UPDATE: The Tide of Life… February 27, 2021

Hello everyone, sorry it has taken two weeks to post an update, the past two weeks have been an exercise in pain management, both physically and mentally and been working through it and the game to get things finished up for all of you.

For those that live within the States, or those who’ve been watching the news regarding the United States the past couple of weeks, know that Mother Nature threw a real curve ball to our Country, socking us with weather that took parts of the U.S. (like Texas) by surprise.

In our case in Michigan, Mother Nature saw fit to throw use three storms in that mix that saw us having to deal with nearly two feet of snow (almost one meter) on the ground!

Monday and Tuesday (Feb 16 & 17) had me behind a snow blower trying to get rid of the heavy white stuff and, only 4 months after having had major back surgery, I think I did pretty good but hurt after removing it and taking photos of the mess Mother Nature delivered in her first of 3 storms.

Woke up on Thursday, with another 6 inches of snow on the ground and went outside to deal with that, again with the snow thrower and came to the realization that using that huge machine 3 times in one week caused a fair amount of pain in my back and with the belief that Mother Nature was trying to break me… I dragged my butt back in from the garage after removing the new stuff and putting the snow thrower away and didn’t even have the energy to take a photo of the crap… I was done looking at it and just wanted my heating pad.

Woke on Friday morning to another 3 and a half inches on the ground and the realization that Mother Nature wasn’t just trying to BREAK ME… she was literally trying to KILL ME!!

Got bundled up, went outside and tried to remove the light snow with the snow thrower and realized it was not enough to remove with my big machine, that it would be better and easier to try and do with a snow shovel… that would prove to be my final undoing in my war against Mother Nature…!!

By Friday evening, I was convinced that I had screwed myself, and all the work the surgeon had done in my back surgery, up and that I might need to go to the hospital… I hurt that bad.

And then came the phone call…

My friend and business partner, Diane Griffith (DThurgriff to those who knew her in the Poser and Daz Community and who I started Renderosity.com and Renderotica.com with) lost her battle against Breast Cancer and that her Memorial Services would be on that Sunday.

A part of me knew that this was coming, she and I had last talked on January 26th about how the cancer, that had been in remission, returned and matesized in her spine, lymph nodes and bones… after a lengthy phone call between visits from the doctors and nurses in her room, she informed me that with chemo they could only promise another 3 months at best and that she would be sick for most of it… so that she was going to pass on the treatments.

A few weeks later, she would pass and be free from the pain that racked her body… leaving a large and permanent hole in my heart.

I met Diane online in 1997, when she offered to help me build a website (called Renderosity) that would be a go to place for anyone interested in 3D computer graphics and software, it would primarily focus on the program called Poser, but would also include forums, tools and help for such programs as 3D Studio Max, Maya, Lightwave and Bryce… and her job would be to help build and run a 3D Online Store, where users with experience could sell their creations to other users and companies around the world.

Diane’s work and dedication would become unmeasurable and she would move from her home in California to live here in Michigan to be my business partner, helping me open Renderotica.com, 3DCommune.com, as well as, work with Curious Labs in creating their own online store for Poser, as well as, help Daz create Daz Studio…

For nearly 30 years, Diane poured herself into the 3D Community, providing help, service and art to it… even after moving her way back home to California to become more active in her church and I decided to pack my bags and get into video gaming.

Without the work that she helped me accomplish as a business partner, we wouldn’t have the adult 3D games that many of you play, including our own game… that online store that she worked so hard to build for other creators made it possible for people, who don’t have modeling experience, to purchase already created assets to assemble and put into their renders for their games.

Because of her, tireless efforts (and also putting up with me), we were able to build something awesome that people enjoy today… she really will be missed and her work for everyone should always be remembered.

I loved her and she was a great friend and I was fortunate to have her as a business partner and friend.

So, yeah… been dealing with a lot of difficult pain these past two weeks, both physically and emotionally and didn’t get nearly as much done as I wanted on the game.

There is more, about the game, that I want to share… but I am going to hold off on doing so for a day or two, as now, I am sorry, I am emotionally spent and can’t continue typing through the tears… sorry.

Talk real soon,

~Jack