It truly is unbelievable, as that's how it still feels for me, that it really hasn't happened. I've known Eric for several years now, but not real well or anything. Right now I really feel for those that do. I worry for them, and hope they come out of this horrible thing ok. Amos was especially close during this last period. It's just an amazingly crappy deal. There's really no reasoning or explaining to crap like this. All one can do is hope that in the end it makes sense to us all. That and the obvious, remember the good times.
I don't have a lot of personal memories since we only spoke in person 3 times that I can think of. Those I do are pretty telling. I too was at the party in 2001.
You might be a weather fanatic if throwing ice at a vehicle, simulating wind driven hail, is a good time. Eric in the white shirt throwing.
One of the things from that party that I remember was eating at Applebees(pretty sure that was the place....nope guess it was Chillis as I just re-read these and noticed Shane mentioned it). I'm sitting there talking with Philip Flory. I'm sure we were both being kind of the shy people of the thing. Eric was sitting a table or two away with everyone(people were moving from table to table at this point). He gets up and comes over and sits down. He felt bad that he hadn't taken more time to talk to us...even if that was what he was now doing. It was just cool how he seemed concerned enough to mention it like he did, and leave the growing group to come talk to us loners.
A couple months later myself, Scott Blair, Scott Weberpal and Eric all split a room at the Denver party. I don't remember all that many things from that trip. What I probably remember the most, and something that still makes me laugh(just did) was the lightning "simulation" at like 4 a.m. I opted to take the floor, and was asleep at like 1 or 2. What do I wake to? I'm still laughing. Scott Blair and Eric(sounded like mostly Eric) jumping from bed to bed with the covers getting shocked to hell. Hell I'm not even sure they were jumping back and forth, but it sounded like it. They were saying funny things about lightning and laughing at how bad they were getting shocked doing this. I could hear it....the static shocks. It went on for a long time and didn't seem to lose entertainment value to anyone. It was just really funny and one surely had to be there. Eric seemed to be able to have fun with anything.
The last thing I remember is rather telling as well. It's going to bug me each time I remember it though, knowing what I know now. I've been working with Eric on a photography book for the last year or so. I could have done the book as an alone type thing, but I thought it would be a lot better with one or two others. The publisher agreed but didn't want to make it too complicated(like who gets paid what percentages for what they include, etc). Well the shortlist was excessively short. Basically I thought no one out there can beat Eric's collection. I'm always jealous of how great his stuff is and how natural it is. If I could name only one person and have them automatically have to agree to do it...it would have been him. I was so happy that he agreed to. So it ends up just his stuff and mine.
Well, the last thing I have from him(rather recent) was his worrying and his kindness. The proofs of his stuff looked bad as they were all very light(mine were as bad but pretty much the same level too dark as his were too light). They just weren't anything like he has on his site. He wanted to know if I could process them and offered to pay me. Problem is my hands are half toast, thanks to farting around with images far too much and using the mouse too much, with both hands. It's not a new problem and one I've mentioned to others. I told him it just wasn't going to happen, since it's a lot of images. I thought the book people are professionals at this and said they will get it right, not to worry.
What does he write back? His first words are how that sucks, and that I should go to the doctor as it could be a serious type of arthritis, and how they have meds for that. Then he comments on a few other things. Then again at the end of the e-mails says "Please go to the doctor and have them checked out". This was coming right as he was going to be away for a couple weeks. Given the circumstances as I know them now, that's some amazing kindness. I feel like a real jackass over it. I would have sucked it up and worked on them all. But anyway, it alone is just really damn telling how he was, so I thought I'd include it. I mean we didn't know each other very well at all, turns out he was having an
extremely hard time right at this time...and he comments concerned about my hands. I mean I wouldn't have bothered being that nice, even if I was having the time of my life. Yet here he is, going through his worst and does.
I'm making myself mad now, so I'll stop. And again, I'm concerned about all those close to him. Amos' circumstance really concerns me, and I just don't know how to help it. It's all just very sad, and I can't begin to imagine how sad it is for others.
