Sage Thoughts

[Sage Cheesman]

Trying again with this one... my first attempt at telling this story, admittedly, did not go over well.
This is basically Sage's private journal. Some of these events happened in the past so it's a matter of catching up before reporting on present happenings. Some of these pictures are fairly old, before I joined Equus and learned more about horse coloring, etc. A lot of it is not going to make sense or even be in any real particular order. It's basically a diary of a teenage girl, lol.



Hi everyone, it's me, Sage Margaret Plumb-Cheesman.
My name is actually Sage-blossom after some flowers my mom, the famed adventurer and author Savannah Plumb Cheesman, saw in China, where I was conceived. Except no one calls me that but her, and that's only when she's mad with me. Everyone calls me Sage, and Sage it is.
My middle name, Margaret, is in honor of mom's favorite aunt, who was only Sunset Valley's most accomplished novelist. She died when mom was a teenager -- the same age I am now.
My dad is a professional athlete, Andrew Jeffrey Cheesman. He's a reserve forward on the Llamas soccer team, which means he comes off the bench to relieve someone else. I don't know much about his family and his past.
My grandparents, Nathan and Shandra Plumb, were both famous classical musicians, heavily involved in Sunset Valley's theater community. The old Wilsonoff Theater is now named after my grandfather. My uncle, Sebastian (Bassy) Plumb, is a major movie star in Bridgeport.



My family is pretty unusual, as families go. I have two older siblings who were adopted from Egypt before I was born. One of them, Satis, returned there, against mom's wishes. My older brothers, AJ and Imsety, are at Fort Starch Military Academy. They were sent there just before I turned teen, and I'm still not sure why. I miss them like mad, though. (This pic was taken during AJ's home visit.) I also have a kid sister, Sierra, who is basically a pain. We share a room, though. People sometimes think we're twins because we have the same blond hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin. The fact is, we're not. We couldn't be more different. She's athletic and I'm, well, not. She follows me everywhere -- with her football in tow. She throws HARD.

Something you should know is, right before I turned teen, my dad moved the whole family from Sunset Valley to this town called Hidden Springs away from my family and friends. He said he wanted a change of scenery after all the bad press my brothers got for being sent away. Because mom's family is who they are, we've always been followed by paparazzi. It's been hard meeting new people and making new friends, since there aren't a lot of sims my age and younger here. When I was back at home in Sunset Valley, there were plenty of kids our age, and I had quite a few friends and even a slumber party. I still talk to Malika and Natalie on Simbook, but it's not the same.



This all started to change the minute I met Kayleigh.
Kayleigh herself was newly arrived in Hidden Springs, only she'd come from a town called Appaloosa Plains to the west instead of Sunset Valley down near the coast. I thought she was the coolest person that ever lived. Seriously.
She told me her family raises unicorns and Arabian show horses, and she wanted me to come and see her ranch sometime.
"I never heard of unicorns being raised as pets," I told her.
"Well, there's a certain way you have to catch a unicorn late at night and befriend him or her," she replied. She also told me the Arabian was one of the oldest and most famous horse breeds in the entire world.
From that moment on, I knew I wanted to get to know her better and maybe, just maybe, become friends with her.



I remember the first time I laid eyes on Traveller.
He was a Hanoverian my parents got me from the equestrian center for my teen birthday and the first and only horse I've ever owned. I have to admit I wasn't entirely sure what to do at first. After all, I'd never ridden a horse before, and, because I grew up in Sunset Valley, on the beach pretty much, I'd never even laid eyes on one. At least, not in real life. I'd only seen them in movies and magazines.



The next day, I decided to take Traveller for a ride around Hidden Springs. I had to admit, I was scared and nervous. I had never really ridden a horse before. I'm comfortable around horses now but that wasn't always the case. Fortunately, though, Traveller was gentle with me. He eased into a slow walk down one of Hidden Springs' many hills. He liked the fresh air and I could tell he was slowly getting used to carrying me on his back.



Just then, my little sister Sierra whizzed past me on her bicycle. "Hey!" I shouted to the top of my lungs. "Where are you going?"

[Gray Hampton]

Awesome story! can't wait to read more, but why is her Hanoverian have an Arabian head and is extremely skinny lol.

[Sage Cheesman]

Jul 1, 2012 13:16:29 GMT -5 Gray Hampton said:

Awesome story! can't wait to read more, but why is her Hanoverian have an Arabian head and is extremely skinny lol.

Hi Gray,
Thanks for your comments! These are old pictures and that horse was from the equestrian center generated from the game. He was actually listed as a Hanoverian when I had the family buy him. The horse looks very different now.

[Gray Hampton]

Jul 1, 2012 13:33:32 GMT -5 Sage Cheesman said:

Jul 1, 2012 13:16:29 GMT -5 Gray Hampton said:

Awesome story! can't wait to read more, but why is her Hanoverian have an Arabian head and is extremely skinny lol.

Hi Gray,
Thanks for your comments! These are old pictures and that horse was from the equestrian center generated from the game. He was actually listed as a Hanoverian when I had the family buy him. The horse looks very different now.

Ahh ok .

[Sage Cheesman]

The next morning Sierra got caught trying to skip school. Dad caught her coming out of the house at 9:15 that morning. I tried to yell at her to come on and catch the bus but apparently she got too busy playing submarine in the bathtub.



She complained to me after getting caught, too. "Look I understand you don't like school. Why don't you like school?"
"It's boring," she said. "We don't do nothing!"
"How about your scouting classes? I know you like those."
"Yah but they're so strict. I don't like rules."
"You know if you keep this up, Sierra, I'm going to have to let mom know about it." That is, if dad doesn't tell her first.
The last thing we want is for her to end up like Sety and AJ.



I rode the bus home from school with Kayleigh. Like me, she has a kid sister, named Cammie, and a bunch of horses, including several Arabians.



This is the huge ranch and training facility belonging to Kayleigh's family. (Note: Excuse the horse relieving himself in the middle lol) Also note: It is the Breezyknoll Equestrian Center on the exchange, their original house crashed my computer)

"Wanna see the horses?" Kayleigh asked.
"Sure!" I squealed.
"They're out back. C'mon, let's go."



This is Kayleigh's unicorn, Shadow Dancer. Magnificent stallion. Too bad I'm scared to even go around him.



This is their Arabian mare, Epiphany. Lovely as well.



And their half-unicorn, half-Arabian filly Sun Dancer. I asked Kayleigh if I could ride Sun Dancer but she told me she was her sister Cammie's horse.

When I got home, Dad and I had a conversation in the kitchen. Mostly about Sierra. As you know, my kid sister has been getting into some trouble for skipping school and doing some other things. "Have you told mom yet?" I asked him.
"No, not yet," he replied, "but I intend to, soon."
We both agreed that if something isn't done, she'll be standing in front of a judge while she is sentenced to boot camp. I don't want to see that happen. Though my kid sister is annoying, I don't want to see her leave. It was hard enough seeing my brothers go.

[Sage Cheesman]

Sometimes, being Sage Plumb Cheesman makes me scratch my head.
Once, when I was out at the horse ranch training Traveller a weird looking guy kept staring at me.



"Hey!" he asked, "are you Sage Plumb Cheesman?"
I shrugged. "Yeah."
"I'm Ryan Rupp from Simteen magazine. We'd like an exclusive interview with you."
An interview, really? With me?
"We'd like to know what it's like growing up in such a family with such parents. Your dad is a professional athlete and your mom is -- anyway, we think our readers would be interested in your life."
"Um, you'd have to ask my parents," I told him.
"Well, can I get a quick shot of you with your horse? Seems like that's an activity you enjoy."



Afterward I ran into an elderly gentleman with a royal sash. I didn't realize until later that he was the Prince Renauld! "Oh, I'm sorry, sir," I said hesitantly as I made a quick bow. "I didn't mean to step on your foot."



Good thing Max, our new butler, had sushi ready for me to eat after I returned from the equestrian center. I was famished.

[Sage Cheesman]

The next day, the day my brother came home, my mom made a stunning announcement: She was pregnant again.
We were all in a state of complete shock. One minute, she was all over him like gravy on rice, even promising him a new top of the line digital camera, and the next, she was telling us that she was about to have another baby.



After school Kayleigh asked me to go with her to the horse park. I was surprised since despite my best efforts she'd pretty much never given me the time of day. Remember her family raises Arabian show horses and UNICORNS. She started telling me about the new jumping competitions at the equestrian center. "Racing horses is cool," she said, "but you really ought to try show jumping and dressage."
Dressage? Show jumping? I wondered.
"Show jumping is basically hurdling with horses. You jump over obstacles with your horse. Dressage is a very controlled dance routine, with horses. Princess Alexandra (one of the Vanderburg twins) is quite experienced in show jumping, that's how I'm learning it now. You said you took ballet back in Sunset Valley. Think of dressage as ballet -- with horses."
The more Kayleigh talked about dressage, the more interesting it sounded... but I still wasn't totally convinced if that was the path for me.



And oh, I had a mini breakthrough with my mother. Since she was still at home, pregnant, I was seeing her more now than I had pretty much since we moved to Hidden Springs. We were both sitting at the dining room table. She had her laptop open and I was doing my algebra homework. "What's the square root of two?" I mumbled under my breath.
Mom looked like she was concentrating on something and she murmured, "not now, I'm in the middle of writing this article for the Paranormal Review." The PR is the leading journal for paranormalists and my mother is the foremost paranormal expert in all of Sim Nation.



Suddenly she looked up. "Ninety-nine over seventy." And I thought I could see a tiny little grin on her face. Was mom smiling?

[Sage Cheesman]

The other day my sister Sierra got into trouble again. This time she apparently let the frogs out of their terrariums in the science lab, and they ended up all over school, even in the cafeteria. She claims that when she was cleaning out the frog cages she forgot to close them, but I don't believe her for a second. Dad doesn't believe her either, which is why she was put in time out. I'm not sure what mom believes, but so far Sierra is getting away with murder. I know I sound like a brat when I say that. Heck, even before AJ and Imsety went off they got punished way more than Sierra ever has. Even though she gets on my nerves sometimes I don't want to see her go away like the boys did.

Oh, and one more thing before I go.



I have a new little sister. Her name is Skylar Rose. All she does basically is poop and cry, lol. I haven't seen much of her, actually, busy as I've been with school and of course the animals. So that makes six of us now, lol. We're renting a four-bedroom here in Hidden Springs but now we need a bigger place, again.

Meanwhile, the next morning, Kayleigh's dad, Quentin, came over with Kayleigh's little sister. He asked if Camberleigh could play with Sierra. Of course, dad said yes.



So the two girls spent the morning running around the kitchen and running over Max, our butler.



While they were busy playing, I was catching up on my school reading -- supposed to, anyway. I'm supposed to read this one book for school, but instead I was reading my riding book. You know, English riding is really fascinating. They wear these tawny breeches and navy blue blazers and train their horses to jump over obstacles. There are even girls my age that do this. I wonder if that's something I'd be interested in doing.



Poor AJ. I introduced him to Traveller, but animals aren't really his thing. ;D



Meanwhile, when Sierra finished playing with Camberleigh, she and dad went outside to throw the football.

[Sage Cheesman]

We spent spring break in Sunset Valley and I was so busy, I didn't really have time to write much in my journal even though I took it with me. We went to a host of concerts, official dinners, etc., boring dry stuff, really. I missed Traveller and Bitsy tremendously.



When we returned from having been away, I was so glad to see my horse, and Traveller was so glad to see me too. I brushed his coat, cleaned his hooves, and fed him a treat.



Then I took him out for a little ride to the horse park. He's still a little skittish about jumping, but boy is he fast! I can barely keep up with him.



I met up with Kayleigh at the horse park. She had her unicorn, Shadow Dancer, out for training. "Hey, Sage!" she called out.



I pulled up closer. Kay is such an experienced, graceful rider. "What's up?"
"What's been up with you?" she asked. "I called and you didn't answer."
"Well my family and I went to Sunset Valley over spring break."
"Sunset Valley? Wow. Isn't that where you guys are from?"
"Yeah. Visited my grandparents."
"Must be nice, your grandparents are still alive. Both sets of mine died before I was born."
"Well I still don't know who my dad's parents are. He was adopted."



Kay changed the subject. "So. Prom one week away, you going?"
"I have to admit I haven't really thought about it."
"How about we go together? I mean, neither of us have dates, so -- I mean, it'll be fun."
Kay and I went riding through the woods. Life in Hidden Springs is good.

[Sage Cheesman]

An entry a couple months later (aka I'd taken a hiatus from Sims for awhile and this one is after I'd resumed playing)



First of all, my brother AJ graduated from Fort Starch Academy! Had the whole ceremony and everything. Mom and dad threw this huge party for him. He did look a little nervous through the whole thing ... I wonder why? He still won't talk to me about this stuff. I wish he would.



The second thing is my little sister Sierra had a birthday party... she turned teen.



We invited all her friends, including Camberleigh (who turned teen 2 days before Sierra did) and this other girl, Lily Richards. Lily's mom is from China and her dad is Chinese and Irish I think. Even Uncle Bassy showed up. You know whenever he comes around it's a big stir as everyone is trying to get his autograph. I laugh at it. He's only Uncle Bassy to me and to the rest of us.



Kayleigh and I went into my parents bedroom, where she dropped a bombshell on me while we were watching this horse show on TV.
"I think your brother is hot!" she squealed.
Gulp.
AJ, hot? Seriously?!? He's my brother, not a TV star.



My stomach turned as I watched my best friend turn on the charm in front of my brother.



I felt awkward the rest of the evening as I couldn't be around either of them, lol I felt like I wanted to vomit.



And the next day, I popped the question of riding camp in front of my mom.
There's this huge summer riding camp and I really want to go. But mom is nervous about it.
"You know, Sage," she said, "your father and I have to talk about this. This isn't a decision we take lightly."
I know that it's mom-speak for 'I don't really want you to go.'



The other day I went to this meet and greet at the equestrian club and I saw HIM.
Braden Cooper. ;D Ahhhh.
My heart was pounding about five hundred times a minute as he walked up to me. I knew he was in my algebra class but I didn't think he knew who I was.



"Hey, Sage."
I nearly melted. Braden Cooper is probably THE hottest guy in all of Alpine Community School.



He was telling me about his horse and how he got into riding after his mom died. "It relaxes me," he said.
I totally get that. That's how I feel when I'm on my horse.
Omigod, omigod, he's cute and he rides...I'm in simmy heaven...

[Sage Cheesman]

My parents and I were eating Max's scrumptious lime pie and talking about my chemistry assignment when I heard a siren outside.



We ran to the door and we found a police car by our house. I peered inside and Sierra was in it. Sigh. What did she do? I wondered.



AJ said more than he'd said the entire time since he's been back. "What did you do, Sierra?" he asked. "Answer me!"
"I didn't do nothing."
"You're a d**n liar! You wouldn't be riding in that car if you didn't do anything."
Sierra then admitted that she'd thrown eggs at this elderly woman's house.
"You don't want to end up like me!" AJ thundered. "Seriously, you don't want to be away from your family, your friends, getting up at 4 in the morning, being barked at, cleaning dung and running 7 miles a day and doing a thousand pushups. You don't want that life. I know you don't want that life."
"I don't care!" she cried.
"Go to your room," mom said finally.



Just then something unbelievable happened. AJ passed out! Fell hard to the floor.



My mom was shocked and the rest of us couldn't say anything. We all ended up cramped in the ambulance with AJ. While holding his hand I uttered a silent prayer to whoever is up there.

Please let AJ be ok.

[Sage Cheesman]

I had to put horse camp on hold because of all these family problems. AJ in the hospital and Sierra, well, being Sierra.
Which is to say, she's being a royal pain.
Scratch that, she is being worse than a royal pain. She's being downright criminal.
You know the other day she got busted for throwing eggs at this elderly woman's house. All this was going on while I was out touring Kayleigh's horse ranch.
And then, as soon as I get home, cops are all in front of my house, and the next thing I know, poor AJ's passed out and she's standing there like it's not a big deal.
And what bothers me the most is, she doesn't even show her face at the hospital.



That's a killer, right there. Even Satis and Imsety came all the way from Egypt.
Why wasn't Sierra there? I don't understand. It doesn't make sense to me.
I suppose I'm just ranting.
I keep telling myself that maybe I should have more patience with her. Trouble is, my patience with her is running thin. And I'm not the only one.



It hurt me so bad to see AJ lying there, tubes hooked up to him. He's had every test in the book. The poor guy had so many needles in him he was like a human pin cushion.

Why is my sister acting like this isn't a big deal? Especially since, she is the cause he's there in the first place.
My parents think it's a big deal. Neither of them have slept in days.
Poor Satis and Imsety took a redeye flight to get here. That's how much of a big deal this is to them.
Why is she blowing this off?
I don't understand.

[Gray Hampton]

Holy crab you've been busy.. lol .

[Sage Cheesman]

6-28

Heya, it's me Sage.

Sorry about last night, there were a few things I needed to get off of my chest, re: my sister. She is really getting on all of our nerves with her stinky attitude.



Anyway, the next night it was crystal clear and starry in Hidden Springs. I love it when it's like this because I can see everything for miles. The mountains glisten and so does the city hall when it's lit up. If I looked even further, I could probably see the palace.



I went back home to check on Max and the younger kids when I spotted Sierra sitting alone on one of the benches outside. She looked absolutely miserable.



"Can I join you?" I asked, not knowing whether to expect a punch in the mouth or just another cold stare with eyes that looked exactly like mine.
"Go ahead," she muttered, "it's a free country."



So I did, walking towards her.



The two of us sat for a few moments, gazing at the stars. We're seven simdays apart in age, but it might as well have been a universe. Though we're seven days apart, we actually have very little in common.



"Well if it isn't Little Miss Perfect. What are you doing here?" she began snottily. "I thought the candy striper nurse was supposed to be at the hospital tending to her brother."
I took a deep breath. I didn't want to tell Sierra anything but those comments were getting to me.
"Well, I came back to the house to check up on things. You know, there are two little ones here. Poor Max can't do everything."



"You know, Sierra, the rest of the family and I are sick to death of your stinky attitude."
"Who died and appointed you the family spokes person?"
"The fact is, you haven't once set foot in the hospital since AJ got sick. Even Satis and Imsety are here, and they've been at his bedside. I've been at his bedside. Mom and dad have been at his bedside. Where have you been?"
By this time, I was choking back tears. "The sad part, Sierra, is that AJ has asked for you and about you. And you haven't been there. What is wrong with you? It's like you don't care about anyone."
Sierra looked at me with that same forlorn mask she's worn pretty much since she turned teen. I just want her to be happy again, and clearly she's not.
"You know, maybe I don't care."
She's saying that, but I think she's lying. I think she does care, she can't be that unfeeling.
"You're headed right where AJ was if you don't straighten up, Sierra."
"Look who's talking, Miss Straight herself."
"I'm not as straight as you think I am. But I don't go around throwing eggs at elderly ladies' houses."
I felt bad when AJ and Sety were sent away. Even though Sierra is a pain in the rear, I don't want to see her go too.

Xoxo
Love, Sage

[Sage Cheesman]

7/23

Hey everyone, it's me again. Sorry I've been so busy, but a lot has happened!



First of all, AJ came home! He's resting before they send him to Shang Simla. I just wish everything would be normal and he wouldn't have to be in all these treatment centers.



Guess what??? After AJ came home, I went to horse camp! It's on the beautiful island of Equestria. It's called the Stone Creek Riding Academy.



This is a map layout of the island of Equestria. Stone Creek is on the left hand side, on the western end of the island.



We arrived at Stone Creek last Tuesday.



My parents were looking around at Stone Creek and both nudged each other. "I wish there was a place like this around when I was a boy," I heard dad say.
It was the first time I'd ever heard dad say anything about his childhood.



My parents stayed for awhile to help me unpack. I only took a few things with me. I was nervous because I'd never been away from my family before.



My dad gave me a quick hug, "I am so proud of you!" he squealed, and mom gave me a peck on the cheek, and then they left.



I was so scared. There was my luggage, sitting on the floor, and I was standing there looking at it.

Already I was missing home.



We have two riding instructors at Stone Creek. This is the Western pleasure riding instructor, Anson Golden.



Anson likes thoroughbreds and racing and such.



This is Amanda Forde, the English riding instructor. She teaches show jumping and dressage. She was a champion dressage rider and show jumper.



Amanda has a gorgeous dressage horse, that I think is a Lipizzaner.






We have four horses at Stone Creek in total -- Amanda's Lipizzaner, an Arabian, a Hanoverian, and a Thoroughbred that I think belongs to Anson. The Hanoverian looks a lot like Traveller.



Every morning we get up to check on the horses, make sure they have enough to eat and stuff like that. Most of the time we let them out.



Every evening we take the horses to their stalls.




Kayleigh has made a new friend, Amberly Chen, and is spending a lot of time with her.



They pretty much do everything together. I don't know too much about her, I don't know if she's from Appaloosa Plains or what. I know she's Asian and she has long black hair that she either wears in braids or tied up.



Sometimes when Amberly, Kay, and I go to dinner in the camp cafeteria, I feel like the third wheel. Amberly is an experienced rider like Kay and it seems like they're speaking a foreign language.



In the mornings the beginners do basic show jumping exercises with Amanda, jumping over simple caviletti (sp) jumps and getting used to being on the horse.



More advanced jumpers, like Kay, train across the street at the Stone Creek practice course.



I found out she's trying out for the Simnational Equestrian Olympic team! I'm happy for her ;D



Stone Creek is about more than horses, even though horses are the main focus. When I'm not on horseback, I'm fishing in the pond...



... and brushing up on my drawing skills.



Don't get me wrong, I've been doing plenty of riding. It's just not all I've been doing.

Well, that's why I haven't written so much lately. Been so busy!

I hope to do better to keep in touch. More later.

Love, Sage