Working in Hawaii; World Cup

I was sent to work at some beach in Hawaii. The person in charge of the resort lived in a houseboat right where the ocean met the shore.

The resort was dumpy -- old wooden bridges and ladders connected to tall trees, dirty sand, and a few people there who enjoyed being where there weren't major crowds. Scientists were there, performing experiments.

The person in charge spoke Portuguese; we chatted for a little bit.

There were new visitors at one point. They spoke Spanish. I chatted with them -- they wanted to Fed Ex something, and I showed them how to do it.

I later found out the person in charge was quitting. I inquired about the job.

Somehow, this led to being at a bookstore, where I saw I had written a book about counting as a form of therapy. My wife had written a similar book about countdowns.

***

I was playing for an international soccer team during the World Cup. We played against Germany. I played the first half. I wasn't great, but I showed a lot of hustle. I held my own. Germany eventually won.

The First Enneagram Novel

I realized this morning that Damian and I had broken new ground when we wrote this book ... this is the first novel that uses the concepts in the Enneagram as an integral part of the story.

The Animalgram, which is a fictionalized version of the Enneagram, is discovered and used to by Joshua and Nehal to inspire (and trick) the world towards enlightenment.

Anyway, for all you Enneagram fans -- if you want to read a story that acknowledges the existence of the truth we all know and love, please take the time and read our book. You'll be glad you did.

Besides -- if you read that book in public, like at Starbucks, you'll get a lot of stares because of the controversial cover. That's always fun.

"Melissa"

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Written by:	Tony Vahl
Edited by:	Tony Vahl
Date:
Full Story Available:	The Velvet Mask

Plot

Melissa Danworth, a woman on her way to work in New York City, stops to give some money to a homeless man as she enters a subway station. The homeless man turns out to be the Dream Seeker, Dace Senoit, in disguise. He strikes up a conversation, and helps her remember a dream that changes her life.

Later, after work, Melissa decides to stop at her favorite Italian Restaurant, to celebrate what she has learned. The Realtor, disguised as a waiter, offers her the opportunity to get to know a wealthy businessman. After demurring several times, she finally accepts, believing that the earlier discovery was a sign for her to let go of her inhibitions.

The Realtor, after successfully arranging the meeting, gets on his cellphone and brags about his success.

Creators' Comments

TONY SAYS:

"This was originally a synopsis for a Dream Seeker TV show Pilot idea. Damian and I have always envisioned the Dream Seeker as an ongoing HBO-style series.

"I wanted to contrast the Realtor and the Dream Seeker -- how one is pushy and aggressive, and the other leads Melissa to a solution, leaving it up to her to decide how to react."

Memorable Quotes

“Hmph. Thanks, Melissa.” - Dace Senoit

"I don't know if I should thank you, or be scared." - Melissa

"Nothing bad will happen. I guarantee it." - The Realtor

Character Appearances

Dace Senoit

Melissa Danworth

The Realtor

Unnamed gentleman at the bar

Trivia

Tony grew up in Queens, New York. He's quite familiar with Queens Boulevard.

Tony and Damian are both Yankees fans.

Who's Who is DSU: Harry Smith

Harry Smith

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Harry Smith made his only appearance when he was featured in the short story "THREE MINUTES!". Wasting his life by being obsessed with time and staying exactly on schedule, Smith thought he beat Father Time by waking up three minutes before his alarm went off. His subsequent car accident, which killed the life of an innocent girl, caused him to lose "it", and he was captured by the Soul Patrol

Character Biography

Harry Smith had been a struggling vacuum cleaner salesman since the 1970's. He barely made his quotas, never made waves, was a law-abiding citizen, and lived alone in a Maryland apartment. His suits didn't fit, and he accepted doors being slammed in his face on a constant basis. Smith never showed any emotion, and was apparently content with the "security" of being a cog in the machine.

However, Smith actually had an obsessive compulsive disorder, which forced him to maintain a set schedule of his boring and monotonous activities. His entire daily routines were timed to his set schedule, with no deviations.

An unspecified time ago, the sun had awakened him on a Wednesday morning, and he shut the alarm clock off three minutes before it rang. Speaking aloud he claimed to have beaten "Father Time himself". He actually expressed emotion by snickering at his "victory".

On his way to a potential client, a five-year old girl ran in front of his car, and she was killed instantly. The courts found him guilty of manslaughter, but he had become a madman and was unable to stand trial. He was held at the McNamara Institute for the Psychologically Impaired, where he would laugh uncontrollably and shout "THREE MINUTES!"

The Soul Patrol picked him up and apparently placed him under the care of The Auctioneer. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Creators' Comments

DAMIAN SAYS:

"Harry Smith served his purpose well: excellent fodder for the Soul Patrol, sympathetic back-story, and showed the absurdity of the world. Has a Twilight-Zone feel."

Memorable Quotes

"Now I have three minutes. I have three minutes extra today. I have bested Father Time himself."

Trivia

Damian chose the bland name 'Harry Smith' because the character represented John Q. Public.

Three Minutes! is part of The Velvet Mask, available in book form as a hard cover and/or PDF download.