It seems like he appreciated Mike..he bought lunch!
But seriously, Joe is one of the most generous people I ever met. If he was ever asked to help with anything his only questions were "when?" and "where?" He's helped me more than I could help myself sometimes.
His real claim to fame was that he would always listen whenever someone claimed that they "always wanted such and such". He would set himself to the task of helping, convincing, cajoling them until they finally got it. He helped me get to Alaska that way. And cost me wheel barrow loads of cash on countless other personal achievements.
I told him that I always wanted to be able to shoot better than him, and he responded, "Sorry Pal, that ain't gonna happen". I bet him a pizza I could shoot a better five shot group at 300yds. "You're on!" was his quick-draw response to that, as he started toward the gun rack. Long story longer, I spent a year, and a bunch of cash building a 6BR bench gun which could out-shoot his best rifle. I shot a 1.16" group - great! He shot a group with my rifle, and I ordered us pizza!
He said He'd always wanted a 99, but wouldn't settle for anything but a 7-08, and claimed the clip magazine, ..and the cost, killed it for him. ...These were convenient excuses for why he never had a 99, but it was really because he preferred Ruger #3's. I promised to help him find a 99 he'd fall in love with.
