Dear So and So

[mimitabby]

Dear CalTrans,
Tonight, it took me 35 minutes to go approximately 1 mile. It is so generous of you to allow three cars to go through the green light before it turns red again. And it so gratifying to sit at that red light and watch not a single car take advantage of the 5 minute long green that you have set up for the non-existent cross traffic.

p.s. Please tell the County DOT that I also thoroughly enjoy the cracked, pot-holed, bumpy, and missing pavement on our community's roads. My favorite are the cracks so big that goatheads are growing out of them. The green of healthy goathead weeds growing right in the middle of the lane really adds to that pastoral charm so highly regarded in our region.

Hey Sara, you can call them and complain. Sometimes someone will come right out and adjust the signal!

[teigyr]

I'm sorry if it looks like I'm taking myself too seriously. I was riding alot faster than you...otherwise, you wouldn't have had the opportunity to comment.

I do take some small comfort in the fact that you will grow up someday and become self aware beings (hopefully) and you will cringe at the memory of what jerks you were.

Not everyone comes to that realization but we can hope. I guess I get some small consolation in that they must be really unhappy somewhere in there...imagine their lives if that is all they can comment on. Insecurity perhaps?
And actually in many ways they were insulting themselves! The person they were making fun of them was actually passing them. I'd say they were probably too stupid to realize that but then that'd be judging ...

We were on that trail on monday! On sunday we were on the Centennial, the theory being that Sammamish and the B-G would be crazy due to Seafair folk.

[indigoiis]

Dear So and So.

If the city is going to repave the street outside of our office, and the only access to our parking lot is from another parking lot on the cross street, then please could you not park your big giant trucks in our parking lot, taking up all of our spaces and blocking the entrance?

Crikey!

(Wishing I could bike to work, if it were not for the freaking stupid law that one cannot bike over the bridge to get here.)

[TexanCzexican]

(Wishing I could bike to work, if it were not for the freaking stupid law that one cannot bike over the bridge to get here.)

Same thing is happening over here, except my building is getting a giant fountain.

I'm still trying to figure out if I can reasonably ride to work--there are bike racks a few buildings over (can't bring bike into building) but I can't figure where I'm going to change clothes at--my work would sh*t if I changed in the buildings bathroom.

[mimitabby]

Same thing is happening over here, except my building is getting a giant fountain.

I'm still trying to figure out if I can reasonably ride to work--there are bike racks a few buildings over (can't bring bike into building) but I can't figure where I'm going to change clothes at--my work would sh*t if I changed in the buildings bathroom.

who cares what you're doing in the bathroom??

[TexanCzexican]

who cares what you're doing in the bathroom??

My office is....different. I get looks when I go in to brush my teeth during lunch.....I also get funny looks for eating snacks at my desk. We are a very foo-foo office with high end people coming in, anything that would make us look less than stellar is frowned upon.

[mimitabby]

My office is....different. I get looks when I go in to brush my teeth during lunch.....I also get funny looks for eating snacks at my desk. We are a very foo-foo office with high end people coming in, anything that would make us look less than stellar is frowned upon.

Stellar=healthy... flaunt it. I don't suggest prancing through the atrium in your bike duds, but don't be intimidated. In fact, talk to someone in power, get their approval. I'll bet you can!

[dex]

Dear Former Co-workers,

I don't know if the empty desk or Farewell Happy Hour were any indication, but just in case they weren't: I don't work there anymore.

Part of my not working there means that you can't call me to solve your problems. Also, you can't e-mail me with screenflows or use cases and ask for solutions to sticky issues. In addition, I'm no longer available to meet with your product people over coffee to walk them through the process framework. Speaking of the process framework, that's no longer my responsibility either. Don't ping me with questions about how to structure your technology evaluations or the best way to communicate the results.

Let me reiterate: I AM NO LONGER EMPLOYED AT THAT COMPANY.

If you would like my further collaboration, input or instruction I would be happy to send over a Proposal for Work with my retainer fees as a consultant. Otherwise, unless you are calling to catch-up personally or invite me out to drinks socially, please leave me alone. I enjoyed working with many of you, but I left for a reason.

My pink mohawk and I are thrilled to be out from under the thumb of the corporate behemoth. We have no wish to return.

Thanks!
Dex

[lauraelmore1033]

Not everyone comes to that realization but we can hope. I guess I get some small consolation in that they must be really unhappy somewhere in there...imagine their lives if that is all they can comment on. Insecurity perhaps?
And actually in many ways they were insulting themselves! The person they were making fun of them was actually passing them. I'd say they were probably too stupid to realize that but then that'd be judging ...

We were on that trail on monday! On sunday we were on the Centennial, the theory being that Sammamish and the B-G would be crazy due to Seafair folk.

yes, it is hard to imagine happy people harboring such hostility toward total strangers who are doing them no harm. Trouble is, there are so many of these unhappy folk out there.

How did you like that Centennial trail? It's usually a lot less crowded than B-G, especially on the Arlington end. I usually make it up there once or twice a week

[indigoiis]

Dear Former Co-workers,

I don't know if the empty desk or Farewell Happy Hour were any indication, but just in case they weren't: I don't work there anymore.

Part of my not working there means that you can't call me to solve your problems. Also, you can't e-mail me with screenflows or use cases and ask for solutions to sticky issues. In addition, I'm no longer available to meet with your product people over coffee to walk them through the process framework. Speaking of the process framework, that's no longer my responsibility either. Don't ping me with questions about how to structure your technology evaluations or the best way to communicate the results.

Let me reiterate: I AM NO LONGER EMPLOYED AT THAT COMPANY.

If you would like my further collaboration, input or instruction I would be happy to send over a Proposal for Work with my retainer fees as a consultant. Otherwise, unless you are calling to catch-up personally or invite me out to drinks socially, please leave me alone. I enjoyed working with many of you, but I left for a reason.

My pink mohawk and I are thrilled to be out from under the thumb of the corporate behemoth. We have no wish to return.

Thanks!
Dex

oo. I want a pink mohawk and a big middle finger!

SOME day.
I will just do it.
I already downgraded to a sucky local cute little office job from corporate because i wanted less stress and to wear jeans to work BUT...

I still get the feeling that if I'd stuck it out in college, I'd be sitting in a different chair.

I should thank my lucky stars that someone pays me.

But at the same time, a pink mohawk would look really awesome on me.
And I dream of staying home on the farm and writing.

Note to self: buy powerball ticket at 7-11 tonight.

[teigyr]

yes, it is hard to imagine happy people harboring such hostility toward total strangers who are doing them no harm. Trouble is, there are so many of these unhappy folk out there.

How did you like that Centennial trail? It's usually a lot less crowded than B-G, especially on the Arlington end. I usually make it up there once or twice a week

I love that trail. We ended up going all the way out (Snohomish to Arlington) and then mostly back then out again. I like the latter part better than the Snohomish part just because it is less crowded plus there's that phantom hill thing going on. We got it up to 53 miles or so.

And yeah, tons of unhappy people out there. There are the self-righteous also (like Paris and Nicole) that just need to be taken down a peg or two. It'll happen.

I always used to be so betrayed when I'd see cyclist males picking up on giggling roller bladers on bike trails. I'd be thinking "hey wait...I'm doing 70 miles today and I'm greasy and sweaty and not cute but I'm TRYING". Fortunately now I just laugh at it instead of feeling hurt.

Anyway, let me know if you ever want to ride the Centennial! It isn't a bad drive at all from our house and it is peaceful compared to the B-G/Sammamish ones I normally do.

[Haudlady]

Dear Conference Call Organizer,

It was very frustrating to hear you talking the way you did today - I wish you were not so closed-minded about something that could be a very good thing. As an advocate for rights of people with disabilities, I was appalled to hear you say that you didn't want to encourage people to renovate a home to be fully accessible as "that's not what the market is looking for." You only want the home to be "visitable." Well, the way I look at it, the home is either accessible or it's not. The only way that the mainstream will accept a home with "one of those ramps out front" is if they become mainstream. If an advocate doesn't push for change, what the heck do they do? I think you, as the theoretical leader of this project, should take a longer view and be willing to take some risks.

I was very surprised to hear you refer to a fully accessible home as a "handicapped house." Language is powerful - although not everyone realizes it, YOU certainly should know that a "handicapped house" by definition, is a house that doesn't work.

I was happy when you seemed to listen to my point of view - when you acknowledged my comment that just because there is a minimum standard doesn't mean that there should also be a maximum standard. After all, I can use a ramp with my two feet (and it would make it easier to get my bike into the house); I don't have to have a disability to enjoy the benefits of accessiblity.

I was angry when I reviewed the 'minutes' you prepared for the conference call. None of my concerns or comments were included, yet your point-of-view was certainly expressed.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother... then I remember how important it is.

[HillSlugger]

Dear woman I shared a swim lane with,

I'm sorry we bumped elbows, it threw off my rhythm, too. You don't have to glare at me like it was wholly my fault. Grow up and keep swimming!

[Bad JuJu]

oo. I want a pink mohawk and a big middle finger!
I still get the feeling that if I'd stuck it out in college, I'd be sitting in a different chair.

I wish I had it in me to wear a pink mohawk. My big adventure this year has been to get a short layered spiky haircut and let my grey grow out--woooo, am I daring or what?

But what I really wanted to say is that it doesn't matter what chair you're sitting in, indigo, everybody's got a boss, or at least someone to answer to. Think about it: even writers have publishers and readers, consultants have clients, anybody in business for themselves has to please their customers. It's just that some "bosses" (however you define that) are better than others.

On the other hand, that powerball ticket idea has potential!

[Dianyla]

Dear Powerball,

Please? Pretty please?