Kyra

Invited my GF Kyra over on Sat nite.  We’d been dating for a few weeks.  We exchanged our niceties (sp) and then she shocks me.

Kyra’s body language changed suddenly.  I knew something was wrong.  I had all sorts of scripts in my mind – was she going to break up with me?

I couldn’t blame her – if I were a girl, I wouldn’t date me.  Especially with my schedule the way it is. 

Then she let it out.  The photo in her thought bubble let me know that her roommate Annabelle was the issue. 

“Sebastian, we had a MAJOR fight.”  Kyra was on the verge of tears. 

“It started innocently enough, when we were at the hair salon.  She was going on and on about how miserable her life is and how she can’t get a break with her writing and how publishers keep rejecting her manuscripts…

…and then she went on to criticize everything about me, especially my music.  Reminds me of my mother, sheesh, it's not as if I can't look after myself.... I mean, that's the whole reason WHY I left home in the first place.... plus she whines about just about everything, makes SUCH a drama out of it....I mean, it was cute to begin with, but now .... it's getting so OLD!  So, how about it? Can I move in ... or what?”

My feet were rooted to the ground and I wasn’t at all sure what to do, so I told Kyra I’d think about it.

In the meantime I did let her spend the night.

The boss lady

Most people who have read this blog know who she is.  She is Kristin Amalie Verhoeven, a screenwriter and director at Plumbob Pictures, known in most parts as Kris or Kristy. 

She is also my boss. 

She has a motorbike she likes to call ‘Beast’ but she doesn’t ride it to work. 

She’s pretty famous, actually, mostly due to the stuff about her love life.  Oh yeah, and she wrote a few screenplays, a couple of which got made into movies.  Had to sue once because someone spread a rumor about her digging through trash cans.  Don’t think she is the type. 

She enjoys kicking my butt in chess the way my sister Savannah used to.

She makes a fool of herself on the dance floor.

We connected because she is as much of a food connoisseur as I am.

And this month she gave the mother of all interviews to Caroline Custard at Celebrity magazine.  There were some things in here that I didn’t know.  (As an aside, I have to say she looks nice on the cover, too. Rumor is Joyce Ward – the photographer Savannah hired to document our family – is now on at Celebrity.) 

As I’ve told you guys, Kristy was born in Utrecht (that’s in the Netherlands).  Her dad was a Dutch movie director, her mom, a German actress. 

That’s her mother, Magdalena.  Kristy doesn’t talk about her.  In fact I don’t think she ever mentioned her, except to say she was German.  The article goes on to say that she and Kristy’s father divorced when she was three and she disappeared to Sweden where she remarried. 

Kristy and her mother had a difficult relationship and they are now estranged.  They haven’t spoken since Kristy was a teenager.  Her father, in the gray jacket, is Jan Jakob.  Her relationship is better with him but not by much.  Since this pic was taken he got involved with a much younger woman – yes, another German actress.  Kristy tells me the woman is younger than she is. 

Anyway, one of the reasons she got this huge spread in Celebrity – is because she’s making a milestone birthday this year. 

I took my promotion money and splurged on a few things, like an outdoor grill and fridge. 

I also bought an outdoor table and chairs.  As it was, my surprise was complete.  Except for one thing. 

The people hadn’t arrived.  But that would change soon enough.

Lola was first.  She was overdressed in her coat but I excused her.

Annabelle came too, armed with her cell phone to take pictures and rub shoulders with the rich and famous.

Devin Ashton found his place in the hot tub. 

Soon it was time for the honoree to blow out her candles.  With my GF Kyra by my side and several others joining us later, we all joined in song and dance. 

Transition time!  The YA to adult transition isn’t as noticeable as others.  The only difference is the adult’s skin has a few more wrinkles. 

Meanwhile, Lola was entertaining Annabelle and an unknown guest with her bass playing. 

“I can’t believe he did this,” I overheard Kristy say. 

“He throws pretty good parties,” Devin muttered while eating his German chocolate cake.

Several hours later guests headed for the exits. 

Meanwhile, Kristy headed … to the gym??? Maybe to burn off the cake.  And since when did Kristy go to the gym?

My sister’s visit -1

 

As some of you guys know, my sister, Savannah, showed up for a surprise visit last week. 

And, as most of you guys know, there is never a dull moment when she is around. 

When I tell people she is my full-blooded sister, with the same mother and same father, they can’t believe it.  Mostly because we look nothing alike.  She is long and lean like mom and pale and blond like dad and his family.  My dad’s family is from Northern England and Scotland and Ireland, so that accounts for their light skin tone.  I am neither pale nor blond, instead I got my mom’s coloring.  Mom’s ancestors are mostly from Southern England and Germany, and she also has some Native Simerican blood thrown in too.

Growing up I was in awe of her.  I thought she was superwoman.  I guess to a certain extent I still am and still do.  I keep wondering if I cut her open if I’d find wires and bolts.

She’s survived having bolts of electricity shot through her, been burnt by fire, and been pierced by poison darts.  I keep trying to check myself to see if I’m made of the same stuff, and so far I don’t see it. 

“You wanna get there on time right?”

“Um, yeah,” I told her, “but in one piece.”

We walked into Waylon’s at about 6:45.  The sun was just about to go down. 

I decided to liven the atmosphere up by getting on the drums. 

Pretty soon a few people started watching and then I called her up. 

To my surprise she took a turn on the guitar. 

I was kind of surprised that Bianca knew who my sister was.  I didn’t know she read Interview with a Mummy.  But then again who didn’t read that book (besides me, of course, and I didn’t really need to, lol.  And then again, she shares living quarters with a vampire, so she has to know something about the paranormal.

Meanwhile, I had my hands full with Lilly-Bo Chique, who asked again for an autograph. 

Lola again

 

This is my workplace, the Plumbob Pictures Backlot.  This is the dream factory and the nightmare haven.  It actually doesn’t seem that big.  But it’s actually huge.

When I tell people my parents were musicians and I’m a lead actor, they’re a little surprised.  But when I tell them my parents compose music for movies and television, then they understand why I do what I do.  It begins to make sense for them. 

You all have to understand, we are a creative family, first and foremost. 

That’s my dad’s mom, Jamie Jolina.  Even though she was a doctor, I’ve heard she was a good enough guitar player to play professionally. 

That’s my dad’s half-sister, Margaret.  What did she do?  She was only the most accomplished writer in Sunset Valley history.  She wrote twenty-six novels, mostly of the science fiction variety.  She’s most famous for the Moon Colony series of books.  These are the same books my boss wants to write a screenplay based on.

 

This is mom’s dad, Sir Edward Bellingham.  From the stuff my sister found, he was a jack-of-all-trades sort.  He painted, he wrote, he traveled the globe.  He was a photojournalist who went missing when mom was a little girl. 

 

So I had a little get-together at my house to celebrate my promotion to lead actor.  Of course I had Kyra over…

…Devin and Jupiter too, although I have NO idea why Jupiter wore a tux…

…and of course there was Kaydee (Devin’s GF)…

I introduced Kyra to Silvah Spencer, and in no time they were exchanging digits and advice about the best places to shop in Bridgeport. 

And then… then there was Lola.  She showed up to the party late and would. not. leave. 

“Sebastian, I would like to ask something of you,” she began as I munched on my pb&j sandwich. 

She looked pretty distant as she finished her plate.  “I’d like to ask this in private, if you don’t mind.”

“Sebastian, I’ve heard that you play a mean guitar just like your father, and my band’s guitarist quit last week…so, I was wondering…”

She took out her drum set and started playing in the middle of my bedroom while I painted her picture.  If mom’s painting lessons have stuck, this picture should turn out pretty nice. 

“I was wondering,” she continued above the din of her drums, “if you could replace him.”

I sighed.  I told her I’d think about it. 

“So, did you enjoy your meal?”

“Yah, the sandwich was delish.  Is that gourmet peanut butter?”

 

She looked away for a moment.  “So, have you thought about it?”

“Thought about what?”

“My proposition – to have you join my band.”

She stared blankly at me as I explained, “Lola, I can’t do it.”

“What do you mean you can’t do it?”

“I’m already signed on for a major movie project.  I’m sorry, Lola.”

Having to say no to her was not easy for me.  But it was the only thing I could tell her.