400k? Not Bad Eh?

Milestones, Musicians, and Musings

And my parents said I'd amount to nothing. I sure proved them wrong! Aha. I kid, I kid. But really I'm proud, I know it's mostly down to my custom content as opposed to the words I write, but still who would have thought I'd have a blog in the simmersphere that could weather my storms of inactivity. 

In other news Josh Groban is coming in April which is exciting. I hope to go, however none of my friends are into him, or rather none of them are ino him enough to fork out the hundreds of dollars it will cost to get tickets, accommodation, and flights to where he is playing. My friends' mothers however are keen so that might be a thing. 

I've taken up letter writing. Just between the odd friend from out of town. It's only in its infancy at the moment but I remain postive as to its future. One of these friends quoted to me in a letter the words of Lord Byron (that's right, I have classy friends who quote Lord Byron [removes pocket watch from waistcoat pocket to check the time]). Anyway here is the quote:

“Letter writing is the only device combining solitude with good company.”

A beautiful, though perhaps outdated notion. There's something so heartwarming about a hand written letter. Or perhaps that's just what years of period drama has conditioned me to think. (Downton Abbey Season 6. My body is ready). I'm in a sappy mood at the moment though. (Danny Boy on Spotify, no further explanation required).

My fiction stories come along at the snail's pace to which their author has limited them. Nothing much more to say on that front except that I still remain positive that I shall one day be favourite to win the Katherine Mansfield award only to be snubbed in favour of a more veteran author and continue to consider myself robbed until my dying breath.

I spent Friday volunteering down at a stall for the local cancer society. It was Daffodil Day, a day in New Zealand (spring flowers are out in NZ this time of year) for the raising of funds for the society. My sister was in charge of organising the stall, which raised some three thousand dollars. It was a nice way for me to get involved in my new community as I've only been in this town for three months. It's a lovely little town of about 4000 people, most of whom are farmers and live a million miles from the actual township. It's the sort of place where everyone knows everyone. Truly charming. Think Agatha Christie's Saint Mary Mead sans murder. 

I'm in love with the slower pace my life has taken of late; letter writing, board games at the weekend, baking a cake for a sick neighbour. Don't be fooled though. I've still got one foot out the 21st century. But that part of my life has been stressing me out no end. Age 20 and I'm already prepared to pack it all in in favour of a more Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall life in a dinky cottage fifty miles from the nearest traffic light. 

Anyway that's enough of my rambling. Good morning, Good day, Good evening and Good Night! Off to bed I go!

I've made a Sims 4 Machinima! Back in business!

It's a Sims 4 Ma, Ma, Machinima!

That's right guys I'm pretty chuffed that I've done it. I suppose its generic and not at all my best work but its my first Sims 4 Machinima which is a feat considering I didn't think that would happen ever. This is also my first machinima in about 3 years.

It's to the song Everything Has Changed by T-Swift and Ed Sheeran. The simple story follows the blossoming romance of a Florist and a Baker who runs the business next door. Check it out below.

History Can Be Confusing: The Romanovs

O Romanov, Romanov, wherefore art thou Romanov? 

As anyone who knows me well will tell you, I love the Romanovs. (the 'R' is SR's Deep Thoughts actually stands for Romanov). But I must confess it can be confusing trying to learn about that family. The problem lies in there habits of naming children after other people in their family.

 For example there was this guy named Nicholas, he had a son Nikolai and a daughter Maria and another daughter Alexandra, he also had a daughter in law called Alexandra, plus he had a son Alexander. Well Alexander married a girl named Marie Alexandrovna, they had a son Nikolai, a daughter Maria, a daughter in law Alexandra and a son Aleksei as well as son called Alexander who married a girl named Maria (who had a sister Alexandra). Well they had a son Alexandr and also a son in law Alexandr, plus another son Nicholas, who married....guess who? That's right Alexandra and they had a son Aleksei and guess what also a daughter named Marie. All that money and they couldn't even afford new names for their babies! In fact here lies the robin of user name double ups. For you see when a man became Tsar if there had already been a Tsar of the same name (it happened a lot) you became "such and such" the second. It would have saved some hastle if they had if just been more original in the first place. 

But isn't her name Alix?

The Romanovs, like many royals, also had a terrible fondness for renaming themselves. Whenever something monumental happened, like a religious conversion or a coronation or a marriage you could elect to take on a new name. You could swap your current name for a new one, add a new one on, the only thing they never seemed to do was drop an old name. For example Alix of Hesse has about one thousand different ways of saying her name. When she got married she became Alexandra, but the funny thing is with Russian names, they can be translated in many different ways too. Don't even get me started on the titles! Grand this, duchess of that,  tsarina of that one, empress of that empire! Whatever happens to good old 'Queen'.

What is in a name? 

Names carried a lot of meaning in these circles though. Perhaps the most famous of the Romanovs is the daughter of Tsar Nicholas and Alix/Alexandra, Anastasia. Anastasia' name derives from the Greek word Anastasis, which means "to stand again [from the dead]" therefore it's English equivalent is Ressurection. It can also mean "breaker of chains" that is to be free of the chains of death. In honour of her birth, Anstasia's father released a number of prisoners giving them pardon - therefore breaking the chains so to speak. After her and her family vanished many rumours abounded about her survival. Fuelled in part by the meaning of her name. Would this daughter of the Tsar live up to her name and rise again? (Sadly not, as it happens she died with her family, all of them executed). 

A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet

Names are funny things. They have meanings but at the same time these meanings usually have no real relevance on their carriers. If you really want to have some fun, look up the urban dictionary definition of your name. 

Also a small shout out to my friend Amelia, whose name means Industrious One, and also currently holds the top spot for most popular new born girls name in England and Wales.