Tomorrow is Promised to No One
Posted on February 3, 2008 by Ching under Life.
Jan and I drove to Hutchinson, Kansas yesterday to attend the funeral of Brian Rush. Rush worked with Brian at Cox Communications before working with me. Brian left Cox shortly after Rush left Cox, so they only worked together briefly.
My fondest memory of Rush is how we kinda-sorta met, but didn’t meet. I initially met Rush online in 2005, playing OGame. Everyone at Cox played OGame. Naturally, when Brian worked there, he played OGame too. Since he was playing it, I started playing it too. Rush was one of the highest ranking members of the Cable Mafia, our OGame alliance. He was a great ally in OGame. He, along with a few other players, sent me some resources to help me build up my planet. It wasn’t long before I beat Brian. I couldn’t have done it without all the help, though.
Anyway, as things got busy with work and school I quit playing the game. As luck would have it, Rush got hired on at work so instead of playing together online we began working together. I didn’t ever meet him face-to-face until his first day of work, though. We were buddies on OGame for a while without ever having met.
Rush was a really cool guy. He was well-liked by everyone. People had a tough time at first because he was hired from outside the company, but he turned them all around. He made everyone realize that if you hire the right person it doesn’t really matter where they come from, whether they’re coming from inside or outside the company. Before long it seemed like all the CSRs wanted to be on his team. That’s how great of a guy he was.
Just as he was a great ally on OGame, he was a great ally at work too. We both pushed for friendly competitions. Before his cancer returned, we competed with each other. We would often ask each other how our respective teams were doing in terms of stats. He was always trying to beat me. I’m lucky because my team always had great stats. I have an outstanding group of CSRs. He had his work cut out for him. Each week he’d make progress and he would proudly tell me his team’s average availability and then he would ask me mine. Of course, I knew where he was at already. Eagerly, I’d tell him my figure and burst his bubble.
It’s tough to burst his bubble, though. Rush was always so positive and optimistic. Each week he would make progress, while my figures pretty much remained the same. After a while my figures started to dwindle and his team eventually surpassed mine in terms of availability.
He fought cancer with the same gusto. He sought treatment of all kinds — experimental, traditional, what have you. It didn’t matter. He was willing to try anything. Each week we would receive updates. Whether it be good or bad news, Rush stayed positive through it all and kept his sense of humor.
He passed away of cancer at around 1:30 am on January 29th. My only regret is that I never got a chance to visit him before he passed. He inspired me not just to become a better supervisor, but a better person overall. I never had the chance to thank him for the positive impact he has made in my life. He made a tremendous impact on the lives of many others. I already knew this, but hearing others speak at the funeral yesterday only confirmed it.
I didn’t speak, but I wish that I would have.. I didn’t have the courage to… Maybe they have computers in the after life and he can read this blog entry in his honor, and he’ll know how very grateful I am for the opportunity to work with him and to know him.
I leave you with a PPT slide show that I created at Kasey’s request. I got the pictures that Kasey selected on Thursday evening. I didn’t get a chance to start working on it until Friday because scanning the pictures, which were all in hard copy, took a lot of time. Thankfully, Darcy helped with the second part (the family section) of the slide show. Without her help, completing the slide show before the funeral would have been an even bigger challenge (specially since I had to go to the doctor with Brian on Friday afternoon).
My section is set to the tune of Ozzy’s “See You On the Other Side” song, one of Rush’s favorites. Kasey said he specifically requested for this song to be played at his funeral. Garth Brooks’ “The Dance” is the background music that Kasey selected for Darcy’s section. The clip above doesn’t have music, unfortunately, because I couldn’t figure out how to add it.
Here’s one that I made through Slide.com with music. Except I couldn’t find the “See You On the Other Side” song. All I could find is the YouTube video. I hope this works.
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10,000 BC
Posted on January 29, 2008 by Brian under Movies.
As a member of a primitive tribe during the dawn of man, 21-year-old mammoth hunter D’Leh (Steven Strait) travels through unknown lands on a quest to rescue his people from extinction. D’Leh, leading an army, uncovers a lost civilization while in pursuit of a warlord who kidnapped his love, Evolet (Camilla Belle). D’Leh and his army encounter saber-toothed cats, mammoths and other prehistoric creatures in the journey to save his tribe.
I think this is going to be a great film but I am worried that it will be similar to “Clan of the Cave Bear”. Instead of a woman from a lost tribe you have a man that finds a lost tribe. All in all I think this is a fresh take on an old story. So far the movies that have been coming out have been Sci-fi or Action Adventure.
I look forward to seeing this when it shows and hopefully it will be entertaining and fun.
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Jan Got an iPhone
Posted on January 28, 2008 by Ching under Toys, Wishlist.
Jan got an iPhone on Sunday. I am so jealous. I have wanted one for a long time now. Just couldn’t justify paying $600. Even now at $400 I still think that is too much. Specially for a phone that I still have to hack. I’m pretty satisfied with my T-Mobile rate plan and don’t feel like switching.
Anyway, we went to the AT&T store with her after brunch at the Good Egg. Not quite decided, we all went to Best Buy to check out the iPod Touch. Ultimately, the iPhone proved to be a better deal so Jan returned to the AT&T store to purchase the phone while Brian and I went check out this open house in College Hill. Brian got a ticket in the process. I don’t even want to talk about the ticket because it is so stupid. No, it’s not a speeding ticket. A speeding ticket would actually have been preferable, and probably even cheaper.
Went to check out the house, then stopped by mom’s open house (Tita Bev’s house at the Remington), and then went to Jan’s to check out her new iPhone. While there I got to watch a bit of Staying Alive (don’t ask) and a bit of Inside Man (interesting movie). Apparently, I need to catch up my 70s John Travolta movies.
Jan fixed us each a glass of pomegranate martinis except for Brian, of course. He had to drink sprite. [Note to self: It’s always five o’clock somewhere.] Here are some of the photos.. (more…)
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Mom’s Beverly Hills Smile
Posted on January 28, 2008 by Ching under Family, Life, Sponsored Post.
Here’s a conversation Brian and I had in the car on Friday night..
BRIAN: It would be cool to work for Viega, but I would be traveling a lot.
CHING: And that’s bad?
BRIAN: We haven’t been apart for more than a week. I couldn’t do it.
[ It was actually two weeks back in 1999 but whatever. ]
CHING: You’re such a wuss. My dad did it for three years.
BRIAN: Yea, but I love you too much.
CHING: You don’t think my dad loves my mom? He paid $30K for her beautiful teeth even though she didn’t need them. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.
BRIAN: But that was for sexual reasons!
[ Inside joke. We both busted up laughing. ]
CHING: I’m so going to tumble this!
BRIAN: Don’t! Your mom will kill me.
CHING: She brought it on herself.
[ More laughter in the car… ]
Not to pick on mom but her Beverly Hills smile, a work in progress over the last two years, is now complete. She is so proud of it that she tends to over-share. Who can blame her, though? Her teeth are absolutely perfect and truly something to behold.
Anyway, mom had her smile makeover done locally by Dr. Coad. For those can afford it, you can get a true Beverly Hills smile from Beverly Hills dentist Dr. Maddahi. Dr. Maddahi performs smile makeovers using advanced dental techniques including painless air drills, miniature cameras, and digital x-rays. Now, you too can have a perfect smile like my mom’s!
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The Post Office Ate My Mail
Posted on January 27, 2008 by Ching under Life.
This is what happens when you send a packet of poutine gravy by mail. The mail sorter gets hungry and eats it! LOL.
Many thinks to our Canadian friends, Chris and Kim Feifel, for the wonderful Christmas wishes. Even though the poutine gravy didn’t make it. It’s the thought that counts! 🙂
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