It’s taken me a year to catch up with the news that my friend Phyllis Diller has died.  Some friend I am.  And no, we didn’t keep in touch.  But she was still a friend, and I’m so sorry she is no longer with us.

I worked with the delightful Ms Diller many years ago on a comedy pilot shot in Victoria.  She was a delight, a babe, a grand lady.  We had fun playing touch football with her wig at the rap party.  I sold her a joke.

Wanna hear the joke I sold her?  Okay.  But you have to imagine this coming from the mouth of Phyllis Diller:  “I was Apple Queen. (long pause) The year of the blight.”

Now isn’t that a Phillis Diller joke.  She apparently thought so and sent me a cheque for it.  I didn’t expect that.  I never cashed it.  Much more fun to have the cheque on my wall than the money.

So how much is a joke worth?  Three bucks.

Most people don’t know that Ms Diller was a concert pianist.  A multi-talented performer.  Damn but I’m sorry she’s gone.  But then she made it to 95, and that’s a good run.