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CameronBornAndBred wrote:WOW!! 365 days later, we're still here and better than ever. What's even more awesome is we are celebrating this birthday as fans of the NATIONAL CHAMPIONS DUKE BLUE DEVILS!!!! I'm going to keep my toast short, but I hope others join me and toast with their own thoughts.
I'd like to toast to lemurs first for being awesome and to ryhmes with Dumbo second for being a jackass; if either weren't a constant truth, CTN wouldn't be here. I'm toasting to our unity in finding our own room on the internet and painting the walls Duke blue without asking mom and dad. I'm toasting to our insane love of PWing, it's truly a sickness. And finally I toast to the university we all love and support, DUKE! Thanks to everyone for making CTN a site that's a joy to come to every day, and thanks to all of the coaches and players of all Duke sports for giving us something to talk about and bond over. For all of this, and to all of you, CHEERS!!! GO DUKE!!!

Well said. Very well said.

I'm toasting to our insane love of PWing, it's truly a sickness.

We all need help. Lots and lots of help.

And I wonder how well out PWing would have gone down over yonder? Something tells me the powers that be would hate it.

CameronBornAndBred wrote:I'd like to toast all my friends whom I've met through DBR, and whom I've continued

that friendship with here on our new site. Even though I haven't met the majority

of you in real life, none of you are "imaginary" or "fake" to me. Though we may

converse within unconventional means, the words we say and express to each other

are just as real to me as if they were spoken in present company. All of you are

great people, great thinkers, and great friends. I'm a better person for at the

very least making your aquaintances. To everyone here in "Our House", I raise my

glass. Cheers, Chris

I missed this (dad gummit!) as I was out of town and haven't been on the "Our House" board in a while. In any case, I shall join you late (better Laettner than never) at ten tonight in a toast. And the words of above by CB&B totally echo my sentiments. Cheers!

-EarlJam

CameronBornAndBred wrote:

devildeac wrote:I was on call last PM so my toast was a trip to the ER about 10 PM to admit someone. I'll enjoy a double something tonight to continue to celebrate NC #4 AND the 1st Anniversary of CT. I wonder if I can get a Hummer, Donkey Punch or just have a Happy Ending.

Zoubek got Donkey Punched in his Hummer, and we still had a Happy Ending.

Very clever!!!! ;) I am so glad I swallowed my drink before opening up this thread because I think I just busted a gut!!!!!

I had to jump into the way back machine to find this thread.
In the job-before-this-one, I worked for 7 years for a gentleman named Charlie. He was our CIO. Easily the best boss…ever, and probably the only one I trusted absolutely. He looked out for his people. He told you the straight dope, and when he knew things he couldn’t tell he’d try to drop enough hints that you connected the dots. He was a hands off guy…he trusted you to do your job and come to him if you need anything. He had an easy laugh…the loved the Bengals and the Reds. He collected golf shirts from our vendors…and he had a million of them.

When my daughter was playing high school tennis he’d download the schedule and put it on his calendar. Home or away, if her school had a match he’d come walking by my desk to make sure I was going …his own sons had played high school baseball, and he missed way too many of their games being a good company man.

Seven weeks before the company was shut down by the Feds (due to our Parent company being morons, not us) Charlie was asked to cut 6 staff (1/3 of the department at that time). He laid off 6 of his most senior people, including yours truly. I will never forget the look on his face as he told me…and the sense of a double meaning when he said “trust me Loni, this is for the best”. As I said, I trusted him…and I believed him. I went out the door with 21 weeks of severance (3 for each year…our policy for my grade level). The most senior person let go had been there 14 years…and yup..that’s 42 weeks. Seven weeks later the company was shut down. Those that were left, except for the handful held over for wind down/clean up got two weeks pay and a thank you. I don’t know what he knew…but I know he looked out for his senior folks…those that were left got close to what they would have gotten anyway. I know he looked out for me.

We got together for lunch from time to time after that. Two years ago he wasn’t feeling well, and was diagnosed with a intestinal blockage. It was fixed surgically and all was well. Two months after the surgery he awoke in the morning doubled over in pain…they rushed him to the hospital and opened his abdomen to find most of his bowel literally ‘eaten’ by bacteria. They closed him up, woke him up, he said good bye to his wife, his three children, his grand children and he died. He was 56 years old.

Charlie had one odd habit – he never, ever (not even as a teenager) worked on Friday the 13th. He wouldn’t tell any one why (not even his wife…who was his high school sweetheart) he just took the day off.

Since his passing I’ve thought of Charlie on the Friday the 13ths. Tonight I will be gathering with some of my former co-workers in one of our old haunts and raising a glass in his honor.

He was a good man, gone way too soon…and if the CTNers are so inclined, when 10 pm rolls around raise a glass for Charlie. He’d really have liked that.

I'll raise one to Charlie, thanks for sharing the story.

Here's to Charlie, and a couple of my friends who have birthdays today, May 13th.

Joining you all in remembering somebody really special. No better reason to celebrate than that.
Love, Ima

Charlie sounds like a person we would all have been fortunate to know. I will raise a glass to him tonight.

What a wise man. I will raise my glass to Charlie tonight!

At 10pm, To Charlie!!!

I drink now. In his honor, for your rememberance, at 8:14.
Time won't matter. Good dude!

I've been drinking for him since about 6:00.

I'll raise a shot of lemoncello to Charlie at 10 p.m.

10:04, but I'm raising my glass in Charlie's honor. There aren't many of the good ones out there....RIP.

I just read this. I'm only a few minutes late: I'm raising my glass to Charlie. He memory is special. Thanks for the post.

windsor wrote:I had to jump into the way back machine to find this thread.
In the job-before-this-one, I worked for 7 years for a gentleman named Charlie. He was our CIO. Easily the best boss…ever, and probably the only one I trusted absolutely. He looked out for his people. He told you the straight dope, and when he knew things he couldn’t tell he’d try to drop enough hints that you connected the dots. He was a hands off guy…he trusted you to do your job and come to him if you need anything. He had an easy laugh…the loved the Bengals and the Reds. He collected golf shirts from our vendors…and he had a million of them.

When my daughter was playing high school tennis he’d download the schedule and put it on his calendar. Home or away, if her school had a match he’d come walking by my desk to make sure I was going …his own sons had played high school baseball, and he missed way too many of their games being a good company man.

Seven weeks before the company was shut down by the Feds (due to our Parent company being morons, not us) Charlie was asked to cut 6 staff (1/3 of the department at that time). He laid off 6 of his most senior people, including yours truly. I will never forget the look on his face as he told me…and the sense of a double meaning when he said “trust me Loni, this is for the best”. As I said, I trusted him…and I believed him. I went out the door with 21 weeks of severance (3 for each year…our policy for my grade level). The most senior person let go had been there 14 years…and yup..that’s 42 weeks. Seven weeks later the company was shut down. Those that were left, except for the handful held over for wind down/clean up got two weeks pay and a thank you. I don’t know what he knew…but I know he looked out for his senior folks…those that were left got close to what they would have gotten anyway. I know he looked out for me.

We got together for lunch from time to time after that. Two years ago he wasn’t feeling well, and was diagnosed with a intestinal blockage. It was fixed surgically and all was well. Two months after the surgery he awoke in the morning doubled over in pain…they rushed him to the hospital and opened his abdomen to find most of his bowel literally ‘eaten’ by bacteria. They closed him up, woke him up, he said good bye to his wife, his three children, his grand children and he died. He was 56 years old.

Charlie had one odd habit – he never, ever (not even as a teenager) worked on Friday the 13th. He wouldn’t tell any one why (not even his wife…who was his high school sweetheart) he just took the day off.

Since his passing I’ve thought of Charlie on the Friday the 13ths. Tonight I will be gathering with some of my former co-workers in one of our old haunts and raising a glass in his honor.

He was a good man, gone way too soon…and if the CTNers are so inclined, when 10 pm rolls around raise a glass for Charlie. He’d really have liked that.

I am going to toast a lot this weekend. I raise my glass of Grand Cru to Charlie who really sounded like a helluva guy. Tonite, I'll celebrate his death and his life for looking out for his employees and friends. Ozzie and I are both 56. That's too damn young to die.

With the remainder of my glass, I'll celebrate the beginning of Duke's graduation weekend with their baccalaureate service late this afternoon . I'll cross reference this in another new thread.

Windsor, sounds like you had a great boss and friend! We need more like him around in the business world.

fordgrl00 wrote:Windsor, sounds like you had a great boss and friend! We need more like him around in the business world.

I was very fortunate....there are too few 'Charlies' in the world.

Thank you everyone for raising your glasses in his honor...he would have gotten a big kick out of it.

I had a Magic Hat #9 in my Magic Hat #9 pint glass. Here's to Charlie.