Wednesday evening – Home again

November 7, 2007, 8:15 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized

Home again after 3 good days on the road. It’s nice to be back. I spend more and more time now thinking about the aniversary of Sam’s passing. How does it feel ? How is it supposed to feel ? I feel sad and determined., solid and scared.. and somewhat worn out. Sam is with me constantly… The driving and hotel time on a trip llke I just made is really useful for sifting through all of these mixed feelings.It’s felt good to be busy on my new assignment.. It’s so good for me to have the stress of my old job lifted a bit during these next few tough weeks. My fortune cookie told me so.

Today was really interesting. I left Dave and Jean’s around 7:30 and drove up to RPI in Troy. For all the times I’ve driven past here.. and all the folks I know who went to school herer, I was amazed to realize that I’d never set foot on the campus before today. I had to ask this guy for instructions on how to find the building for my meeting

The meeting was between IBM and folks at RPI to discuss collaorations between the new spercomputer center we’re helpign them buld and the new ‘EMPAC’ media center that they are building. EMPAC will be a state of the art theatre/media studio when it opens next year. It’s sudios have unbelievable acoustics, surround projection screen and computer operated rigging that will allow folks to fully immerse themsleves in simulated digital experinces. Computers will be able to control the image and sound at every part of the room and will allow objects.. including people.. to be moved to any point in the space under computer control . There is nothing like it anywhere in the wolrd. The thought of coupling that media display and interaction capability with a deadicated supercomputer is so cool to consider.. (I think I love my job)After a half a day of brainstorming we were invited to tour the EMPAC building which is still under heavy construction.

We suited up and walked inside

There are some beautiful views from the top of the structures.

Here’s one of the smaller theatre spaces.

Here you can see the hull within a hull construction

Te architecture is amazing in this place. many cool curves and walkways.It looks like they’re building an ark.

My friend Paul was down for the meting too

Here’s the building from the outside.. It will be amazing when it’s complete !

I got on the road home about 4PM. The drive was restfull and restorative.. I spoeke with several firends by phone.. As I neared home. Homer called to tell me that he’d successfully hooked a motor up as a generator on one of the wind sculptures. I was eager to get home.. but I also wanted to see this work. I told Homer that I could come by his shop on my way home.. but I could only stay for 5 minutes.. which is very hard when you visit home.. I usually drop by for a few minutes and end up spend ing a few hours. I stopped into Homer’s shop at 7:01 and was driving away by 7:05.. a new record in short visits.