Dad is great... he gives us chocolate cake.

Tonight Mr. R and I caught the PBS special honoring Bill Cosby. On November 4th 2009 he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

I love Bill Cosby. In fact one of my most favorite memories from childhood includes Bill Cosby. It takes place in my grandparents TV room (when they still lived in their big house in Cedarville, NJ) with my parents, my cousin Robby, and my grandfather. We had just eaten a holiday dinner and Robby and I were searching for something to watch on the ancient TV. My grandfather suggested we watch a VHS tape of Bill Cosby. I didn't understand what made this black man so funny, but I can clearly see my parent and grandparents laughing so hard that they had tears in their eyes.

Fast forward a few years and the Bill Cosby show is the highlight of my Thursday evening. I watched the Cosby show religiously even in the later years when Sandra married Elvin and had the twins. I also loved a different world. (another Cosby creation).

When I was in college Bill Cosby came to Philadelphia and I saved to buy my mom and Jeff parents tickets to go see him. He did his joke about going to the dentist (the one from the infamous VHS tape that my grandparents still own 20 years later) and my mom said she laughed so hard she couldn't breathe.

We even chose Ray Charles song Night & Day to be on our Wedding CD (actually our Save the Date) because of Bill Cosby. Remember this clip?

It still cracks me up.

And to be completely honest that clip was my first introduction to Ray Charles and the blues.

Four years later Mr. R took me to see Bill Cosby at Wolf Trap in Fairfax, Va. Bill Cosby was wonderful. It is one of my favorite memories from living in Virginia. And he did the joke about the going to the dentist. And I laughed so hard my belly hurt and tears poured out of my eyes.

So congratulations Mr. Cosby! I cannot think of anyone who deserves this award more. Thank you for making me laugh for 24 years, teaching me life lessons, giving me wonderful memories to look back on, and always reminding me that I never want to be "regular people".