(Submitted photo)
Commentary by Donna Monday
“They’ve got quite a following,” said deli owner Dave Chapman of the quartet playing euchre at a table in the back of Big Dave’s Deli.
The gang, twins Sam and Dan Fix, Gene Reynolds, and Lowell Lemon, play every Friday from 6:30 until 10:30 a.m. Actually, Gene arrives at six. “Somebody has to keep Doreen company,” he said of Doreen Supan, who opened up the place. The guys have breakfast before the first hand is dealt.
These faithful euchre enthusiasts have been doing this for 12 of the 15 years the deli has existed.
`”We started at the front of the store, but in the winter we froze,” Sam said. Then Dave moved the table to the back here; and it’s really great.”
Asked who is the best player among them, Sam grins. “I’ve never lost a euchre game,” he said. Then he added, “My partner has.”
His partner, Gene, is used to the ribbing by now and just rolls his eyes. Actually, joking and teasing are as much a part of the morning as are card games. And Dave joins right in with that. “People don’t know I’ve been running an adult day care here,” he said. “It’s kinda like living through the movie ‘Grumpy Old Men’ every Friday.”
Customers love it. If for some reason the guys aren’t around on a given Friday, customers get concerned. They want to know, “‘Where are the card guys? Why aren’t they here?’ ” Dave said.
With Dave planning to retire soon, the deli is up for sale. No buyer has yet stepped forward. The guys have already asked Dave if they can buy the table when he sells the place. Dave smiles. “We are in negotiations,” he said with a wink.
Meanwhile, the playing continues. On this particular Friday, at 10 a.m., the two teams are nearly tied. One team, the “GG’s,” (Good Guys) have won four, and the other team, the “AH’s,” have won five. They keep score on a wooden scoreboard, with metal screws replacing the long-gone wooden pegs.
They usually play 18 games in a morning., all to the tune of golden oldies in the background. The vibes are good, from the music to the diners to the card players.
Sam Fix sums it up. “There’s no bad day,” he said. “The only thing worse than losing is not being able to play.”
Amen.
