Dear So and So

[Catrin]

Dear concerned friend,

I know you are concerned about my well-being, but there is no need to continually warn me about the dangers of cycling at my age and acting shocked when you saw the bike rack on my car. I understand that you and your husband are totally against having a bike rack (though you no longer ride bicycles) but that is no reason to go ballistic on me when you saw mine. I am not your child, and you are certainly not in charge of my finances. Do you really think that all it will take to turn me against cycling is to tell me for the nth time about what can happen to a woman out on her own? What is up with that? I don't think that this has anything to do with me at all...

[Crankin]

Oy, Catrin, I would get rid of that friend. Anyone who thinks a 50 year old woman is old and shouldn't be doing something alone is nuts.
There.

[bmccasland]

Catrin - you keep ridin' girl! So long as your joints allow you. Riding is fun. Piffle on said "friend".

[Biciclista]

Dear Coworkers
I know that you are just trying to help, but suggesting that a cyclist riding in the rain
is doing a disservice to his children is a bit much. Every story you can tell me about cyclists getting killed by cars I can match with motorists killing themselves or other motorists with cars.
You're not helping. I'm not impressed. And i'm still going to ride my bike..

[crazycanuck]

Dear Uncle J,

Tonight I received news that you're not going to make it & are in very poor condition in hospital. I know you've battled Lupus for 20+yrs as a result of your time weapons testing in the military. You weened yourself off oxygen but then had to go back on a few years ago.

I will always remember your smile & the really bad humour

Thank you for being such a cool uncle. I'm happy we caught up on our trip to Canada in 08.

Your neice C

[Catrin]

Dear Uncle J,

Tonight I received news that you're not going to make it & are in very poor condition in hospital. I know you've battled Lupus for 20+yrs as a result of your time weapons testing in the military. You weened yourself off oxygen but then had to go back on a few years ago.

I will always remember your smile & the really bad humour

Thank you for being such a cool uncle. I'm happy we caught up on our trip to Canada in 08.

Your neice C

I am sorry to read this, it is hard news for you and your family...Cool uncles are great and it is good that you will have good memories of him.

[Crankin]

Catrin,

This will happen more than you expect. Some women get very angry when they see someone else doing something for themselves. They are really angry at themselves, because they know what you are doing is right. I have a couple of friends who "tolerate" me and what they consider to be my eccentricities (exercising and eating right), but if I hear one more time that "I can't do what you do," I will scream.
You are now a member of a minority group. Seriously, I feel this way more and more. If it wasn't for my cycling friends, it would be awful.

[Catrin]

Oy, Catrin, I would get rid of that friend. Anyone who thinks a 50 year old woman is old and shouldn't be doing something alone is nuts.
There.

Catrin - you keep ridin' girl! So long as your joints allow you. Riding is fun. Piffle on said "friend".

Sadly, that is pretty much what I have determined. We've been friends for years, but once I started taking my fitness, weight, and health seriously she, and a couple of others, have had this kind of reaction. Who would have thought? I have heard of men sometimes behaving this way to their wife or girlfriend out of insecurity, but this blind-sided me

So, I will continue to have fun - and every day that I work out, or play on my bike, the better and younger I feel, and better friends will be found along the way

[snapdragen]

Dear Friend at Work,

There is absolutely nothing funny about the horrid cold I caught from you, I've missed four days work so far.

snap "coughing up her lungs" dragen

[OakLeaf]

Dear Snap,

Try black elderberry extract.

Regardless, feel better soon!

[snapdragen]

Dear Snap,

Try black elderberry extract.

Regardless, feel better soon!

Really? Ok, I'll check it out. I've been up close and personal with my neti pot, and I've been drinking lots of juice (cranberry/blueberry...mmmm), water and Echinacea Complete Care tea. I don't know if the tea helps any, but it tastes good to my stuffy headed self.

[Owlie]

Dear university's cycling club/company making the things:
I would rather like my jersey BEFORE I graduate...

[Pax]

Dear Doctor,

You could have been more humane when I asked "how soon until I can ride my bike?". Replying "you can't ride a bike anymore, it would be the worst thing in the world for your knee" and then seeing the crestfallen look on my face, maybe you could have shown a smidgen of compassion...you butthead.

Pax