Sally Wade is the author of The George Carlin Letters: The Permanent Courtship of...

The James Thurber-style doodles, love letters, kooky postcards, daily notes and long-running back-and-forth with his "spouse without papers" are testament of Carlin's love for comedy writer and performer Sally Wade.

Her new book, The George Carlin Letters: The Permanent Courtship of Sally Wade, confirms what Tony Hendra revealed in his memoir - that he was a sweet, sentimental, nostalgic softie.

The portrait by Carlin's girlfriend shatters the popular image of him as an ornery avenger with a vendetta against the world.

Wade said, "Yes, I know."I didn't like blowing anyone's illusions.He was quirky.It's the perfect word for him.That makes him perfect.

Wade's dog, Spot, helped them meet at a Santa Monica bookstore.She was not a fan.He was a widower recently.

The dog lover of seven-little-words fame fell hard.The relationship lasted 10 years.

He was nice.I felt cool every day that I was with him.We were being cool together.She said that he would go up to people and tell them to be cool.We were different from each other.

Their competitive streak is shown in Wade's book, which is organized like a delicious peek into the desk.

He would try and top me.I would do other things.He would draw other things after that.She said it had to be this creativemishmash of stuff.

We were showing off for each other.Was it a competition?I will never have that again because it was fun.

"It was something that was special to their relationship," says Kelly Carlin McCall, Carlin's daughter.

They paid a lot of attention to each other.That was not the same.That was not the norm.They were always talking and texting.I didn't know about the notes until after he died.

Wade said that it was the way that they were flirting.We stayed romantic in that way.Our motivation was to make the other person happy.It worked.

It wouldn't be Carlin without obsessiveness.His love for Wade is very similar to John Lennon's.The diary is cluttered and attests to it.

Wade said that he saved everything.He was jealous if I wrote about anything other than him.He wanted me to write about him.When someone says that he wouldn't want the book, it makes me sad.They don't know who George is.He loved announcing our love to the world.He was very proud of what we had.

The relationship was affected by the health concerns of Carlin, who died of heart failure at the age of 71.Wade was worried about his heart.He had had three heart attacks.

Wade found a note on Carlin's computer when she came home after he died.It is where the title of the book comes from."The Permanent Courtship of Sally Wade" was all it said.

The author was overcome with emotion as he recalled that day.There was a scrolling message on the computer that said, "I love you."

She said that at some point, this was going to go off like a bomb in her life.It was traumatic for me.