I'm sitting with Don Rickles when I was a kid growing up one of the big events, probably the big television event in my life, and I would share this with my parents was at my brothers and Sisters is when you would appear on Johnny Carson Show as a guest.

It was television, unlike anything I've seen before.

I don't think anything's Bend that funny since you had a great relationship with John.

Well, John was unique.

Rest his soul.

He was.

It was a kind of guy, you know, as a zoo.

You people know Conan has some notes and they tell me what we might like to talk about so forth with Johnny.

We would do notes, and all of a sudden I come out on the notes, for instance, would say, Don't talk about the world's fair or whatever making it up and he would just turn around and say, How's your mother?

Which had nothing to do with anything, Right?

Right on.

I'd say you never like my mother.

Why do you bring that up?

We do 10 5 minutes about our mothers, you know, and it was funny, and it was completely improvised and you could tell as if you were that things were going off the rails in a great way.

That's the best television.

Absolutely.

And he was the kind of got the major look good, you know, and you don't find that around too much anymore.

It's very rare.

No, Um, that's a joke.

I know, I know.

You also your best friend, and I find this a little incongruous.

Your best friend is Bob Newhart, I think, another genius and one of the great comedians of all time.

And I only say it's little incongruous because you're you're styles.

You're both extremely nice, decent people in real life.

But your styles are so different.

Well, yeah, Bob's a a brainy kind of comedian, and I'm a kind of guy that gets laughs.

Uh huh.

E C.

Bob now at home watching.

But I What?

That's funny.

Funny.

That's funny.

I had three television shows.

What did you have?

What?

You you guys, you guys travel the way before 9 11, we traveled the world together, and the secret is which he always can't stand.

The secret is the new young people and you folks in the audience and I always know the secret is he always said, I always say the wives If the wives get along, the guys become great friends and that's the truth on Bob's Wife and my wife are like sisters.

They really are his friends on Bob is from the Midwest and I'm from New York and I always go, Hey, what do you say, sweetheart?

And Bob goes basically, I think Lincoln was a great man.

Yeah, I made that up.

He doesn't say that.

He said some dumber than that anyway.

But no, he reads.

When we were in Paris, he reads The New York Times and I find out if the Dodgers air winning, you know what I'm saying.

But yet when we sit together, our values are the same.

We believe in the same basic things in life, and we have great times together.

For example, we go, we're in Munich, Germany, and Bar Boy says, No, no, no, don't Don't don't don't kid around.

You know what I mean?

This is Germany, and they lost the war and it z not funny.

Anything to Dio?

Yeah, I said, Bob, relax.

What am I doing?

Don't Don't way.

Start walking down the street and I go way Don't don't, don't, don't, don't, don't e o We're going.

We're going to get in a lot of trouble.

Don't dio only I have a good time on.

Then the way that comes over and says it, Would you care for the fish or the salad like we would like to sell it?

We owe you, like to torture him.

It's funny.

The whole trip is a nervous wreck.

But then I give him his scotch and I have my vodka and we get over it.

Uh, key to a good friendship is a lot of booze, E.

I want to congratulate you.

I can't believe this.

After all, the I think really brilliant work you you've done on television.

Finally, you get your first Emmy, and if no one has deserved in any more than this man right here for you to get that, it's just a throw.

You should have 500 of them.

But thanks a za Matter of fact, it's It's two Emmys.

Yeah, okay.

All right.

For the show, Mr Warmth, the Don Rickles projects and on my performance, I was delighted at 82 years of age and God has blessed me toe to come up with an Emmy and I on, you know, in life we all we all I wish that you you have a big family with your folks and so forth and on.

I was just an only child.

And I I said that night, even with the living in the kidding around, I I dreamed of my mother rest her soul, the to be there with me when I got it.

But I know she I know she knew about it.

And I was I was delighted for her.

I really waas It was It was that she was a great influence on my career.

Similar to the show Gypsy.

She wasn't that kind of woman, that kind of strong and aggressive, But she had a great she was sort of a Jew.

Patton, Jew Patton.

Yeah, but she didn't wear a helmet only on holiday Rickles Letters way.

Simon and Schuster.

Uh, David Rosenthal is the publisher.

He's here tonight, and David Ritz was a great friend.

They help me put this whole thing.

This book is hilarious, and it's the holidays.

Go out by this book and give it is a gift by three of them.

Rickles Letters is available in stores.

Now, Don will be at the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino in Santa Fe, New Mexico, December 28th.

I cannot tell you what an honor and a thrill it is to have you come out on this show and talk to me.

Thank you so much.

May I just say one thing to you?

Really?

With all the ribbing and so forth.

When we first met, I was delighted to see how time has passed.

And you're still in there and still the top guy.

And I thank you for your kindness.

I really was a good man, Mr Don Rickles.

Everyone celebrated his comeback.

John Lucas, Hamas.