Letters
It’s time for one of my favorite and completely under-used blogging activities. It’s time to write some letters!
Dear Brusque Person In My Life: I am all for being truthful. But, there’s an art to telling the truth. You can’t just blurt out what you think to be the correct way. It comes off cranky and sometimes downright rude. It might not be best to curtly tell the hosts of the party in the middle of said party that you didn’t know where to go because their buzzer doesn’t have their name and they need to be better about giving directions. Ugly. Instead, you might have saved it for a more appropriate time. And by then, maybe you’d realize they actually did email you specific instructions that you just didn’t read. Furthermore, instead of firmly telling me (in the middle of a big gathering) we need to better instruct guests about how our buzzer doesn’t always work, you might take notice that we have a sign next to our buzzer asking guests to press hard. Thankfully, your friend pointed that out to you, so I didn’t have to same something equally as rude back correct you. For that matter, instead of telling me you deserved recognition in our wedding program, at our wedding, you could’ve just kept that thought to yourself, or maybe wished us congratulations. Yes, I still remember.
Dear Parts Delivery Guy: I have listened to your loud horn for months. Only recently did I discover you deliver parts to a shop around the corner from us. It is dangerous to use alleys as thoroughfares. Honking at each sidewalk and roadway crossing does not give you a hall pass to drive through those intersections without looking or slowing down or stopping. You do not have the right of way. Should an accident occur, you’d be at fault. Oh and your honking is unbelievably disruptive to my day time work from home routine. Don’t make me come out and have words with you kill you with kindness.
Dear North Carolina Tar Heels: WTF?
Dear Life: Please slow down long enough for me to finish reading my book. I mean it! I’ve got 10 days and I’m only halfway through a 400-page book. Yikes! I want to be a full participant in our upcoming book club. So, please, let’s take a break and continue full force in February? M’kay?
Dear Truck: Please hold on! Sweets and I really like you. Your 13 years on earth and almost 200,000 miles don’t scare us. You’ve been a part of all our favorite road trips. However, when your idling RPMs drop significantly and you lose pick-up, that worries me. Enough to bring you straight to the mechanic. An ignition coil (the original!), many spark plugs and wires and $350 later, you’re humming once again. But, let this be a warning. Should the repairs be required with some regularity or should any one repair be astronomically expensive, we will trade you in. We’ll be sorry to see you go, but will be happy to move to something a little more reliable.
Dear Martha: How on earth did you just give that election away? While it pains me to know what’s in store for us after Scott Brown’s swearing in, I’m pretty sure you deserve this loss. You should be embarrassed. You should have tried harder.
Dear Readers: What would be included in your letter(s)?
Fondly yours,
Nilsa
PS – A few of you inquired about the bread I made over the weekend. You can go here for a limited time to check out the recipe.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:28 am
Love your letter to the Heels. I concur!
January 20th, 2010 at 8:29 am
Dear 2010,
I hate you. I’m counting down the days until you’re out of my life.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:46 am
If I could, I’d write a letter a day. To oh SOOO many people. Saying oh SOOO many things.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:53 am
Oh, you are not kidding about the Tar Heels. We all knew this would be a rebuilding year, but c’mon guys! Get it together! Also, to make matters worse, they are probably going to be without Davis tonight vs Wake Forest. THAT should be interesting.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:54 am
I have so many letters in my head that I may have to do my own dear… post.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:29 am
Dear Coworkers:
If you see something that needs to be done before I get to the office because I’m stuck in a monster traffic jam due to a bad accident, please do it. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I should make the coffee. Also, I’d appreciate it if you stopped blaming your blunders on me when it’s clear I had nothing to do with them.
Dear Sun,
Where the hell are you? A week of fog and drizzle? If I wanted this I would have move to London circa 1882 or Seattle.
Dear Nighttime,
Please stop going so fast. Not enough time in the evening for me to socialize, workout, de-stink myself, eat, and relax, and um, sleep.
(and agreed on the Martha situation. I’m a lot more fearful than before, that’s for sure.)
January 20th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Dear Parents of Toddlers and Preschooler,
You know how your children have tantrums when they don’t get what they want? How they DEMAND to have things the way they want them? That is called TESTING. And you are supposed to let THEM know that they are not in charge of you/the rest of the universe, that such behaviors do NOT get them what they want. It may be “easier” to give in to them, but it it best that you do not. Only then they will learn limits, and appropriate behavior. That’s how it works. And then DO give them the attention they deserve for appropriate behavior. Hug them a lot and spend time with them. Don’t leave all of those jobs to their teachers please… Not to mention your child causing disruptions in classes that are not fair to the children that do behave.
Dear Strangers in Stores,
When I am trying to ignore my young child who is crying for something I said no to, please do not come over and coddle them, asking what is wrong and THEN offering them a lollypop. Nothing is wrong, they are just having a moment. One that I hoped would be a learning moment, but you just ruined it by reinforcing their negative behavior. And while you’re at it, please stop giving me the stink eye. I love my children and take very good care of them.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Dear 6am wake-ups: Can we just take a day off once in a while? Or trade with the lovely 9:30?
Dear coworkers: if you’re having a hard time completing a massive project, please don’t dump it on me and expect me to be 100% free of anything to finish it in your two-hour deadline.
Dear self: Why do I still live here? It’s probably one of the only habitable places in the world where winter lasts 7-8 months long, and you hate the cold.
Dear Nilsa: Thank you for making me smile :)
January 20th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Dear Spring,
It almost seemed like you were back yesterday when I stepped outside into 60 degrees. You are such a tease. Where did you go? I miss you. Please come back soon. This coat wearing stuff is getting mighty old.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Dear Neighbors,
I realize you might not approve of the gay men that I live with, but when one of their cars is stuck in a three foot drift of snow, it might be nice to help instead of just watch me dig him out.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Someone actually told you they should have been mentioned in your wedding program? Wow. That’s some kind of balls. (Not the good kind.)
January 20th, 2010 at 11:04 am
do you think you’d tell the brusque person these things? seems like they aren’t very considerate, AT ALL… wow.
i should do some letters. not sure they should all be made public though!
January 20th, 2010 at 11:07 am
The whole election thing was really an embarrassment to the Dems. I think they thought they could just sail through that election no problem. Now the future of any health care reform is in danger. Coming from someone who pays for their own health insurance now, this scares me.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:11 am
yay i love letters with nilsa time!
January 20th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Totally with you on the Martha and UNC things. ARGH.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:53 am
dear life,
i am sorry i do not love you all the time. sometimes its hard to greet the day with a smile, but thank-you for giving me the opportunity to try again the next day.
dear colliers,
please buck-up and stop renting suites in my building to those who likely belong in a halfway house. i am all for reintegration into society, but when meth and crack dealers bust open the front door on a consistant basis to hunt down their dealer, i think you should do something more than just poorly repair the lock. Band-aids will not fix a leaky dam. also, its time to fix the elevator that has been broken since July.
dear nilsa, thanks for the fun letters. they made my day :)
January 20th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Dear Cousin, I know you’re getting married this weekend and it would have been nice if you actively helped planned this instead of leaving it to the rest of us. My friend is doing me a favor by marrying you and your clueless fiance, quit making me apologize to him for your lack of consideration.
Dear Car,
Thank you so much for not needing new brakes at this moment. I promise as a special thank you I’ll drive you through the spiffy new car wash…as soon as its above 40 degrees.
Dear Nilsa,
You’re amazing and I adore you. I’m sure you know this, but its always nice to hear it on occasion. Thanks for always being such a great blogger and friend.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Dear Body -- please stop making me feel broken. I am trying to do everything in my power to make you healthy. Please meet me half way.
Dear older sister -- you will never read this, but I cried myself to sleep when I found out you were pregnant with your sixth child. It’s not because I am not happy for you -- I promise I am, it’s because while you are struggling with coming to terms of having another child, I am struggling with coming to terms that I may never.
Dear time -- please either slow down or make me faster at… everything. I have too much to do and not enough time to do it. Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Nilsa -- sorry to be so dramatic on your blog. But thank you for giving me an outlet. I’ve finally found some things I can’t talk about on my personal blog but it feels good just to say them.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Dear future baby,
When will you come so I can spoil you and give you all the love my heart can offer? Please hurry up!
January 20th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Usually I can come up with a snarky letter in about 30 seconds but today I am all wobbly due to http://www.loveharder.org/
So I think my letter for today is this:
Dear Internet,
I love you.
Always,
Hillary
January 20th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Dear Work,
Please stop kicking my ass and let me sleep through the night.
Love,
Spark.
January 20th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Dear Work,
Please let up. The stress is making me a mess. I’ve lost 6 pounds in a week thanks to you, which is maybe a little crazy.
Dear baby, husband, friends, and family,
I’m sorry I fail with you all right now. In 9 more days, I’m all yours. I promise.
Dear weather,
Um, I live in Southern California for a reason. Torrential rain, hail, and tornadoes are not part of the deal.
January 20th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Dear Nilsa:
You and Dan are amazing hosts. Your description on Monday of the weekend was a perfect description of one evening and two full days of lots of fun. It all worked out because of Dan and you organizing the get togethers and then making sure it all happened. Not only are you terrific “kids” but you are also great event planners. Thank you for a spectacular brunch and a wonderful weekend.
Love Mom
January 20th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Dear super chatty people at work: Stop talking to me before about 11:30 a.m. Or maybe just limit contact with me all day long. I’m a social butterfly but I cannot take your attention-seeking prattle on a daily basis.
I love writing letters -- it’s so therapeutic.
Sorry you have so many people in your life that deserved them right now!
January 20th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
I just can’t fathom how the Liberal Lion’s seat is no longer liberal.
January 20th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
This looks like good therapy. I only worry that if I give it a try I will only feel that more inclined to actually send the letters to their proper recipients. Which I have been known to do.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Dear Fellow Teacher,
I realize that you believe you know more about my content area then I do. And even though that may be true, one: it doesn’t matter, they are middle schoolers -- they’ll survive. and two: You don’t need to prove yourself of that everytime we have a meeting. I get that you need to sound smarter and more experienced then us all, but sometimes we are just sick of hearing your voice.
ok that felt good.
ps -- this is probably my favorite part of your blog.
January 21st, 2010 at 11:19 pm
Dear Dude on American Idol (from your city),
Please stop crying. I am such an emotional mess I actually felt AWFUL for you.
HP
January 22nd, 2010 at 4:48 pm
I love your letters posts.
Ugh. I have seen the sign on your door buzzer! It is clear! WTF? You know, I am pretty anit-filter, but that needed to be filtered! ;)
January 22nd, 2010 at 5:12 pm
All of my letters would be directed to the people who keep parking in the red or even past the curb break on either side of my driveway. I’m scared that calling DPT on them would get them towed and that I would then have horrid parking karma. And I would have left today’s car a note (I nearly took off the guy’s bumper), but it hasn’t stopped raining in California for a week! So yeah…
Dear Weather Gods,
I know we need the rain, but I need my sanity too. Cease and desist for a day or two, would’ya?
Yeah, yeah, I’m glad it’s not snow,
Sara