Sometime in 1981, when Tom and I were both living in Lenox, I was helping him do some tree work. On one particular day, when Tommy was in Springfield, I happened to be walking by the public pay phone (in Lenox), where big Joe Rama was talking to someone. When Joe saw me, he covered the phone with his big hand, and said to me in his deep, gruff Italian voice “Hey, I’m talking to your friend, Tommy Stewart!” As he continued his conversation, he said with a assertive voice “Hey Tom, I don’t mind spending 10 bucks to make 20! Do you know what I mean?!”
Well, the next day Tommy was back from Springfield and we were driving in his truck. I was waiting for the perfect moment to bust on him. So I turned to him and said with an assertive voice, “Hey Tom, I don´t mind spending 5 bucks to make 10! Do you know what I mean?!” Tom didn´t look at me, nor answer me, but I could see the wheels spinning in his head. It was awesome. He just kept looking straight ahead without saying a word. He was so perplexed and the strained look on his face kept intensifying, until his facial expression started to contort. There was silence for about a minute… and then suddenly, he snapped his head in my direction and blurted out in an exasperated manner, “Have you been hanging out with Joe Rama or what?!?” I never said a word, but have been laughing my head off till today, whenever I think of it. I got Tommy real good that day, and some day when we are having a cup of coffee in the New Jerusalem, I will let him in on my secret. And we will have a real good laugh together.