Dear So and So

[indysteel]

Thanks for the encouragement, Crankin. I rode 20 miles yesterday (my first ride since November). It was nice. My sit bones are sore, but I otherwise felt good. Part of my problem is that I used to ride with a big group of friends all over town. It was a strong group and I was motivated to ride a lot simply to keep up. I also liked the diversity of where we rode. Now I mostly ride with DH from our house. I think I need to mix it up a bit more this year. I need to do some hill work and go out of my way to ride with friends. Mentally and physically, I've been more motivated this past year than I was the year before (I've been running and working with a trainer on resistance work) so I'm hopeful. I'm just not patient when it comes to the bike. When I first started riding in 2006, I got strong pretty quickly thanks to some serious determination. I want that person back, but I keep glossing over how much work it took to get there. I think it would help if I went a little easier on myself.

[Bethany1]

Indy,

Hadn't thought of wheel drag. Yup. I have really wide mountain bike tires. I tried smaller sized, but the roads are too beat up for anything else. If I want to ride on the rural gravel roads, I need the wider tires as well.

Wish I had money to go to Omaha to ride the mountain bike trails. I'm sick of rural roads.

[redrhodie]

Dear bike shop boys,

You don't know how much the short cut meant to me. You are the best. The ride was way more fun than it was heading. I love you both, and dj, godspeed. You are a like lunar moth. I'm lucky to have known you.

Dear Old Friend,

I don't know what to say to you. I'm really mad at you, and may just want to end our friendship. I'm not returning your call because it's your birthday and I don't want to ruin it for you; because I won't be able to not tell you how much you hurt and dissappointed me. I never asked much of you, but now I know I expected more. Your excuse for not calling when I needed you was really lame. If there's another reason, you need to be honest with me, because the other one makes you look like an insensitive jerk.

Dear Me,

You learned a lot recently, but maybe you've forgotten forgiveness and compassion.

[indysteel]

(((Red))). It pains me to hear this. I've unfortunately learned the hard way that some people just aren't giving. I lost a friend in a similar fashion. I was there for her during her divorce, but when I needed her sometime later, she just couldn't reciprocate. I let the friendship rapidly fade from there. Sometimes I miss her, but I just can't waste energy or my love on someone who's happy to receive friendship but can't return it. I do, however, regret not telling her that she hurt me. I think I deserved to give voice to that. So, I would give some thought to that in your own situation. Maybe she'll surprise you by offering a sincere apology and a change in behavior. If not, you've at least said your piece.

[jessmarimba]

(Open letter to my music kids)

Dear drumset player:
What possessed you today to accidentally start our performance with the wrong piece? It's FINALS. At a REGIONAL. With (name redacted) as a judge!!! You're the only senior in the group, the only kid over 18, and you make a mistake that the 12-year-olds wouldn't have made!!!

Dear everyone else in the group:
Thanks for having the presence of mind to save the performance. Even with the total scramble to get to an instrument that remotely matches what you should be on during the piece he started with, it was a pretty darn good performance. You guys better hope (judge) is at our national competition, because he's very impressed with that recovery. And also laughing his butt off at the whole situation.

Sincerely,
Your exasperated teacher, who had to wait 4 agonizing hours for a drink after that near-catastrophe. I will probably wake up tomorrow with a whole head full of gray hair.

[alexis_the_tiny]

jessmarimba, I hope that drink was a good and stiff one. Kids can be so funny like that though...

[OakLeaf]

Dear houseguest,

We're having seafood for dinner again tonight. Get the hint?

[Sky King]

Indy,

Hadn't thought of wheel drag. Yup. I have really wide mountain bike tires. I tried smaller sized, but the roads are too beat up for anything else. If I want to ride on the rural gravel roads, I need the wider tires as well.

Wish I had money to go to Omaha to ride the mountain bike trails. I'm sick of rural roads.

Check out the Schwalbe Big Apple - could be a great alternative - wide but not as knobby.