A new Blog!
That’s right! Trying something different…and a bit more mature of a hosting service. Same stuff and new, same love and the some! Stop on by and say bonjour!
Setting things on fire
I sat outside today for a few hours and wrote, something I haven’t done in a while. It was very refreshing and I accoplished a great deal of rewriting (since I am in the middle of a scrap-and-redo for several chapters of a story). I came to a part where Abadoo, the main character, is trying to describe the scent of fire when, under amnesia, he does not know what he is smelling. I suddenly realized how long it had been since I had smelled something burning. I presently went home to remedy the problem.
It makes sense, does it not? In order to describe the smell of fire…one must smell FIRE!
This was my first attempt: paper. It seemed resonable enough, but produced very little smell.
So I moved on to bigger and better things.
Cardboard! This baby worked beautifully! I got exactly the smell I needed…not to mention it made pretty smoke. I created the description and now my clothes smell like fire. I am happy.
Don’t worry; I put out the small fire.
And all is well. Now to continue with the story…
~ haylee j.
OMG SUSHI!
Fact: I love fish.
Any kind I have tried (some more than others) but seafood pretty much rocks my world. Set anything down in front of me, look weird though it may, and I will at least try it.
As many of my friends would tell you, I have recently developed an addiction to Japanese cusine. A new sushi bar and hibachi grill opened across the street from Starbucks and now I cannot stop eating it. Slightly embarassed as I am to admit it, I have eaten there five…count them: 1-2-3-4-5 times…since it opened last Friday. Every time I have appeared with a different crowd of people. The waitstaff has noticed. I am now friends with the manager.
The atmosphere of this place is awesome. Nice, clean, inviting. There are several (8, perhaps?) hibachi grills. Across the koi pond, and a cute little wooden bridge, is the sushi bar. Here you can sit at the bar and watch the chefs make the sushi as you dine. Nifty. There is also regular dining, for any group who would like both styles of food. There are also private rooms which, behind pretty sliding doors, contain traditional Japanese tables.
The staff is friendly and attentive. Granted the place is brand new, so it’s possible that it might wear off, but as it stands now, they are far more inviting and interactive than other, similar places.
Oh! And one of my favorite aspects are the plates. Each plate the sushi is served on is different. There are fish shaped, shell shaped, inverted-edged rectangle plates, and so many other crazy things. I want my dish set to be as diverse.
My personal favorite sushi dishes: the Matsu roll, the Green River roll and the Golden Phoenix roll.
I will have to swear off eating here before long or I will have to choose between eating sushi and living in a home.
Ridiculous. Ridiculous and delicious.
So make fun as you will. Sushi is yummy. And I stand by that sentiment.
~ Haylee Jalyn!
Neighborhood at Dusk
There are some random things that help to inspire me moreso than anything else. When it comes to writing–especially the Coloterra Tales–walking through the neighborhood in the evening motivates me so. So this evening I packed up my writing things in a bag and took a walk.
Along the way, I came across these, which I thought deserved a shout out on la blog:
Mushrooms in Lubbock! A rare sight indeed, especially ones like these…we’re talking eight inches in diameter. Mushrooms have always been sort of interesting to me, a “children of the rain” sort of idea. Hm. Perhaps I shall explain further in a short story. Yes. I’ll keep you posted.
Anyway. I made my way through the neighborhood to my favorite little pond. It lies kind of deep in the landscape (almost ceaselessly flatness) of the city, so it’s a nice break from the usual sights. Quiet houses surround this particular pond and it is almost always peaceful and pretty.
Not bad.
The only problem was that after I walked all the way to this lovely little pond and sat against this tree and began writing, all of the late-summer bugs made their presence known and infiltrated my creative bubble. One bit my knee. So I headed promptly back home.
Thus ended my pleasent outing.
My nightstand
I had such high hopes of reading for this summer. I had a whole list of books I wanted to get through before the end of August…but then I got a second job and a new batch of friends and a couple of new crafty hobbies (including knitting) and suddenly reading became very low on the bottom of my priority list. I have, therefore, read almost none of what I wanted to this summer. And it makes me sad.
But I have been doing some reading, so here is what I have done:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – Trying to finish the series since I never did. And I would like to get through the sixth book and see the movie once more. I really enjoy reading these books. They’re so much fun. (Yes, mom, I’m enjoying them. Please don’t gloat. 
)
Blink – a really interesting non-fiction book about first impressions and the power of the subconscious in making split-second decisions and the crucial thinking we do without even thinking. This impressive list and description of studies done all over the nation investigating people’s subconscious is really fascinating.
Alice in Wonderland – Reading in honor of Tim Burton’s new flim se to release (oh the impatience!) March 5, 2010. My friends and I are also having an Unbirthday Party this weekend and I thought since I had not read this book in many years I should give it another look through. Another fun classic.
I’d love to say I was actively reading more, but until school starts I think that this is all I’ve made time for. And my internet connection is being iffy. I’m off to get ready for work…maybe I’ll squeeze some page time in before I leave…
The reading-starved artist,
Haylee Jalyn
A day of perpetual Off.
It began when i woke up this morning with several errands to run and found, after and hour and a half of searching, that my car keys were no where to be found. I tried retracing my steps, which was hard since I had been on the phone when I came in the house so i had not been paying very close attention to my actions. Some friends and I had gone to see the midnight showing of Harry Potter 6 and I had not driven.
I had *no idea* where they could be, and I was beginning to panic.
In a moment of frustrated brilliance I called the movie theater to see if any keys had been turned in. After describing my set of keys in detail two or three times over a period of fifteen minutes I finally spoke with the manager, who informed me that he had the keys!! My roomie took me and we picked them up. I felt like a dork.
So as a result I accomplished little to nothing of what I needed to do today and my brain was in a constant state of fart for the proceeding six hours at work. Not to mention that I was paranoid about my keys being gone and even misplaced them once right before work so that I nearly panicked. It was bad.
I count my lucky stars (or lucky….potion?) that I did not have to work at Starbucks at 5am this morning. Things would have been a lot worse.
Anyway, the movie was good. Can’t wait to read the book. Now I’m off to chill and, perhaps, sleep?
Hopefully tomorrow my brain will be functioning smoothly again.
~haylee jalyn
Change of scenery
I’m in the middle of a road trip from West Tejas to Florida. The change of scenery does a lot for inspiration and idea-formation.
There is a tree across the street from our hotel room. It’s big and quite pretty, but nothing really special. There is something about it, however, that I especially like. The long limbs hang damp, heavy from Spanish moss. The grass and brush that surrounds the trunk is thick, vibrant and emerald green. The dangling moss creates a mysterious cove that surrounds the trunk and the thin morning mist floats beneath, giving the scene an air of magic.
From far across the road I stand and admire. A tree moves aside and Abadoo steps out and returns my gaze. I’m not sure if he sees me or if he is merely surveying the landscape. I wonder what adventure he is in the midst of. I wonder who else might be coming out from the tree behind him. It amazes me the places I find portals to Coloterra. As I blink, however, he disappears and all I see is the beautiful tree. Rather than feeling disappointed, I feel rejuvenated and hurry back to my hotel room where a pen and paper wait; I have found a new story.
