My great friend passed away on June 5th, 2026.
An old saying many might have heard Scott say. It comes from scene of the Four Guys playing Pepper. The time came, the score was close, a decent bid would put either team out and win the match. "4!" "5!" "Little!" And the dealer followed with the topmost bid, "BIG!" Scott and I had no choice, we had to stay and try to set the dealer, Rick. He had only two trump, only the Jack and Nine. No way he could win, surely he would be set. But no, his partner Carl had the rest of the trump and GAME OVER WIN! Jack-Nine! UHP!
My folks smoked their entire lives, even when I was a baby. I never liked smoking myself, but being around smokers never bothered me. Back in his post-college days, Scott and I spent hours and hours, just sitting out in front of his apartment talking, laughing and semi-seriously discussing, while he smoked.
At one of the old Clubhouse sessions, we were playing poker or something. This or that lead to me being grumpy and saying, "Well, you guys didn't even come to my wedding!". There was a very brief pause before Rick stated, "Bill! We didn't even know you then!" My memory at its finest. I've been frequently reminded of this by Scott, Rick and Carl over the years.