Benji was born at Cedars Sinai Hospital on August 1st, 1987.
Were they the first born, middle or youngest? Are they an only child? Adopted?
Benji is the first born of two children to Colin Hastings and Candace Mabry.
Does your muse have a favorite memory with their family?
Benji was fairly young when his father left their family and returned to Australia, but his fondest memories would always be their days spent on the beach. Colin taught Benji to surf, igniting a passion that would endure to present day.
Does your muse get along with their family? What is the family dynamic?
Benji gets on incredibly well with his mother. Candace is a hero in Benji’s eyes — the woman who sacrificed her dreams to support her family and keep a roof over their heads. He adores her completely. Colin, however, is a separate story. Benji was once close with Colin when his surfing career took off, but when Benji tore his ACL and chose not to return to professional surfing, Colin returned to Australia, permanently severing their relationship in Benji’s eyes. As for his younger sister Florence, they have their ups and downs (though it seems to be more downs lately).
Does your muse have a favorite family member? Why?
Despite a sometimes rocky relationship, Florence is Benji’s favorite family member outside of Connor. When they had very little in terms of property or income, they had one another. And that would always be enough.
Best family vacation? The worst?
Growing up, there wasn’t any money to go on vacations. As adults, however, Benji has made a point to treat his mother and sister to vacations around the holidays. The best thus far would be their Christmas gift trip to Fiji.
What are the names of your muse’s parents? Siblings?
Benji’s father is Colin Dashiell Hastings, his mother is Candace Joy Mabry, and his sister is Florence Eloise Hastings.
Who does your muse take after more? Any habits?
Whether Benji likes it or not, he takes after his father in most regards. They have the same mannerisms and tastes, the same drive and passion.
Favorite and/or least favorite family traditions?
Benji enjoys hosting Thanksgiving every year, which he’s done since Connor was born. He loves having people at his house, and despite having no sense in the kitchen makes for a solid tofurkey cutter.
Is there a family game night? What was the board game of choice? How did it go over?
With Connor in the mix, there’s a lot of Candy Land, which is typically very light-hearted.
Who has the weakest bladder on road trips?
Benji has to pull over every 30 minutes on the road or his bladder will burst (allegedly).
Bash was born Sebastian James Thibodeau in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Were they the first born, middle or youngest? Are they an only child? Adopted?
Sebastian is an only child, as his parents weren’t exactly up to the task of parenthood or the responsibility entailed.
Does your muse have a favorite memory with their family?
Bash was, in essence, raised by his paternal grandmother. He and his grandmother spent a great deal of time together, particularly in her green house, which had a great deal of exotic flowers. He loved to spend time with her there, often losing track of the hours as they chatted and tended to the plants.
Does your muse get along with their family? What is the family dynamic?
Bash has a very strained relationship with his parents, particularly because they weren’t exactly parents. Both of his parents worked in the foreign service, and spent much of his life abroad, with him constantly being plucked from one country to another and then subsequently being sent back to live with his grandparents in Toronto. As an adult, they’ll speak on someone’s birthday or a holiday, but that’s the extent of it.
Does your muse have a favorite family member? Why?
His grandmother by far — she taught him of unconditional love and acceptance, and has always encouraged his dreams.
What are the names of your muse’s parents? Siblings?
Sebastian’s father is James Alexander Thibodeau, and his mother is Ronit Mofaz Thibodeau. His father is of English descent and a native-born Canadian, while his mother’s family was Mizrahi Jewish and she was raised for some years of her life in Cairo, Egypt. He was more-so raised by his paternal grandparents, though, whose names are William James Thibodeau and Emilia Jane Thibodeau.
Who does your muse take after more? Any habits?
Bash shares mannerisms of both of his parents, but in terms of his temperament and interests, he is likened more to his paternal grandfather. They both enjoy a good morning tea and to sit quietly and read the paper, a pastime they typically enjoy when he comes back to Toronto to visit them.
E U R E K A T A S K 0 0 1 // HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
BENJAMIN HASTINGS’ BAYVIEW HOME.
How long has your muse lived in the property?
Benji moved into his home in Eureka about four years ago, choosing the very permanent fixture after he resettled to support Katie through her pregnancy with their son, Connor.
How big is the property? Give us the details - numbers of bedrooms? Numbers of bathrooms? Do they have an office space or somewhere special?
The property is quite large, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Aside from the main house, Benji’s property also has a pool house bungalow which has, in one time or another, housed temporary tenants. Currently, his mother is living there until she finds an apartment to her liking in Eureka. The main house has a total of three bedrooms, Benji’s, a guest room, and Connor’s bedroom. There are two full baths and one half bath, one of which is an ensuite to Benji’s master bedroom. He has a home office, but he rarely works in it.
Do they own the property? If not — do they live rent free or are they a slave to a landlord? And if it’s a rental, how much is that rent?
Benji owns the property outright.
Does your muse enjoy living there? Is this their dream property or is it just a stop along the way to something bigger and better?
Benji isn’t particularly tied to the property — if he had to move tomorrow he wouldn’t mourn the loss of the space, although it does very much feel like home and he loves every inch of it. It’s the right size for him, even if it’s large for a single guy. It’s nice to have a large enough space for Connor to run around in.
How about outside? Does the property have a garden? A front yard? A balcony? Nothing at all?
The property’s front lawn is landscaped but is rather sparse, the back yard is large and has an expansive patio and pool.
Does your muse have plans to expand their home? Are they even allowed to expand?
If the pool house didn’t already exist Benji would probably consider something like that, but he likes that the house is a single story and doesn’t have any plans to expand at this time.
Does your muse have a favourite spot in the property?
Benji’s favorite part of his home is patio area. With an infinity pool overlooking the ocean and gorgeous outdoor space to entertain, Benji loves nothing more than summer evenings spent lounging around outside with Connor, Katie, and their friends.
Is the property close to anywhere of note? Any public locations or landmarks or is your muse more of a fan of rural living out in nature?
Benji’s home is well within the wealthy, crisply paved roads of Bayview. While he has a somewhat long driveway and is far enough back from the street that he doesn’t have to worry about his neighbors. He’s nearest the Humboldt Bay Yacht Club.
Does your muse have any memories from the property that spring to mind? Good or bad… How about poltergeists? Little quirks about the place that they would like people to know
Aside from many late nights with Connor and laughs with friends and family, Benji’s home is typically rather quiet and docile.
And lastly — do they genuinely like living in the property?
Benji loves his home. He hired an interior designer to decorate the either space top to bottom, and it’s as eccentric as his personality. He can fix pretty much anything that breaks, but he does pay a cleaning service to maintain the home — he’s at least responsible enough not to keep the place a mess.
