Dear So and So

[Owlie]

Dear weather--
Please make up your mind. Either rain, or don't, and none of this wishy-washy stuff. (And while you're at it, can you cool off for a while and take those thunderstorms out of the forecast for this weekend? I want to be able to ride...) At this rate, I won't be able to get out until Monday or Tuesday, when it will be 90 degrees. WAH!


Dear weather forecast--
GRUMP. I didn't go out because you've been forecasting t-storms all day today. I could have sneaked in a shortish ride this morning before all these clouds and the wind picked up.

Dear body/brain--
I know there's a lot going on, but I'd appreciate if you'd let me sleep more than 6 hours a night. It's getting wearing.

[Owlie]

Dear self--
Facebook-stalking people is probably a bad idea. This is especially true when you're wondering if a particular person got into a particular PhD program...especially when it was the particular program that you wanted to go to and you didn't get in. Didn't the idea that they may have gotten in occur to you at the time? And didn't you already conclude that if anyone who wasn't from Arizona was getting in, it was her? Did you really have to put yourself through that again? Just stop doing it and move on.

But don't let it discourage you from applying again. She probably won't have any clue who you are.

Dear UA, federal grant situation, and the entire process of applying to PhD programs--
Just one more time: Screw you.

[redrhodie]

Dear Squirrel,

Did you really have to stop right there, in the middle of the road, at the bottom of the hill? I knew whichever direction I decided to swerve to avoid you, you'd go that way too. So instead of running you over while you sat there, transfixed on my quickly approaching wheel, I hit the brakes and lost all momentum for getting up the next hill.

I think you thought it was funny. I'm sure the people who were walking by thought I was nuts for yelling at you. I'm glad you lived to make it up the next tree, but next time, I may just take my chances at getting by you. You've been warned.

[Crankin]

Red, my DH had a squirrel snap his fork in half in a collision about 10 years ago.
It's probably a good thing you slowed down.

[redrhodie]

Red, my DH had a squirrel snap his fork in half in a collision about 10 years ago.
It's probably a good thing you slowed down.

Really?! From hitting it, or trying to avoid it? I'd actually never not slow down for one. I'm all talk.

[Catrin]

I seem to have figured out a tone of voice that gets their attention - they either freeze in place or run the other direction. So far...

[Owlie]

I was this far away from a chipmunk on my last ride. I usually yell at them ("SQUIRREL!" in the tone of the dogs from Up works well), but this one popped up about ten inches away from my wheel. Luckily it thought better of crossing the trail in front of me.

[Roadtrip]

I was this far away from a chipmunk on my last ride. I usually yell at them ("SQUIRREL!" in the tone of the dogs from Up works well), but this one popped up about ten inches away from my wheel. Luckily it thought better of crossing the trail in front of me.

Lol. This. I can't get this out of my head now. Thank you. Thank you very much

[jessmarimba]

Dear whoever is blowing stuff up tonight:

After listening to stuff explode for the last hour, I know where you are. And I also know that ALL fireworks (even sparklers) are illegal in Denver. But most importantly - I now have the fireworks tattle-tale number for the police programmed INTO MY SPEED DIAL.

The last straw was the one you set off at 11 last night that made it sound like my house was collapsing.

Be warned,
Your exhausted neighbor

[Crankin]

Red, it was from hitting it, going down a hill at about 40 mph. Luckily, one half of the fork stayed attached and he was able to stop the bike. He was on a lunch time ride and someone, who was a cyclist, stopped and gave him a ride back to the office. When he took the bike to the LBS where the Trek dealer looked at it, they didn't believe him, either, until they saw the squirrel fur and blood on the bike.
However, Trek did not pay for a new fork, but DH did try, since it was a new bike.

[OakLeaf]

Remember that old riding skills video that used to have a little animated picture of a squirrel that popped up, with the "ding" of a bell, when the video depicted squirrelly riding behavior?

[Eden]

A big hurrah to my teammate and PT who figured out and just about fixed my knee problem in *1* visit.... d@mn she's good

[indysteel]

Dear rain gods: Please stop raining long enough for the MTB trails to dry out. I thought the weather forecast was stressful as a roadie. Now that I'm trying to learn how to MTB, too, the forecast has become even more frustrating. Not only does it ideally need to be dry the day of a scheduled ride, it needs to be relatively dry before the ride, too. Stop being such a jerk this year. We've had more than enough rain. Everything in moderation, okay?

[Becky]

Agreed, Indy! I've MTBed only three times so far this year, and one of those times, it really was too wet to ride A totally depressing lack of miles....I might have to start being a roadie again just to get some saddle time

Dear former boss: When I said that I'd come put stuff together for you that one day, I really did mean just one day. Stop hounding me to be on some kind of schedule....I'll come in when it's raining or I'm injured

[Blueberry]

Dear Rain Gods: Please send the excess here. we need it - and would love to have the fires put out so we can stop smelling smoke.