Dear So and So

[Owlie]

((Blueberry))
Dear jerk in a Cadillac--
I can only go as fast as the vehicle in front of me. When this vehicle is a semi on a winding road, that isn't going to be all that fast. Riding my back bumper is not going to magically make me go faster, nor is it going to make that semi disappear. Moron.
By the way, had you rear-ended me with the bike on the back, I'd have jammed that old tube in the back seat down your throat. FYI.

The Honda driver.

(Not-so?) Dear LBS,
I've always had my reservations about you, but you were the only game I knew of at the time, you are the only one in town that carries Giant (so I figured you should know about its little quirks, which you do), and the fact that I liked the wrenches (at least, most of them) made up for the sometimes spotty customer service record. (And just so you know, while the managers and a few other people are really good, the sixteen-year-old salespeople...let's just say I know more about what they're selling than they do.)

Your new location, while extremely convenient, has sadly put another shop out of business. While I haven't dealt with this shop much (its location on a busy road doesn't help anything), the couple times I went in there, the salespeople knew their products. The owner took half an hour to check what was wrong with the fit on my Giant, offered some suggestions (even though this shop didn't offer fitting services) to make it more comfortable, and ran through some specs with me of the Madone models I was looking at. I don't know how, but the way you do things has put a really nice little shop out of business.

I feel dirty.

[Becky]

Dear Laptop-

First, your battery life went to he!! in a handbasket, and now the battery won't charge at all I sincerely hope that the new battery that I just ordered fixes the problem....it really wasn't money that I had planned on spending!

Love,
Grouchy

[Blueberry]

Thank you Tulip, Mimi, Roxy & Owlie - I'm feeling better about my decisions, and do plan to stick to my guns

[NbyNW]

Dearest wet puppydog,

I love you very much, but please let me eat my dinner in peace.

Love,
That person who takes care of you when your "fun parent" is away.

[ultraviolet]

Dear half-siblings,

Honestly? No, the amount of money my parents seem to spend on travel and entertainment does not concern me. It shouldn't concern you, either. It's none of our business.

They've told you on numerous occasions that their burial arrangements have already been handled, so no one need be concerned about that. Their house is paid for in full, they have no out-of-pocket medical expenses because dad spent 30+ years of his life serving in the military, they only make big purchases with cash, the two credit cards they have are paid in full every month, and they spent their entire working lives together planning and saving for their retirement so they have a pretty decent handle on their finances.

In case you need a reminder, dad is 82 years old now and he has cancer...on top of plenty of other issues. He also loves to travel and gather new experiences, so that's what my mother is trying to make sure he gets to do in the time between all of his medical appointments, tests and scans.

If this is how they want to spend their money, shut up and let them have at it.

Somehow, I think your concern is less about their financial well-being and more about how much you think you'll be getting after dad passes. Buttheads.

Annoyed,
/me

[Crankin]

+1 Blueberry.
I am a firm believer in setting firm boundaries or even excluding relatives who are toxic. I have some friends who think I am incredibly mean and uncaring, but, I need to be around people who are positive and mentally healthy, not manipulative and needy.

[Biciclista]

To whom it may concern
It really was crazy to let our Italian friends stay with us for almost 2 months! Screaming baby, backed up sink, no peace and quiet, oh my, the quiet. DH took them to the airport tomorrow and I walked around the house in a daze - it seemed so empty. We're really going to miss them. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and now it's over.
When opportunity knocks, say yes and don't look back. I'm glad we did.