A Stunning Discontent With Life

The King Of Pop

Tobi — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:26:18 +0000

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

You will be missed

The Votes Are In!!!

Tobi — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:11:30 +0000

Well the votes have been counted and the title that you guys voted for and liked the best was……………….. “A Stunning Discontent With Life”

This is now the title of the book and you guys made it happen!!! Stay tuned to the blog, because more updates are coming as well and more things for you guys to vote for!

Thank you to everyone who reads, gives suggestions, and helps vote!!!

Introduction

Tobi — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:01:11 +0000

Forget what you know about loss

Forget what you know about love

Forget what you know about life

Forget what you know about heartache

JUST FORGET

The Fire Continued

Tobi — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:24:13 +0000

As Jean and Ann Marie slept and Elisa hunted for decorations, a tiny spark popped out of the fireplace and landed on Jean’s jacked. The pop was too soft to be heard, and unless you were looking right at the fire, the spark

was too tiny to be seen. The spark sat and smoldered on the jacket for about ten minutes until a small flame emerged. The flame grew until it eventually consumed the entire jacket and the chair it rested upon. The flame then climbed up one side of the curtains caught the ceiling on fire, then climbed down the other side of the curtains and engulfed the furniture in the room. By now the entire room was filled with smoke and flames, and the smoke started to billow down towards the bedrooms.

Jean immediately woke up from the smell of the smoke. He jumped out of bed and grabbed the jacket and pair of boots he got his hands on, and ran to Ann Marie’s room to wake her. When he entered her room she was

already awake sitting on her bed holding her handkerchief. Jean grabbed her jacket and boots and Ann Marie quickly put them on. Jean then grabbed Ann Marie’s hand and started the path to safety. As they were making their way out Ann Marie saw pieces of burning furniture, small pieces falling from the roof, and their whole house slowly being destroyed. When they finally got outside Jean told her to stay there because he was going back inside to get her mother. Just as he was about to turn and run inside the framework started to collapse upon itself, and there was nothing he could do but watch in horror. He grabbed Ann Marie and he began to cry. All Ann Marie could do was stand in his arms and watch the rubble burn from the corner of her eye. Not a single tear was shed.

Questions

Tobi — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:44:14 +0000

I keep getting asked the same question by all my friends and other people I know. “What is the book about!?” I keep telling them all “Go to my blog read and find out for yourself!” So I decided to write the answer to that very question so that way everyone can find out what exactly is going on here. I first heard The Dear Hunter Act I CD and instantly not only fell in love with it but also started getting AMAZING visuals in my head for music videos that went along with the songs. As I started to describe them to my friend he made the comment that all the music videos were “flowing” together like a book and I should just write everything down. That was how everything got started over a year ago. Now, we jump forward to today and The Dear Hunter is getting ready to release Act III and I have finished my entire rough draft for my book and each chapter goes along perfectly with each song on Act I and Act II. What am I doing with this blog? Well, I am not putting up the final version (before publishing) piece by piece online for everyone to read and comment on. This will be your chance to tell me what you like, don’t like, what should be added, and just in general have your say as to what the book needs. I will then take all the input I have received and make a finalized draft that will get sent out to publishing. I know I still haven’t told you what the book is about. Well, that’s because I want you to read it, but I’ll give a quick summary just for you!

The story revolves around a woman growing up in the late 1800′s to early 1900′s France. It follows her life from childhood all the way to adulthood and all the hardships that come along with it. There are a few twists to keep you going as well. I really can’t spill out too many more details for you or else it would ruin the story for you

If this all sounds interesting to you please read what has already been posted and subscribe to my RSS Feed to keep updated. Also, please help by leaving comments positive or negative both help me know what you guys all want. Last but not least there is a poll going on where YOU get to VOTE for what you want the book to be named so please VOTE and see if the title you like best wins!

Sincerely

Tobi

The Fire

Tobi — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:46:16 +0000

That winter was a cold and harsh winter. The first frost was in early September, and the first snowfall was in mid October. Jean and the other townsmen were forced to go out to the woods often that winter to cut down

trees to replenish their supply of fire wood for heating and cooking. One night in mid December Jean had to go outside into their woodshed to get more firewood for inside the house. He decided to only get four logs, just enough to last through the night. as he opened the door he was immediately greeted by a blistering wind. Jean quickly closed the door behind him as he stepped outside and quickly made his was to the woodshed on the right side of the house. Once there he quickly grabbed four large pieces of wood and headed back to the front door, to re-enter the warmth of his home. The added weight of the wood slowed down the pace of his stride, however. With each step his arms burned a little more from the weight of the wood. The wind was blowing harder now, and combined with more fresh falling snow, it felt like little razor blades cutting his cheeks and nose. After ten more steps he knocked on the front door and Ann Marie rushed to open it for him.

As Jean quickly stepped inside Ann Marie closed the door behind him and hung his jacket by the fire to dry, as Jean placed the four logs into the wood basket next to the door. He was relieved to finally be inside the the

warmth of the house, and just stood at the door taking in all the heat the house had to offer. He then took off his wet boots and slipped into his nice warm slippers. As he picked up the basket with the logs and placed them all on the fire Ann Marie gave him a hug and a kiss good night, and then scampered off into her room to go to bed. Jean then turned around and asked Elisa if she were coming to bed as well. She said she would be there in a bit, first she wanted to get the Christmas decorations out of the attic. Elisa loved to bring them out at night and surprise Ann Marie in the morning, they would then spend the entire day decorating the house together. Jean gave her a kiss on the forehead, told her he loved her, and headed off to bed. More to come SOON! Want to help pick a name for the book? Why not VOTE for the best one?

The Early Years and the Handkerchief Still Continued

Tobi — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:03:11 +0000

She rushed to Ann Marie’s side and Ann Marie told her mother about climbing the tree, and the old dead branch breaking, and how she had lost her balance and fell to the ground. Her mother looked her over and checked

for broken bones, but besides a few minor scratches Ann Marie was fine. Her mother then took out a hanky and wiped away the tears and told her she must stop crying. When Ann Marie said “Why?” her mother explained that life is much like climbing this old tree. Some choices we make in life will be wise ones and let us continue onto a new branch and new decisions, but others will be bad ones. These bad, or unwise choices will lead to a weak branch that we will fall from. “When you fall in life,” Elisa explained, “you can’t just sit there and cry, because people will think that you are weak and take advantage of you. When you fall you must get right up and start climbing again and remember not to make the same mistakes again.” Elisa then asked Ann Marie if she understood. She let out a soft sniffle and nodded yes. Elisa then gave Ann Marie the hanky and said, “Take this, and whenever you think you might cry take this out of your pocket and remember what I told you today.” She then kissed Ann Marie on the forehead and went back inside to finish cleaning.

Ann Marie sat in the sun and examined the hanky. It was a very pretty white hank with a very intricate lace going around the entire edge of it. The lace reminded her of a wedding and she couldn’t figure out why. Ann

Marie also noticed her mothers initials stitched into the top left-hand corner of the hanky. The sun was now making her shoulder hot and she decided to go inside, cool off, and ask her mother about the hanky. When she walked inside she saw her mother sitting at the kitchen table patching a pair of her fathers work pants. She sat down on the floor and watched as her mother meticulously pushed the needle through the thick fabric and then pulled it out the other side, only to repeat the process in the opposite direction. Once she made her way around all four corners of the patch she, with great precision, tied a knot and cut away the extra thread. As she looked to examine her work she noticed Ann Marie sitting on the ground. “How long have you been watching me child?” she asked. Ann Marie replied, “Long enough to watch you finish the final half of the patch for Papa.” Ann Marie then asked how her mothers initials got on the hanky, and if she had sown them on herself. Elisa then told her how her mother had spent weeks making it, and sowing the lace all herself from tiny bits of string fabric. Elisa had not been allowed to see it until the day of her wedding, and she said it was the best wedding gift of them all! The hanky had always reminded her of her mother and all the strength she had, and she hoped it would now do the same for Ann Marie. Ann Marie smiled, hugged her mother, and then ran outside to play on her favorite tree some more. From that day forth she never went anywhere without the handkerchief. The handkerchief always made her feel safer and stronger when it was by her side. Every night before bed she would neatly fold it into a square and place it next to her on the nightstand.

Wow I thought it would take me forever to get this final section posted! Thank you guys for reading there is still A LOT more to come! Please vote for a name for the book if you like what you are reading. VOTE

Health Care Rant

Tobi — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:07:24 +0000

Lately my blood sugar has been changing drastically from 70′s to the 200′s Being the smart individual that I am (and knowing that diabetes runs in the family) I immediately wiki diabetes to find out the symptoms. Turns out I have almost every symptom. I call today to try and make an appointment with my physician, and get informed that I can not make an appointment until I pay an $86 dollar charge. I am unemployed with not health insurance and don’t have the means to pay this fee. I am in favor of government run health care if it works in other countries why not ours? To all the republicans that say Americans should have the right to pay for the health insurance they want would any of you like to pay my medical bills for the year? First we will start off with just my doctor visit to see if I have diabetes. Then, I also need an eye exam, a new pair of glasses, and new contacts. Which republican wants to pay for this unemployed students medical bills? Leave your thoughts/rants in the comments section I would like to hear what you guys have to say.

The Early Years and the Handkerchief Continued

Tobi — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:56:09 +0000

As she prepared to climb the tree she ran her hand all the way around the trunk. She felt the rough uninjured bark. Then, she felt the softer newer bark that was begining to grow back. Then, finally, she felt the smooth part

that was still black from where the lightning had stuck and was free of any bark due to the resulting fire. Her hand then once again felt the soft new bark and the rough old bark and then she came to her favorite part of the tree. When her mother and father had first moved into the house her father carved their initials inside of a heart onto the tree. Then, a year later when Ann Marie was born her initials were added below theirs, but still inside of the heart. Ann Marie loved this part because it made her feel like no matter what happened they would always be a family, and they woul always have each other. Ann Marie then stepped back a few feet , and glanced up, and began to plan her first moves. Normally, she would climb the same path that she always did, but today she wanted more adventure.

Ann Marie decided to start on her normal path. She grabbed the limb closest to her right hand, and with both of her hands hoisted herself up. From here she decided to do something new. Rather than going up and to

the right again she decided to go immediately to the left. She reached out and grabbed one of the branches that had been injured by the lightning. As she put more weight on it and started to bring her right hand over the branch cracked and gave way! Ann Marie lost her balance and fell, along with with the branch, to the ground. It was not a long fall only about five feet, but for Ann Marie it was all in slow motion and felt like it took forever. She could feel the leaves hit her face, and the branches scratch her arms. She could see the ground coming closer and closer. She saw the branch hit and she knew she would be next. Then, it happened! She hit the ground and immediately started crying from the pain. Her mother heard the commotion and came running outside to make sure everything was alright….. More tomorrow! For now please VOTE and tell your friends!!!

The Early Years and The Handkerchief

Tobi — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:41:31 +0000

Ann Marie had what many would call a “normal” or “good” childhood. As a baby she was constantly surrounded by two loving parents who made sure she had everything she needed to grow up and become a healthy

young woman. They took her to see a doctor in the city twice a year for checkups and make sure she was healthy. When she got ill they would immediately seek medical help so that she would not contract pneumonia and die, which was common for young children during these times. They provided her with nice clothing and three full meals a day to insure that she was never hungry. When she was six they enrolled her in school where she learned to read, write, and do math. She learned about the country France in which she lived, and about the Kings and Queens that ruled it. Everyday after school when the weather was she would play in the backyard as her mother kept a watch full eye from the kitchen window. Ann Marie lived a happy and carefree childhood life. One beautiful spring day when all the flowers were in bloom and the trees were turning green from fresh foliage, Ann Marie came home from school and went into the backyard, as she so often did. She decided that she wanted to climb her favorite tree today, and sit and enjoy the sunshine on her favorite branch. The tree was an old oak tree that stood about five hundred yards from her house. The tree was split in half that had one half singed black and the other half green and full of life due to a lightning strike two years earlier.

Ann Marie remembers the strike like it was yesterday. She was eight then and sound asleep in bed when she got woken up by a summer thunderstorm. The flash of the lightning and the loud crack from the thunder had

scared her, so she ran to crawl in bed with her parents. As she positioned herself in between her mother and her father she heard the loudest crack of thunder that she had ever heard, it was as if someone had ripped off the roof of her house and slammed it to the ground. Her father raced out of bed as she ducked her head under the covers and slowly fell back asleep. The next day she saw her father painting the tree and she asked if it would be alright and what he was painting on the tree. He told her that the tree would be ok since he was able to put out the fire the night before. Then, he explained that what he was putting on the tree was not paint but medicine. The medicine would help protect the from infections and help it to heal faster, much like a bandage. ……More to come soon!