For the last two days, I have been living in a house with fourteen people. Not one of these people live in my hometown, I did not grow up with any of them – and until a few years ago – I never even met a single one of them – but together, we have created a family that has become so close – that we have done nothing but spend time together in the same house – and we have been having a truly amazing time doing it.

When I arrived here at Tom and Carla’s house, it was the first time I ever set foot in their house. But from the moment I walked through the door for the first time – I was treated like family and was told to make myself at home – and everyone else that arrived after me was given the exact same courtesy. And as our group of arrivals grew, each person would walk-in, say their hellos – and simply make themselves at home as if they lived there. In fact, as I write this column, Ralph and Kristen are sitting on the couch, America and Ben are sitting on the floor in front of the couch – and Mek is sitting by the fireplace, while everyone else is either in their respective rooms or downstairs in the basement.

When I go next door to visit with Woody and Michelle, I expect to sit around with them and watch television, or sit in their office while we all do stuff on the computer, because we live next door to each other and see each other at least once a day. But I have not seen these fourteen wonderful people in months. Some I saw in Chicago in April and some I saw in Florida in February. But the greatest thing about all of us is that we don’t mind sitting around in a room together doing nothing but watching television and talking – because we did not come here to Tom and Carla’s house to see Ohio – we came here to see each other.

Even tonight, we planned to go to Tequila Pancho’s, a Mexican restaurant and have dinner, but instead have decided to order the food to go and eat it at home – because everyone would rather stay at home enjoying each other’s company in “our home” then go to a restaurant. We even did the same thing this morning. Instead of heading to a diner for a cheap and easy breakfast this morning – I made my famous ham and cheese scrambled eggs while Mek and Deborah made bacon and home fries, and when breakfast was ready – all of us sat around the living room eating breakfast together – just like a family who does that every morning.

Earlier this year, I was interviewed by someone doing a documentary on South Park. During the interview, the man filming the documentary asked me what the biggest reward of getting the job as Moderator of Comedy Central’s South Park Digest was. My answer was the fact that I have made more friends from literally all over the world who have added to my life friendships that are honest and true, which I know will last a lifetime. Granted, as Moderator, I wrote a Digest that went to tens of thousands of e-mail boxes, I received many gifts from Digest members including a framed South Park poster, a few South Park plushies – and a box of wax hearts and red, white and blue ribbons after September 11th. But no matter the gifts I got, the “fan mail” I received or the recognition I got as Moderator – absolutely nothing is more rewarding, valuable or meaningful to me than being able to sit in a room with fourteen people from places like Stow Ohio, Baltimore Maryland, Orlando Florida, San Jose California and Indianapolis Indiana – and do nothing but watch television – with my whole family.