Dear So and So

[Blueberry]

Awwww....Pax

I think I'd find a 2nd opinion They've had my grandma with her very bad knees on an exercise bike as much as she'll let them.

[Pax]

Awwww....Pax

I think I'd find a 2nd opinion They've had my grandma with her very bad knees on an exercise bike as much as she'll let them.

He was the third opinion... apparently the type of degeneration I have (femoral trochlear groove + patella) is "interesting" so they had three different docs consulting. My doc just got to be the butthead who told me.

[OakLeaf]

How much do they know about bikes? Have they considered things like very short crankarms, recumbent, ... ?

[Pax]

How much do they know about bikes? Have they considered things like very short crankarms, recumbent, ... ?

He said I should not do things that require bending my knee (that part of the joint is bone on bone), I asked him what in the blue blazes I'm supposed to do for exercise "walk, just walk". *sigh*

I figure once I'm healed up (from the most recent knee surgery) I'll do whatever I want, as long as it doesn't hurt.

[Catrin]

Dear Rain,

I know you are needed this time of the year, and I know it is spring. However, I am paying a good amount of money for this B&B and I came here to ride my bike. I would greatly appreciate it if you could cease and desist operations for the rest of the and tomorrow so I can ride my bike. You can return tonight if you like, but please give me some time today and tomorrow to explore this rail-trail on my bike.

Sincerely
Catrin

[NbyNW]

Dear Random People Out Walking Your Dogs and/or Pushing Strollers:

It's a beautiful day. Please remember to smile. I promise it won't hurt.

Peace and love,
J.

[TriMom217]

Dear SIL,

I'm sorry to say it wasn't your "prayers" that brought the situation to where it is, it was hard work and diligence on my part. I am the one who made it happen for your son, after many, many phone calls. It would be nice if you could acknowledge that him living with us has been good for him (and definitely good for you as you go gallivanting across the country) instead of spewing your vitriol and hate our way. And so, as per your wishes, you remain dead to us.

And your brother. Divorcing the only SIL I have left. CANNOT believe he is going to put his children through what he went through as a child. Why is your entire family so ****ed up? The amount of dysfunction that engulfs you is just mind boggling.

On the bright note....I never have to visit (insert State name, one where the Cowboys play) again. Thanks for that!

[Selkie]

Dear Retired-in-Place Coworker -- You're over 50 and a senior officer, so I'm unsure why you react like a 7th grader and interpret everything as a criticism/putdown. You are uncouth and lack basic manners/courtesy, always attributing your own ungracious motives to others. To make it worse, you seem to avoid any work that is commensurate with your pay rate, leaving our poor boss to dump it on me (who is not your "peer" in terms of pay or experience). I do the complex, high-pressure work while you sit around, eat crunchy food, make disgusting noises, monitor everything I do (including staring at my legs---creepy, especially since you're a woman), and crank out volumes of "easy" work a junior officer could handle. I'm not walking on eggshells on you any more.

[bmccasland]

Dear Powers-That-Be,
Would you please give my Little Sister a break? She has bad lungs, ever since she had the unfortune to inhale little microbes back in 2nd grade. But this chronic asthma/bronchitis/mono crap has got to stop. Especially since she can't even afford to see a doctor.

It tears me apart that she's been barely covered by health insurance, and is now applying for disability and medicaid. And reading between the lines from other things she said... that the social service that she and BIL saw friday also sent them to the food bank for a box of groceries, tells me that other things aren't so good either.

Some of her choices in life I've questioned, like sending her kids to private school when they can barely keep food on the table. But I've always kept my mouth shut. So I hope the gift card to Food Lion will help a bit.

And I sincerely hope that somehow they'll find a way out of this chronic short of money problem they seem to be in. They're finally not spending foolishly (to my knowledge) - but they just can't get caught up either.

Can't BIL find a decent job, with benefits to take care of them? I'm doing what I can, but it's hard to fathom that I'm paying 1/4 their annual household income too.

[limewave]

Mother dearest,

It is not a personal offense to you when I decide to "ground" dd. I am not trying to take away Gramma and Grampa--that is not even part of the equation. DD sees you every week, sometimes more than that. I think that missing one day with Gramma and Grampa would not be the end of the world. It's unfortunate that you had plans with her right then, but if we had special plans ourselves, I would have cancelled those too.

And as for your remark about the "punishment fitting the crime," well, I do think its appropriate. Furthermore, my decision to ground her had less to do with punishment than it did for her own benefit.

When DD acts out as severely as she did over the weekend I . . .
1) Cannot imagine taking a child out in public that is behaving that way
2) Think that we've had a busy schedule and maybe DD needs a quiet day at home with her mom and dad.

You have made it very clear to me in the past that how we discipline our children is my business and that you want absolutely no part in it. Why are you sticking your nose in now?

I understand that you want the kids to remember you fondly someday. That's why you spoil them. But you have an opportunity to leave them with a real legacy: character, integrity, compassion. You can help give that to them by providing some structure and boundaries for them.

It makes me feel like I'm dealing with another preschooler when you cry every time I have to put DD in time-out. Seriously, if I had acted like that when I was a kid, dad would have gotten the belt out and you would have screamed at me for hours while stomping around the house slamming doors.

Sincerely,
Me