Frank, I'm honored, but I'm just a run-of-the-mill smartass with too much time on my hands.
No way. Not at all.
We all tend to admire people who have qualities we ourselves don't but wish we did.
You, sir, are one Hell of an impressive person, and I mean that enthusiastically.
Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, you might see yourself as "just another blue collar down in rural Illinois, nothing disctinctive," but I strenuously disagree.
You're
steady; you're sturdy, you're steadfast.
And your dry wit is awesome. I don't think you have to present your wit; I think it comes out naturally, sometimes without even you realizing it. Damn, you're good. We're approximately the same age; if I had a friend such as you when I was growing up (don't get me wrong; I had good friends in childhood, admirable people), I would've been enriched enormously.
You don't do it here, but I suspect in real life, you'd kick my ass when I deserved it kicked, and there wouldn't be any hard feelings about it.
You're much more than what you imagine yourself to be, thundley.
Sir.