Sunday, July 29, 2007

Car chaos

So....my car is not well.
I had a small accident last week.
somehow, another car and I tried to share the same small section of road.
I don't know where that woman came from!
Anyway, I pulled out in front of her and she hit my back bumper.
A small dent.
My fault.
We exchanged numbers, I got a ticket, we went on our merry way.
On the way back form Florida, I was sliding all over the interstate.
It was scary.
I took LaFonda the Honda to the car doctor.
Not a big problem, need an alignment and two new back tires.
I called to check on her
I got a list as long as my arm of things that were bent
things that were broken
and an estimate of 1200$
"But it was just a little wreck!"
A lesser woman would have freaked
not me
I finished reading Harry Potter
Tom went to get poor LaFonda since we are as far from 1200$ as we are from 120,000.
"well,at least come look at the damage,"Mechanic Man said.
Tom kept standing there.
"That's not my car", he said.
There was another 02 Honda there with that damage.
Mechanic Man had mixed up the cars
or the owners!
Tom paid 120$ for 2 tires and an alignment and went home smiling!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Birthday Party 1

We went to Florida to see Dana for my first birthday party.How do you like my hat Caitlin made for me?

Dont' I look like the Pope?
This is my family of choice
my brothers
my sisters
all these kids are mine
not by blood
but
I've wiped their noses
held their hands
watched their sports
tucked them in
loved them
It was so much fun!
We drank mojitos
spilled mojitos
ignored the kids snitching mojitos....
we swam
floated
told old tales
painted the dock
and watched Harry Potter 3 projected  on an old bedsheet on the dock under the stars.
The next day,
more sun
more laughter
dinner at a favorite Mexican restaurant
and home
My tires are so bad I was weaving at Interstate speeds
I didn't realize this
So I'm lucky
(blessed)
we got back okay
you know, I started to post a disclaimer saying that we are not as redneck as we appear in these photos
but no....

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Shhhh

It's quiet on The Porch this weekend....

Mariah bought me the Harry Potter book for my birthday (51 tomorrow!)and one for herself and Caitlin ,too because we have been known to engage in rather unseemly squabbles.
We had breakfast at the Waffle House then  went to see the new Harry Potter movie, so I am having a very Harry Birthday!
Wishing all of you magic,
Marti

Sailing

My dear friend Jerry bought an old sail boat
He has spent the summer fixing it up
a labor
 of love
Her name is Folly.
There is a float that begins the last parade of Mardi Gras every year
He and I have a long-standing tradition to watch it go by,
toast each other and say
"Made it through another one
the float is called "Folly Chasing Death"
a guy dressed as a harlequin flogs the Grim Reaper
with balloons
what a wonderful metaphor to build your life on!
ANYWAY....
we went sailing
the idea was
I would crew for him
the actuality is
Jerry and I bicker
like brother and sister
Mariah predicted
"one of you will end up overboard
and , whichever one it is
you wont go easily"
I consider it a triumph
we both got back
and dry!
In an inebriated moment he told me once,
Marti, you will get your own special room in Heaven"
I was touched
then I thought
"hmm, that could be because I'm so nice
or
it could be to keep me away from the general populace!
"
 

Monday, July 16, 2007

This guy is Awesome



Falling in love is like owning a dog
an epithalamion by Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

First of all, it's a big responsibility,
especially in a city like New York.
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you're walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain't no one going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
Who knows what love could do in its own defense?

On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.

Love doesn't like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.

Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.

Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don't you ever do that again!

Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise.
It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.
It pulls you in several different directions at once,
or winds around and around you
until you're all wound up and can't move.

But love makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.

Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.


Saturday, July 14, 2007

Weekend Assignment #174: Humiliate Your Pet!

.

Doesn't he look like he needs glasses?

Friday, July 13, 2007

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Adventures at the Casino

My sister in law Emmie is a force of nature to be reckoned with.
This is Tom's older sister who carried him around so much when he was a baby, he never walked until he was almost 2.
She is fighting breast cancer
she is unable  to work at the moment'

she got a free room at the casino where she was employed before she got sick..
Did she hide away to have time alone with her husband?
Did she sell it for much needed cash?
Oh no
In true Porch fashion, she invited  her grandchildren, her nieces and me to go have a party.

This is Emmy and her grandchildren and my great-nieces Sydney and Maddie in the window of our hotel room.
Our family has a long tradition of indulging our children.
We enjoyed the pool

And the view



We ate at this amazing buffet


This is my dear Maddie, who is 11

We saw the movie 1408, which scared me so bad it gave me a crick in my neck.
Then we met some boys who were staying in 1408, so we had to have photographic evidence.


Caitlin says she looks like the first girl who gets killed in the horror movie!
we loitered in the hallways...


Dear Emmie, who knows that if you don't know what else to do, throw a party!