Catching up

Most of you following this blog know a lot of my updates are being posted on my Facebook page. For those of you who are NOT regulars to my page, I’ll try to give a brief rundown of what’s been going on in Sunset Valley.

Mom got a new car! (Pastel pink of course) It’s one of those classic roadster type deals. Myself, I’ve been looking at another scooter to replace my trusty Kenspa, which I will give to Sety, who’s now a teen.

And she isn’t the only one with new wheels. This little ditty belongs to Bassy. He claims it has 140 horsepower, and Neil, he of the new dame on his shoulder, is the one he says souped it up.

I got new neighbors over on Pinochle. They moved here from Twinbrook and I have to say, they’re a bit … strange. I walked in to introduce myself (which, most of you reading this blog know, is tough for me to do!) and I must have caught her by surprise because she jumped. Apparently she had been doing some kind of upgrade or something because she had a wrench in her hand. We kinda looked at each other in suspicion.

Andy told me later she was Clare de Visser and she’d come to town with her parents and her girlfriend, Shana Jeffries. Shana was in the athletic track with him, that’s how he knew about it.

Andy went to the consignment store and picked up THIS little ditty. When he surprised me with it, he said it was a ‘metal box’ that I might be interested in. Oh Andy. Anybody with eyes could see it’s a time machine. Any man that buys his wife a time machine – knowing how crazy she is about history – is a keeper.

I hired Joyce Ann Ward, a famous photographer, to take pictures of my family, particularly my parents. I’m not sure how much time they have left so I’ll treasure them while they’re still around. She arrived ahead of schedule, catching my dad by surprise.

Dad was in the art room. “Who are you?” he asked with his sideways grin.

“I’m Ms. Ward,” began the redhead. “Your daughter hired me to come and take pictures.”

Dad laughed and shook his head.

Of course, this presented another problem. Since Ms. Ward arrived early, Bassy decided to make his presence known.

She asked if she could take a casual portrait of him in his bedroom, and he said yes, so he led her into his room. I asked him about this, and he swears up and down that nothing happened. Of course, this is my brother I’m talking about, so I don’t believe him for a second.

This is because he made his intentions plain the next day by openly flirting with her.

“I’d like to take a hot picture of you,” I overheard him telling her. Ugh. Seriously, Bassy, could you at least conceal your lasciviousness? I mean, I hired the woman to take pictures of the family. Talk about mixing business with pleasure. I still don’t know for certain if they slept together… but knowing my brother, I don’t doubt it.

The next day everyone gathered slowly in the courtyard for the family photo. Ms. Ward told all of us to find a place to stand.

Well this is all of us... except for Satis and AJ. Satis showed up 10 mins AFTER this was taken. I was pretty ticked.
Ok here's who's who. In the back row are Daisy Ramsey (Sebastian's GF), Bassy, my half-brother Noah, his wife Sadie, and their son Neil. In the next row are Dad, Mom, Andy and me. And that devil in the front is Imsety.
Of course, getting the pic taken was a major challenge, partly because it's hard getting everyone together with their schedules... and the other reason is because my brother made no secret about his affection for the photographer. Bassy could charm the pants off of a nun, seriously. It's crazy.

Birthday Blues

So, this is my not-a-kid-anymore brother, Sebastian Ryan Plumb, otherwise known as Bassy.  Except he wants to be called Sebastian now since he thinks he’s so grown, hehe. Mom wanted to go the full Monty and name him Johann Sebastian (after Bach) but Dad said no to that idea. They compromised on “Sebastian.”  I tease Bassy and tell him it could have been worse -- he could have been Wolfgang Amadeus (after Mozart) or Ludwig (after Beethoven).

First thing he wished for when he blew out his candles... was to go to Egypt!!! Oh and we did NOT invite that lady who showed up in the pink evening gown, lol.  Sometimes I wonder what I’ve done to that kid.

Except… if my brother is so grown, how come he still watches cartoons every morning, has a collection of toy planes, and listens to kids music?  Right now, though, he’s dead set on going to Egypt. He's so obsessed now that he's sleeping with an Egypt T-shirt on every night and I'm not sure WHERE he got that from. So far there's no talking him out of it and I can’t say I’m happy about it. Mom says it’s my fault because I’ve surrounded him with all the relics from Egypt throughout his childhood.  So, I'm going to compromise with him. I'm going to ask him if I can accompany him. Look at the guy. When it came time to hand out genetic blessings, mom and dad saved them all for him.

 

“Sebastian, what do you intend to do with yourself?” Mom asked over the birthday cake.  “I thought you were going to put out that album.”

“I actually think I’m going to move to Bridgeport.”

“Bridgeport?  That’s all the way down the coast.  Are you sure?”

Meanwhile, I ate in the kitchen with Daisy Ramsey, Sebastian’s sort-of girlfriend.  Truth is, they’ve been pals since they were children.  She’s like 3 days older than he is and, truth be told, I think she’s got a teensy little crush on him.  The other boy is Michael Falcon, who went to his high school. 

I feel kind of weird.  My own birthday is coming up in a few days.  Gosh I feel ancient.

Graduation Day

Just before going over to my parents’ for Bassy’s birthday bash, I decided to help Cheesebum out in his small veggie garden.  “I didn’t know you gardened,” he teased.  “Didn’t think you’d want to get your hands dirty.”

“Mom was big on gardening,” I reminded him, “everything Bassy and I ate from the time we were born until the time we’ve grown up, was made from ingredients grown in the garden.”

“Wow – so a special diet eh?”

“I guess you could say that.”

We got to the Community School at 5:30 and then took our seats in the auditorium.  Bassy showed up in his cap and gown, flashing his million-watt smile.  I swear, the kid could be so incredibly cheeky sometimes.

He’d asked me a couple times to help him with his valedictorian speech.  He didn’t need my help, he killed it on the podium.  In fact I don’t even think he used his prepared speech.  “I’d like to thank mom and dad, for being famous enough to hire tutors and choosing not to.  I’d like to thank my brothers for being way older than me and not being around to fight, and I’d like to thank my sister, for braving all those tombs and providing all those relics for the archaeology exhibit, thus giving me tons of extra credit…”  He sure stuffed the pomp down their circumstance.

      

We went to the park for the baccalaureate ceremony.  When I got there, dad was debuting his latest composition, and it was a treat to see him out and about again.  These days he likes to leave the spotlight to the younger folks, but he proves time and again that he’s still Sunset’s greatest performer and will be until he goes to the great beyond.   

Neil (yes that’s him in the orange tie) chose this occasion to debut his new GF, Noelle Hong (in the brown pants).  I’m betting she’s the one behind his new wardrobe.  The Neil I knew wouldn’t be caught dead in that outfit, that’s more Bassy’s taste.  The funny thing about him dating Noelle now is that Noelle was liking Bassy.    

When I sat down to eat, Celina Tripp joined me.  Now who is she?  She’s the daughter of Esther (Hick) Tripp and Antwan Tripp and the half sister of Billy Tripp.  I can’t say I know her well, since she’s a good deal younger than I am.  But she’s a cadet on the police force and has been my main source for Bassy and Neil gossip since I can’t watch them 24-7. 

“You know Noelle has already moved into the mansion?” Celina whispered.

“Really?  Which mansion?”

“The Alto mansion.  Where Neil and his parents live.”

“That’s quick.  How long have they been together?”

“Since they got out of school I think.”

I decided one of these days I need to have a chat with Ms. Hong.   I need to know if she’s true blue or a gold digger. 

Back to work

Well I returned to work after my maternity leave and the ghosts are meaner and nastier than ever. 

 

I was tag-teamed by two of the nasties, who had the nerve to be female.  I get along better with guys anyway, so to have two nasty cave-ladies try to gang up on me was just… no words. 

I sent this one back to the Stone Age.

Next I was called to the home of one Gobias Koffi, well it used to be Gobias Koffi’s house, he’s dead now. 

  

I had to search the whole of the premises for one stinkin’ ghost.  And let me tell you, he has a BIG house.  Almost as big as the mansion.

 

I finally found him – I mean, I finally detected him – in the garden.  His smell gave him away.

He was eventually zapped back tot he 14th century.

Meanwhile, back on the homefront, the twins became teens.  I’m not sure how I’m going to make it. 

Later, Savannah

Educating AJ

AJ finally became a toddler.  And yes, he has BROWN hair.  Neither Andy nor I have brown hair, so the burnished locks could only have come from one place.

Yep, Mom almighty.  I found this pic of her when she was younger.  I’d bet even she’d be shocked at this.  Maybe I should dye my hair that color, lol.

 

At any rate, we’ve begun training him in earnest.  AJ has already learned to walk, thanks to Cheesebum.

And I’ve developed a curriculum for the lil booger.  He said his first words, also.  He’s a quick learner.  

I come from a household where education was prized and valued, so I'm starting early with him. AJ's like his dad in that he loves being outside, so we sat outside the library while I grabbed the skill books. I began with “Being Smart for Fun and Profit” and moved to “Squares are Not Triangles” and “Bluish Eggs with a Side of Pastrami,” among others.  I suspect he’ll be bilingual as well, both Simlish and Arabic are spoken in our home. 

I think I enjoy the actual ‘education’ a lot more than the diaper changes and the feedings and the being awake at night.  Andy, Halima, and I seem to have come to a sort of understanding regarding the nursing and the teaching. 

Baby Blues Part 2

A week on, nothing’s changed. 

I still look down at AJ’s crib and see a creature, a stranger, not my own flesh and blood.

 

Sure, now I’m able to hold him and feed him… but as far as feeling any kind of connection to him, I just can’t.  I want to…but I can’t.

It’s so easy for Cheesebutt, he’s such a natural at this.  Why is it so damn hard for me? 

Like I said about Bassy, there isn’t anything in the world I wouldn’t do for him.  Same as my nephew, Neil.  But AJ?  I just don’t ‘feel’ anything. 

Of course, it’s not helping that Bassy’s graduation is imminent. He’s been to the house for me to help him with his speech.  And I’ve thrown myself head-long into this new novel.  Funny thing about maternity leaves, they give you time to do things you’ve been putting off.  I guess I’m … preoccupied.

But too preoccupied to deal with my own child? 

Satis and Imsety are feeling the pinch, too.  I just got them the new Simlish chart to help them with the alphabet for easy reference.  They’re going to be teenagers soon, and I’m afraid of that even more than I am afraid of potty training AJ. 

I think I need a nice lie-in at the cemetery.