marlen

JEAN.

MY WIFE IS AN INTERIOR DECORATER BY TRADE. SEE WHAT I'M UP AGAINST?

PERFECT, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE PERFECT, PERFECT, PERFECT. SHE'S OUT GETTING A HAIRCUT, SO IT'S NICE AND PEACEFUL HERE. I MAY JUST SET THE DEADBOLTS ON THE DOOR UNTIL TONIGHT. I'M GOING TO TILT TWO PICTURES A LITTLE TO SEE IF SHE NOTICES.

MARTY

STAN,

YOU LEFT OUT THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY:

ALIVE

MARTY

ANYONE IS WECOME TO MY HOME ANYTIME.

MARTY

PAM,

ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY. PUT ALL THE CARES BEHIND AND HAVE ONE HELLAVA TIME.

MARTY

I'M A TEARER. HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS. SEEMS LIKE A FINALITY WHEN I'M DONE WITH THE PAPERWORK.

AS FOR TOILET PAPER, WE SHARE THE LITTER BOX WITH THE CAT. SAVES A LOT OF MONEY. JUST DIFFICULT TRYING TO READ IN THE BATHROOM.

MARTY

WE'RE MOVING INTO A NEW APARTMENT 25 MINUTES FROM HERE. THIS WILL GIVE US TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE EVENTUALLY WANT TO SETTLE. IF ALL GOES WELL, WE MOVE THE 26TH AND CLOSE ON THE HOUSE THE 28TH.. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DOWNSIZING AND NOT HAVING A HOUSE TO MAINTAIN.

THE COUPLE THAT BOUGHT THE HOUSE ALSO PAID US FOR MOST OF THE FURNITURE WE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE WITH US. THIS IS A SECOND HOME FOR THEM, SO IT WORKED OUT GREAT.

MARTY

LIN,

I DID CONTACT THE AIRLINE. REMEMBER I HAD A CHOICE OF CIRCLING THE AIRPORT OR STAYING LONGER WITH 2 SICK GRANDKIDS AND A NOISY COCKER SPANIEL. WHAY WOULD YOU DO? SANITY, I HAD TO KEEP MY SANITY.

MARTY

BONNIE,

SORRY ABOUT YOUR FRIEND. WAVE AS YOU GO OVER CHICAGO, I'LL BE LOOKING FOR YOU. I'LL HAVE A BRIGHT YELLOW SHIRT ON. NO PANTS, JUST A SHIRT.

MARTY

VIX,

IT TOOK A WHILE BEFORE I COULD REACH THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER ON THE CAR.

I BOUGHT TWO PIECES OF EXERCISE EQUIPMENT FOR HOME THAT REALLY HELPED.

FIRST FOR THE HAND, GET A FOAM BALL THAT FITS IN THE HAND. SQUEEZE IT WHILE WATCHING TV, OR WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

THE SECOND IS AN ARM PULLEY THAT FITS OVER A DOOR. GO TO "ROYLAN" ON THE INTERNET. LOOK FOR "EXERCISE EQUIPMENT". HIT THAT, THEN "PULLEYS"

YOU WANT THE ONE WITH TWO HANDLED THAT FITS OVER THE DOOR. COST IS UNDER $25. BACK A CHAIR UP TO THE DOOR WHEN USING. YOU CONTROL THE STRETCHING, AND IT DID WONDERS FOR IMPROVING MY REACH.

I CAN PUT ON MY PANTS NORMALLY, PUT A BELT THROUGH THE LOOPS, DRIVE NORMALLY, AND AM NOT AFRAID TO GO THRU A A DRIVE-UP WINDOW.

GOO LUCK. ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN E-MAIL ME.

MARTY

AND WHAT ABOUT THE $27 MILLION GIVEN TO THE CITY A FEW YEARS AGO TO MAKE SURE THE LEVEES WERE STRONG ENOUGH? SEEMS THE MONEY WAS USED FOR OTHER THINGS. HINDSIGHT IS WONDERFUL. WHO NEEDS POLITICIANS?

MARTY

ENJOY, STAN.

MARTY

THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGING WORDS, EVERYONE.

STAN, MY WIFE DOESN'T SNORE, JUST MAKES FUNNY NOISES.

LIN, I CAN'T KISS THE CAT. HE WON'T PUCKER

PAM, IT'S NICE TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT. I JUST DON'T LIKE IT. NO ONJE IS YELLING AT ME.

MARTY

VIX,

EVEN BEFORE THE STROKE, I ALWAYS STARTED THE DAY WITH A "TO LIST". NEVER FORGOT TO DO ANYTHING, AND IT STILL WORKS.

WHEN I WORKED FOR A LARGE CORPORATION, I WOULD SEPARATE ALL THE PAPERWORK INTO THREE PILES ACCORDING TO PRIORITY. I FOUND DOING THIS WAS NOT AS OVERWHELMING AS LOOKING AT ONE HUGE PILE. THIS MAY OR MAY NOT WORK FOR YOU, SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF WORK YOU DO.

I REMEMBER RUNNING A BRANCH OFFICE FOR A LARGE COMPANY. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MUCH PAPERWORK EXISTED. I USED TO GET QUESTIONNAIRES

CONSTANTLY. I IGNORED THE FIRST REQUEST AND THREW THE PAPER AWAY. I DIDN'T ANSWER A SECOND REQUEST EITHER. HOWEVER, IF A THIRD CAME IN, I ANSWERED. YOU WOULD BE AMAZED HOW MANY TIMES ONLY TWO CAME IN.

HAPPY MUDDLING THROUGH.

MARTY

JANICE,

YOU CAN AVOID DRINKING ALL THE GOODIES BY SIMPLY CALLING ROTO-ROOTER, OR THE SEPTIC SERVICE WE USE CAN CLEAN YOU OUT IN 3 MINUTES.

HAVE FUN.

MARTY CLEAN, GREEN, ALIVE, AND WELL.

EXTEND MT BEST WISHES TO RAY ON HIS BIRTHDAY. BEING NOT QUITE 2 YEARS POST STROKE, IT GIVE ME MORE HOPE KNOWING PEOPLE WHO HAVE SURVIVED A NUMBER OF YEARS. BEST WISHES TO YOU FOR BEING THERE FOR HIM.

MARTY

VIX,

BATHING IN THE HOSPITAL REMINDED ME OF GOING THROUGH A CAR WASH.

IT TOOK ME ONE-HALF HOUR TO GET OUT OF THE JACUZZI THE FIRST TIME I TRIED IT AT HOME.

I FOUND A GREAT SOLUTION FOR EXITING A TUB AND CONSERVE WATER AT THE SAME TIME. BATHE WITH A FRIEND. MAKES IT EASY TO EXIT BY HAVING SOMEONE TO HOLD ON TO.

MARTY

THANKS STAN, I PASS.

MARTY

HEY BONNIE,

E-MAIL ME A PICKEL. I HAVEN'T HAD A HOMEMADE DILL IN YEARS. I ONCE DATED A GIRL WHOSE LAST NAME WAS DILL, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY. SHE WASN'T HOME MADE, SHE WAS MADE AT HOME.

MARTY

STAN,

I LOVE BLACKENED CATFISH. WHAT TIME IS DINNER?

HAVE A GREAT TIME. I'M JEALOUS.

MARTY

CHARLES,

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF HEART WARMING STORIES COMING OUT OF THE MISERY DOWN THERE. UNFORTUNATELY HEALING WILL TAKE A LIFETIME FOR MOST OF THESE PEOPLE. IT'S HARD TO WATCH EVERYTHING, GOOD AND BAD, WITHOUT SHEDDING A TEAR.

MARTY

HI VIX,

IF YOU WERE THINKING, YOU WOULDN'T GET MARRIED. JUST KIDDING. MAY I BE THE FIRST ON THIS NETWORK TO EXTEND MY BEST WISHES.

I USE WALKING ON THE BEACH AS THERAPY. I FIND IT EASIER THAN BEING ON CONCRETE. BESIDES DID YOU EVER NOTICE PEOPLE WALKING ON SAND DON'T TAKE NORMAL STRIDES? WE LOOK LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.

HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME AND BRING BACK A STOREROOM FULL OF MEMORIES.

MARTY

I'M VERY FLATTERED TO SAY THE LEAST.

JUST ONE QUESTION: DO I GET THE DUES?

MARTY

LIN,

WHAT'S REALLY DEPRESSING IS SEEING SOMETHING IN AN ANTIQUE SHOP SIMILAR TO ONE YOU SOLD IN A GARAGE SALE YEARS AGO FOR $10. NOW YOU CAN BUY IT BACK FOR $300.

JEAN,

AVERY WILL BE BACK. IF THE HOUSE SALE GOES THROUGH, SHE WILL WANT TO TOUCH THE CHECK.

MARTY

KIM,

BEFORE I COMMENT, YOU CAN'T BE TALKING ABOUT ME? IF YOU ARE, HOW FAST CAN YOU GET UP HERE. MY WIFE JUST LEFT FOR A WEEK.

MARTY

GEE STAN, AFTER LOOKING AT MOST OF YOUR POSITIVE POINTS, I COULD MARRY YOU. THREE PROBLEMS. I HATE TO GIVE UP WOMEN, I LIKE TO LEAD WHILE DANCING, AND MY WIFE WON'T LET ME.

MARTY