Anthological

The guest bedroom is almost done, I just have to paint the trim and either paint the existing baseboard or replace it, then add wiring conduit, route the electrical for the ceiling fan and overhead lighting, finish repairing the wallboard where they GLUED the flourescent fixtures to the wall, install the lighting we pick out, and steam the carpets.

I think some visitin would be in order after that, Ernie.

I did find time to enjoy the copy of Swamp Thing ™ that David Stiller was kind enough to send me on request. This is a video full of footage shot by Roy Baker, a cantankerous fella that predated myself and Matt Rajkowski! He designed the original Electronic Brochure for Automark, and did it in Director… He also was quite excellent at 3D design and animation as well as being a pro at all things video… This particular video is a montage of footage shot during an awesome camping trip in 2001 to a place called Merchant’s Mill Pond State Park, deep in the Great Dismal Swamp. Sounds depressing, huh? Not so!

We canoed out to the campsite, (Pond, Swamp, get the picture?) and set up camp after paddling for about 35 minutes. Thereafter, we brought out some instruments (2 guitars and an electric keyboard/amp combo) and jammed for a while. Then as I recall some hiking was done, some hackey sack, some frisbee, some more hiking and canoing (I fell in the water getting out of the canoe at one point.. no one who knows me will be surprised), some more jamming, and a bit of whiskey by moonlight.

Back to the video… Roy started it out by including footage from the camping trip, then added a LOT of clips which showed how this strange group of friends came to be camping together, namedly our time together at Automark. Many many past employees and friends from Automark history are featured, as well as some that are still with Reynolds & Reynolds, the company that aquired Automark in 2000. Finally, Roy transitions back to the Swamp and ends the video as the camping trip comes to and end and we all glide on the glassy pond back to shore with our gear. The end of the trip, and the end of an era in some ways. Roy left us soon after to pursue happiness and simplicity in West Virginia with a technology company that shall we say, appreciated his talents more appropriately than had the Mark. He is missed.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 2nd, 2005 at 11:15 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.