Sweet

[annundriel]

There is something about my new haircut that makes me feel cool and adult. I love it.

Also, we have our first snow! There's no way it's going to stick, since it's been raining all day. But still! Snow!

Comments

[trademybike.livejournal.com]

*jealous* I want snow that doesn't stick.

[ginnith.livejournal.com]

SNOW! Karla and I get up every morning and check to see if there's snow outside (I'm hopeful and she's fervently hoping it's sunny and 62), and alas, we haven't gotten lucky yet.

::is jealous::

But I love you, all the same!

[juliarchy.livejournal.com]

Ohh new haircut! And snow! Lucky you.

I'm thinking of taking a weekend out to western washington. I need to research for my novel. He lives in a small western washington town. Any ideas?

[juliarchy.livejournal.com]

And I meant eastern washington.

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Oh, small towns in eastern Washington, huh? My first question would be, what kind of small town are you looking for? Because some are probably better than others.

But off the top of my head: George, Royal City, Vantage, Mattawa (which means "Where is it?"), Starbuck, Kahlotus, Moxee, Waterville, Soap Lake, Mesa, Coulee City, Grand Coulee, Washtucna. And I guess these are all technically "central" Washington. I can definitely think of more (Nothing but small towns out here.), but that's a start. If you have any questions, I know people who know things and who love to share what they know. :)

[juliarchy.livejournal.com]

Well, this is where it comes in handy that you're an English major. Let's say the main character is this paranoid, fearful, quiet type of guy. He spends a lot of his free time going to emergency preparedness conferences. He just recently got divorced and moved to a "safe" place.

I'm liking the idea of Mattawa "where is it." Because I feel like that's what he is...doesn't know where he is. But if you have any ideas, please do share!

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Hmm. This is the type of thing that I feel like I need to really think about.

On the one hand, I think the Mattawa/"where is it" thing would work really well in a symbolic kind of way. On the other hand, you'd probably need to see Mattawa yourself to decide. I mean, the countryside is pretty nice. (I love the drive along the Columbia.) But it depends on what sort of population your looking for, which in Mattawa comes down to either speaking Spanish, English, or both. I spend most of my days at the library gesturing and telling people I only spoke a little Spanish.

There's also a part of me that wants to mention Leavenworth. (Website here (http://www.leavenworth.org/).) It's a theme town, but during the off season, it's really nice up there. Well, it's nice all the time. I could imagine someone buying a house up there near Lake Wenatchee to get away from it all and cleanse themselves in the brisk mountain air.

[juliarchy.livejournal.com]

Yeah I thought about Leavenworth in the sense that it is kind of an "olden days" town. The thing about the character is that he is fearful and paranoid. So the "cleansing" thing isn't where he is at in his life. I don't think he would care what the town was like, so much as it seemed safe and away from potential disasters (i.e. earthquake, tsunami, bio-terrorist attack.)

I know that sounds ludicrous (and sometimes I think that it is) but I promise it will work :)

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Not ludicrous.

Well, in Mattawa you'd defitely be safe from basically any kind of disaster. Except for if Hanford blew up. Depending on which way the wind was blowing. Hanford was where the plutonium for the atomic bombs for WWII was made. It's a breeder reactor. Maybe 20 miles away from Mattawa. BUT the likelihood of that happening is, like, one in a million. But interesting fact, though. We drive past it when we go to the Tri-Cities.

Randomly, Mattawa was on The X-Files! Of course, it looked like Vancouver, BC. But still.

Also, Spanish is very important there. It's orchard and vineyard country along the river, so lots of migrant workers.

There's also Desert Aire, which is about five miles from Mattawa and is more of a retirement community. They have a golf course and an air strip.

I am intensely curious about what you're working on.

[juliarchy.livejournal.com]

Ohh this is getting better by the minute. I want to check out Hanford. Is there still an old plutonium plant? Crazy. But that's good to know. You are a wealth of knowledge.

I can basically tell you what I'm working on is some crazy idea for a novel I got while sitting in Emergency Preparedness conferences for my work. I thought it was insane how "into" preparedness these people were. The speaker mentioned something about how she keeps a suitcase of things she would want saved in her bedroom closet in case of emergency. She then gave us her address so that if we were in the area when an emergency happened we just might remember and go save that suitcase. This is where my brain clicked in...

That would make a great story! And then I outlined it and am trying to place it locally since I feel it makes a story better when you know interesting details about the area.

Once I actually get anywhere on it (all I have is a lengthy, confusing outline) you can definitely be my editor if interested, because I know that you'll be honest and good.

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Hanford is still active. There's a mess as far as nuclear waste and the state has been wrestling with how to dispose of it. Hanford also happens to be on one of most pristine legs of the Columbia River because the government owns most of the land, so it's never been developed.

I watched a thing on PBS about Hanford and the town that was built around it during WWII not too long ago. But the town's not there anymore.

As for your preparedness conference....That is crazy. By which I don't necessarily mean insane. I mean, I can understand having a plan and having something set aside with provisions, but other than that...There's a point where you start living too much in the potentially doomed future.

And I agree with you about area details making a story better. Especially for people from the area, because than it's fun to go, "I've been there! I know exactly where they're talking about."

I am very flattered and would definitely be interested in giving you any editing help I can.

[juliarchy.livejournal.com]

Do I have an updated email for you? Can you give it to me just so I can be sure? I have a yahoo email for you. Let me know if that is good! This discussion is probably best done over email.

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the yahoo one is good, as long as it's annundriel @ yahoo.com (without the spaces).

[michelerz.livejournal.com]

what did you do with the hair??

i am in NEED of a haircut, but i know not what to do. INSPIRE ME! haha

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

It is basically a layered bob cut, about chin-length. Except that it's shorter in the back and then angles longer to the front. I told my hairdresser that long hair on my neck was getting annoying and she pointed out that was probably because of collars and scarves and things, what with the weather getting cold. The shortest layer in the front just misses being able to go behind my ear, so it's like long bangs, which I'm kind of loving a lot.

I always forget how much I love shorter hair.

Of course, I still need to dye it and hide my white hairs.