My site's been revamped.  Obviously.

Unfortunately, I haven't a CLUE what I'm doing.  Each time I try to add something to the page, I do more damage (it looked fine when it was empty)!  So I apologise for the mess.  It will probably take me approximately 18 months to figure out what I SHOULD be doing, by which time Sims will be living in those UFOs we see!

Anyway, I hope you all had a fabulous whatever-you-did break or what-not.  And, um, anyone know what the heck I should click on next?

And now, a seasonal recorded message...

For all those of you who celebrate any festivities or are enjoying a break from work or study, have a wonderful time.

As another year winds towards a close, I want to thank you so much for the laughs, the great comments and your continued interest in (or snorting at) my peculiar creations despite my not being able to be around as much as I would have liked. Creating would not be anything like the pleasure it is if it wasn't for the great feedback.

Naturally, I will be expecting you to continue in like manner throughout 2009! Or else.

Con artist

If anyone was to build a lot that had big, gaping holes throughout, incomplete walls, no ground-level floor tiles at all, no nice decor, had open-to-weather areas, no proper roof where there should be a roof, no windows, a mostly-missing upstairs level and complete tat instead of proper furniture inside it - and THEN had the utter nerve to upload it(!), you would be forgiven for assuming that:

- the builder is incompetent - they'll soon be barred
- the builder is a con artist - they'll soon be reported
- the builder is insane - they need help
- the builder is Cyclonesue...

Tin Can Alley is now released. Some people can obviously get away with anything!


And in case you think I'm trying to steal all the, erm, credit here, I just want to do some blatant fan-girling! This lot would NOT have been possible had it not been for the work of some of my favourite creators here:

AnoeskaB's invisible doors and windows
MsBarrows' wallpapers
WideOpenEyes' graffiti
DOT's 'Barely There' bulbs
Windkeeper's rubbish (as in 'litter' - I am NOT being rude!)
Dr Pixel's dresser

The rest of the stuff you see you'll find in my Rogue's Gallery of downloads.

Tin Can Alley

Hello! I'm so sorry not to have been around much and thank you so much for the wonderful messages of support you have left for me - can't tell you how much they mean to someone like me who lurks unnoticeably behind piles of rusted metal.

I'm popping back briefly with a new lot - my first-ever winter lot too! Normally, when icy weather hits Britain, I can't think of anything more appropriate than a beach or jungle lot(!), but this year I've finally managed something snow-worthy for you. It's a two-bedroom home, fully furnished, with plenty of room to expand...

...all for a mere $14,000!

So, is there a catch?! Well, of COURSE there is! It's sort of, well, outdoors... In fact, your poor Sims will be living in an alleyway littered with junk and the worst of furnishings. However, I'm not a total meanie (much)! Most of the outdoor areas are, in fact, sealed indoor rooms, thanks largely to AnoeskaB's invisible doors and windows and a few 'crumbling-wall' windows of my own. Only the sofa/TV area is truly outdoors so your Sims won't suffer too much (just a little bit...cackle).

But it's not all bad, you know. I've been playing this lot for an entire, gruelling winter Sim season now and I experienced just one case of hypothermia with an ancient Sim who has nothing better to do than play 'snow angels' all day long. Adding a fire to the main bedroom soon toasted him! Anyway, now that I'm happy that an outdoors-looking lot actually plays properly in Seasons, I've put it up for release. I really hope you enjoy it (even if your hapless Sims don't)!

Nobody at home

I'm taking a Sims 'sabbatical'. This is likely to continue and I won't be around very much to give immediate assistance to anyone who requires it. I'm really sorry about that.

I will be dropping by from time to time (and I might even get to submitting something once in a while if you're really unfortunate), but please remember that it might take me several days or more before I get back to you in response to any questions or pleas for help you have. I'm not really a rude, arrogant and ignorant bat who never replies - I'm just an absent one!

Have I gone for good? No, not at all (sorry to disappoint - you won't get rid of me THAT easily!) but I'm just very busy elsewhere in life and not Simming right now. And it's not even exciting! Dang! I wanted to make up some drama about my absence but there really isn't any.

Thank you for being able to grit your teeth and suffer visiting my mini-site. I know you only do it to be kind (or laugh rather a lot) but it still makes me grin!

Those urban backdrops...

I love Maxis neighbourhood items. Power stations, cooling towers, radio satelites and the all-new junk ridden alleyways are fantastic, and mixing these with some neighbourhood lots that have some sort of urban/industrial visual impact really sets the grungy urban scene! (note: all links open in new windows).

For Picket's Trailors (pictured left), I placed the Container Shipping Yard to one side. This lot is not one I tend to play that often, but it does look very colourful and industrial, with a tall crane on top completing the effect. Behind that, I placed one of the Industrial Age lots: the Gas Street Power Station because the tall chimneys and large windows really stand out in a neighbourhood background.


Another lot I use extensively in backgrounds is the Gulf Offshore Oil Rig. In its own right, it's a large lot, but it stretches quite some way across the picture on the right and it makes a great background feature because of all the high cranes and masts. I tend to set it at a short distance in the background where it's still visible over the top of closer buildings.

And why am I telling you all this? Well, it's easy to download a lot because of its screenshot. I never alter screenshots of actual buildings or objects offered for download; I sometimes change the sky backdrop so it's a little less of a cheerful blue!) but surrounding neighbourhood decor can still mislead, with the lot itself seeming much more plain in an empty neighbourhood. That can be disappointing, so I figured I'd tell you what I used (and provide the links so you can easily do something similar if you wish).

More pointless freebies...

I was going to cite tales about the impoverished state of the world economy as the reasons why my monthly freebies have not been available this past couple of months (after all, I wouldn't want 'free gas cylinders' tipping the balance and sending all finance markets to their final collapse), but I figured you might not believe that sort of thing, so I'll make it a little easier by explaining that the lack of freebies was due largely to my thoughtlessness (some would say due COMPLETELY to my thoughtlessness...). So, in the hope that you'd rapidly forgive my tardiness, I have released not one, but TWO diabolical and of-no-use-whatsoever sets this month (in other words, my usual fare). A nice set of newspaper stands and some gleaming decorative light switches seemed to fit the bill nicely. As usual, click the images to go to the download pages.

Naturally, there is nothing 'nice' available - just a little bit of urban decor to further spoil any not-so-nice lots you've been making (or downloading). I particularly think that my light switches will complement all that nice furniture in the Maxis Ikea 'Stuff Pack' (yes, one of those packs I'm far too mean to purchase).

Enjoy! (or not)

Neon Lights Fixed

I have written to everyone who left comments on the original set to warn that some people were receiving corrupt files which crashed their game whenever they tried to open 'wall lamps' or 'floor lamps' in their game catalog. Unfortunately, that still leaves a further 310 or so people who I can't contact because I don't know who you are, so I hope this reaches you.

If you were one of the unlucky ones, then the set has now been reuploaded and you can download it now from this link: Nevada Neon Lights. Please ensure you also download and replace the collection file as this too was corrupted.

For once, it is NOT MY FAULT! See how I make huge fanfare announcements about problems that are not my fault? In fact, I am positively basking in the glory of this not being my fault!

But all the same, I'm terribly sorry if you were unlucky enough to receive rubbish files, and I DO hope this message reaches all those of you who downloaded.