Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Progress Update
I just really want to thank Rich for the strength to keep the workouts going. I really didn't want to go today, but I realized what it was for and went anyway. There is no way I am going to fail. I realize I am pretty much talking to myself right now, but I promise you Rich I am going to do this! Hopefully I can get some people active and really get this thing moving along.
Friday, May 14, 2010
This is a great video of Rich. The first part I remember seeing at his wedding. He talks about his parents and family. The second part is pics and videos of him with his own family. You can really see what a great dad and husband he was. It was really hard for me to watch knowing he is gone. Please take a look and then help us out.
Monday, May 10, 2010
My Friend Rich Mahe
Rich Mahe passed away recently at a young age. He was the loving father of five. The youngest of his children was just a few months old. Fortunately for his wife and children, they have a tremendous family that will pull together to help in these difficult times. For that, I am grateful.
I first met Rich when I was in tech school at Wichita Falls for the Air Force. I didn't get to know him that well, because he was a few weeks ahead of me and our schedules were quite different. But in the few moments I got to see him, I knew right away that I liked him a lot. That is pretty strange for me. I have never really had too many friends, usually by choice. But I immediately took to Rich. He always had a huge smile and positive outlook no matter how bad things seemed. He was my complete opposite.
He graduated and went off to Minot, ND to start his Air Force career. A couple weeks later, I too got the orders to head off to the baren lands of North Dakota. As much as I hated being sent there, I couldn't help but be happy to see Rich was there too. At least I would have a friend.
We became pretty close right away. It was an odd pairing, Rich the eternal optomist and me the guy with the glass half empty. He had a very strong faith and I had none. But he was therapeutic to me. Everytime I was around him I could not be angry, mad, upset, or bitter. My usual foul mouth was always tempered around him. It wasn't that he cared if I let loose the occassional f-bomb. It was that I cared. I didn't feel comfortable being profane around him even though he never complained about it. We once had a conversation about this. I asked him why he never got mad when I would start swearing or doing something else that would be frowned on from up above. His answer was simple and one I will never forget. He said he didn't have to answer for my actions. I did.
The one thing I did for Rich that we always ended up talking about for years after was make his messages on his answering machine. I referred to him as the "Tongan Heartthrob" for his ability to have girls fall for him. They liked him, but he had no idea what to do with them. Besides, he was saving himself for his wife. I also called him the "Tongan Warrior" because he was so opposite of a warrior out of his uniform. So I made these messages for him where I would do my best announcer voice and speak of his greatness. I said he was "every girls dream, and every man's nightmare" or "breaking girls hearts and breaking guys faces." They were more funny than they sound here and I did them on a weekly basis. They became quite popular around the base.
The other topic we often covered was his love life, or lack of it. He admitted he had not always led a perfectly moral life, but at this time he was totally resolute on waiting until marriage. I didn't believe him. But time after time I saw girls throw themselves at him only to have him turn them away. I couldn't believe he had such will. More than me, for sure. He said he was waiting for the perfect girl. She would be Mormon, blonde, and Tongan. I didn't think they existed, but he said she was out there. In the entire time I knew him, I never saw Rich as much as flirt with a girl until he met his true love, Martha. Waiting obviously was the right choice, even if she wasn't blonde.
The one thing that he did care about that became a running gag was rated R movies. He didn't like them. So whenever he came to my room or I went to his, I tried to sneak one on. We would end up wrestling over the remote until he won out. But I didn't mind, because Rich had an amazing ability that I have never seen in anyone before or after. No matter how uncool he seemed, Rich was a blast to be around
He was the squarest person I have ever met. He didn't drink, swear, smoke, have sex, or do ANYTHING bad at all. His religion consumed him. Basically, I was the complete opposite (except for the smoking). But Rich was COOL. Everyone liked him. From the biggest nerd, to the coolest jock, to the average slacker, everyone liked Rich. I was his biggest fan. He was never boring. All his "limitations" on the fun factor were cancelled out by his genuine coolness. I have met a lot of very nice people. I have never met a person as nice and fun to be around as Rich Mahe. Even the higher ranking airmen in Minot instantly liked the "Tongan Heartthrob."
When I arrived in Minot I was engaged to a girl who was going through tech school back in Wichita Falls. When she got orders to another base, we had to make an instant decision to get married in order for her to get sent to Minot. I had to take emergency leave to do it. A little nervous and not wanting to do such a long trip alone, I asked Rich if he would go along and be my best man. I expected him to say no because the notice was short and it would cost him leave he had built up. To my surprise he immediately said yes.
Our trip from Minot to Texas and back again was among the best times I have ever had in my life as well as my best memories of Rich. We were in a hurry, but we got to stop at a few landmarks along the way such as Mount Rushmore. Mostly, though we just talked for 2 days each way. We were so completely opposite that I think we both enjoyed each others outlook on life. As I said previously, I was mostly just amazed at what a good guy he was. He never had a negative word to say about anyone. He never complained about any lousy situation. He was always looking at the bright side.
The wedding took place in the courthouse with only Rich as a witness. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else. The ride back was a race. We were short on time and made the trip back in only 20 hours, averaging 70 mph with stops. Again, it was mostly just conversation. But in those conversations I really developed an intense admiration for him. And though I never came close to living up to his standards, I always knew who to point to as an example of what it means to be a quality human being.
I first met Rich when I was in tech school at Wichita Falls for the Air Force. I didn't get to know him that well, because he was a few weeks ahead of me and our schedules were quite different. But in the few moments I got to see him, I knew right away that I liked him a lot. That is pretty strange for me. I have never really had too many friends, usually by choice. But I immediately took to Rich. He always had a huge smile and positive outlook no matter how bad things seemed. He was my complete opposite.
He graduated and went off to Minot, ND to start his Air Force career. A couple weeks later, I too got the orders to head off to the baren lands of North Dakota. As much as I hated being sent there, I couldn't help but be happy to see Rich was there too. At least I would have a friend.
We became pretty close right away. It was an odd pairing, Rich the eternal optomist and me the guy with the glass half empty. He had a very strong faith and I had none. But he was therapeutic to me. Everytime I was around him I could not be angry, mad, upset, or bitter. My usual foul mouth was always tempered around him. It wasn't that he cared if I let loose the occassional f-bomb. It was that I cared. I didn't feel comfortable being profane around him even though he never complained about it. We once had a conversation about this. I asked him why he never got mad when I would start swearing or doing something else that would be frowned on from up above. His answer was simple and one I will never forget. He said he didn't have to answer for my actions. I did.
The one thing I did for Rich that we always ended up talking about for years after was make his messages on his answering machine. I referred to him as the "Tongan Heartthrob" for his ability to have girls fall for him. They liked him, but he had no idea what to do with them. Besides, he was saving himself for his wife. I also called him the "Tongan Warrior" because he was so opposite of a warrior out of his uniform. So I made these messages for him where I would do my best announcer voice and speak of his greatness. I said he was "every girls dream, and every man's nightmare" or "breaking girls hearts and breaking guys faces." They were more funny than they sound here and I did them on a weekly basis. They became quite popular around the base.
The other topic we often covered was his love life, or lack of it. He admitted he had not always led a perfectly moral life, but at this time he was totally resolute on waiting until marriage. I didn't believe him. But time after time I saw girls throw themselves at him only to have him turn them away. I couldn't believe he had such will. More than me, for sure. He said he was waiting for the perfect girl. She would be Mormon, blonde, and Tongan. I didn't think they existed, but he said she was out there. In the entire time I knew him, I never saw Rich as much as flirt with a girl until he met his true love, Martha. Waiting obviously was the right choice, even if she wasn't blonde.
The one thing that he did care about that became a running gag was rated R movies. He didn't like them. So whenever he came to my room or I went to his, I tried to sneak one on. We would end up wrestling over the remote until he won out. But I didn't mind, because Rich had an amazing ability that I have never seen in anyone before or after. No matter how uncool he seemed, Rich was a blast to be around
He was the squarest person I have ever met. He didn't drink, swear, smoke, have sex, or do ANYTHING bad at all. His religion consumed him. Basically, I was the complete opposite (except for the smoking). But Rich was COOL. Everyone liked him. From the biggest nerd, to the coolest jock, to the average slacker, everyone liked Rich. I was his biggest fan. He was never boring. All his "limitations" on the fun factor were cancelled out by his genuine coolness. I have met a lot of very nice people. I have never met a person as nice and fun to be around as Rich Mahe. Even the higher ranking airmen in Minot instantly liked the "Tongan Heartthrob."
When I arrived in Minot I was engaged to a girl who was going through tech school back in Wichita Falls. When she got orders to another base, we had to make an instant decision to get married in order for her to get sent to Minot. I had to take emergency leave to do it. A little nervous and not wanting to do such a long trip alone, I asked Rich if he would go along and be my best man. I expected him to say no because the notice was short and it would cost him leave he had built up. To my surprise he immediately said yes.
Our trip from Minot to Texas and back again was among the best times I have ever had in my life as well as my best memories of Rich. We were in a hurry, but we got to stop at a few landmarks along the way such as Mount Rushmore. Mostly, though we just talked for 2 days each way. We were so completely opposite that I think we both enjoyed each others outlook on life. As I said previously, I was mostly just amazed at what a good guy he was. He never had a negative word to say about anyone. He never complained about any lousy situation. He was always looking at the bright side.
The wedding took place in the courthouse with only Rich as a witness. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else. The ride back was a race. We were short on time and made the trip back in only 20 hours, averaging 70 mph with stops. Again, it was mostly just conversation. But in those conversations I really developed an intense admiration for him. And though I never came close to living up to his standards, I always knew who to point to as an example of what it means to be a quality human being.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
How the Race For Rich will work
My life has been full of procrastination. Everything I have ever set out to accomplish has almost always started with procrastination, usually followed by altogether failure. This time failure will not be an option. With Rich to help give me strength to push through, I am going to do something I always wanted to do; run a marathon.
Right now I am nowhere near in shape to do this. I am at 230 lbs and would be lucky to run 2 miles. But next March I will run in, and finish the Oakland marathon. Nothing will stop me from doing that. And by doing this, the hope is to help take care of Rich's family, as well as help others. When I cross the finish line, I intend to present Martha with a large check in Rich's honor.
I am hoping that we can all band together and help raise as much money as possible to take care of his family and more. In a few months I will start to accept donations as well as sponsorships for the marathon. In the meantime, I found a great way people can contribute financially without paying a dime from their own pockets.
I have listed several sites on the right sidebar that pay for viewing ads. I chose these specifically because they will not result in spam or unwanted phone calls. All you need to do is log in, view an ad for a few seconds and your account is credited. These links will put you under me as the referrer, therefore, I will get credited with 50% of what you make. I also challenge everyone to donate the money they collect from the site to the cause as well. Particularly Hits4Pay will be great if we all donate what we make because you get a $10 bonus for joining. If you make it to the payout of $25 imagine how much that would be from everyone? All of the money I collect will go directly to Martha and the kids. They don't pay a lot per ad (usually 1 or 2 cents), but as you can tell from all the people that loved Rich, a lot of people working together can make a big difference! Click here to see how you can help.
You can join as many as you want, but don't start more than 1 account per person or on the same computer. That would get you banned. I am going to promote this all over the internet as well. I am confident this can do quite well.
I will admit to being a little selfish here. I feel terribly guilty for not getting to say good bye to Rich. I look at this as my chance. Please help me honor his memory by doing what you can.
Right now I am nowhere near in shape to do this. I am at 230 lbs and would be lucky to run 2 miles. But next March I will run in, and finish the Oakland marathon. Nothing will stop me from doing that. And by doing this, the hope is to help take care of Rich's family, as well as help others. When I cross the finish line, I intend to present Martha with a large check in Rich's honor.
I am hoping that we can all band together and help raise as much money as possible to take care of his family and more. In a few months I will start to accept donations as well as sponsorships for the marathon. In the meantime, I found a great way people can contribute financially without paying a dime from their own pockets.
I have listed several sites on the right sidebar that pay for viewing ads. I chose these specifically because they will not result in spam or unwanted phone calls. All you need to do is log in, view an ad for a few seconds and your account is credited. These links will put you under me as the referrer, therefore, I will get credited with 50% of what you make. I also challenge everyone to donate the money they collect from the site to the cause as well. Particularly Hits4Pay will be great if we all donate what we make because you get a $10 bonus for joining. If you make it to the payout of $25 imagine how much that would be from everyone? All of the money I collect will go directly to Martha and the kids. They don't pay a lot per ad (usually 1 or 2 cents), but as you can tell from all the people that loved Rich, a lot of people working together can make a big difference! Click here to see how you can help.
You can join as many as you want, but don't start more than 1 account per person or on the same computer. That would get you banned. I am going to promote this all over the internet as well. I am confident this can do quite well.
I will admit to being a little selfish here. I feel terribly guilty for not getting to say good bye to Rich. I look at this as my chance. Please help me honor his memory by doing what you can.
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