Eight times

Like many people, I have a thing about needles. Dread getting shots or the finger stick for a blood sugar check... but oh, having blood drawn? THE WORST.

For each of my pregnancies, they drew blood on my initial prenatal check. And then again after I gave birth.

When we did the home study for Zoe's adoption, I had to go have blood drawn twice because the lab ran the wrong test the first time.

Since our first round of paperwork for Catoe 4.0 is expiring, today was the second time I had to go have blood drawn for this adoption.

Eight times, I have had to offer up a vein as just one of those mom things. That's pretty much the metaphor right there.

(Of those eight times, this morning was the only one where I almost fainted.)

8tracks

I might have a new addiction. When I finished my latest fanmix, I decided to create an 8tracks account. I wanted to be able to share the mix with Pamela (because it features several songs in French and she is a French teacher). Burning somebody a cd is cumbersome. Especially if they live in another city.

Whenever I do a fanmix search, I end up on 8tracks. What I dislike about the site is that you can’t see a track listing (unless the user has provided one elsewhere) and you can only skip a certain number of songs. (When I registered, I read the FAQ and these things are just part of their license. It also seems that if you listen a mix more than once, the order of the songs will be changed.)

Putting together the latest issue of Style (on newsstands next week!), I really enjoyed listening to tunes while I worked. I decided to upload several of my mixes so I could listen to them anywhere.

And then I started getting “likes” on a few of them. Which turns me into a monster, of course.





So now I've uploaded several playlists. I've found that if I purchased a song prior to 2009, it won't upload. (Haven't done any reading why. File format change? Dunno.) For example, my Trubie mix is missing Ollabelle, Jace Everett and Duffy from its original incarnation.



Yesterday, got my tuberculosis test and realized that we'll have to do biometric fingerprints again, as well. Going for the blood test tomorrow. Have I mentioned how much I hate all this?

Mix, mix, mix.

A Father's Day hike

I asked Kris how he wanted to celebrate Father's Day. "Y'know, cheaply. And with the kids."

He suggested a hike at Noccalula.



We did a little adventuring by climbing down to the waterfall, but that made Cash (of the shortest legs) and Zoe (of the no depth perception) quite nervous. We saw a raccoon.



After our "hike," we went to Jack's and then the playground. As usual, the kids made new friends. They were sad when it was announced the park would be closing.

So we suggested a trip through the car wash. "Will Daddy vacuum our hair?!?"

Yeah, I'm sure he will.



Happy Daddy's Day, Kris.

Fanmix for Anna and the French Kiss

I made cover art paying homage to the redesigns. "Golden Boy" is a reference to an exchange in the deleted chapter.

Jaimie asked why I'm excited when I find out there's an "official playlist" for something, since, hey, I can make my own, right? True. But I do best with a starting-off point and then crowdsourcing to see what songs other mixers used. Then, of course, I hope to add finds of my own.

Be forewarned, there will SPOILERS BELOW!

Track 1: "Besoin De Rien" by The Hellboys (on the Official Playlist)

Stephanie says:

...readers have asked me about the French band on Étienne's T-shirt, and this was definitely the one I had in mind. ... The title of this track translates to "thanks for nothing," quite appropriate for how Anna felt at the beginning of the novel.

Track 2: "Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur" by Sigur Rós (on the Official Playlist)

Stephanie says:

This is one of my favorite bands, and I love the atmosphere of this track. The joy is so fitting for those giddy, growing Thanksgiving feelings.

Agreed. It doesn't matter that I don't know what the song is about. It's the feel of it. And appropriate for Anna: exciting times in new surroundings where you don't understand the language.

Track 3: "Everybody" by Ingrid Michaelson (hat tip to an 8track mix; don't recall which)

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved

Anna likes Toph. Mer likes St. Clair. Uh oh, now Anna likes St. Clair, too. Uh-oh, now Bridgette likes Toph, too. Uh-oh, St. Clair likes Anna but HASN'T BROKEN UP with Ellie yet. Isla likes Josh. But he's still with Rashmi. Everybody, everybody wants to be loved.

Track 4: "Comme des enfants" by Cœur de pirate (from Angelina's finally home" fanmix)

Excellent find! A French love song with a line about holding hands like children, which is mentioned in the book.

It's nice holding hands. Comfortable.

I wish friends held hands more often, like the children I see on the streets sometimes. I'm not sure why we have to grow up and get embarrassed about it.

Track 5: "Young Blood (Renholdër Remix)" by The Naked and Famous (from Lizzie's fanmix)

Lizzie specified "slow version" of this song. (Id' only heard the original.) For me, this song is the post-Thanksgiving time.

Since Thanksgiving, things have regressed between St. Clair and me. Ellie is his girlfriend, and I'm his friend-who-is-a-girl, and I think he feels guilty for overstepping those boundaries. I feel guilty for encouraging him. ... The ease of our friendship is gone.

Track 6: "La seine" by Vanessa Paradis (hat tip to an 8track mix; don't recall which)

Hanging out in France prior to Christmas break, takin' the Métro‎, discussing the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde. NBD.

Track 7: "What You Know" by Two Door Cinema Club (a band on my Eleanor & Park mix)

And I can tell just what you want
You don't want to be alone
You don't want to be alone
And I can't say it's what you know
But you've known it the whole time
Yeah, you've known it the whole time

Understandably, Étienne does not want to be alone. His mom is going through chemo, and he just can't manage to break up with his longtime girlfriend even though he's in love with somebody else. Anna has fallen for Étienne, but he's off-limits, so she holds on to the idea of the guy she used to like and is willing to date a guy who likes her. She doesn't want to be alone, either.

Track 8: "I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor" by Arctic Monkeys (I jumped at the chance to include AM on another mix)

Stop making the eyes at me
I'll stop making the eyes at you
What it is that surprises me is that I don't really want you to

It's Anna's 18th birthday and now legal for her to drink in France, so of course her friends are dragging her out to a club.

At the sound of my voice, he turns around. And his head nearly snaps off.

I'm in a short skirt. ... Étienne is staring at my legs. ... Maybe I should wear skirts more often.

Track 9: "Alors on danse" by Stromae (via Anna - ha! - on Yahoo Answers)

Stephanie went with Radiohead for the scene at the club, but I'm not a fan. (There! I said it!) But it's a pivotal scene, yo. I Googled "French nightclub music" while the kids ate breakfast and lo, the internet had my back.

Track 10: "Call Your Girlfriend" by Robyn (from fragilesymphony's fanmix)

Well, Étienne does call his girlfriend. But he does not take the rest of Robyn's advice. Not yet anyway.

Track 11: "This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)" by Ellie Goulding (from fragilesymphony's fanmix)

Multiple mixes used an Ellie Goulding song.

Who are we to play with hearts and throw away it all?
Oh, who are we to turn each other's heads?
Who are we to find ourselves in other people's beds?

This love is be and end all
This love will be your downfall

Finally, Étienne has broken up with Ellie. But he and Anna aren't together, because why?

I think we've arrived at the same conclusion. Even if we manage to begin something, there's still no hope for us. School is almost over.

Track 12: "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran

And out of all these things I've done I will love you better now

Several mixes used an Ed Sheeran song, so I was like "well, if the mass conscious has deemed it, so shall I." I would have used a different one but it was like 9 minutes long. So, Lego House it is! Appropriate since Étienne knows he's been a wanker.

"... And I know after all this I don’t deserve you, but what I’m trying to say is I love you, Anna. Very much."

Track 13: "Love Like a Sunset, Pt. II" by Phoenix (on the Official Playlist)

Stephanie says "Kissing on top of Notre-Dame."

The lyrics include "where it starts, it ends" which is a nice reference to Point Zero.

Track 14: "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (from fragilesymphony's fanmix)

Girl, I've never loved one like you

Man, oh man you're my best friend

Home, let me come home
Home is wherever I'm with you

A little bit of Americana, since these crazy kids will be making their way to California.

“Because I was right. For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It’s a person.

And we’re finally home.”

Anna and the French Kiss

My paperback has the original cover but this one is aces

After the zillionth time I came across a positive reference to this book, I ordered a copy. I devoured it Sunday. ("Hey, will you take the kids solo to your parents' house so I can keep reading? Thanks!")

Two times, I laughed out loud. (For anyone who's read it, when Étienne says "fo' shiz" and when Anna replies "it's filed away in my brain under 'Felines, Paris.'")

I loved the characters (though I do find Étienne to be a bit problematic) and when one of the subcharacters got a little extra plot development, I was like "hmm, I wonder if..." (Yes, there are two companion books to this.)

So after finishing the book (Kris was still picking up the kids), I took to the internet. Perused the reviews on GoodReads, checked the Tumblr tag, Googled for the author.

Zut alors!

She, too, is on Tumblr and has a playlist for the book. Since I'm years late to the party, I did not have to wait for the release of the Deleted Chapter or Hot Vulcans extra.

[If you need me, I'll be happily compiling my next mix.]

Alright, let's talk Étienne St. Clair. Stephanie Perkins is a fan of Hot British Men. Which, hey, understood. So Étienne is an HBM.

He has Good Hair.

"It's dark brown and messy and somehow both long and short at the same time. ... It's artist hair. Musician hair. ... Beautiful hair."

He's English.

"Seriously, I don't know any American girl who can resist an English accent."

He's attractive.

"Beautiful Hallway Boy (Am I supposed to call him Étienne or St. Clair?)"

He has brown eyes.

"I'm alarmed by how big and brown they are. As if he needed any further weapons against the female race."

He's charming, smart, friendly.

"Everyone's in luuurve with St. Clair."

(Stephanie will not reveal who she pictures for her characters — "I don't want to interfere with who you, the reader, imagine!" – but hmm, attractive English fellow with good hair and brown eyes? Yeah, I had no problem envisioning St. Clair.)

But also... he has a serious girlfriend.

Because this is Fiction and we need an Obstacle.

HEREIN I GET SPOILERY!

FAIR WARNING?

Toward the end, Étienne says "no matter what a terrible boyfriend I was, I wouldn't actually cheat on her."

Yeeeeah. Um, you fell in love with another girl and actively wooed her. How isn't that cheating?

And dude, do not get me started on what kinds of communication issues this guy is gonna have later in life due to his parents' messed up relationship.

So, Anna and Étienne, hope you crazy (fictional) kids make it. And consider some couples' therapy.

Ha, no

A work pal asked if there was any news on the adoption. That would be an emphatic no. She said I seemed to be handling the wait well. Imma pull this rosy ruby image off Tumblr to answer that...



But whatcha gonna do? NOT update the home study? Just quit because it's hard and takes too long and is so very expensive? We knew all that going in. I am OVER IT. As I imagine many orphans are. SO DONE with not having parents or permanence.

So, inwardly, I will bitch and moan and complain. Outwardly, I will make my doctor's appointment and sign my CANs (child abuse and neglect forms).

In the bitch and moan department, the current issue of Style is being a beast and I am ready for it to leave the building. Which it will, tomorrow. In the meantime, I am glad for full concerts uploaded to YouTube that I can listen to while I make page corrections.





And now, for posterity, stories of my children:

One of Kris' clients this week is a teacher from Striplin and she asked if we'd heard the nice things Ms. Martin said about Ben. When he heard us talking about this, he wanted clarification again on how we knew this, cause we weren't there, right?

"We weren't there, but Sophia's mom was, and she told Daddy who told me," I explained.

Ben's face lit up. "Like a train that moves words!"

Yes. Just like that.

When Cash finished with his dinner, he wandered upstairs to Zoe's room. This seemed somewhat sneaky, so I called out to ask him what he was doing.

"I just wanted to put stuff in my pants!" he called back.

Which is a game where they secure stuffed animals in the waistband of their shorts. But doesn't it sound funnier the way Cash phrases it?

In the morning, while I helped him get dressed, he asked me to get down one of the planets that hang from the ceiling. Specifically, he wanted "the fire planick."

As he explained, "the fire planick is the biggest planick on Earth."

Good to know.

This week in Tumblr win

I’m still in a funk over this whole re-up of the home study thing. So let’s talk about Tumblr things that have made me happy over the last week. (Not Yahoo buying them. Hells no.)

Hmm, first, one of the blogs I follow initiated a Connor Temple Challenge. I have never done one of these fan challenges before. I only participated on a few of the days, but it was still fun. This one got me the most notes.



Found out a former co-worker is also on Tumblr.

I bonded with GreenAngelHeart over the Arctic Monkeys when it turned out she hails from the place mentioned in the song that I was jamming to all last week. (Kris made me an Arctic Monkeys channel at the Moxie when he did my hair on Monday.)

My MMFD pals tagged me for a 10 Facts About Yourself post; it's like having English pen pals.

HowlinChick posted some Richard Armitage this week. I only know him as Thorin and a bad guy in Captain America. But he is a handsome devil and I mentioned that in a message to her, which prompted her to ask if I’d seen him in the Vicar of Dibley. I had not, so I went and found the episode. And yes, of course, he is absolutely charming in it, but the episode was just so funny. (I told Kris I wouldn’t make him watch it, but I did recount the entire plot to him, up to and including acting out the scenes I found the funniest.)

Let’s see, what else? My Syfy Alice playing cards got a little more mileage this week, and as I checked out the Tumblrs that reblogged them, I came across a photoset of Hatter. The images traced his character from the beginning of the mini to the end. I was like “oh, that’s a nice idea.” And then there was a quote at the bottom, the same ALP quote I used in this:



“Yeah, that’s a good quote for this, too,” I mused. And then I read the quote again.

It’s my paraphrase of his quote.

What he says in the article is:

"You don’t expect Hatter to be such a strong force in the story. I know it’s Alice’s journey, but she catapults him into his own journey as well within hers. ... So he’d kind of been living in a no-man’s land until Alice came into his life. She opens my character’s eyes and suddenly Hatter has something to fight for, a girl, and he doesn’t even realize it, which is lovely. Hatter is a little slow on the uptake with things like that."

But that was too wordy for my mash-up, so I broke it down like this (and then removed the brackets and ellipses for aesthetics):

...it’s Alice’s journey, but she catapults him into his own ... [Alice] opens [Hatter’s] eyes and suddenly [he] has something to fight for, a girl, and he doesn’t even realize it, which is lovely. ...

I did not change the meaning of what the actor said; I just cleaned it up for a pull quote. Which was then incorporated into an image. Which means for the text to appear in the notes of a Tumblr post, somebody re-typed the paraphrase instead of cutting and pasting his actual quote.

Brazilian Hatter fans are quoting my Andrew Lee Potts paraphrase. If that’s not some kind of fandom win, I don’t what is.