S(c)am Artist

So on Thursday evening Sam and I were seated beside one another going over the baseball scores as they came in. We are in the same baseball fantasy league and believe me, every time on of his guys does something I hear it.

"Longoria just doubled," he said. "He's on my team, in case you didn't know."

And of course, I only have myself to blame. He doesn't let a chance at a dig go by. He will debate you on each and every topic under the sun. He doesn't even care if he's right. He'll battle you.

Just like the old man.

"Say, Aunt Corinne was honored for her breast cancer work," he said.

"Did you congratulate her?" I asked.

"I'm doing better than that," he answered. "I'm going to lunch with her tomorrow."

"Are you buying?" I asked.

"Don't be silly," he said.

And the above photo is a shot of Sam trying a stuffed clam. I can tell him a certain food is good and he'll never take my word for it, but his Aunt could get him to try a stuffed maggot.

"It was good," he said when he returned home.

24 hours later we were back at it.

Corinne, Chuck, Mom, Jake and me were all at the table eating steaks and lobster tails courtesy of the season-long football bet.

Sam took his uncle to the woodshed in 2013.

And we ate, and laughed and Sam went straight at Chuck, telling him that it really wasn't much fun because he'd won by so much.

But he knows.

It's all about the companionship. Sam can't wait to pick teams again next season. The phone calls back and forth between the two during the year are highly entertaining.

"So, you had a pretty nice couple of days," I said to Sam as he picked at the chicken on his Sunday dinner plate.

"What's that 8th place?" he asked.

We were back to talking about fantasy baseball.

"We're in 4th and you're in 8th. It must suck to suck."

I left the room without answering.

Now I know why people do that to me sometimes.