The passing of Christopher Winchell

Christopher Winchell expired at his home in Sunset Valley while upgrading a stereo that had recently been installed in his bathroom. He is survived by his wife Delores, his sons Russ and Brandon, and his twin daughters Leanna and Catrina. Many of you readers would know Christopher as the celebrity chef at the Sunset Valley Bistro, or from his riveting blog on the web which chronicled the day to day life of his family.

When asked why he was installing the stereo in the bathroom, his wife Delores just shrugged and shook her head as if she didn't know. Anonymous sources, however, tell us that it was Delores's idea, and that she insisted that he upgrade the new stereo before fixing the shower that was leaking a puddle of water onto the floor around him. The Sunset Valley police offered no comment other than that there were no charges pending against Mrs. Winchell. 

Leanna Winchell and her mother threw a funeral party in honor of Christopher. While the food was not as excellent as what Christopher himself would have prepared, it was well thought out and the center of the party.

Everyone came dressed in their best, with the exception of Katrina Yates, who apparently thought that the party was to be a pool party. While the Winchell's do have a top-notch pool on their estate, it did not seem the appropriate time to go swimming. Leanna Winchell wowed the gathering with a rendition of "A Love Since Forgotten".  Everyone was heard to speak highly of Christopher, except for his wife, who could only complain that the Bistro did not have a spousal pension plan. Catrina Winchell came late to gathering, having participated in a military exercise late into the evening.

After the funeral Leanna Winchell created one of the most moving expressions of mourning the Sunset Valley has ever seen. It is rumored that she worked all night on it, in her formal dress. It seems that when inspiration hits her, she is compelled to express it.

The rest of the Winchell clan dealt with their grief in various ways. Brandon began an illustrated children's book about a child loosing a parent. Delores spent many hours fishing in the family pond. And Russ (not seen here) attacked the garden he and his father shared with a renewed gusto. While loosing a loved one is never easy, it seems this family has found ways to move on that honor their lost member greatly.

Catrina has really been working hard to get ready to join the military upon her graduation. She's been jogging all over town. As a father I worry about her out alone like that, but I do admire her will power. I can really see the change in her too. She no longer has that baby fat she suffered with as a child. If it wasn't for the fact that they did their hair differently it would be a lot harder to tell her and her twin sister apart now.

Brandon got to visit Egypt to deliver one of his mystery books that was based there, to the National library. He was greatly honored and thrilled to have a chance to explore another country. He couldn't stop talking about the pyramids and how elaborate the decor was compared to the starkness of the landscape. I had hopes that he would meet his future wife there, but so far I've not heard him mention anyone.




Russ invited his female friend over for dinner. It was nice to get all 4 kids at the table at the same time. Lately it seems they are all running off in different directions and we rarely get to sit down as a family for dinner. We barely even all sleep at the same time. Russ gets up so early for his job, and the girls for school ,that they are to bed early most nights. Brandon keeps his own schedule, just sleeping when he can't stand on his feet, or stare at his computer screen any longer.

And there are my two little girls, all grown up at their birthday/graduation party. It was a great time for everyone. We got a cake for each of them so there was plenty to go around. The next day Catrina headed off to basic training. She was very eager to start her training towards becoming an astronaut. The recruiter said she really shows potential. Leanna hasn't really shown any interest in a real job,  instead she's been playing her guitar at the park for tips and selling her paintings. At least the chances are good that she'll meet someone that way. Hopefully someone wealthy enough to take care of her the way she needs.

Delores and I spent much of our trip to China apart. She was determined to catch the illusive Dragon fish. I wasn't convinced that they existed but let her have her fun. Turns out they do exist. She even caught enough to stock the pond at home and start a breeding program. I spent much of my vacation running around looking for precious metals and gems for the merchants who were building a mini first emperor exhibit. It seemed like a strange undertaking to me, but they paid well, and I got to see much of the landscape so who was I to judge.

Back home Russ was busily perfecting the garden in the new location. I'm hoping to take some outstanding pomegranates to work, but so far the best we can grow is excellent quality. I did make some money from some Renoit grapes that we grew. The theater group in town wanted them to try their hand at nectar making. I hear it turned out rather well. Delores was happy with the extra income. It helped to fund her birthday party.





Leanna and Russ have both started learning the guitar. Russ just uses it to relax after work, when he doesn't have the energy for his martial arts practice. Leanna however thinks she wants to make a career out of music and art. It doesn't sound very lucrative to me, but fortunately I have provided a lifestyle in which she doesn't have to make the lucrative choice. I am blessed to be able to give my children the freedom to follow their dreams.




Russ has been trying to find the right girl. So far he has found it hard to make a meaningful connection with anyone. I keep telling him that the right one will come along, but with his busy work schedule and gardening he's finding it hard to really make the time to pursue a relationship. I am hoping to see my grandkids before it is too late, so I continue to encourage him to get out more. I told him I would gladly take care of the garden so he wouldn't have that to worry with. Mother would be so proud to see what we have done with her meager start at nutritional independence.


Leanna planned a great party for Delores's birthday. Unfortunately it fell on a day I had to work at the Bistro. I told Delores I could take the day off but she insisted it was more important for me to go to work. That people were depending on me to be there. I hurried home after work but only arrived as Leanna was cleaning up the aftermath of the party. They did save me a piece of cake. It was store-bought but still very good.

Time flies...

There's my family. I can't help but think the kids are growing up too fast. It seems like the twin's childhood went by in the blink of an eye. One day they were playing tag in the back yard, and the next they were asking for money to go shopping downtown. They have such different personalities. Catrina already knows what she wants to do with her life, she wants to be an Astronaut. I must say I'm a bit leery of her going into space, is that even safe? But she has her heart set on it, so all I can do is support her. Leanna on the other hand, doesn't seem to want to do anything but party all the time. I'm amazed she's been able to keep her grades up with the lack of focus she has. Both of the girls got jobs at the Spa after school. I thought it would be good for them to have some responsibility.

Besides, feeding 4 teenagers on a regular basis has put a bit of a dent in my wallet. A lot of what we eat comes from the garden, but still, it seems someone is always hungry around here. The house is feeling a bit cramped when everyone is home too. I prefer a quiet house, but I only seem to get that when everyone is at school. Business at the Bistro is booming, thankfully so my income is stable. But even there I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of people around. Often I just want to sit in my room for hours and chill out. Delores has been pushing me to do upgrades on all the electronics in the house. I told her I was more than willing to buy her new things, but she said that wasn't neccessary, that I could just do upgrades and make them better than new. I thought I caught her trying to turn the power back on when I was working on the trash compactor, but she said I was being silly.

Brandon is more and more like my brother Devlin everyday. He has decided to follow in his footsteps and become an Illustrious author. He spends all his free time working on beautiful paintings and tear-wrenching dramatic novels. I worry that he isn't getting out enough. How is he supposed to make friends if he is always stuck behind a computer or in front of an easel? He's never going to find a a spouse that way, is he?





Russ recently graduated from High School and got his first real job. He started out as a Test Subject at the Science Lab, but it wasn't long before he was promoted to Lab assistant. I dream of him becoming a real scientist, I'm sure it won't be long. He is so driven in developing his skills.







Consequently the garden has never looked better. We decided to move it to the side yard so there would be more room. He really made it look beautiful, and such variety I've never seen. Devlin visited France on a school trip and brought him back some foreign fruits, pomelos and plums, and a few varieties of grapes. He's been asking for someone to bring him some cherries from China.

Delores has been hinting that she would love to go fishing there herself. She wants to see if she can catch the mythical Dragon fish that is rumored to live there. I told her I don't think it really exists, but she insists that it does. I think I'll surprise them both by taking her for a trip around our birthdays.

My birthday kind of snuck up on me. Delores apologized for not throwing a party. She said she didn't think I'd still be around this long. I'm not sure what she meant by that. I had my family around though, that's all I really needed. So much love. Now off to China with my beloved bride!

Devlin and Lawanda have moved out. I hated to see them go, but the house was getting pretty full. They were both a great help when the twins were little, but now that they are out and about, they always seem to be underfoot. It doesn't help that Mother and Dad's ghosts appear almost every night and move things around. I can never seem to find my cookbooks.

Catrina and Leanna insist on doing almost everything together, from playing in their room, to doing their homework. They even insisted on one big bed when they graduated out of their cribs, they refused to have 2 single beds. They're both doing really well in school, as are Russ and Brandon.

Russ took a school trip to France. He learned nectar making and furthered his knowledge of gardening. He has decided he wants a career in the Science field. He found out from the school counselor that he would need to learn gardening and fishing and handiness to really advance in that career so he has been focusing himself to those skills.

Delores has started training people at the gym. I don't think she gets paid for it, I think she just likes telling people what to do, and with the kids in school and me at work, this gives her a place to get that out of her system.

I was promoted to Five-Star Chef at the Bistro. I couldn't be prouder of my accomplishments. I do think that the car and driver are a bit pretentious, but it does save me time getting to work. Delores was thrilled with the promotion. She asked me the other day if I had made my will yet. It seemed like an odd question out of the blue like that...

Our second child came again in the middle of the night. It seems to be a trend with us. Delores had spent all day at the spa. I don't know what they did for her there, but I do know that they hurt my wallet. Delores assured me everything was ok, but she seemed in such agony that I rushed her to the hospital anyway.

I barely got the car parked before she had delivered Brandon and was ready to go home. I

guess she was right, everything was going fine. I couldn't risk the safety of my child and wife though, So I have no regrets.

Delores has taken much better to parenting than I had hoped. She loves to get down on the floor and play with Russ. She's done a great job of teaching him to walk and talk and read. She has recently taken up an interest in fitness. She's become an avid jogger. I admire her ambition but I think I'd rather watch a healthy cooking show on the TV.

It seemed like the blink of an eye before Brandon was all grown up. Delores wanted to continue using the rickety old metal crib my parents had bought when they couldn't afford better, but I put my foot down. It's just not safe for a toddler. Besides, having matching cribs looks much better in the nursery.

In anticipation of Russ and eventually Brandon needing real beds, I moved mine and Devlin's beds out of the attic and set up the second upstairs room for the boys. I let them pick the colors, which turned out alright. Delores was appalled at the money I spent, she only seems happy when money is being spent on her.

Devlin took another trip to Egypt. He said it was to research a book he was writing, but I found

this picture of a shopkeeper. I wondered if perhaps he had found a new love interest. It wasn't to be however.

Delores invited Lawanda to a party she threw and that seemed to be all the motivation Devlin needed to make his move again. I don't know what he sees in the girl. She came to the dinner party in a bikini! Insane or not though, she is great with the kids, and she makes Devlin happy so I'm happy for the both of them. I think they may be looking for their own place soon. I told him we could build on to this place, but he thought it best to start fresh. Lawanda said they'd stay until the new babies are a little older, she loves being around them.

Oh, did I forget to mention them? Delores blessed us with a set of girl twins! Catrina and Leanna. She didn't even wake me up when she went into labor. I had no idea she was having twins! She said she didn't either. The nursery is a little crowded right now,but all the children are heavy sleepers. I couldn't be a prouder daddy.

A Growing Family

Dad finally got the position at the TV station that he wanted, unfortunately he died the same night. He was on his computer in the study, working on a story about City Hall when the Reaper came for him. As I suspected he tried to get an interview before he left. He wasn't successful.








I commissioned a family graveyard in the back corner of the property. Delores chastised me for spending so much money, but you can't put a price on honoring the dead can you? Mom would have loved the roses and the cherry tree we moved the remains to.










Devlin has been fishing a lot lately, I think it helps him relieve the stress of writing when he isn't feeling inspired to paint. I had to stifle a laugh when I saw him fall on his arse when he was casting off the other night.







We turned Mother and Dad's room into a nursery for the baby. Devlin said he wanted their bed and dresser, he's acting so grown up now. We put the twin beds up in the attic and brought out our crib and toys from childhood. Delores insisted that we repaint them, I was kind of surprised she didn't want new ones, but she said that would be a waste of money.






Devlin has been great helping out with Russ while Delores recuperated. I wasn't able to take any time off work so it was a godsend to have him there. I think it might have started him thinking about starting his own family.









Mother and Dad's ghosts tend to visit us often. They usually head straight for the computer games or TV. It used to wake Devlin up, but now he's getting used to it.










Once Delores was feeling better, we went on the honeymoon we had put off before. With my recent promotions we had a much better time than we would have had if we'd gone right after our marriage vows. Is it odd that Delores didn't mention missing the baby once?








We both went on different adventures the first day. Judging by the state that I found Delores in when I returned to the Base Camp, I think her's didn't go well. She finished up faster then I did and joined me while I laid the remains of a lost priest to rest in the graveyard.










We spent the majority of our last day in France at the lake fishing. We even caught enough frogs to stock the pond at home. Frog legs anyone?









Devlin began courting a girl he's known since elementary school. They get along pretty well. It's too bad that he didn't realize that she was insane until after he asked her to marry him.










I can't say I'm very upset that she said no, but Devlin was devastated.












Since I needed a recipe for Falafel and couldn't find one locally, he offered to go to Egypt and get it for me. He apparently spent the entire trip after the shopping at a fishing hole, where he could clear his mind. I've not heard him mention Lawanda once since he returned home. I hope the infatuation dies and he can find someone else.