There is way too much to say here..(but scroll through) ... He and I were brothers and lived basically the same life. He was 15 years older yet when we met about 20 years ago he and I were amazed at the similarities and it just blossomed from there. We were inseparable.
We were there for each other in good and in bad . Even had a few fist fights and other brotherly love (we were living together and I parked the car on his new grass seedlings and he flipped out. He loved his grass...) lol. Some of you for sure would have heard stories about our 'adventures' and if you did, you were privileged for sure. Our goal in the last couple of months was to write a book together about our lives and craziness. Sam and I would try and out do each other about stories from when we were kids and they were close, but I'll say his "sawing the hole in the tree fort" and falling through was very good! what a knuckle head.
Or, him claiming that he met 'Elvis" at a stop light and didn't even know it was him until his girlfriend told him. He said Elvis asked him if they wanted to come hang out and he told him "NO you freaking hippie and took off (He only saw the sideburns) He said he would deliver flowers to 'Graceland" a few times to the back door from a summer job he had a couple times too.
Our adventures with 'Doc' his Nephrologist who also tragically passed away are legendary as well. I was always the "clear-headed one" trying to keep the band of merry brothers under control.
Sam once got on my roof and delivered the entire Gettysburg address, slurring the whole way, but he made it through! I have a picture somewhere of that.
I think I saved his damn life at least twice from the horrible doctors at JFK hospital down here. When he had his hip replaced they had 'lost his chart which had all his med condition on it concerning his kidney plus the emergency contact info for myself and two others--mentioned below----- and I went to see him after the 'routine' surgery. They told me "You're here to see Sam Strain? I said yes. They said you better run to ICU and say goodbye because he is dying...... I said what the ------ and ran up there. They had no idea about his meds etc and his kidney was failing. I ran down and tracked down his Nephrologist and the other couple responsible for his "emergency" contact and we rushed back to have him given whatever meds he needed to save him. He was literally almost gone then. So just a routine 'I better check on him" was a sign I'm sure. It's the bond that we had---
I remember (hypothetically---I'm not getting into trouble for this) rigging an aquarium pump that we attached to him with a bag of really bad smelling stuff that he wore going into court for something or another and it was rigged to look like a dialysis or some other unknown apparatus making all kinds of hissing noises and when he sat down the bag was made to break open and 'the smell' filled the courtroom and the judge let him off quickly just to get him out of the courtroom! Proud of this.... no, but kind of if you understand the guts it took to pull off and hilarity of it.
Let's just say there is way, way too much about the 'Strain" family that I know that will forever remain in my heart and anonymous.... It is an incredible family, very historic of course and I know he had great respect for the Patriarch who I think was his grandfather who wrote a few famous books, at least minimally famous to Sam. He would show it off every chance he could. (Good thing I'm really bad at first names or a lot of you would be in trouble.LOL.. ;-)
We even went to camp" Rockmont" in Black Mountain...what are the chances of that? Different eras of course, but again the synergy was always quite amazing. My adoption and his similar situation, he being a "black sheep" too...again, way too much to talk about, and I am devastated. I was just about to move him back down to Florida and get him in a condo, get him healthy. We were just starting to lay down the details and "rules" for him! lol, Our plan was to 'fish" until we dropped every day.
If anyone is wondering, I will be taking Feisty and giving her a wonderful home here with a nice big back yard and 2 buddies for her to play with. Just need to figure out the logistics.
A shout out to "Mo" and "Babe" are in order for them putting up with Sam for so long and being there for him as well. Great friends, even though Sam brought them so much grief!!! lol
Jamie also has a 'dad' in me and I will be here for her in good and bad. She has a heart of gold and had to "endure" her dad! that was torture enough, but he loved her with all of his heart I can say that with 110% assurance.
I hope no one takes offense to anything I've said here, but its all true and is SAM. For good or ill, it was him..and that's a human being that will never be reproduced including our deep love for each other.
We talked multiple times per week and he knew I was closing on a business deal that he was so proud of and I needed his support which he gave 100%. One of the reasons I was able to achieve this 'goal' was due to Sam and wanting one of the Blacksheep to "make it" for each other. That he was sooooo smart and could have achieved so much more, but we all have our idiosyncratic parts to us and it was too late for him at that time, but I was going to do it for both of us to show everyone that 'We weren't as bad as people may have thought" and that at least one of us could be responsible! lol
I LOVE YOU BROTHER AND WILL CONTINUE ON AND MAKE MY ENDEAVOR INTO THE SUCCESS WE TALKED ABOUT. ITS ALREADY DONE AND WILL REPRESENT YOU AND WHAT YOU BROUGHT US ALL IN THIS WORLD